Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said the club intends to pursue starting pitching this offseason, according to MLB Trade Rumors, after the team’s rotation struggled through a historic postseason run. The White Sox starting pitching plans come into focus following a season in which Chicago’s rotation logged the fewest innings of any team in baseball.
Getz made the declaration after the White Sox were eliminated by the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Championship Series, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The outlet reported the comments came as part of Getz’s offseason outlook for a pitching staff that was stretched thin all year.
What MLB Trade Rumors Reported
MLB Trade Rumors reported that White Sox starters threw just 674 2/3 innings in 2026, the lowest total among all 30 clubs, while posting a 4.60 ERA that ranked ahead of only four other teams. The outlet detailed how Chicago’s deadline move for Luis Castillo was meant to address that shortage but instead compounded it.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, Castillo posted an 8.42 ERA after arriving in Chicago and was eventually shifted to the bullpen before a shoulder impingement sent him to the injured list in September. Getz, discussing Castillo and fellow starter Martin after suggesting both were hampered by late-season injuries, said he looks “forward to seeing what both of those players can do for us come spring training,” per the outlet. Martin dealt with a right calf issue late in the year but was not placed on the injured list, MLB Trade Rumors reported.
The outlet noted Castillo’s career numbers still carry weight, with a 3.75 ERA across 272 games, but his trade value has eroded. He turns 34 soon and his strikeout rate has slid from 27.3% in 2023 to 18.9% in 2026, while he is still owed $22.75 million for one more guaranteed season, according to the report.
What The Team Has Said
Getz has not detailed specific targets, but his comments to MLB Trade Rumors confirm the front office views pitching depth as the offseason’s central project. In a separate videoconference covered by the Chicago Tribune, Getz reflected on the broader season, calling the club’s approach one built on “this selfless approach, it’s playing for one another, playing for the Chicago White Sox organization.” He added that the “power of establishing an identity is that it can replicate throughout an organization, whether it be our minor-league players observing this, certainly our coaches, could be our evaluators when it comes to acquisitions,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
That 2026 season still marked a turning point for the franchise. The White Sox snapped three straight 100-loss campaigns, reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and won a postseason series for the first time since 2005, according to the Chicago Tribune, before falling in five games to the Guardians in the ALCS after leading the series 2-0.
Why It Would Matter
If the White Sox follow through on adding external pitching, it would supplement an in-house group MLB Trade Rumors described as unproven. Candidates include Castillo, Martin, Burke and Kay, along with Noah Schultz and David Sandlin, though neither of the latter two has established himself at the big league level. Schultz posted a 5.57 ERA over 74 1/3 innings in 2026 and Sandlin finished at 5.58 over 40 1/3 innings, according to the outlet, and both have minor league options that could send them to Triple-A if Chicago adds pitching from outside the organization.
Taylor, who had Tommy John surgery in college, represents another internal option but remains limited in workload. He threw 19 1/3 minor league innings in 2024, reached 63 1/3 combined innings in 2025 and pushed that to 92 2/3 across the majors and minors in 2026, according to MLB Trade Rumors, which noted it could be difficult for him to reach a full starter’s workload of 150 to 200 innings next season.
Financially, the path looks open. The White Sox spent just $86 million on their roster in 2026, down from $193 million as recently as 2022, and MLB Trade Rumors reported the team has few long-term commitments for 2027 and almost nothing on the books for 2028 beyond a $2 million option buyout for Kay. Getz has not yet discussed next year’s payroll with owner Jerry Reinsdorf, according to the outlet, which also suggested Chicago would likely look beyond a pitcher in the mold of 28-year-old Andre Pallante and target someone younger with more strikeout upside.
What’s Next
No free agent targets, payroll figures or a timeline for pursuing pitching have been reported. Getz’s comments mark the opening stage of an offseason plan that MLB Trade Rumors indicates will unfold as the White Sox evaluate both external additions and their internal rotation options heading into spring training.
For more on how Chicago’s 2026 season played out, see the Guardians’ series-clinching win in Game 5 and the earlier look at the formula behind the White Sox’s playoff run.
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