If you want to get your baseball team back into playoff contention, you have to win close games.

That has been a tall task for the Chicago White Sox in recent years. They finished 15–36 in one-run games in 2025. Being 21 games under .500 in those situations is the difference between going 60–102 and hovering around .500.

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A big part of the problem?

a) A lack of situational hitting from young bats.

b) No proven closer and no real bullpen structure.

It’s why the White Sox appear motivated to find a legitimate ninth-inning arm this winter. As the organization looks to turn the corner and enter the next phase of the rebuild, adding a closer capable of saving 30+ games in 2026 would go a long way.

But early free-agent contracts have made Chicago’s odds look… shaky.

Many fans have pointed to last winter as the model. The Angels grabbed Kenley Jansen on a one-year, $10 million deal and watched him deliver 29 saves with a 2.59 ERA. Boston landed Aroldis Chapman for essentially the same cost — $10.75 million — and he turned in an AL Reliever of the Year season with 32 saves and a 1.17 ERA.

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That was the blueprint. Roughly $10 million AAV for a proven force in the closer role.

Given the White Sox’s projected payroll for 2026, $10 million for a quality arm should be realistic even under the famously cautious Jerry Reinsdorf.

But the price from last winter appears to be significantly higher this offseason. And it’s getting harder to see the White Sox staying in the deep end of this market.

The top closers have already set a shocking tone. Raisel Iglesias returned to Atlanta on a one-year, $16 million deal. Ryan Helsley signed with Baltimore for two years and $28 million.

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Helsley won NL Reliever of the Year in 2024 but was a mess with the Mets in the second half of 2025. Some teams reportedly wanted to stretch him out as a starter — but why take on that transition when you can get paid handsomely to do what you already excel at?

Even non-closers are cashing in. Phil Maton got $7.25 million per year from the Cubs.

Remaining free agent closers include Jansen, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Emilio Pagán, and Kyle Finnegan. But based on how the market has moved, it’s possible all of them now command something near $15 million AAV — a number that may simply be too steep for Chicago.

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At that point, the Sox could pivot. They could hand the job to Jordan Leasure and invest their dollars elsewhere.

Or they could give a look to Grant Taylor, who might be the closer of the future even though Chris Getz has indicated the plan is for him to begin in a multi-inning role.

Getz has been clear about the offseason approach. The White Sox will monitor the market, check in on players they like, and remain open to multi-year deals — but only if the contract makes sense.

My concern is simple. The White Sox may genuinely want a proven closer. But as they watch the price of experience climb higher and higher, the pool may get too deep for them to swim in.