After losing 102 games in 2025, the White Sox have shattered expectations by putting up a 55-51 record and reaching first place in the AL Central. The team is positioned to buy at the trade deadline, and as MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk covered in our Trade Deadline Outlook series for Front Office subscribers, the Sox are expected to look for starting pitching and relief depth, among other areas.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi added some context today, writing that the Sox are “among the most active suitors” for rotation upgrades entering the deadline. It’s unclear if they’re looking for ace-level starters or simply doing due diligence on all the available options. Nonetheless, it seems that the team is serious about upgrading a rotation that’s currently tied for 16th in ERA (4.35) and ranks dead last in the Majors in innings pitched (461 2/3).
In its current makeup, the group is a bit top-heavy and could use more length. Davis Martin has broken out with a 3.49 ERA in 20 starts while surrendering just 0.49 home runs per nine innings, which ranks best among qualified starters. Sean Burke is right there with him, posting a 3.19 ERA in 118 1/3 innings with an above-average 27.0% strikeout rate.
The back half of the group is less encouraging. Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde have matching 4.25 ERAs with subpar peripherals. They’re decent innings eaters, but uninspiring options in Games 3 or 4 of a playoff series. Noah Schultz, one of the team’s top prospects, has struggled to a 6.15 ERA in 13 starts. He’s thrown less than five innings in seven of them.
Martin and Burke could be postseason starters on another team, but it makes sense that the Sox are looking to add more arms behind them to build a true playoff-caliber rotation. They’ve reportedly checked in with the Angels on Reid Detmers, and they were one of at least seven teams in attendance for Clay Holmes‘ most recent rehab start for the Mets. Detmers and Holmes are more mid-rotation types than aces, but they would nonetheless be significant upgrades over the trio of Kay, Fedde, and Schultz.
Chicago has a cash payroll of $89.7MM, according to MLBTR’s new Payroll Tracker. Their luxury tax number currently sits at $113,177,908, far below the $244MM first threshold for penalization. On the surface, that gives them room to accommodate higher-salaried pitchers in a trade, such as the Giants’ Robbie Ray. On the other hand, the team’s spending history suggests they’ll be a lot more conservative with taking on new money. Chicago’s luxury tax payroll peaked at $200.6MM in 2022, and that fell all the way to $91.8MM in 2025, according to Cot’s Contracts.
The team’s unexpected emergence in 2026 might allow for a modest increase in payroll, but it won’t be anywhere near the 2022 levels. Any extra money would also need to be spent on other upgrades, such as a catcher to cover for the injured Kyle Teel. Perhaps that will motivate the Sox to look for cheaper, controllable starters at the cost of prospects rather than money. Detmers and José Soriano fit that profile. Among the rental options, Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize are available and making $8MM or less, though the latter would require an intra-division trade with the Tigers.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
