Hall of Famer Frank Thomas is suing the Chicago White Sox over merchandise that he says was sold without his consent.
Thomas is suing the White Sox along with Nike and Fanatics, accusing the team of using him to sell merchandise without his consent. Most notably, Thomas complains that the White Sox sold City Connect 2.0 jerseys with Thomas’ name and number on the back, and that Thomas received no compensation for any of it.
Frank Thomas is suing the White Sox and others over merch pic.twitter.com/sMEQhJq8Q9
— Gregory Royal Pratt (@royalpratt) March 24, 2026
It is not uncommon for teams to sell merchandise depicting the name and number of legendary players. In this instance, Thomas is objecting to the White Sox allegedly doing so without his knowledge or permission, and without compensating him as they profit off him.
This is not the first time Thomas has taken legal action to protect his image. It is unusual, however, for a player to file a lawsuit against the team he played for during the majority of his MLB career.
Thomas spent 16 of his 19 MLB seasons with the White Sox. Overall, he hit 521 home runs and was a first-ballot selection for the Hall of Fame.
