PREAMBLE
This past season although minimal was extremely exciting for the Southsiders. It’s time for Jerry to open his wallet and spend on this exciting young team. Hopefully, Hahn and company can convince the old man that with these moves the Sox can win it all in 2021 and beyond. Now I know the “budget” was set at $135MM, but I feel that the $9,000,000.00 I went over is fair. Let us see how I got to that amount, sit back relax and strap it down.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M – Non Tender
- Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M – Non Tender
- Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M – Tender
- Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M – Tender
- Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M – Tender
- Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M – Tender
- Jace Fry: $800K | $1M | $800K – Tender
- Yolmer Sánchez: Uncertain – Non Tender
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Edwin Encarnación: $12M – Decline
- Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout) – Decline
- Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) – Pick Up
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, or let go?
- Alex Colomé (Made $10,532,500 in 2020) – Let go
- James McCann (Made $5.4M in 2020) – Let go
- Jarrod Dyson (Made $2M in 2020) – Let go
COACHING STAFF
Here’s a first: Pick your manager and pitching coach, with any elaboration.
- Manager: AJ Hinch
- Pitching coach: Matt Zaleski or Hinch brings in his guy.
FREE AGENTS
List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:
- Joc Pederson – 3 Years / $33,000,000 This move just make too much sense. RF has been a gapping hole for the Sox for years. Joc a solid outfielder and he mashes right-handed pitching.
- Carlos Santana – 2 Years / $24,000,000 Now I know what you’re thinking why add him with Vaughn eventually coming up in 2021. Santana is the perfect hitter for this free-swinging team. Hopefully is his patience at the plate rubs off on others.
- Marcus Stroman – 5 Years / $75,000,000 I went back and forth on him and Bauer, I just like Stroman a little better for this Sox team, also he is a lot cheaper.
- Jonathan Villar – 1 Year / $5,000,000 Solid utility man who can play all over the diamond, whom had a solid year in 2019.
- Tyler Flowers – 2 Years / $6,000,000 A career coming in full circle, finish his career where it started.
- Liam Hendricks – 3 Years / $18,000,000 One of the best relievers the last few years and the guy who closed out the 2020 Sox season. Let’s bring him to the Southside.
TRADES
Propose trades that you think sound reasonable for both sides, and the rationale behind them. A good example of a bad idea:
No trades needed for this exciting team.
ROSTER
| Infielders | Outfielders | Bench | Starters | Relievers | |||||
| Grandal-$18.25 | Eloy-$3.5 | L. Garcia-$3.50 | Giolito-$5.30 | Hendricks-$6.00 | |||||
| Abreu-$16.00 | Robert-$3.5 | J.Villar-$5.00 | Keuchel-$18.00 | Bummer-$2.00 | |||||
| Madrigal-$563K | Joc-$11.00 | A.Vaughn-$563K | Stroman-$15.00 | Marshall-$1.90 | |||||
| Anderson-$7.25 | A.Engel-$1.20 | Dunning-$563K | Heuer-$563K | ||||||
| Moncada-$3.00 | T.Flowers-$3.00 | Cease-$563K | Fry-$800K | ||||||
| Santana-$12.00 | Cordero-$563K | ||||||||
| Lopez-$1.70 | |||||||||
SUMMARY
This team’s payroll obligation for 2021 is $144 million. Yes, a little over budget but I believe this team is a 90-95-win team and can compete for the Pennant for years to come. With Kopech and Crochet awaiting in the minors, if Cease, Dunning or Lopez should stumble they are there for insurance. As for Andrew Vaughn, Abreu and Santana, they can all rotate 1B and DH’ing with Grandal occasionally in at 1B. This team is extremely deep and if an injury occurs there is plenty here to pick up the slack. Hope you enjoy my fantasy team, see you in 2021!
