PREAMBLE
The goal of this plan is to create a watchable on-field product in 2024, while having intentions to contend as early as 2025.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2024 salaries. Feel free to offer an explanation afterward if necessary.
- Dylan Cease: $8.8M - TENDER
- Andrew Vaughn: $3.7M - TENDER
- Michael Kopech: $3.6M - TENDER
- Touki Toussaint: $1.7M - TENDER
- Trayce Thompson: $1.7M - NON-TENDER
- Garrett Crochet: $900K - TENDER
- Clint Frazier: $900K - NON-TENDER
- Matt Foster: $740K - NON-TENDER
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.
- Tim Anderson: $14M ($1M buyout) - DECLINE
- Liam Hendriks: $15M ($15M buyout, paid $1.5M annually over next 10 years) - DECLINE
MUTUAL OPTIONS
Write “exercised” or “takes buyout.”
- Mike Clevinger: $12M mutual option ($4 million buyout) - BUYOUT
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, extend qualifying offer, or let go?
- Yasmani Grandal (Made $18.25M in 2023) - LET GO
- Elvis Andrus ($3M) - LET GO
- Bryan Shaw ($720K) - LET GO
- José Ureña ($720K) - RE-SIGN ($720k)
FREE AGENTS
List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:
No. 1: Brandon Crawford - SS (one year, $4M). The White Sox try to recreate the Longoria/D-Backs magic by adding a defensive wizard to captain the infield. His bat may be declining, but strong defense up the middle is the most solid base you can have.
No. 2: Tommy Pham - OF (two years, $12M). Grit and leadership. Pham helped the D-Backs fight through adversity to the World Series. Frankie Lindor credits Pham for “showing him how to work again”. We need hard work shown on and off the field on a daily basis.
No. 3: JD Martinez - DH (one year, $10M). JD has hit everywhere he has gone. He has also played on championship caliber teams and knows how to win. There will be a need for a DH once you continue reading this plan…
No. 4: Sonny Gray - SP (two years, $30M). The White Sox need consistent starts. Gray brings experience and consistency to the front of the rotation. He started the 2nd most games in his career this past season.
No. 5: Mike Clevinger - SP (two years, $25M). After he declines his mutual option, we go back and sign him to a multi-year deal. There is familiarity with both parties and Clevinger has proved he can be useful when healthy. I don't think anyone was expecting him to have as good a season as he did this past year.
No. 6: Drew Pomeranz - LHRP (one year, $7M). Pomeranz has struggled staying healthy, but is effective when he’s on the field. Another left handed arm out of the pen that isn’t Tanner Banks sounds great to me.
TRADES
Propose trades that you think sound reasonable for both sides, and the rationale behind them. A good example of a bad idea:
No. 1: Trade Gavin Sheets and Wilfred Veras to NYY for Kyle Higashioka. This trade fills the hole behind the plate for 2024. Don’t feel comfortable enough to hand the majority of reps to anyone in the system, and I definitely don’t want to spend money on Sal Perez. Higgy is in the 90th percentile for pitch framing and is a serviceable bottom of the order bat.
No. 2: Trade Eloy Jimenez to SD for Jake Cronenworth.
Struggle for struggle. Change of scenery could do both players well. Cronenworth has yet to reach the value of the contract he signed, and Eloy has yet to stay on the field. SD needs a DH, and we need infield help. A left handed bat doesn’t hurt. We would need SD to eat some money in the deal, and I’m not going to attempt to figure that out.
SUMMARY
**Lineup**
LF - Benintendi (L)
1B - Vaughn (R)
CF - Robert (R)
RF - Pham (R)
DH - Martinez (R)
2B - Cronenworth (L)
3B - Moncada (S)
SS - Crawford (L)
C - Higashioka (R)
**Rotation**
Cease
Gray
Clevinger
Kopech
Toussaint
**Bench**
K. Lee - C
Colas - OF
Gonzalez - UTIL
Rodriguez - MIF
**Bullpen**
LR - Urena
LR - Lambert
MR - Patino
MR - Pomeranz
MR - Bummer
SU - Leasure
SU - Crochet
CL - Santos
This roster equals an estimated salary of $164M for 2024. I do not want to spend big and restrict our chance at spending again with an improved 2024-2025 FA class.
This team is an upgrade in MANY areas.
Defense —> UPGRADED
Grit —> UPGRADED
On-Base Skills —> UPGRADED
Championship Experience —> UPGRADED
I would gladly go to the park to watch this team play. Hoping some new energy and healthy season can get Moncada to bounce back. At the very least he plays solid defense. This 26 man roster is a good transition into the new wave of talent - Montomery/Quero/Nastrini/Ramos/Schultz etc.
