CHICAGO -- General manager Chris Getz made clear last week that the White Sox still had work to do after trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets.
“We plan on being very active,” Getz said. “We've already been talking to agents and clubs, and anticipate a roster that's going to continue to evolve."
Robert was under contract for $20 million in 2026, with a $2 million buyout on a $20 million club option for '27, and Chicago quickly began to reallocate its resources. The White Sox on Thursday announced a two-year, $20 million deal with right-hander Seranthony Domínguez. To make room on their roster for Domínguez, whose deal includes a $1 million signing bonus and a mutual option for 2028, the White Sox designated infielder Bryan Ramos for assignment.
Domínguez will receive $7 million in 2026 and $10 million in '27; the mutual option for 2028 is for $12 million or a $2 million buyout.
White Sox manager Will Venable wouldn’t get into exact 2026 bullpen roles when talking to the media Thursday. But Domínguez will factor heavily into late-inning situations.
Jordan Leasure led the White Sox in saves in 2025 (seven), and Grant Taylor (six) also gained late-inning leverage work. Domínguez’s career high in saves (16) came as a rookie in 2018. If nothing else, Chicago is building a circle of arms to take on high-leverage duty.
“He’s gonna be finishing a lot of games for us. I think that’s clear,” Venable said. “We definitely view him as somebody that is going to lock us down at the back end of games.”
“If you ask any reliever if they want to close a game, of course they are going to say yes. In my case, it’s no different,” said Domínguez on a Friday Zoom. I want to be the closer forever. That’s why I’ve been working hard to get the opportunity.”
Domínguez, 31, has pitched parts of seven seasons in the Majors with the Phillies, Orioles and Blue Jays, logging a 3.50 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP with 40 saves over 322 career appearances. Domínguez, whose commitment to the Dominican Republic club in this year's World Baseball Classic was also announced Thursday, spent this past season with Baltimore and Toronto, which acquired him from the O’s on July 29.
In 62 2/3 innings over 67 appearances (both of which were career highs) in 2025, he logged a 3.16 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and 20 holds (also a personal best), with 79 strikeouts and 36 walks. Opponents hit just .198 against him.
Domínguez featured a five-pitch mix in 2025, with a four-seam fastball, sweeper, splitter, sinker and curveball. He threw his four-seamer most frequently (43.2 percent usage), and it averaged 97.7 mph -- which ranked in the 94th percentile in MLB.
Among other underlying metrics, Domínguez limited opponents to an 87.5 mph average exit velocity (89th percentile), and logged a 33.3 percent whiff rate (94th) and a 30.3 percent strikeout rate (91st). He did walk a fair number of batters: His 13.8 percent walk rate ranked in the first percentile, and his 5.2 walks per nine innings marked a career high.
Domínguez, however, has swing-and-miss stuff. And though his four-seamer was his go-to offering, his sweeper and splitter each kept hitters off-balance as secondary offerings. Opponents hit .132 and had a .245 slugging percentage against the former, and hit .114 with a .159 slugging percentage against the latter.
Domínguez marks the latest addition to a White Sox roster that has gained a slew of new faces this winter. Along with acquiring Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley via the Robert trade, Chicago landed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami and Anthony Kay in December on two-year deals, and signed lefty Sean Newcomb, who’s expected to compete for a rotation job.
Whether the White Sox make any further moves, Getz noted last week that he was not specifically looking to add an outfielder after trading Robert, but would look at areas across the roster.
“When you move on from a Luis Robert, there’s an assumption that a certain position needs to be filled,” Getz said. “But it’s increasing talent on the team to help us win ballgames. That could come in starting pitching, relievers, balancing right-handed vs. left-handed.
“So we are very open-minded and excited to get to work in being creative and bringing in that talent.”
Domínguez has pitched in two World Series, appearing in five games for the Blue Jays during their seven-game loss to the Dodgers in 2025.
“I’ve been there twice, and unfortunately, I lost twice,” Domínguez said. “I feel like I’m still missing something because I didn’t win. I hope to erase that with the White Sox.”