White Sox expected to be top landing spot for $157 million NPB superstar after signing Munetaka Murakami originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After locking up Tyler Soderstrom long-term, the Athletics have interest in signing more of their core players to contract extensions, reports The Athletic. First baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson finished 1-2 in the AL Rookie of the Year voting this past season and are obvious extension candidates. Catcher Shea Langeliers as well.

Earlier this offseason, we took a look at the types of pitchers the A's have added to serve as the club's closer over the past two decades, and there have been stretches of time, including with Mason Miller, that they have gone with a fairly inexperienced option, but one that provided upside.

According to Chicago White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin, catcher Kyle Teel will be the player most likely to have a breakout season in 2026.

That brings us to what follows, and what follows is our helpful guide to hope for the hopeless. We'll run down, in ascending order of the 2025 standings, each losing team from a season ago -- 13 in all -- and provide one or more reasons why 2026 may be viewed at the outset as the province of better days.

We bid farewell to the departed, including a World Series closer, superstar center fielder, renaissance manager and crafty knuckleballer

With six weeks remaining until Spring Training, let's take a look at the projected White Sox lineup if the season began today.