The Atlanta Braves just laid the blueprint for how to bring back a cut player at the right price, and the Chicago White Sox would be wise to take notes.
The Braves Kinley Deal Shows the Art of the Rebound
Atlanta’s recent move to re-sign reliever Tyler Kinley is a masterclass in roster management. Here’s what happened: back in November, the Braves declined Kinley’s $5.5 million option. Letting him go, on the surface, might’ve seemed like a permanent parting of ways. But it wasn’t. Just weeks later, they circled back and brought him back on a one-year, $4.25 million deal, with a club option for 2027 baked in. It’s a shrewd piece of business: they cut costs without cutting ties, and they gained contract control for the future.
It’s the kind of pragmatic maneuver that successful front offices make.
The White Sox Have a Clear Opportunity with Tauchman
And it’s one the White Sox should strongly consider copying with outfielder Mike Tauchman.
Tauchman is still out there on the free agent market after being non-tendered earlier this offseason. At the time, Chicago had good reason to make the move: Tauchman was due for a projected $3.4 million salary through arbitration, a tough pill to swallow for a player who ended the season on the injured list following meniscus surgery. There were questions about his long-term durability, and the White Sox, in the midst of a rebuild, opted to hit pause.
But now that the arbitration clock is off and the market has cooled, it’s time to revisit the relationship. Tauchman’s value didn’t disappear; it just changed shape.
He’s still a capable left-handed bat with veteran savvy and a disciplined plate approach. He’s still a clubhouse leader. And critically, he still brings balance to a roster that’s heavily reliant on untested youth. For a team looking to avoid a total free fall while nurturing its next core, players like Tauchman offer something numbers can’t fully quantify: stability.
A Hometown Fit at the Right Price
There’s also something to be said for fit. Tauchman is a Chicagoland native. His roots are here. That kind of connection doesn’t guarantee performance, but it does tend to breed investment. Players who feel at home tend to lean in. They work through slumps. They help pull others along.
It wouldn’t take much to bring him back; a deal in the $2 million range would likely get it done, similar to what he earned in 2025. And at that price, the downside is minimal, the upside meaningful.
The Braves proved there’s real value in re-signing players you know, just at the right price and under the right terms.
If the White Sox are serious about building a more competent, resilient roster in 2026, Mike Tauchman should be back in the fold.
