PREAMBLE
I had a few joke-y ideas for this. One was to say I'll post it in 6 months, as a way to say the offseason is gonna be a lot longer than we'd hope due to work stoppage. The other was to just copy and paste the 2021 roster and add a few minor leaguers, because I don't think the team does much this offseason. Anyways, let's get into it.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2022 salaries. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.
- Lucas Giolito: $7.9M, Tender
- Reynaldo López; $2.8M, Tender
- Evan Marshall: $2.3M, Tender
- Adam Engel: $2.2M, Tender
- Brian Goodwin: $1.7M, Non-tender
- Jimmy Cordero: $1.2M, Tender
- Jace Fry: $1M, Tender
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Craig Kimbrel: $16M ($1M buyout), pick up, you can't give up on him so quick after trading a haul at the deadline.
- César Hernández: $6M, pick up, they should and I still think they will.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, extend qualifying offer, or let go?
- Leury García (Made $3.5M in 2021), 1/5 with a club option of similar length. Buy your tickets now for Leury Garcia jersey retirement night in 2032.
- Carlos Rodón ($3M), 3/60 with an opt out after year 2. This is likely Rodon's only chance to heavily cash in, but coming off a year with some arm fatigue, which was expected, he won't be able to get quite as much as he'd have hoped in June. Sox keep the top 3 of their rotation from 2021 for at least the next 2 years.
- Billy Hamilton ($1M), let go. Love Billy but can't bring him back unless he's down for a minor league deal.
- Ryan Tepera ($950K), 2 years/$10 mil. Bring him back he was solid.
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Joc Pederson (Assuming his mutual option isn't agreed to) 2/25. Well it was gonna be a slam dunk signing till I made this comment. Now they've nixed the signing. He and Vaughn become a RF platoon while Joc can als
No. 2: Dellin Betances 1/4.5 with a similar team option for year 2. Coop'll fix em. But for real, a veteran, former dominant reliever coming off a pair of shoulder injuries to slot into this bullpen wherever needed. Will he succeed? I don't know man, maybe? I didn't say it would work.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Dallas Keuchel and Gavin Sheets to BAL for a bag of balls and a twelve pack of Natty Bohs. This is a dump of as much money as you can get BAL to take on, with Larry's Kid coming home as the way you sell the deal. This is how the Sox will "afford" the Rodon contract.
SUMMARY
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Jose Abreu
2B: Cesar Hernandez
3B: Yoan Moncada
SS: Tim Anderson
LF: Eloy Jimenez
CF: Luis Robert
RF: Joc Pederson
DH: Andrew Vaughn
Bench: Collins/Zavala (I prefer Zavala but whoever wins out), Leury, Engel, Burger (must commit to learning 1B in off-season)
SP: Giolito, Lynn, Rodon, Cease, Kopech, Lopez (swing)
RP: Ruiz/Foster/Burr/etc compete for one open spot in arm barn, Crochet (in Kopech's multi inning role from 2021), Betances, Tepera, Bummer, Kimbrel, Hendriks
Will this team win it all? Idk dude how long is the season gonna be?
