The White Sox have been active early this offseason, already adding a pair of arms in an effort to stabilize a rotation that’s still very much in flux. They traded for right-hander Chris Murphy and signed Anthony Kay to a two-year, $12 million deal after Kay found new life in Japan.

But even with those moves, the front office isn’t done yet. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, the Sox remain in the market for another veteran starter – and it’s not hard to see why.

Right now, Kay is penciled into the rotation alongside Shane Smith, Sean Burke, and Davis Martin. Kay is an intriguing piece – he retooled his arsenal overseas and posted a sparkling 1.74 ERA across 155 innings with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

The question is whether that success will translate back to MLB hitters. It’s a gamble, but one the White Sox are clearly willing to take.

Smith, Burke, and Martin are all expected to take on bigger roles in 2026, but none have logged a full season as a big-league starter. That’s where the need for a reliable veteran comes in – someone who can eat innings, steady the rotation, and take pressure off the young arms.

The team is also eyeing internal reinforcements. Ky Bush and Drew Thorpe are both working their way back from Tommy John surgery and should be in the mix at some point next season, though their innings will likely be capped after missing all of 2025. Jonathan Cannon is another option, but with a 5.10 ERA over 38 career starts, he may be better suited for long relief.

Last season, veterans like Martin Perez, Adrian Houser, and Aaron Civale combined to deliver 191.2 innings. Tyler Alexander, Yoendry Gomez, and Bryse Wilson chipped in another 157. That kind of volume is essential for a rotation still finding its footing – and it’s exactly what the White Sox will be looking for on the open market.

Here are three free-agent arms who could help shore up the South Side rotation:

Nick Martinez

Martinez is a name that makes a lot of sense for this White Sox team. He’s coming off a solid year in Cincinnati, where he posted a 4.45 ERA over 165.2 innings while bouncing between the bullpen and starting rotation. That versatility could be a real asset for a club with young arms on the rise and a rotation that may need some patchwork early in the year.

His journey is a familiar one – after logging over 400 innings in his first four seasons with the Rangers, Martinez reinvented himself in Japan from 2018 to 2021. He returned to MLB with the Padres in 2022 and has since become a dependable swingman, appearing in 40 games last season with 26 starts.

Martinez doesn’t light up the radar gun or rack up strikeouts – his 17% strikeout rate last season was his lowest since returning to the league – but he makes up for it with command and poise. He walked just 6% of hitters and has topped 100 innings in each of the last four seasons. Add in eight postseason appearances with San Diego and Cincinnati, and you’ve got a veteran presence who knows how to handle high-leverage situations.

At 35, Martinez still has the durability and experience to be a stabilizing force in a young rotation. He’s not flashy, but he’s reliable – and that’s exactly what the White Sox need.

Miles Mikolas

If the Sox are looking for pure durability, Mikolas is another name worth circling. The 37-year-old righty has been one of the league’s most consistent strike-throwers over the past decade, owning a career walk rate of just 4.7%. That kind of command doesn’t go out of style.

Mikolas is coming off a season where he posted a 4.84 ERA in 31 appearances for the Cardinals. While the ERA doesn’t jump off the page, his ability to soak up innings is undeniable – he’s thrown over 200 innings four times and averages 188 innings per season.

His best season came back in 2018, when he finished sixth in Cy Young voting, and he earned another All-Star nod in 2022. Since then, he’s struggled to miss bats and has given up his fair share of hard contact. In fact, he led the majors in hits allowed the season after his last All-Star appearance.

Still, Mikolas could be a low-cost, short-term solution for the back end of the rotation. He won’t overpower hitters, but he’ll keep the ball in the zone and give his defense a chance to work. For a team looking to bridge the gap to its next wave of starters, that has value.

Adrian Houser

Houser is a name White Sox fans already know – and there’s a chance his next chapter could be right back in Chicago. After starting 2025 on a minor league deal with the Rangers, Houser signed with the White Sox in late May and was lights out, posting a 2.10 ERA over 68.2 innings before being dealt to the Rays at the deadline.

His stint in Tampa Bay wasn’t as sharp – he put up a 4.79 ERA over his final 10 starts – but the overall body of work in 2025 suggests he’s still got something in the tank. At 33, Houser isn’t going to blow hitters away, but his sinker-heavy approach plays well in a park like Guaranteed Rate Field. He generates a ton of ground balls – 51.2% for his career – and last season, he held opponents to just a 6% barrel rate, one of the lowest marks in the league.

Houser also posted the third-highest strikeout rate of his career last season, showing that he can still mix in some swing-and-miss when needed. He’s not a frontline guy, but he’s a dependable mid-rotation option who already showed he can thrive in Chicago.

Bottom Line

The White Sox have made some smart early moves, but there’s still work to do. Adding a veteran starter – someone who can take the ball every fifth day and give them quality innings – is a clear priority. Whether it’s a versatile arm like Martinez, a durable veteran like Mikolas, or a familiar face like Houser, the goal is the same: stabilize the rotation, protect the young arms, and give this team a fighting chance to stay competitive in 2026.