As we sit just a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training, the White Sox roster is mostly set. However, they could really use another starting pitcher and another outfielder, both preferably with some major league experience.
The main piece the White Sox could use is an outfielder, as there isn’t much major league experience outside of Andrew Benintendi on the 40-man roster. The White Sox were linked to Harrison Bader, but he has reportedly signed with the San Francisco Giants. I thought that the 10 million a year for Bader was reasonable and should have been in the White Sox price range, but perhaps he just wanted to play for a team that is more likely to compete this season.
This should make the White Sox pivot to a different option, as there are a few solid options left on the free agent market. One player the White Sox should kick the tires on is former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays.
Hays has been a very productive player over his eight year major league career. Hays is 30 years old but will be 31 during the season, so he could be a good candidate for a short term deal with the possibility of being flipped at the deadline.
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Last season Hays slashed .266/.315/.453, adding 15 homeruns, 64 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. This was good enough for .8 WAR according to Baseball Reference. While his slash line and production at the plate was similar to some of his better seasons, his WAR was significantly lower than his best seasons.
AUSTIN HAYS BAT DROP pic.twitter.com/PfYa0A0rFv
— ATBBTTR (@ATBBTTR) September 2, 2025
Hays had his best major league stretch with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021-2023, as he made an all-star team during that stretch. His best year came in 2021 where he accumulated 3.4 WAR, according to Baseball Reference, because of a very good .256/.308/.461 slash line, while adding 22 homeruns and 71 RBIs.
His all-star season was also impressive, as in 2023, he slashed .275/.325/.444, while adding 16 homeruns and 67 RBIs. Throughout his major league career, he has shown that he is good for hitting around .260 with 15-20 homeruns and 60-70 RBIs. This would be a huge addition to the White Sox lineup, and it would be one of their better right field seasons over the last decade.
According to Baseball Reference’s projections for 2026, they have him slashing .263/.316/.428, adding 13 homeruns and 53 RBIs. This would be a nice addition to the White Sox lineup and it would take a lot of pressure off the younger guys to have to produce like that right away.
While there hasn’t been any news officially linking the White Sox to Hays, Chris Getz has discussed how he is open to adding to the outfield. Hays should be someone the Sox keep tabs on, as he could certainly help the team win a few more games in 2026.
