The White Sox had all rookies in their regular starting outfield during their magical 2026 season, and two of them received votes for AL Rookie of the Year. It wasn't all that surprising for Tristan Peters, given that he made the All-Star team. Meanwhile, Sam Antonacci became a fan favorite by doing everything right, despite having come up as an infielder.

Braden Montgomery did not receive any votes, which also wasn't a surprise. Despite hitting a walk-off home run in his MLB debut, he otherwise struggled compared to the other rookies in the lineup. In the playoffs, he didn't even hit his playing weight.

As important as Montgomery was to them in 2026, the Sox will need to upgrade in right field if they want to get to the next level. With money to spend, they might only need to look 8 miles north for the solution.

Could the White Sox Steal Seiya Suzuki?

Seiya Suzuki is coming off perhaps his best season with the Cubs, but he will now hit free agency. The Cubs have extended him a qualifying offer, though it's widely expected that he will not take it. After all, no player with the best WAR of any free agent at their position would do such a thing.

All things considered, Suzuki would be the perfect hitter for the Sox to slot in the middle of their order. He slashed .270/.368/.473 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs last season. Although he would be prone to striking out like many of the biggest hitters on the Sox, it would be something they live with if he gets on base enough and brings enough runs home.

Of course, the big question is whether the Sox want Suzuki to be the first player in franchise history to ever receive a $100 million contract. He's 32 years old, but he'll be demanding at least that much. Most fans probably would prefer to see that contract go to someone younger and with a little more upside.

Even so, the Sox would be remiss not to at least inquire about Suzuki's services. As nice a story as Montgomery provided, it's time for the franchise to get serious about seeing how far it can go with this young core. Every contending team needs a productive veteran in its lineup, and the Sox can't rely on Andrew Benintendi for much longer.

You can't always reliably replace a rookie with a veteran, but Suzuki for Montgomery seems like a reasonable swap if they find it financially feasible. And it should be, considering how much money the Sox have to spend. Whether they want to spend it in this way, however, is a different matter altogether.