The White Sox are now in the market for another starting outfielder, as they recently non-tendered right fielder Mike Tauchman. While that move was certainly questionable, there are some solid options in the free agent market, especially after the non-tender deadline.
The White Sox will likely be very selective with the players they bring in this year, as they will want to ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for top prospect Braden Montgomery if he makes his way to Chicago in 2026. However, the long-term outlook for the outfield outside of Montgomery is murky, as this could be Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Benintendi's last season on the team.
Outfielder Adolis Garcia could be an option for the White Sox, but there is a chance that he is a bit out of their price range if he generates a good amount of interest on the open market.
However, another option the White Sox could kick the tires on is recently non-tendered outfielder JJ Bleday, most recently of the Athletics. Bleday was the 4th overall pick out of Vanderbilt by the Miami Marlins in the 2019 MLB draft, and was a highly rated prospect for most of his minor league career.
After a tough start to his MLB career with the Marlins, he was traded to the Athletics, where he got significantly more playing time. Bleday struggled in his first season with the A's, but he picked it up after getting more than 150 MLB games under his belt.
Bleday had a down year in 2025, as he hit .212 with a .294 OBP over 98 games. While that isn’t impressive, he did manage to hit 14 homeruns in that timeframe along with 17 doubles. These are very solid power numbers, which could definitely benefit the White Sox.
JJ Bleday with the #walkoff winner in Oakland! pic.twitter.com/oydMgn0gHT
— MLB (@MLB) June 8, 2024
While 2025 was a down year, Bleday had a very solid 2024. In 159 games, Bleday hit .243 with a .324 OBP, adding 20 home runs and 60 RBIs. This was good for 2.1 WAR according to Baseball Reference.
Unfortunately Bleday doesn’t offer much with the glove, as he is in the 5th percentile in outs above average according to Baseball Savant. However, he does have a strong arm, as he is in the 81st percentile.
Since Bleday is coming off a down year, he could be a nice option to buy low on, as he was a high draft pick and has had a very solid year in the major leagues. He is also only 28 and only has 404 MLB games under his belt, so he can still continue to improve. The White Sox could kick the tires on him if they want a low-risk, high reward option in right.
