For three straight seasons, the Chicago White Sox lost 100 games.
They didnât just struggleâthey unraveled late.
World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers v Toronto Blue Jays – Game 6 | Daniel Shirey/GettyImages
Now, with spring training approaching, the organization has finally addressed the most visible symptom of that unraveling: the ninth inning.
The signing of Seranthony DomĂnguez gives the White Sox something they havenât had since Liam Hendriksâa closer whose role doesnât need to be explained. A two-year deal signals intent, clarity, and at least one area where questions stop before they start.
Everything else in the bullpen? Still very much in motion.
Chicagoâs relief corps finished 2025 with a 4.16 ERA, middle-of-the-pack on paper but wildly inconsistent in practice. Jordan Leasure led the team with just seven saves. Games slipped away slowly, then all at once. The bullpen wasnât brokenâit was unreliable.
DomĂnguez changes that tone immediately.
Assuming health, the White Sox are expected to carry eight relievers on Opening Day. Five of those spots feel close to locked.
DomĂnguez headlines the group, supported by Grant Taylor and Leasure as primary late-inning options. Taylor emerged as a legitimate breakout arm in 2025, while Leasureâs role stabilizes naturally as he slides away from closing duties.
Mike Vasil is another near-certainty. His 2.50 ERA across 100 innings last season came with flexibilityâmulti-inning outings, leverage spots, and damage control. He doesnât have a label, which is exactly why he fits.
Sean Newcomb rounds out the likely core, even if his path there is indirect. Though heâll reportedly get a look as a starter, the numbers point elsewhere.
A 1.75 ERA in 36 relief appearances late last season, paired with limited workload history, suggests his best value remains in the bullpen.
If Chicago adds another starter before Opening Dayâas expectedâNewcombâs transition feels inevitable.
That leaves three spots, and thatâs where things get complicated.
The White Sox have leaned toward carrying three left-handers, and assuming Newcomb occupies one slot, two more remain. Tyler Gilbert and Brandon Eisert both logged meaningful innings last year, with Gilbert producing stronger results.
Ryan Borucki offers a ground-ball-heavy profile. Chris Murphy intrigued the front office enough to warrant a November trade. Bryan Hudson, meanwhile, is just one season removed from a dominant 2024 before regressing in 2025.
Talent alone wonât decide this. Options will.
Eisert and Murphy can be sent down. Boruckiâs minor league deal allows flexibility. That reality tilts the decision toward Gilbert and Hudson, even if it isnât the most exciting outcome. Itâs the cleanest.
Then come the Rule 5 questions.
Alexander Alberto and Jedixson Paez complicate everything. Neither can be optioned without risk, and neither has pitched above High-A. Albertoâs triple-digit fastball screams upside, but Paezâs control gives him a clearer bullpen fit right now. Carrying both would be aggressiveâborderline unrealistic.
The safer bet is Paez staying, Alberto returning to Tampa Bay.
That decision likely squeezes Wikelman GonzĂĄlez off the roster despite his promising bullpen work in 2025. It wouldnât be a verdict on his futureâjust a reminder of how crowded things have become. Heâd be among the first names recalled if injuries hit.
Outside the picture, Jonathan Cannon and Jairo Iriarte appear destined for Triple-A. Iriarteâs stuff is major-league caliber, but command remains the barrier. Cannon, after a difficult 2025, needs distance from expectations more than opportunity.
Spring training could still change the equation. It always does.
But for the first time in years, the White Sox enter camp with one bullpen role clearly defined. DomĂnguez closes. No debate. No committee.
After that, the margins decide everything.
The ninth inning is solved.
The rest will be negotiated pitch by pitch.
And for a team trying to climb out of its own shadow, even partial certainty feels like progress.
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