With the podcast on its winter break, we're shifting P.O. Sox to a weekly text format exclusive to Sox Machine backers on Patreon. As always, thank you for your support.
From Andrew Segall:
Do the Sox leave a roster spot open on Tuesday or do you think they fill all 40 slots?
I think they leave a spot open, at least if last year is any precedent. Jordan Guerrero and Jake Peter are similar-enough predecessors for guys like Spencer Adams and Danny Mendick. They're not perfect matches -- Mendick offers the shortstop coverage and decent speed that Peter didn't, but he's further away as a hitter. Regarding Adams, it seems like teams will take a Rule 5 pick for a spin on an extra power arm, and Adams doesn't meet that description.
Part of me thinks if the White Sox considered Jordan Stephens a lock, they would've called him up in September, especially when Michael Kopech's spot went to Rob Scahill, although another part of me wonders if the Sox didn't want to overtax a guy with a history of injury concerns. Zach Thompson is the one guy I didn't mention in this morning's post, but with eight right-handed relievers already on the 40-man, it's hard to justify the spot, especially if Stephens makes nine. At least Stephens offers immediate spot-start utility.
I should offer the caveat that the White Sox routinely surprise me when it comes to 40-man protection.
From Bill Wiggins:
I imagine that Madrigal is our 2nd baseman sometime in 20, so wouldn’t be a good plan to move Moncada to 3rd now and sign one of the good free agent 2nd baseman?
Judging from Rick Hahn's quotes, it seems like he's open to making the change this offseason, but wants to leave himself multiple avenues depending on various outcomes. For instance, as long as the Sox consider themselves serious suitors for Manny Machado, it wouldn't make sense to talk about Moncada moving there, because then it just looks like they're yanking him around. The same thing goes for the idea of center field, in that the White Sox would probably want to assess all the proven options and trade paths before having Moncada give up an infielder's glove.
After Machado is resolved, then perhaps you'll see the second base market open up. There are a lot of second basemen with a recent history of quality, especially if guys like Joe Panik and Devon Travis join the list of free agents at the contract-tendering deadline. Somebody like D.J. LeMahieu would offer the combination of defense and a hit tool at a price that wouldn't compromise future plans, and if the supply/demand scale tilts in the Sox' favor, I think that's one way for Hahn to rationalize moving to Moncada to third immediately.
(I'd say prioritizing second base defense only goes so far on the free agent market, because after a certain point, the Sox may as well flip Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez and put the $8 million or whatever somewhere else.)
From asinwreck:
Is Nicky Delmonico still a member of the organization Tuesday? If he is, why?
Do we not remember the "it" factor?
I think he's worth having around for one more year, if only because the Sox don't have a whole lot of corner depth in the high minors and he knows what he's doing in a batter's box, although he didn't show the power in 2018 to threaten pitchers. There's room for him in the organization as Charlotte's starting first baseman, along with DH and outfield reps. He won't be hurting or blocking anybody there.
Now, there's a chance he could be shuffled out of the organization over the course of coming months, especially if the White Sox really overhaul the roster. If Delmonico gets caught in that riptide -- or ends up in a trade package -- so be it, but I don't see any of the aforementioned fringe 40-man cases being more valuable than Delmonico, and there are other players who can be jettisoned first, anyway.
From Imriel:
What’re the odds we pick up someone McCutchen’s caliber or better in the outfield FA market?
The Sox are apparently courting Bryce Harper, so there's that. Harper seems to be taking the courtship seriously himself, at least if his "top food cities" list is any indication. Granted, this is what it'd look like if he were merely using the White Sox as leverage for other teams closer to a World Series, but it's not completely out of the question.
After Harper, A.J. Pollock strikes me as the kind of player the White Sox might pursue, if only because they've loved previous oft-injured Arizona outfielders (Adam Eaton, Carlos Quentin). Pollock might be the best ballplayer of the three when healthy, and his ability to cover center would be a driving factor.
But with Pollock, McCutchen, Michael Brantley, etc., it seems like the Sox would and should be outbid by teams who can make better use of the 30-and-older free agents. Dan Szymborski articulated this in his latest chat:
Honestly, I think the White Sox should be in a go big or go home mindset. Unless they get players who are build-arounds that will be around for the rest of the rebuilding process, I think they should mostly chase deals. Those mid-market FAs are better fits for the actually competitive teams.
In a winter where these veterans have competitive bidders, I'd rather see the Sox pursue trades for blocked/fading prospects -- your Alex Verdugoes, your Andrew Toleses, your Ramiel Tapiae. If the winter unfurls as slowly as it did last year, that's where I can see the White Sox getting involved. If they do sign a free-agent outfielder in between Harper and McCutchen, I think it'll come during the second half of the winter when the price tags drop to may-as-well levels.
