After signing reliever Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year deal, the White Sox may not be done adding.
During his Friday appearance on Hot Stove, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said he views the South Siders as a strong fit for outfielder Harrison Bader. Other possible landing spots include the Giants and Royals, both of whom are in need of outfield help.
Bader, 31, has emerged as one of the best defensive outfielders since coming onto the scene as a heralded prospect with St. Louis in 2017. He’s bounced around since 2021 but took a step forward with the Twins and Phillies last year, putting up a .796 OPS and 3.2 fWAR. There was sizable batted-ball luck involved, though (.346 wOBA vs. .295 xwOBA), so it will be interesting to see if he can replicate his performance in 2026.
Morosi noted during his appearance that Bader’s asking price will likely need to come down for teams like the Royals and White Sox to become serious suitors. As our Tim Moran proposed in a recent article, the Sox could eye a one-year deal with an option for 2027 to see if Bader can repeat his productivity. If the outfielder performs well but the White Sox don’t pony up the option cash for 2027, he can hit the open market with back-to-back impressive seasons and aim for a multi-year deal elsewhere.
For the White Sox, this sort of move has always made sense, but even moreso now after the Luis Robert Jr. trade. As it currently stands, Andrew Benintendi has left field locked down, and the rest of the outfield picture is a giant question mark. Luisangel Acuña appears likely to serve as the new center fielder, though he has only a few games of major league experience there. If Bader is brought in, he could take the pressure off Acuña by sliding into the center field role himself. That would leave Acuña in right and players like Brooks Baldwin or Jarred Kelenic to serve as a fourth outfielder instead, which is probably for the best over 162 games.
Time will ultimately tell if the White Sox spend a little extra to land the outfielder or play the waiting game in hopes that Bader’s price tag declines.
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Featured Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
