Here is a shocker: White Sox general manager Chris Getz has a solid offseason plan.

I never thought I would see the day. I was stunned reading Getz, during last week’s GM meetings, outlining the positions he would like to address before Opening Day.

Getz is going to focus on adding starting pitching, some bullpen arms, addressing the corner outfield spots, and acquiring another left-handed bat.

It seems like a reasonable plan, given that those are the positions where the team could use upgrades. The rotation must add at least two starters to eat up innings. The bullpen was awful in high-leverage situations. Getting some relievers able to come through in the clutch will go a long way in improving the team’s win total.

Veteran Mike Tauchman provided professional at-bats in right field this past season. However, injuries limited him to fewer than 100 games, and he did not blast many home runs. Tauchman’s veteran leadership and ability to still be a .750 OPS hitter should provide strong consideration to bring him back. Ideally, it would be in a utility role.

Andrew Benintendi’s defense continues to deteriorate, to the degree that it is becoming increasingly difficult to have him regularly play left field.

The club currently just has Colson Montgomery as the only legit power left-handed bat. While Kyle Teel has the potential to hit 20 to 25 dingers a year, the lineup could still use some more juice from the left side of the plate.

The left-handed bat Getz tries to add should play first base, because the team could use an upgrade there.

While I was hoping Getz would be more ambitious, after enduring three consecutive 100-loss seasons I will settle for reasonable.

If Getz can bring in the right players, it will accomplish two things. The first is that the offseason additions will help the team improve by another 10-plus wins. The second is that a successful offseason will go a long way in showing he is the man who can pull off this monumental rebuild.

But identifying the right players is not going to be Getz’s biggest challenge.

The major challenge is getting the funding.

Getz indicated the club is not going to be pursuing free agents seeking long contracts unless it makes sense for the organization.

I usually interpret that as not counting on the team making a major splash in free agency.

That does not mean Getz can’t upgrade the roster; he just has to be allowed to shop in the trade market and free agency’s bargain bin rather than the scrap heap. That is where Getz had to find veteran help during the 2024-25 offseason. Unfortunately, Getz chose to add the likes of Cam Booser and Tyler Gilbert. It is no wonder the bullpen was so poor in high-leverage situations. And it does not inspire confidence for the coming winter.

Getz should have money to spend in the offseason: FanGraphs projects the White Sox having just $67 million committed after renewing all their pre-arbitration players and offering contracts to the three arb-eligible veterans.

They likely will non-tender outfielder Derek Hill, who was brought in very late in the season after Tauchman tore his meniscus. Getz could also non-tender Tauchman, because he can easily be replaced. That would save a few million.

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf authorized around $85 million on last season’s payroll. If he forces the same budget on Getz, that leaves the general manager with $18-$23 million to play with. That does not leave a ton of room to do much rifling through the bargain bins of free agency or the trade market.

What Getz must do is convince Jerry to give him a few more millions to work with to really give this 2026 team a chance to climb up the standings.

Getz did indicate he has not been given a final number that he is bound to this winter.

I hope when Getz says the payroll is fluid right now, it means Jerry is willing to at least let the payroll get to $100 million. While that is still pathetic for a team playing in the league’s third-biggest market, this team does have a promising collection of young players who are pre-arbitration. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of their cheap contracts.

Players like Montgomery, Teel, Edgar Quero and Shane Smith still need veteran help to win more games.

That means the owner should be willing to invest enough money to make reasonable upgrades to a bullpen that is capable of protecting slim leads late in the game. Getz must persuade Jerry to pay for two starting pitchers who can provide quality starts. It would be nice to have a right fielder or a first baseman who can hit at least 25 home runs.

Those players can be had on short-term deals, but they will not be cheap. That is why it would be nice for Getz to have some room to work with in the budget rather than watching every single dollar he can spend.

For those ready to scoff at that notion, remember that Getz has been able to convince Jerry to modernize the front office. But adding front office staff does not impact the bottom line like a 200-strikeout pitcher does. That is why getting more money from Reinsdorf will be Getz’s greatest challenge.