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Jesse Rogers looks ahead to MLB free agency, & we talk Bears vs. Giants | Chicago Sports Tonight
It's nearly game day at Soldier Field, so we talk Bears vs. Giants. We also look ahead to MLB free agency with ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
Here are the contract decisions the White Sox and Cubs both made on Friday, where they both tendered contracts to some players and non-tendered others.
White Sox:
The White Sox agreed to terms on a one-year, $900,000 contract with outfielder Derek Hill, avoiding arbitration, the team announced on Friday.
The Sox also declined to tender 2026 contracts to left-handed pitcher Cam Booser, first baseman Tim Elko and outfielder Mike Tauchman.
Non-tendering Tauchman and Elko comes as a surprise. Tauchman had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, hitting eight home runs, driving in 40 RBI and providing solid defense in left field. Tauchman was projected to have a $3.4 million salary.
Elko was a young player who was in between the majors and Triple-A. Elko played in 23 games and recorded nine hits with a .134 batting average. Four of those nine hits were home runs. He also drove in eight RBI. He had surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee on October 28. Although Elko might have needed more work to move out of the gray area as a player spending time between the majors and minors, it's surprising the White Sox didn't tender a player that's 26-year-old and has displayed plenty of power.
Hill was acquired off waivers from Miami on September 24, and went 2-7 (.286) with one RBI in four games with the Sox.
Cubs:
The Cubs tendered contracts to two pitchers they expect to be in their rotation in 2026.
Both right-handed pitcher Javier Assad and left-handed pitcher Justin Steele were tendered contracts for the 2026 season. Steele suffered a season-ending injury back in April, and didn't get a chance to contribute to a Cubs team that made a playoff run.
Assad had a 4-1 record and a 3.65 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 2025. He missed most of the season with a left oblique strain, and was reactivated on Aug. 12.
The Cubs also non-tendered catcher Reese McGuire and right-handed pitcher Eli Morgan.
With Moises Ballesteros naturally a catcher and Jacob Amaya waiting in the wings, there wasn't much of a path for Reese to remain with the Cubs, especially as Carson Kelly remains with the team.
Morgan was acquired last winter from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for prospect Alfonsin Rosario, and recorded a 12.27 ERA in seven appearances. He was put on the injured list on April 15, and did not make another appearance with the Chicago Cubs.