PREAMBLE
Prospects are prospects. As much as I love hearing Jim Callis talk about our top 30 farmhands, it's about time we loosen our grips on a few prized possessions. Sure, it hurts to trade away promising young arms and bats, but after enduring this past Soxtober, our increased pain tolerance should help us withstand an offseason of trades. All names are on the table except, of course, Elijah Tatis.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Nomar Mazara: NON-TENDER
Carlos Rodón: TENDER $4.5M
Lucas Giolito: TENDER $2.5M
Reynaldo López: NON-TENDER
Evan Marshall: TENDER $1.4M
Adam Engel: TENDER $1M
Jace Fry: TENDER $800K
Yolmer Sánchez: NON-TENDER
CLUB OPTIONS
Edwin Encarnación: DECLINE
Gio González: DECLINE
Leury García: PICK UP $3.5M
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Alex Colomé: LET GO
James McCann: LET GO
Jarrod Dyson: LET GO
COACHING STAFF
Manager: SANDY ALOMAR JR.
Pitching coach: MATT ZALESKI
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Michael Brantley (2 year - $32 million, 2023 Player-Option for $12 million)
No. 2: Tyler Flowers (1 year - $3.5 million)
No. 3: Brad Miller (1 year - $2.5 million)
No. 4: Drew Smyly (2 year - $7 million)
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Jonathan Stiever, Micker Adolfo, Andrew Dalquist, and Yermin Mercedes to Seattle for Mitch Haniger.
No. 2: Trade Andrew Vaughn, Dylan Cease, Blake Rutherford, and Andrew Dalquist to Milwaukee for Corbin Burnes.
SUMMARY
It's time to start converting prospects into MLB talent as we supplement a promising young core. Trading Vaughn and Cease is a painful move to make, but when pitchers like Burnes or Woodruff are made available in trade talks, you have to ante up. Trading for Haniger is a buy-low move to acquire a potential above-average bat through 2022. Paired with the signing of Brantley, it gives the Sox a very solid outfield heading into 2021, and allows Eloy to slide into DH (hopefully, without injury). Regarding Kopech, I don't expect him to log a full season's worth a starts, so Drew Smyly is brought aboard to serve as long-relief until Kopech swaps places with him later in the year. He also provides some rotation insurance in case he or Dunning falter. You might want to sign a Kevin Gausman if any doubts in Dunning or Kopech creep up during the offseason.
- STARTING LINEUP
TIM ANDERSON SS
MICHAEL BRANTLEY LF
JOSE ABREU 1B
ELOY JIMENEZ DH
YOAN MONCADA 3B
LUIS ROBERT CF
YASMANI GRANDAL C
MITCH HANIGER RF
NICK MADRIGAL 2B
- BENCH
ADAM ENGEL OF
LEURY GARCIA IF/OF
BRAD MILLER IF
TYLER FLOWERS C
- ROTATION
LUCAS GIOLITO SP
CORBIN BURNES SP
DALLAS KEUCHEL SP
MICHAEL KOPECH SP
DANE DUNNING SP
- BULLPEN
AARON BUMMER CL
EVAN MARSHALL SU
GARRETT CROCHET SU
CODI HEUER MR
MATT FOSTER MR
JACE FRY MR
JIMMY CORDERO MR
DREW SMYLY LR
