After the White Sox traded center fielder Luis Robert Jr., general manager Chris Getz said the $20 million the team was saving on Robert's contract would be spent elsewhere.
Well, half that money is accounted for. Relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez will be slated to make $10 million in 2026 as part of a two-year, $20 million contract he will sign with the Sox.
Dominguez, 31, split time in 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. He appeared in a career-high 67 games and tossed a career-high 62.2 innings, totaling 79 strikeouts, 36 walks and a 3.16 ERA.
Those 79 strikeouts were also a career high for Dominguez, who throws 97 mph and should add some much-needed swing-and-miss stuff to the Sox bullpen.
Of course, while his 30.3% strikeout rate last season is desirable, his 13.8% walk rate and league-leading 12 wild pitches temper enthusiasm a little bit.
Dominguez is tough on right-handed batters. He limited them to a .132/.269/.182 slash line last season. Left-handers were noticeably better at .277/.371/.446.
It stands to reason that Dominguez could thrive in a role where he faces primarily righties, but the Sox are planning to use him as a closer -- he has 40 saves in seven MLB seasons -- so how he handles lefties could determine his success or failure in a ninth inning role.
Is this the best way for Getz to spend the money he saved on the Robert deal?
Ehh. I've never been a big proponent of spending on relief pitchers when you have a holes in your lineup like Swiss cheese.
The Sox outfield was suspect even before Robert's departure. You figure highly paid veteran Andrew Benintendi is a lock for one roster spot, but the other outfield jobs will be up for grabs among Luisangel Acuna, Brooks Baldwin, Derek Hill, Everson Pereira, Tristan Peters and Jarred Kelenic.
That doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, does it? Maybe the Sox should have spent on an outfielder.
That said, the remaining outfield free agents wouldn't make me feel much better. Harrison Bader and Austin Hays are probably the top two left on the market, and neither moves the needle for me.
Given the track record of the Sox organization in recent years, we should probably be happy that Getz spent his savings on *something*.
Dominguez is an upgrade over some other pitchers projected for the Sox bullpen, for sure.
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