PREAMBLE
I see the White Sox failing at free agency again. I do believe they want to spend the money, but no one will want the money to come to the South Side.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender” or “non-tender” after each player and their projected 2020 salaries. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.
- Alex Colomé, $10.3M - Tender
- Yolmer Sánchez, $6.2M – Non-Tender (Will return on cheaper contract)
- James McCann, $4.9M - Tender
- Carlos Rodon, $4.5M – Non-Tender (The FO will be happy to get rid of his wife and her tweeting)
- Leury García, $4M - Tender
- Evan Marshall, $1.3M - Tender
- Josh Osich, $1M - Tender
- Ryan Goins, $900K – Non-Tender
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” after the option.
- Welington Castillo: $8 million/$500,000 buyout - GOODBYE
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, or let go?
- Jose Abreu (made $16M in 2019) – Will get Qualifying Offer
- Iván Nova (made $9,166,167 in 2019) – Let Go
- Jon Jay (made $4M in 2019) - GOODBYE
- Hector Santiago (made $2M in 2019 on split contract) - GOODBYE
FREE AGENTS
List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:
No. 1: Shelby Miller 2 year - $3.5 Million (1.75 Mil X 2)
No. 2: Gio Gonzalez 2 year - $4 Million (2 Mil X 2)
No. 3: Nate Jones - 1 year $2.5 Mil (Because you can't have a White Sox team without Nate Jones)
TRADES
Propose trades that you think sound reasonable for both sides, and the rationale behind them. A good example of a bad idea:
No. 1: Trade Andrew Vaughan and Blake Rutherford to Boston for Mookie Betts. The White Sox will strike out in free agency and then panic and trade to get a “name” such as Mookie Betts, in the hopes of convincing him to sign a long-term deal. The Sox will then say they are spending the money.
SUMMARY
The White Sox will fail miserably in free agency. This is for two specific reasons.
- The majority of top tier talent are Boras clients. We know the team is still butt hurt because of the way the Alex Rodriguez negotiations went in the 2000 offseason.
- The Ivan Nova comments. Ivan Nova on the White Sox Talk podcast told Chuck Garfien that other players were telling him not to go to the White Sox. The way to combat this is to set the market. The team has gone on record saying they do not want to set the market so get used to being passed over again and again.
What’s more important is describing how you settled on your plan — how or whether it resolves key positions, and what kind of position it leaves your White Sox in heading into 2019 and the following offseason.
This roster will lead to another season of rebuilding, and the excuses will be used that it is a learning year for Robert and Madrigal, and Cease and Kopech will be on innings limits.
Yes, I am very pessimistic about this off season. Last season will be repeated.
Starting lineup
1B – Abreu, Collins
2B – Sanchez (Until Madrigal arrives)
SS – TA
3B – YoYo
C – McCann, Collins
LF – Eloy
CF – Engel (Until Robert arrives)
RF – Leury Garcia (Engel will platoon once Robert arrives)
DH – Collins, Abreu
SP – Giolito, Lopez, Kopech, Cease, Miller, Gonzalez – Lopez will start season in rotation, end in bullpen
