The White Sox had a significant improvement from 2024-2025, as they won 19 more games this past season. This was solid progress, as they looked like a much more competent baseball team. This improvement was due to a lot of factors, but most importantly, contributions from their top prospects.
This sets the White Sox up for continued improvement throughout the organization in 2026, as they will have another top draft pick and room to add players from outside the organization. Despite the White Sox being one step closer to contention, they should not stop adding low-risk, high-reward players, as it is likely they won’t be in the hunt for the playoffs this season. These acquisitions could come in the form of former top-100 prospects who haven’t gotten much playing time with their current organization or have bounced around a few teams.
There has already been one move like that this offseason, as the White Sox acquired former top-100 prospect Everson Pereira from the Tampa Bay Rays. This is a high-upside move, as the White Sox could tap into the talent that made Pereira a top-100 prospect and into a valuable middle of the order bat.
There is another move the White Sox could look into, as a very intriguing young player was recently non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays. That player is former Chicago Cub, Christopher Morel.
Morel has had an interesting career to this point, as he found success early in his career with the Cubs. In just over 2.5 seasons with the club, he hit 60 homeruns and had 168 RBIs over 328 games. He accumulated 2.7 WAR, as he had a .228 average, a .308 OBP and a .439 slugging percentage. This was impressive, as this was in his age 23-25 seasons.
After being traded to the Rays he didn’t have quite the same success, as he has hit just .208 with 14 homeruns over 154 games. This lead to his non-tender this offseason, making him a free agent.
Morel could be an intriguing option for the White Sox, as he has a ton of raw power that the White Sox have been looking to add to their lineup. Baseball Savant grades him out at the top of the league in average exit velocity, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and bat speed. These are high quality tools that you can’t teach.
Pretty shocked.
Christopher Morel, 26, has his issues but its elite bat speed and power.
He seemed like he didn’t have a path to regular playing time in TBR.
zCon isn’t great so its lightning in a bottle, and if he can find a defensive home, its a 3+ WAR player, easily. https://t.co/zIwMc3WA5d pic.twitter.com/5BZJMZd7W2
— Remi Bunikiewicz (@RBunikiewicz) November 18, 2025
Morel is still just 26 years old so he hasn’t even entered his prime yet. The White Sox could offer him consistent at-bats in the outfield or at DH, as he could thrive with a change of scenery and a new coaching staff.
While Morel isn’t the best fielder, it would be worth taking a flier on him, as he would be the perfect low-risk, high-reward candidate. The White Sox should still be looking at adding as many talented players to the roster as possible while the games don’t mean as much. Additionally, he would be right in the White Sox price range, as he would not command a ton of money coming off a down season with the Rays.
