As we approach the free agency frenzy that is likely to precede any potential lockout, the White Sox need to seriously consider spending some real money, as they could make some noise in the playoffs with a few solid additions.
The White Sox will need to add a few good starting pitchers to the roster, as well as a shutdown reliever or two. You can never have enough pitching on a playoff team, and it was clear that Will Venable did not trust a few of his guys to get outs in the playoffs. That cannot happen again.
Additionally, the White Sox set the wrong kind of strikeout records in the series against the Cleveland Guardians, so adding a hitter that can balance the strikeouts from the power hitting guys in the lineup could prove to be huge going into next season.
The White Sox will have one of, if not the lowest payroll in the major leagues going into the season, so they will have plenty of money to spend if they want to. In the competitive years earlier this decade, the White Sox pushed the payroll close to 180 million. Now is the perfect time to do that again.
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We will take a look at the free agents in this year’s pool and see which ones could be a good fit for the team. Our first target is Michael King, formerly of the San Diego Padres.
King recently declined his player option, which will now allow him to become a free agent. He now sits as one of the best pitchers in this free agency class, just behind Tarik Skubal.
The White Sox need a frontline starter to pair with Sean Burke, and Michael King could be just that. However, after a dominant showing in the playoffs this season, his price tag may have gone up.
Overall in 2026, King was brilliant. He had a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings, striking out 159, while walking 70 batters. He had a 1.178 WHIP and hitters only hit .221 against him. These are top of the rotation numbers.
Michael King carved up the Cubs and had a no-hitter going into the 7th inning. His final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K. https://t.co/DgPdrDQhK5
— Cardinals Dude (@Turn2Dude) September 30, 2026
2026 isn’t just a one off for King either, as he is a career 3.23 ERA pitcher. He has always been a consistently good arm on good teams. He also has plenty of playoff experience, as he has pitched for the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres in his career.
Sean Burke and King would be a very nice 1-2 duo at the top of the White Sox rotation, and King’s ability to go deep into games and eat innings could really save the bullpen. King will likely command 100 million plus on the open market, but with the low payroll of the White Sox, they could afford that and more.
The White Sox need top of the rotation arms. They have plenty of mid rotation to back end guys on the team right now, which was a contributing factor to them being eliminated from the playoffs. Adding a guy like King should be a priority for the ascending White Sox. He is also just 31 years old, so he has a few more good years left in the tank, hopefully to help lead the White Sox to a World Series.
