*This is a prediction*
While on paper, the Chicago White Sox may not seem like a good fit for Gary Sánchez, it could make sense for both sides. At 33 years old, it seems like we’re getting close to the end of Sánchez’s career.
To get this out of the way, the number one and most logical fit for Sánchez would be the New York Yankees. A reunion with Sánchez’s former team could be a great fit.
But if the Yankees aren’t interested, let’s break down some other ideas that could be possible alternatives. Although the White Sox aren’t in a position to win right now, they still need to try to make their team better for 2026.
Even more important than just winning games is finding players who can be mentors to the young talent on this roster.
More MLB Content From TWSN:
Kazuma Okamoto Signs With the Toronto Blue Jays
Bryce Harper Traded to Chicago Cubs in Huge MLB Trade Pitch
Tarik Skubal Will Be Traded to the Houston Astros
Gary Sánchez Joining Chicago White Sox in MLB Free Agency
While it may feel like it, there actually hasn’t been too much time since Sánchez has had a productive season. In 2023, Sánchez had 19 home runs, 2.1 WAR, a .217 batting average, and .288 OBP.
Of course, not all of these numbers are great, but Sánchez is a power hit. Since then, though, things haven’t gone well for Sánchez in the slightest.
In 2024 and 2025, Sánchez has failed to have a WAR mark above 0.3. Keep in mind that Sánchez played in 89 games in 2024 and then only 29 in 2025.
When you take age into account, the trend of Sánchez starting to decline makes a ton of sense. Since it’s more a matter of age, there’s not a ton of optimism that things will just turn around either in 2026.
How Gary Sánchez Fits in Chicago
At the same time, Sánchez was a phenomenal player at his peak. Sánchez has 14.3 WAR, 189 home runs, a .224 batting average, and a .309 OBP over his 11-year MLB career.
Over that span, Sánchez made the All-Star game twice, and he also won the Silver Slugger award back in 2017. Kyle Teel is the future for the White Sox at catcher.
There are a lot of high expectations on Teel as he was the White Sox’s first-round pick back in 2023, and he’s expected to be a crucial part of this team’s turnaround. Learning from someone who had the kind of peak that Sánchez did would be highly beneficial for his development.
As of now, Fangraphs projects Korey Lee to be the backup catcher for the White Sox next year. Lee is 27 years old, so this doesn’t mean he’ll never be back on the White Sox roster.
However, Lee doesn’t help this roster a ton right now as is. The only time Lee played in over 30 games was in 2024, where he had 0.1 WAR, 12 home runs, a .210 batting average, and a .244 OBP.
Having Sánchez to act as a mentor instead of Lee would be a great change for this organization.
Gary Sánchez Contract
In terms of what the contract for Sánchez would be, it would more than likely need to be an extremely cheap, one-year deal. With that being said, though, if Gary Sánchez doesn’t head to the Yankees, the Chicago White Sox make a lot of sense.