Trying not to suck anymore

PREAMBLE
The White Sox have absolutely sucked. Yep, this plan will fix just about everything and our team will once again at least become not hated. Here's why it'll work:

1. The Sox ascend from the bottom of the MLB in SB's and power to stronger and much faster. I estimate we'd be close to 200 HR's (good for ~13th in 2023) and 200 SB's (good for tops in 2023)
2. The defense improves in flexibility and athleticism. Players can play multiple roles...but not be out of position a la Sheets in RF previously. The outfield especially is improved, this helps the pitchers (which admittedly could have some question marks).
3. More athleticism = better durabiilty, disrupting the habit of rushing prospects based on need.
4. We build up the rest of the team so we don't need the catchers to hit much. Lee and Perez suck, I get it. However, we have Hackenberg, Taylor, Harris, and Quero coming up in the minors and hopefully 1 of them should not suck eventually. Free agent catchers just aren't there. By improving the whole team, our catchers can focus instead on calling a good game and improving on defense (think Mark Johnson).
5. We lock in some vets to longer contracts. However, when they're older, they're still useful players who could have a lot of value off the bench. Similarly, the depth chart with future developable pitching talent looks really strong with several pitchers having a ceiling of SP1-3 in the near future. I'd admit that this rotation is far from perfect but it does have potential.
6. The new lineup is 8 deep on legit hitters which provides protection and makes for contagious hitting which along with another year of experience for players like Vaughn should boost individual numbers.
7. Moncada actually gives effort in his option year. If it works, cool. If not, we can move on to Ramos or someone else.
8. The starting lineup is balanced: 4 lefties, 4 righties, and a switch hitter. FINALLY.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2024 salaries. Feel free to offer 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 Nope
• Garrett Crochet: $900K TENDER
• Clint Frazier: $900K Nope
• Matt Foster: $740K Nope, sign to mlbTO/milb deal

CLUB OPTIONS

Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.

• Tim Anderson: $14M ($1M buyout)   PICK UP TO TRADE
• Liam Hendriks: $15M ($15M buyout, paid $1.5M annually over next 10 years) PICK UP AND RENEGOTIATE

MUTUAL OPTIONS

Write “exercised” or “takes buyout.”

• Mike Clevinger: $12M mutual option ($4 million buyout)  - Farewell.

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

Try to retain, extend qualifying offer, or let go?

• Yasmani Grandal (Made $18.25M in 2023) Bye
• Elvis Andrus ($3M) Bye
• Bryan Shaw ($720K) Bye
• José Ureña ($720K) Bye

FREE AGENTS

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto- 4/$80m
We need young, controllable, and high upside pitching. We keep missing out on good Japanese talent....so let's change the narrative.

OF Jung-hoo Lee - 5/$90m
While we're at it, let's get another talented player from overseas. Lee is an athletic and fundamentally sound baseball player with good upside... that's what we want and that's what is here.

LHP Jordan Montgomery* - 4/$88m with 3 team option years at $15m each
Montgomery could be our SP1 right now and if our development of prospects goes right we might be able to have him as a SP3 or SP4 in a couple years. He also fills the lefty starter quota. He's also only 30 and this deal could take him at least to 35, potentially 38. (If this is too big for cheapo Jerry, I say we give a 1-2 year contract to Quintana for $9m per).

UT Whit Merrifield - 3/$24m
UT Isiah Kiner-Falefa - 3/$45m with a $14m player option for both year 4 and 5.
Merrifield holds down 2b and eventually switches to a super sub role. Kiner-Falefa, like Merrifield, plays a super-sub role and is an upgrade from the Remillard's of the world. Having a bench with this much flexibility will allow the White Sox to carry on their bench a prospect who has less positional flexibility but more potential and more to gain from being around the team with getting part-time playing time. This also serves as insurance for Montgomery...and he was a Royal so ya know.

RHP Joe Jimenez - 4/$30m with mutual options for year 5 and 6 at $8m each
RHP Jordan Hicks - 4/$24m
Jimenez and Hicks add stability and veteran presence with some youth still in hand. In a pinch, they both can close too.

TRADES

1. Tim Anderson to Tampa for LHP Mason Montgomery
Tampa exited the playoffs early this year, in part due to lack of depth at 2b and ss. TA would be a candidate to get back to greatness and I wouldn't be shocked if he finishes at 10 HR and 20 SB with a decent average. In Montgomery, the Sox get a decent mid-level prospect, another close to ready SP prospect with a 3/4 ceiling.

2. Eloy Jimenez, Oscar Colas, and Dylan Cease (de ja vu!) to Cincy for OF TJ Friedl, LHP Nick Lodolo, RHP Connor Phillips (p/minors), and RHP Chase Petty (p/minors)
Boom. This upgrades Cincy's DH slot and SP and gets the Sox three upside pitching prospects and a controllable and metric-friendly CF (that I'd move to RF). Cincy has the depth of prospects to do this and this removes logjams while also adding Colas as a 4th OF. This seems like a fair trade. Lodolo has heen injured but has upside.

3. Aaron Bummer to AZ for RHP Bryce Jarvis
Bummer still has value somehow and will do well in the national league with a defensively strong team. That gives AZ a shot in the arm. Jarvis is a decent pitcher but not an overly crazy price to pay for AZ plus their depth has got logjams and they need to upgrade their bullpen. This gets Bummer's money off our books and I'm just sort of sick of seeing him around. Cmon Josh Barfield, let's get this!

SUMMARY

I'm a giant nerd if you couldn't tell. Here's an estimate of numbers for this roster. I believe we can win 90+ games and payroll will land short of $184m. While this is an imperfect roster with some questions, I think that the skills of these players compliment one another and that in and of itself will help everyone on the team to have decent years - whereas last year was a roster of some valuable individuals who mostly didn't play with others well in the sandbox.