PREAMBLE
The White Sox for the first time in a long time, have realistic hopes/expectations to play meaningful baseball in September and beyond. This offseason plan spends the money Rick and Jerry promise is there to be used. Here we go...
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Alex Colomé, $10.3M TENDER
- Yolmer Sánchez, $6.2M NON-TENDER (Letting Yolmer go because whoever plays 2B at the beginning of the year is just a placeholder until Madrigal comes up. I don’t see any value in Yolmer over Mendick/Leury at this point, especially at his price tag, and plainly I’m just tired of seeing him slap at baseballs.)
- James McCann, $4.9M TENDER
- Carlos Rodon, $4.5M TENDER
- Leury García, $4M TENDER
- Evan Marshall, $1.3M TENDER
- Josh Osich, $1M TENDER
- Ryan Goins, $900K NON-TENDER
CLUB OPTIONS
- Welington Castillo: $8 million/$500,000 buyout - HE GONE
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Jose Abreu (made $16M in 2019) SIGN, 2 year deal worth $34M - (17AAV) + a club option worth $10M for the 3rd year.
- Iván Nova (made $9,166,167 in 2019) LET GO
- Jon Jay (made $4M in 2019) LET GO
- Hector Santiago (made $2M in 2019 on split contract) LET GO
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Madison Bumgarner (5 years for $90M - 18AAV) - We need some left handed balance in our rotation. MadBum is an experienced veteran who has won many times and is very consistent. Plugging him into our rotation is a huge step toward being a respectable playoff contender.
No. 2: Nicholas Castellanos (4 years for $70M - 17.5AAV) - Yes Castellanos had a great finish to the season with the Cubs, enough for me to want him on the South Side. However I don’t think he is going to get $100M on the open market this offseason. I think he looks at this contract as a way to get paid, but also enter the FA market again while he is still close to his prime (31 years old).
No. 3: JD Martinez (4 years for $100M - 25AAV) - This is a must. Martinez will already have a small market due to the fact he is a DH and isn’t capable of playing the field regularly. After already cutting the market in half to just AL teams, he will need to find a team that does not already have a DH. This leaves a few teams, including the Sox, and we have no excuse not to sign him. Not to mention his leadership capabilities and Cuban-American descent.
No. 4: Drew Pomeranz (2 years for $24M - 12AAV) - Adding another piece to the bullpen is always a good idea. Pomeranz had a great showing as a reliever with MIL after failing as a starter earlier in the year. Having Pomeranz-Bummer-Colome at the end of the bullpen is enticing.
TRADES:
No. 1: (White Sox trade 29th overall prospect) OF Luis Mieses and PTBNL for (Colorado Rockies) SP Kyle Freeland.
A first round pick in 2014 has been streaky to start his MLB career. At his best, in 2018 he finished 4th in NL Cy Young voting. He also beat the Cubs in the NL wildcard game in 2018 as well. Last year however he had an ERA over 6.70 in 22 starts. With only having one year left on his contract and his disappointing season last year, he shouldn't cost all that much. If he can regain anything close to his 2018 form, this would be a bargain.
No. 2: (White Sox trade 13th overall prospect) 1B Gavin Sheets, (27th overall prospect) RHP Alec Hansen, and RHP Carson Fulmer for (Arizona Diamondbacks) RHP Archie Bradley.
Pitching wins championships. Bradley would be another great boost to our bullpen, making it one of the better bullpens in baseball. Sheets is blocked by our current 1B situation and the fact that Andrew Vaughn is not far behind. Hansen and Fulmer are both pitchers who have struggled in our system, but have the makeup to be successful if they can make adjustments, the Diamondbacks surely could be interested in their upside.
SUMMARY-Even with all my additions, the White Sox would still be outside the top 10 payrolls in baseball in 2020. The trades and signings I predict are realistic. I did not go after Cole, Rendon, or Grandal. I think that with this approach to an offseason, it leaves more room to continue to make signings in future offseasons etc. It leaves the White Sox with a lineup that could be one of the most interesting in baseball, a rotation with experience and plenty of upside, and a lockdown bullpen. All of this would result in a heavy run at the postseason in 2020.
(Mock Lineup and bench)
SS - Anderson
CF - Robert
3B - Moncada
LF - Jimenez
DH - Martinez
1B - Abreu
RF - Castellanos
C - McCann
2B - Madrigal
-Mendick (INF UTIL)
-Collins (C/1B/DH)
-L. Garcia (INF/OF UTIL)
-Palka (RF/DH)
Rotation:
- Giolito
- Bumgarner
- Kopech
- Cease
- Freeland/Lopez (Rodon, not on my 26 man roster but will be available around the ASG)
Bullpen:
Evan Marshall
Josh Osich
Drew Pomeranz
Archie Bradley
Aaron Bummer
Jimmy Cordero
Alex Colome
