Now that the 2026 season has concluded for the Chicago White Sox, it's time to reflect. Plenty had to go right for a team to make the playoffs after three consecutive 100-loss seasons. However, plenty also had to go wrong for them to lose in such an embarrassing fashion to the Cleveland Guardians.
Obviously, the offense played a huge part in this young group coming up short. But plenty more had to go south for this team to blow a 2-0 series lead in the American League Division Series. For instance, not having a quality starting pitcher outside of Sean Burke hurt the team significantly in the postseason, when using bullpen days tired the pitchers.
With that in mind, the White Sox should make an external addition or two to the starting staff, but there are a few internal options that may pique Chris Getz's interest as 2027 nears.
Drew Thorpe
Of all the pitchers Chris Getz had access to in the minors, Drew Thorpe was the most interesting. He was someone who had pitched well before playing through an elbow injury and subsequently needing Tommy John surgery.
However, when Thorpe got healthy, Getz refused to call the young pitcher up, keeping him in the minors to make rehab start after rehab start when the team desperately needed innings. In 10 rehab starts, Thorpe pitched to a 2.85 ERA and was clearly ready for the challenge.
As long as Thorpe hasn't completely fallen out of favor with the organization, he should be a candidate for the Opening Day starting rotation.
Mike Vasil
Chicago's self-appointed wizard, Mike Vasil, impacted the team in more ways than one this past season. He used his magic wand to fire up a young team that needed a cheerleader, becoming a true locker room leader despite his injury. However, now expected to return sometime in 2027 after Tommy John surgery, Vasil can be an impact pitcher, either as a high-leverage reliever or starter.
In Vasil's rookie season, he pitched to a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings with an astounding 2.9 bWAR. Going into the 2026 season, Vasil was competing for a role in the rotation before he went under the knife during spring training. He will be a huge part of what the White Sox do moving forward. His exact role, however, is not yet known.
Hagen Smith
Hagen Smith was used as an impact high-leverage reliever down the stretch. And he certainly looked the part with a 1.29 ERA in 18 games!
Grant Taylor has held a similar role, but he's been too important a reliever to risk stretching out. Smith, who was a starter in the minors, can be stretched out. While walks were an issue for the former first-round pick at times, especially in the postseason, Smith has a strong case to compete for a starting spot in the 2027 rotation.
If one thing is for sure, after what we saw for half the year, Smith at least deserves a chance to prove he can eat more innings during spring training.
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