PREAMBLE
The Sox rise from the American League cellar has been nothing short of crazy. From cutting up jerseys to once in a generation pandemics we’ve seen it all. Now, just as things seem to be rolling with the franchises first back-to-back postseason appearances, we may be about to experience a work stoppage that could threaten the 2022 season! For baseball fans, and specifically us White Sox fans, things are nuts! So hey, as the great Michael Keaton once said “You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts!”
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Lucas Giolito: $7.9M - TENDER - I said I’d get nuts not demented. Of course Gio is coming back
- Reynaldo López; $2.8M - TENDER - I don't like it… but what the heck. One. Last. Ride.
- Evan Marshall: $2.3M - DECLINE - This screams that Garrett Richards/Padres deal from a couple years back. Sign him to a 2 year deal for 3 million. 500k in 2022 and 2.5 mil in 2023.
- Adam Engel: $2.2M - TENDER - What a strange career this guy has had. We need our Engel in the outfield back for 2022
- Brian Goodwin: $1.7M - DECLINE - If you had told me after that walk off homerun vs Cleveland I’d be non-tendering this guy in November… I’d have believed you. Nice bat-flip though!
- Jimmy Cordero: $1.2M - DECLINE - Doesn't strike out enough guys for me. I don't trust a guy who throws 100 mph and doesn't strike guys out.
- Jace Fry: $1M - DECLINE - This guy is like the Anti-Adam Engel. I don't know why he’s still around. He just gets worse and worse the longer we hold onto him.
CLUB OPTIONS
- Craig Kimbrel: $16M ($1M buyout) - PICK UP - If reports are to be believed this is already a done deal
- César Hernández: $6M - DECLINE - I had such mediocre hopes for you… and you couldn't even rise to that. Also you look like Eric Andre, maybe you can find work in that?
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Leury García (Made $3.5M in 2021) RETAIN - 3 years 12.6 million (breakdown 4.2 per season) - He’s probably going to be popular in free agency but I think this gets his back. A little more than I’d like but he learned how to take a walk last year and is versatile.
- Carlos Rodón ($3M) - LET GO - WHERE THE HECK HAS THAT BEEN? After how last year ended it was like you were about to leave the elevator after farting in it. Thanks for coming back to spray some Febreeze.
- Billy Hamilton ($1M) - LET GO - This honestly kinda hurts. He’s to the White Sox what Brian Scalebrene was during the Thibs days. Remember? Ugh such fun! Bring him back on a minor league deal with an invite to spring though. Fun guy.
- Ryan Tepera ($950K) - LET GO - Obviously try and resign this guy. He’ll be in high demand but I think my proposed deal a little further down will perk his interest.
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: RF Nick Castellanos - 5 years 76.5 million (6th year team option for 13.5 million; 3.5 million buyout) (CONTRACT STRUCTURE: 2022-13.7; 2023-14.5; 2024-15.3; 2025-16.1; 2026-16.9)
I have a bit of a theme with my offseason plan as you’ll see a little further down, but sufficient to say I am not signing Nick Castellanos for his fielding ability (nor should anyone else) but rather because I believe he is the only impact bat that would fit within the White Sox financial constraints. Signing Marcus Semien will likely run in the 120-150 million dollar range and the White Sox are NOT doing that as much as we’d like for them to. Castellanos for 5 years 80 million guaranteed up to 6 years 90 million would be the largest contract the White Sox have ever given out not counting the Robert extension which could run up to 88 million if memory serves. Normally I wouldn’t be a fan of spending so much on JUST a bat, but with Abreu likely gone soon we’ll need a real veteran presence outside of Grandal in the middle of the order. With this contract that will be Castellanos for a while.
No. 2: RP Ryan Tepera - 2 yrs 10.5 million (3rd year option vests at 75 total innings pitched between the two years for 5.5 million; If not vested becomes team option with 500k buy out)
Its basically 3 yrs 16 million which for a right hander relief pitcher is a lot of certainty. I’d hate to pay more which is why I have a backup
*No. 3: RP Jimmy Nelson - Same as Tepera
This guy was unreal for the Dodgers last year. A former oft-injured starting pitcher, he moved to the pen last year to great effect. If we can’t get Tepera back, make this guy an offer that is laden with incentives that have to do with health. A similar breakdown of two years guaranteed and a third year vesting option based on innings pitched sounds interesting. I really have no idea about how interested teams will be in this guy so we’ll see how this ends up looking
TRADES
No. 1: Trade CP Craig Kimbrel to the TAMPA BAY RAYS for CF Kevin Kiermaier and RP Tommy Romero
The Rays were apparently smitten with Kimbrel last trade deadline. It was even reported they were willing to trade Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows in a package for Kimbrel and Bryant. While it would be an interesting move to see a Kimbrel for Meadows trade I dont think the Rays would go for that and the Sox shouldnt either. Meadows was barely league average as a LF/DH, I shudder to imagine his defensive WAR as an everyday right fielder. Instead why not make a super defensive outfield! Imagine it, closing out games with an outfield of LF - Engel CF - Robert RF - Kiermaier. God help any ball that tries to land in that outfield. The Rays aren't afraid of trading their brand name players and with a team leading 12.17 million dollar contract next year (and a 13 million dollar team option the next) now is as good a time as ever to trade him. Tommy Romero is the Rays seventeenth rated prospect. I know we have a very negative opinion on Kimbrel as Sox fans. But he did finish the year with an ERA under 2.3 and was the most dominant pitcher in baseball in the closing role before the deadline. He has value.
No. 2: Trade C Zack Collins to the COLORADO ROCKIES for C Elias Diaz
Elias Diaz was good at Coors field last year. There is one more season in which he is under club control. The Rockies aren't going anywhere. Zack Collins is a bat first catcher with several years of team control left. I’m doing the math. I think it's a deal!
No. 3: Three Team Trade: CHW Acquire - SS Gleybar Torres; PHI Acquire - SP Dallas Keuchel; NYY Acquire SS Didi Gregorious
Remember I said let's get nuts. The Phillies need more starting pitching and didn't get what they wanted out of Didi Gregorious last year. You know who DID get what they wanted out of Didi when they had him? The New York Yankees! But now that they have reunited with their old pal, what do they do about the old shortstop Gleybar Torres… Well hey, he’s not really a shortstop anyway, why not package him as a second baseman and send him to the White Sox to complete this three team soiree! It's a deal made in baseball heaven! … and probably only in baseball heaven but still. I like Torres. In 2019 he hit 38 home runs! He is NOT a shortstop but with us he doesn't need to be! Without the pressure of being New York’s short stop I think he can get back on track and for the same price as Cesar Hernandez I'm willing to take the risk! See Sonny Gray if you think there isn't added pressure when being a Yankee.
No. 4: Trade RF Micker Adolfo and SP Jonathan Stiever (or Jimmy Lambert) to the WASHINGTON NATIONALS for SP Joe Ross
With Keuchel gone we need another arm for the rotation, who can we pilfer? Hey Washington Nationals you’re going to be rebuilding next year right? Want an exciting if not flawed young outfielder? Of course you do! How about a guy struggling in AAA but with the stuff to get out big league hitters? There ya go! We’ll take one year of a starting pitcher who can’t get through a season healthy and be on our way back to Chicago.
No. 5: Trade C Yermin Mercedes to the SEATTLE MARINERS for CASH CONSIDERATIONS.
I run a little over budget. Seems like you could probably get a few bucks for a guy who can hit from a team that needs hitters.
SUMMARY
26 - MAN ROSTER
LINEUP
SS - Tim Anderson
CF - Luis Robert
LF - Nick Castellanos
1B - Jose Abreu
C - Yasmani Grandal
3B - Yoan Moncada
DH - Eloy Jimenez
2B - Gleybar Torres
RF - Kevin Kiermaier
BENCH
C - Elias Diaz
SS - Leury Garcia
1B - Gavin Sheets
CF - Adam Engel
ROTATION
SP - Lucas Giolito
SP - Lance Lynn
SP - Dylan Cease
SP - Joe Ross
SP - Michael Kopech
BULLPEN
CP - Liam Hendricks
LHP - Aaron Bummer
LHP - Garrett Crochet
RHP - Ryan Tepera
RHP - Reynaldo Lopez
RHP - Jose Ruiz
RHP - Ryan Burr
RHP - Tommy Romero
According to my calculations the White Sox would be sitting at 172.43 million dollars in payroll for 2022. Slightly over budget and perhaps a little overzealous and hopeful on the Dallas Keuchel trade but hey that's show biz baby! My Goal was to do a little island of misfit toys thing. With Castellanos, Kiermaier, Ross and Torres all the additions have tangible strengths and clear weaknesses. But I believe this roster is designed to mask those weakness and heighten those strengths. For instance:
Castellanos cant field - In an outfield with some combination of Kiermaier, Robert and Engel he won't have to! Just hit my guy!
Torres isn't a shortstop - That's fine man, we’ve already got Tim Anderson! Don’t be a shortstop, be a second baseman! You don’t have to be THE GUY on AMERICA’S TEAM. Be A GUY on OUR TEAM.
Kiermaier is a glove first outfielder - perfect. Win a gold glove in right, cover for Robert in center when he needs a day off and get an occasional hit in the 9 hole. Anything over .200 is a bonus dude!
Ross can't finish a season healthy - Just hold down the spot until Crochet is ready! A midseason transition and then take over the long relief role.
I said up top “Let's get nuts!” but how about let's un-nutify ourselves and get serious for a moment here. Leadership is paramount to success in sports and an important element of leadership is knowing your personal and what can be asked of them. A problem that I don't need to remind you has plagued the White Sox for years: asking too much of players. This has been as much a part of the White Sox failure over the past decade as any other singular thing. From Adam Dunn to Gordon Beckham up through Andrew Vaughn and Craig Kimbrel just last season, this is a problem and one with a healthy track record. It's time to fix it. The roster I’ve constructed and the players therein are all in roles that are appropriate and ask a reasonable amount of them. I’m not requiring a rookie to learn a new position and jump several levels. I'm not asking a closer to take on a role he’s never done in his decade-long professional career. Abreu, Castellanos and Eloy will split time at DH, something they’ve all done and had reasonable success at before. Torres will play second, something he’s done and had success at before. Ross will start games and be a long relief guy … I think you get where I'm going with this. I believe this is what a roster set up for success looks like. I believe this is what a World Series team looks like.
