(Editor's note: This Thanksgiving, I'd like to give thanks to Deja Vu for once again combing through the Offseason Plan Project to find the most popular ideas and other noteworthy trends. Enjoy the holiday, everybody.)
Before we report on the data from all respondents to this year's Offseason Plan Project, I'd like to send a message to the front office of the White Sox. Attendance was down in 2023 in Guaranteed Rate while all the other clubs and MLB overall saw increases in attendance. TV revenue followed in the same direction on the South Side. Both of these scenarios are bad for the overall health of the organization and the ability to compete. What's even more concerning are the die-hard fans, the knowledgeable fans, the season ticket holders, the fans who support the Sox through thick and thin, are turning away in droves.
Case in point: Last year's OPP received about 100 entries trying to improve the team they so dearly love. To date, only 67 entries have been received (as of Monday, Nov. 20). A 33 percent decrease in anything is usually not a good sign. OPP participants (the top tier of White Sox fandom) have either become complacent, feel that their input is viewed upon as worthless and is probably not even reviewed/considered, or have walked away with their support all together.
Brooks Boyer, as barometers go, you're at hurricane levels of low air pressure. Hurricanes can be predicted with constant monitoring that provides advanced notice and information on what to do before a disaster actually strikes. Hurricanes at very low-pressure numbers are the most damaging. It takes years to rebuild from such damage. The White Sox need to get their shit together before all the residents move out, basically because there is nothing left!
Below are the results of this year's OOP.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Dylan Cease, Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet were all unanimous for being asked to be TENDERED (67 for 67)
- Touki Toussaint received 63 votes to be TENDERED. Followed by Matt Foster (16), Trayce Thompson (4) and Clint Frazier (2)
CLUB OPTIONS
- Tim Anderson. 49 entries were received before the Sox declined the club option. 19 of those 49 entries wanted to re-sign TA
- Liam Hendriks. 48 entries were received before the Sox declined the club option. 11 of those 48 wanted to re-sign Liam. 1 entry came in after to re-sign.
MUTUAL OPTIONS
- Mike Clevinger. 39 entries were received before the "Takes Buyout" was announced. 6 of those 39 wanted him brought back. 7 more came in after the announcement to re-sign for a total of 13.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Yasmani Grandal. Only ONE entry wanted to bring Grandal back.
- Elvis Andrus. 26 entries wanted to re-sign Elvis. 10 more wanted to sign him as a free agent.
- Bryan Shaw. 32 entries wanted to re-sign Bryan. 5 more wanted to sign him as a free agent.
- Jose Urena. 8 entries wanted to re-sign Jose.
FREE AGENTS
You can tell the dire straits that the Sox are in as each entry averaged 4.12 free agents for the Sox to sign (1.95 on hitters and 2.17 for pitchers)
- There were 59 different hitting free agents listed
- Surprisingly, there were also 59 different pitchers listed to sign as a free agent.
- 437 total votes were received for these 118 different players
- There were FOUR entries that wanted the Sox to sign TEN Free Agents (Three wanted to sign 6 pitchers). Three entries wanted to sign NINE free agents.
TOP TEN FREE AGENT TARGETS
- Lucas Giolito (27)
- Jack Flaherty (22)
- Whitt Merrifield (19)
- Victor Caratini (16)
- Jordan Montgomery (13)
- Gary Sanchez (12)
- Cody Bellinger (11)
- Elvis Andrus and Eduardo Rodriguez (10)
- 6 players had (7)
TRADES
- 53 different White Sox players were offered up for trade (231 total votes were received for these 53 Sox employees)
- 183 different players were recommended to be obtained by the White Sox (from 25 other organizations)
- Only Cleveland, Minnesota, Oakland/LV and Philadelphia did the entries not want to do business with.
- Baltimore was the entries favorite club to trade with as they were listed for 23 different players to obtain in trades (61 total votes for these 23 players) .
- Dodgers were next with the most requested different players (15) followed by Milwaukee, San Diego, San Fransisco and Tampa Bay (12).
- Naturally, 7 different players from Kansas City were listed to obtain. Even 3 different players from the Cubs were identified.
- One entry identified 17 players to be obtained through trades
- NINE entries determined that NO TRADES should or could be made by the White Sox (it takes two to trade)
TOP TEN PLAYERS TO OBTAIN BY TRADE
- Baltimore - Joey Ortiz (8)
- Kansas City - Salvador Perez - (8)
- Baltimore - Connor Norby (7)
- Baltimore - Cade Povich (6)
- Baltimore - Heston Kjerstad (6)
- Boston - Alex Verdugo (5)
- San Diego - Jake Cronenworth (5)
- Los Angeles Dodgers - Andy Pages, Michael Busch and Nick Frasso (4 each)
TOP WHITE SOX PLAYERS INCLUDED IN TRADES
- Eloy Jimenez (34)
- Dylan Cease (28)
- Yoan Moncada (20)
- Oscar Colas (16)
- Gavin Sheets (11)
- Aaron Bummer (9)
- Michael Kopech (8)
- Lenyn Sosa (7)
- Tim Anderson (7)
- Andrew Vaughn, Gregory Santos and Ky Bush (5 each)
THE CONSENSUS OPP 2024 WHITE SOX 26-MAN ROSTER (votes in parenthesis)
- Catcher (19 candidates) - Victor Caratini (15)
- First Base (7 candidates) - Andrew Vaughn (61)
- Second Base (30 candidates) - Whitt Merrifield (15)
- Third Base (14 candidates) - Yoan Moncada (43)
- Shortstop (25 candidates) - Elvis Andrus (13)
- Left Field (4 candidates) - Andrew Benintendi (64)
- Center Field (5 candidates) - Luis Robert (62)
- Right Field (28 candidates) - Cody Bellinger (11)
- DH (20 candidates) - Eloy Jimenez (30)
- SP Michael Kopech (39). Also listed 16 times for the bullpen.
- SP Dylan Cease (38)
- SP Touki Toussaint (34). See bullpen.
- SP Lucas Giolito (27)
- SP Jack Flaherty (22)
- Closer Gregory Santos (only 19 of 67 entrants specifically identified a closer). 15 listed Santos (also listed 53 times as a RP)
- RP Garrett Crochet (41)
- RP Aaron Bummer (39)
- RP Tanner Banks (34)
- RP Bryan Shaw (24)
- RP Jimmy Lambert (23)
- RP Jordan Leasure (22)
- RP Touki Toussaint (20)
- Bench Korey Lee (32)
- Bench Romy Gonzalez (24)
- Bench Gavin Sheets (23)
- Bench Zach Remillard (20)
