WinningUgly ’83’s Offseason Plan – Ozzie says “Get more pitching”

6:46 PM CDT on October 20, 2020

A couple themes/assumptions that I made:

Sox are changing their ways but won’t when it comes to signing long term pitching contracts. Plus, assuming Bauer will not end up taking a one-year deal.
We have the core locked down for next couple years. Any long-term major contracts will be saved for that core. So, RF will have to be a short-term thing. Can still be higher ACV but not long term so we have $$ when the core needs to be extended.
I’m unclear if they believe Collins can handle backup backstop duties. For this I left him in – I know he’s close with Grandal.
Any move that has the secondary advantage of pissing off the Cubs and their “fandom” is good! I know we are now the better team and we shouldn’t worry about them but that is one “old school” thing that won’t go away.
When told they needed a LH bat, Ozzie Guillen’s response was “get more pitching”. This OPP gives us a ton of pitching. Counting on good new manager to keep everyone happy. If Cease, Bummer, Kopech, Lopez all perform – I wasted some short-term money. A problem of prosperity as they say.
I extended Giolito & Vaughn. Only leaves Madrigal. “Two-Strike” Nick is my favorite player on the Sox (and therefore in the MLB) & he should be our 2B for decade or more. What Harry Chappas should have been. That said, I think with his game & lack of power he is not a guy that will get huge ARB #s so you can wait on him.

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 | $2.5 EXTEND
- 5 yrs/$66m w/2 club options of $ 22m; so could be 7/$110m
- Years are:
  - 2021 - $ 6m
  - 2022 - $ 9m
  - 2023 - $ 14m
  - 2024 - $ 18m
  - 2025 - $ 19m
- Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M TENDER/$ 1.7m
- Evan Marshall:$1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M TENDER/$ 1.4m
- Adam Engel:$1M | $1.4M | $1M TENDER/$ 1m
- Jace Fry:$800K | $1M | $800K TENDER/$800k Trading him
- Yolmer Sánchez:Uncertain NON-TENDER/Can’t play SS
- I’m also extending Andrew Vaughn 6/$ 39m. 2021 salary is $ 1m. Window is open – need everyone from Day 1.

Alex Colomé (Made $10,532,500 in 2020)
- Let go/when relievers go down it’s a steep decline + we have arms in pen
James McCann(Made $5.4M in 2020)
- Let go/I’m not as upset as the rest of Sox twitter about this
Jarrod Dyson(Made $2M in 2020)
- Let go

Manager: Joe Estrada
- In the end, I think the Sox favor the less baggage option. There’s always the “Cubs didn’t hire him” storyline when he turns out to be a great manager.
Pitching coach: Matt Zaleski
- Pitching coaches have been moving up quickly so this is logical progression plus he can build on the successes we’ve had.

Kevin Gausman – 3 year/$ 30million. Good K rate. Good ground ball rate. Affordable in terms of won’t want 5 years. Has bullpen experience.
Jackie Bradley Jr. – 1 year/$13million with option for 2022 $ 13 million. He’ll want a raise but market will be soft for 2nd tier players. Great fielder. Left- handed bat. Issue: I think Boras is his agent; so maybe we don’t get option year. This is a “bet on myself” contract. Great end of game outfield with him, Engel & Robert.
Jose Quintana – One year/$6 million. Ability to trot him out with Eloy & Cease is something no Sox fan/Cub hater can pass on. He’s spot starter, swing guy, pitching swiss army knife (which he doesn’t get to play with based on his injury history).
Kiki Hernandez – 2 years/$13 million. Swiss army knife – can back up a ton of positions, Fields well. Postseason experience/success. Knows how to pinch hit. Grew up in a great organization. Funny on social media. Protection against inevitable injuries to frontline players. Hit multiple home runs in game that knocked Cubs out of playoffs – that’s a good highlight to play when he bats in Crosstown games.

Cordero, Fry, Stiever, Gonzalez to Rockies for Kyle Freeland. Works if Rockies are rebuilding or trying to compete. They need bullpen help. Freeland has 2 years of control. We are actually giving a bit much based on Baseballtradevalues site. Freeland moves into #3 slot plus he beat the Cubs in Wildcard Game in 2018.

Starting Pitchers

Swing guys

Relievers

Starters

Bench

Hernandez – Super sub
Engel – he’ll get some starts against LHPs
Collins – LH pinch hitter as well. Real big question – has his receiving improved enough.
Mendick

Payroll: $ 135,654,000.