White Sox Move Grant Taylor Into 2027 Rotation

The White Sox plan to turn Grant Taylor from a relief ace into a starter for the 2027 season. General manager Chris Getz announced the change during the team’s offseason meetings. Left-hander Hagen Smith, who impressed after joining the majors in August, will remain in the bullpen for now; Getz said the club could consider starting him later.

Taylor, 24, had a 2.25 ERA and struck out 106 batters across 84 regular-season innings in 2026. He added 8⅔ innings during Chicago’s postseason run, including a four-inning outing in the American League Division Series. Taylor said that work brought him into the 85-to-100-inning target that he and the club had set as a goal while preparing him for a possible starting role.

The move comes despite Taylor’s limited history of heavy workloads and past injury concerns. The White Sox are still prioritizing the addition of starting pitching, and will also need a new option to replace Taylor as their most trusted reliever. Smith posted a 1.29 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 28 innings after his August call-up.