Discussing White Sox Offseason Topics With ESPN 1000

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The MLB Winter Meetings began Monday in Orlando, Fla., which could signal the start of offseason free agent moves and trades across the league.
To preview the major storylines related to the White Sox going into the week, On SI beat reporter Jack Ankony appeared on a recent episode of White Sox Weekly on ESPN 1000 with Jeff Meller. To listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, click the link below.
Had a good time talking White Sox with @Jeff_Meller this week on ESPN 1000.
— Jack Ankony (@ankony_jack) December 6, 2025
Here’s the full episode: https://t.co/9mOf8ad0BH
The episode includes discussion on a group of young White Sox players who stood out in 2025, including Colson Montgomery, Shane Smith, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Grant Taylor, Edgar Quero, Mike Vasil and others. Montgomery finished fifth in AL rookie of the year voting, while Smith became an All-Star during his rookie season.
They also discussed the White Sox recent free agent signing of left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay, who put up impressive numbers the last two seasons in Japan. He figures to join the starting rotation, a group that could take different forms throughout the season with a few top prospects pushing to make their MLB debuts and returners looking to establish themselves as MLB starters.
Another major topic of the White Sox offseason has been whether the team will keep or trade center fielder Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox picked up his $20 million option for the 2026 season, and while general manager Chris Getz has said he's not actively shopping Robert, there has been reported interest from teams around the league. If the White Sox choose to keep Robert, he has another club option worth $20 million in 2027.
What the White Sox end up doing with Robert may also impact the rest of their roster building strategies. As it stands, they'll likely still need to add another starting pitcher after losing Martín Pérez, Aaron Civale, Adrian Houser and Yoendrys Gomez, each of whom made at least nine starts for the White Sox last season.
The White Sox also have a need for a corner infielder, a corner outfielder, or both, especially one who is a left-handed hitter. Mike Tauchman and Michael A. Taylor combined for 115 appearances in right field and 43 in left field, but the White Sox chose to non-tender Tauchman and Taylor retired. Miguel Vargas also led the team in appearances at first and third base, so the White Sox will likely need to bring in some reinforcements to help cover those positions.
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Jack Ankony is the beat writer for “Chicago White Sox on SI.” He has been with the Sports Illustrated network since 2022. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism in 2022. Follow Jack on Twitter @ankony_jack
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