White Sox name Grant Taylor as a rotation starter for 2027: “We think it’s time”

The White Sox have decided Grant Taylor’s next step is the starting rotation. General manager Chris Getz announced the move during the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, framing it as a change that matches Taylor’s skills and long-term value to the roster.

Getz said the organization believes Taylor can be “a top-of-the-rotation-type arm,” adding that, in general, starters provide more value than bullpen roles. He also emphasized the team’s intention to manage Taylor’s workload, describing the transition as “the best route for him.”

Taylor’s own message to reporters after an August conversation with stressed he has not closed the door on a future in the rotation, but that his focus was on helping Chicago make a playoff push “and play in October.”

In the team’s 2026 season, Taylor contributed as a hard-throwing right-hander who logged 10 saves and struck out 106 in 60 games, according to the report. The same account credits him as part of Chicago’s first playoff push since 2021.

The article ties the decision to the postseason and to Chicago’s broader staff plan. It notes that Taylor helped in the Wild Card Series at Houston and then became part of a pitching staff that used only one true starter, Sean Burke, across seven postseason games.

The White Sox’s regular-season rotation also set the backdrop for the change. The report says Chicago starters ranked last in MLB in innings (674 2/3), finished 28th in strikeouts (621), and 26th with a 4.60 ERA, while naming a pool of younger rotation options that could complement Burke and others in the coming offseason.