The White Sox and right-hander Seranthony Domínguez are in settlement on a two-year, $20MM deal, stories Jeff Passan of ESPN. Passan provides that the Epitome Sports activities Administration is anticipated to be the nearer for the Sox. Chicago has a full 40-man roster and can want a corresponding transfer to make this official.
Domínguez, 31, has largely been an efficient setup man in his profession. He debuted with the Phillies in 2018 and tossed 58 innings with a 2.95 earned run common. His 9.5% stroll charge was a bit excessive however he struck out 32% of batters confronted whereas inducing grounders on 55.7% of balls in play.
He missed many of the subsequent three seasons as a result of damage, together with a Tommy John surgical procedure in 2020. Over the previous 4 years, he has been again on monitor and his manufacturing has had a considerably related form to his 2018 season. He has thrown a minimum of 50 innings in every of these 4 campaigns. Put collectively, he tossed 222 1/3 innings for the Phillies, Orioles and Blue Jays with a mixed ERA of three.60, a 27% strikeout charge, 10.7% stroll charge and 41.9% floor ball charge. He racked up 24 saves and 55 holds.
In 2025, he modified up his arsenal. He nonetheless featured a four-seamer and sinker within the higher 90s with a sweeper as considered one of his breaking balls, however he switched out his changeup and slider for a splitter and a curveball. That led to a career-high stroll charge of 13.8% however his 30.3% strikeout charge was his finest in a full season since his rookie debut. He grew to become one of many high setup guys in Toronto’s bullpen, making 12 postseason appearances as a part of that membership’s run to the World Collection. He had a 3.18 ERA in these, although with extra walks than strikeouts.
It’s a little bit of a unstable profile however the stuff is tantalizing and his outcomes have largely been good. Coming into the winter, there was a transparent high tier of free agent closers which included Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams and Robert Suarez. Domínguez was within the subsequent tier of strong setup guys, together with Tyler Rogers, Luke Weaver, Brad Keller and others. MLBTR predicted Domínguez for a two-year deal value $18MM and he has are available in only a hair above that.
Domínguez was related to golf equipment just like the Crimson Sox and Twins in reported rumors however presumably had curiosity from different golf equipment as nicely. The White Sox are an fascinating touchdown spot for him. The membership is clearly in rebuild mode, having simply completed their third straight 100-loss season. Nonetheless, a number of of their prospects had good breakout seasons in 2025, together with Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel.
The Sox have responded with a considerably lively offseason. They bolstered their rotation by giving Anthony Kay $12MM over two years and Sean Newcomb $4.5MM on a one-year deal. Munetaka Murakami seemingly fell into their laps when nobody else needed to present him a long-term deal, in order that they signed him for $34MM over two years.
They did subtract Luis Robert Jr. this week, buying and selling him to the Mets for Luisangel Acuña and pitching prospect Truman Pauley, however basic supervisor Chris Getz mentioned that the cash saved from that deal can be reinvested within the crew. Robert was set to make a $20MM wage this 12 months, with a $2MM buyout on his $20MM possibility for 2027. Assuming the Domínguez deal is equally unfold out throughout the 2 seasons, then he’ll be taking half of the cash that was slated for Robert’s wage in 2026.
Nobody is prone to decide the White Sox to win the Central this 12 months however the membership is a minimum of making an attempt to make the roster extra respectable, which is commendable. Maybe there’s a situation the place issues go particularly nicely and so they hover within the race for a number of months. If not, all of their pickups have been for one or two years, protecting the long-term payroll extensive open for at any time when they do return to rivalry. Of the signees, anybody who performs nicely may very well be on the commerce block this summer time if the Sox are behind the pack.
For Domínguez, it’s doable he could have most well-liked a extra surefire contender however touchdown in Chicago provides him an opportunity to shut. As talked about earlier, he has picked up a number of saves in his profession however has largely been a setup man. If he fares nicely within the ninth-inning job, maybe that can assist him land with a contender through commerce and it may assist his incomes energy when he returns to the open market two years from now.
He instantly turns into simply essentially the most skilled arm within the bullpen. Newcomb, who can have an opportunity to earn a rotation job, is the one different pitcher on the roster with even three years of huge league service time.
Final 12 months, eight completely different pitchers recorded a save for the Sox. Jordan Leasure led the pack with seven, adopted by Grant Taylor with six. These two each have stay arms however are nonetheless fairly inexperienced. They’ll work setup roles with Domínguez within the ninth. If the youthful guys take a step ahead or Domínguez finally ends up traded, then the roles may change over the course of an extended season. It’s additionally doable the Sox make one other transfer if Getz nonetheless has some powder dry.
With Domínguez now off the board, the aid market will get a bit extra barren. Díaz, Suarez, Williams, Rogers, Weaver, Keller, Ryan Helsley, Emilio Pagán, Kyle Finnegan, Raisel Iglesias, Phil Maton, Pete Fairbanks, Kenley Jansen, Gregory Soto and others have all come off the board. The group of men nonetheless accessible consists of Danny Coulombe, Justin Wilson, Andrew Chafin, Evan Phillips, Scott Barlow and extra.
Photograph courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Mitch Stringer, Imagn Pictures
