PREAMBLE
I'm looking to make a series of trades to balance the roster (decrease the logjam of 1B/DH/defensively challenged OF) and the payroll (cash out the overpaid bullpen).
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
TENDER:
- Lucas Giolito: $10.8M
- Dylan Cease: $5.3M
- Reynaldo López; $3.3M
- Michael Kopech: $2.2M
NON-TENDER:
- Adam Engel: $2.3M
- Kyle Crick: $1.5M
- José Ruiz: $1M
- Danny Mendick: $1M
CLUB OPTIONS
- Tim Anderson: $12.5M ($1M buyout) - PICKUP
- Josh Harrison: $5.625M ($1.5M buyout - DECLINE
PLAYER OPTIONS
- AJ Pollock: $13M ($5 million buyout) — EXERCISED
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
LET GO ALL
- José Abreu (Made $18M in 2021)
- Johnny Cueto ($4.2M)
- Vince Velasquez ($3M)
- Elvis Andrus ($14.25M)
MANAGER
Ron Washington or Willie Harris
TRADES
According to baseballtradevalues.com, all of the following trades are a push or weighted against the White Sox so they should be fairly reasonable.
No. 1: Trade Liam Hendriks/Drew Dalquist/Yoelvin Silven to NYY for Domingo German/Luis Gil/Oswaldo Cabrera/Randy Vasquez. The Yankees bullpen is potentially losing Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and Chad Green. German can eat innings as starting pitching depth, but the main return here is Cabrera. A versatile switch-hitting 23 year old who played 1B/2B/SS/3B/LF/RF respectably for the Yankees in 2022, with a batting line of 247/312/741. Gil and Vasquez are pitching prospects. Gil has starter potential but will be out for the year after undergoing TJ. Vasquez could have a roll in the bullpen in 2023. Hendriks fills the high leverage hole in the Yankees bullpen, with Dalquist and Silven thrown in for ballast.
CWS Value Received = 18.6
NYY Value Received = 18.6
No. 2: Trade Jake Burger/Seby Zavala/Joe Kelly/Jake Diekman to MIL for Kolten Wong.
I like the fit of Wong on the Sox too much to gamble on a buyout and free agency. Brewers need major league ready pieces for 3B and C - the Sox have expendables at those positions in Burger and Zavala. And I’m using their surplus value to unload a couple negative value bullpen pieces.
CWS Value Received = -0.7
MIL Value Received = 0.0
No. 3: Trade Gavin Sheets/Romy Gonzales/Matt Foster/Yoelki Cespedes/Wilfred Veras to SEA for Matt Brash and Kyle Lewis.
Kyle Lewis has been crowded out of Seattle’s future with the emergence of JRod, but he still has that 2021 potential in there somewhere. Matt Brash was electric in his start against the Sox in early 2022. He’d be in the bullpen for 2023, with an eye on developing into a starter for 2024.
Mitch Haniger, Carlos Santana, and Brian Reynolds may all walk. Sheets and Gonzales provide low cost replacements that have had *some* success in the majors. Foster can eat low leverage bullpen innings. Cespedes provides high minor outfield depth, and Veras offers prospect upside.
CWS Value Received = 14.5
SEA Value Received = 14.6
No. 4: Trade Kendall Graveman/Jimmy Lambert/Jared Kelley to LAA for Ky Bush/Jo Adell/Jansen Junk.
One more move to offload bullpen salary. The Angels need bullpen help and they get it here with Gravement and Lambert. The Sox get 6’6” LH prospect in Ky Bush, along with change-of-scenery candidate Jo Adell, and literally some Junk thrown in.
CWS Value Received = 6.9
LAA Value Received = 7.5
FREE AGENTS
With the above trades, the payroll has been brought down to about 145M.
No. 1: Carlos Rodon (5 years, $125M, $25M AAV). Bring back Hard Karl.
SUMMARY
Total Salary = 170M
ROTATION:
Rodon (25M)
Cease (5.3M)
Lynn (18M)
Giolito (11M)
Kopech (2.2M)
BULLPEN:
Bummer (L) (3.75M)
Lopez (3.3M)
Brash (0.7M)
Vasquez (0.7M)
Banks (L) (0.7M)
Crochet (L) (0.7M)
Junk (0.7M)
German (2.6M)
Martin (0.7M)
LINEUP:
SS Anderson (12.5M)
2B Wong (10M)
CF Robert (9.5M)
DH Jimenez (10.35M)
3B Moncada (17.8M)
1B Vaughn (0.7M)
C Grandal (18.25M)
LF Pollock (13M)
RF Cabrera (0.7M)
BENCH:
C Perez (0.7M)
UTIL Garcia (5.5M)
OF Lewis (1.2M)
UTIL Adell/Mendick/Sosa(0.7M)
