PREAMBLE
My main goal was to fill the holes at second base and in the outfield. Hopefully that can be done while also improving the rotation and solidifying the bullpen…let’s see if it works out!
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Lucas Giolito: $7.9M – Tender, enjoy the cheap production while we can
- Reynaldo López; $2.8M – Tender, Found a role in long relief/swing man. Teams need at least eight arms that can make starts. I still believe.
- Evan Marshall: $2.3M – Non-tender. Injuries suck.
- Adam Engel: $2.2M – Tender, Engel has somehow turned himself from the short side of the platoon discussion to having way better success vs righties in 2021.
- Brian Goodwin: $1.7M – Tender, the bat was good enough to cover for defensive questions.
- Jimmy Cordero: $1.2M – Tender, the 3.87 FIP shows that there are positive underlying numbers.
- Jace Fry: $1M – Nontender
CLUB OPTIONS
- Craig Kimbrel: $16M ($1M buyout) – Pickup…and trade
- César Hernández: $6M – Decline, seems to be market value.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Leury García (Made $3.5M in 2021) – Retain for 2 years/$8M. He has been good enough. It’s not his fault he got so many more looks than he probably should have. This is also an easy solution.
- Carlos Rodón ($3M) – Extend Qualifying offer (with the expectation that it is rejected)
- Billy Hamilton ($1M) – Let go. His excellent defense won’t be needed after a move or two below.
- Ryan Tepera ($950K) – Let go. He has a strong track record, but only so much money can go towards the bullpen.
FREE AGENTS
Danny Duffy SP: 1 year/$9M – Similar to Kevin Gausman’s pre-2020 make good contract with the Giants. Getting 150 innings of classic Danny Duffy would be huge. Getting half a season worth of those starts would also pair nicely with Kopech on the back end of the rotation. He just needs to be healthy for the playoffs.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Craig Kimbrel to San Diego for Adam Frazier. Two players that underperformed for their new homes last year. The Padres had a nails bullpen, that was still third best in their division. They also have a glut of middle infielder types. Assuming no extra money goes either direction.
No. 2: Trade Andrew Vaughn, Garrett Crotchet, and Andrew Dalquist to Oakland for Ramon Laureano and Lou Trivino. Laureano has been good or great for the last four years. The losses hurt, but near MLB ready players are probably what the As are looking for. Laureano and Trivino are under team control through 2024, so fits the White Sox’s window nicely and line up with when the A’s would want to stop paying them.
SUMMARY
It only kind of worked out.
This roster pretty much sets aside the idea that the White Sox plan to be operate outside an open window/closed window loop. Three of the major additions are only locked in for one more year though, so roster flexibility should be maintained next year even with rising salaries.
The focus was on adding bats at the expense of the back end of the rotation and continued risk in the middle of the bullpen. Finding a left handed reliever was really difficult. Potential mid-season move if Medeiros doesn’t work out.
Some of the bounce back candidates may fit better into a roster that is trying to break through to the playoffs, but I wanted to go upside. The Dunning money could be spent on a Jordan Lyles or Tyler Anderson types who can soak up decent innings more in the mold of Dallas Keuchel.
Payroll checks in ~$172.7M
Starting Lineup
C – Grandal ($18.25M)
1B – Abreu ($19.7M)
2B – Frazier ($7.5M)
SS – Anderson ($9.5M)
3B – Moncada ($13.8M)
LF – Laureano ($2.8M)
CF – Robert ($6M)
RF – Engel ($2.25M)
DH – Jimenez ($7.3M)
Bench
OF – Goodwin ($1.7M)
UTIL – Garcia ($4M)
1B/OF – Sheets ($0.58M)
C – Collins ($0.58M)
Rotation
Lynn ($18.5M)
Giolito ($8.25M)
Cease ($0.58M)
Keuchel (18M)
Duffy ($9M)
Kopech ($0.58M)
Bullpen
CL – Hendriks ($13.3M)
LRP – Bummer ($2.5M)
RRP – Trivino ($2.9M)
RRP – Lopez ($2.75M)
RRP – Cordero ($1.2M)
RRP – Ryan Burr ($0.58M)
LRP – Kodi Medeiros ($0.58M)
