White Sox Miss Out On Tatsuya Imai: Where To Go From Here
Just days after being reported as the frontrunner in the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes, things have quickly changed for the White Sox. Imai signed with the Houston Astros this morning on a three-year contract worth up to $63 million, with opt-outs after each season. It’s unclear how interested the White Sox ultimately were in him, but he is now headed to Houston.
With one of the top free agent starting pitchers now off the board and a need for another starter still clear, the White Sox will have to pivot to other options in the free agent market to address their needs. There are several potential fits still available.
Zack Littell
Littell, 30, proved his breakout 2024 season was no fluke by putting up another quality campaign in 2025 with the Rays and Reds. In 186.2 innings across 32 starts with Tampa Bay and Cincinnati, he recorded a respectable 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 3.2 bWAR. He is not a strikeout pitcher, as he ranked in just the 12th percentile in K% last season. What he lacks in swing-and-miss stuff, however, he more than makes up for with elite control. He walked only 32 batters all season, placing him in the 98th percentile in BB%. By consistently pounding the strike zone, he limits free passes and keeps damage to a minimum.
Littell would provide a much-needed veteran presence and high-floor innings eater to a young White Sox starting rotation. He also has familiarity with Brian Bannister, the White Sox Director of Pitching, dating back to their days with the San Francisco Giants. MLB Trade Rumors projected him to receive a two-year/$24 million contract, which should be within reason for the team.
Lucas Giolito
A familiar face to White Sox fans, Giolito missed the entire 2024 season with an elbow injury but rebounded nicely in 2025 with the Red Sox. The now 31-year-old made 26 starts with Boston in 2025, recording a 3.41 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, and 7.5 K/9 across 145 innings.
There is obvious history between Giolito and the White Sox organization. He has experience and past success to his name, and his projected two-year/$32 million contract from MLB Trade Rumors isn’t outrageous even by White Sox standards. Even with his long-time pitching coach Ethan Katz now with the Astros, a reunion in Chicago could make sense for both parties.
José Quintana
Another familiar name, Quintana has pitched for seven different teams since the White Sox traded him in 2017. Now 36 years old, the veteran left-hander made 24 starts for the 2025 Brewers, recording a respectable 3.96 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 131.2 innings.
While he was still effective, Quintana’s strikeout rate in 2025 was the lowest in a full season in his entire career. Still, he remains a well-respected and durable veteran who takes the ball whenever asked and is a logical bridge option until the team’s pitching prospects are ready for the big leagues. A contract similar to what the team signed fellow veteran left-hander Martín Perez to last offseason (one-year/$5 million with a mutual option) could serve as a baseline.
Kona Takahashi
Imai is not the only member of the Saitama Seibu Lions looking to come to MLB from Japan. His teammate, Kona Takahashi, is also a free agent and looking to find a team in North America. The 28-year-old right-hander stands 6’2” and 198 pounds and has 11 seasons of experience in Japan. He is coming off a season where he recorded a 3.04 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 148 innings across 24 starts, walking just 41 batters.
While Imai is considered to have overpowering stuff, Takahashi does not. He has never recorded a strikeout rate better than 20% during any of his seasons in Japan, while the average strikeout rate in MLB last season was 22.2%. He recorded just a 5.4 K/9 with the Lions last season, and that number is expected to decrease even further against better competition in MLB. How his stuff will play against MLB hitters is a legitimate question.
Takahashi’s posting window ends this Sunday at 5 PM ET, and a recent report indicated he could head back to Japan if the offers aren’t to his liking. While his upside seems limited, the White Sox could offer him a rotation spot and a low-risk contract that allows him to prove himself at the major league level. It would also continue the positive momentum the organization has created in bringing in players from Japan.
Michael Lorenzen
Lorenzen’s 2025 stats don’t jump off the page. In 141.2 innings with the Royals, he put up a 4.64 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, and 8.1 K/9. What he does offer is versatility. He has experience as both a starter and a reliever. New White Sox pitching coach Zach Bove also knows Lorenzen well from his time as an assistant pitching coach with the Royals. A short-term contract to provide innings could be a practical option.
Nick Martinez
Martinez fits a similar mold to Lorenzen. The 35-year-old logged 165.2 innings for the Reds in 2025, posting a 4.45 ERA, 4.33 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP. He rarely walks hitters and has proven capable of bouncing between the rotation and bullpen as needed. That flexibility makes Martinez another sensible target for a White Sox team that needs innings and stability.
Longshot Options
Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander, and Max Scherzer are also potential fits if the organization prefers a veteran who can serve as a mentor to the rest of the rotation. The White Sox signing any of these pitchers seems unlikely, given that all three are nearing the end of their respective careers and would most likely prefer to play for contending teams. They can’t be ruled out entirely, however.
White Sox Path Forward
The White Sox don’t figure to be in the market for any of the top remaining free agent starting pitchers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t paths to improve the pitching staff. There are several potential routes the team could take to add an experienced pitcher capable of eating innings to protect a pitching staff that will be very young, as well as buying time for the next wave of arms to arrive.