Story bySam PhalenMon, December 15, 2025 at 11:30 PM UTC·4 min readIf we know anything about the Major League Baseball offseason, it’s that it’s a slow burn. The offseason is long, and it often takes months upon months for free agents to settle into their new homes. Some of the top talents wait well into the new year—sometimes even brushing up against Spring Training—before signing. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust because a team hasn’t made significant moves by December 15 doesn’t mean it’s headed for a dormant offseason. But with each passing day, Chicago White Sox fans grow more impatient. Sox fans have never been under the illusion that this was going to be an especially active winter. After three straight 100-loss seasons, the White Sox simply aren’t in position to land the top free agents on the market. If Chicago signs a notable free agent, it will be for one of two reasons: either they were the only team truly interested, or they paid the “suck tax” by offering significantly more money than other suitors. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat’s what it would take to land players like Ryan O’Hearn, Pete Fairbanks, or other coveted free agents who make sense on paper. And yet—that’s exactly what they should be doing. The White Sox have expressed a great deal of confidence in their young roster taking another step forward in 2026.
