White Sox general manager Chris Getz said Wednesday that he believes Smith will be a starting pitcher in the majors "at some point," but a decision on the lefty's role for 2027 hasn't been made, James Fegan of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Smith began the 2026 season in the rotation at Triple-A Charlotte, but he was moved to the bullpen in July and it was in a relief role where he impacted the major-league club, posting a 1.29 ERA and 47:24 K:BB across 35 regular-season innings. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Smith has shown flashes of dominance but overall has been erratic boasting a 33.4 percent strikeout rate but also a 16.2 percent walk rate in the minors.