PREAMBLE
Currently, “the White Sox are who we thought they were” mismanaged, underperforming and overpaid. The future only looks better…with or even more so without Jerry.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- 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) - I would have kept him because I feel like he will be better next season. (I’m aware the team let him go) I feel he never truly recovered from the injury and an offseason would put him in a better, competitive space. Watch now that he is gone he will have a monster year.
- Liam Hendriks: $15M ($15M buyout, paid $1.5M annually over next 10 years) - Buyout, but try to re-sign/renegotiate.
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) - Bye
- Elvis Andrus ($3M) - Bye
- Bryan Shaw ($720K) - Bye
- José Ureña ($720K) - Bye
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Jordan Montgomery (4 years, $84M + Club 5th Year Option). 2024-$18M, 2025-$20M, 2026-$22M, 2027-$24M
Montgomery is near the best of the available pitchers and coming off a solid year, while starting the prime years.
No. 2: Blake Snell (4 years, $70M) 2024-$16M, 2025-$17M, 2026-$18M 2027-$19M
Obviously he is the best other option that is semi-affordable and also San Diego needs to restructure so he should be stealable.
No. 3: Lucas Giolioto (2 years, $30M) 2024-$13M, 2025-$17M
Bring back an old faithful and help him find himself. If the team performs, it’s great and reasonable, if he performs btu the team doesn’t, trade him away.
No. 4: Jeimer Candelerio ($3 years, $20M) 2024-$6M, 2025-$6.5M, 2026-$7.5M
Multi-positional infielder, who has put together some decent numbers and would be fairly inexpensive. Fills the void of Yoan after the trade.
No. 5: Sign Gio Urshela (1 year, $10M)
Functional infielder, can handle the duties at shortstop and have an OnBase over .300 something unique to the White Sox roster.
No. 6: Sign Teoscar Hernandez (4 years, $80M) 2024-$18M, 2025-$19M, 2026-$20M, 2027-$23M
Teoscar elected for free agent, a consistent 2+WAR player over the last 3 seasons and has power 20+ doubles/HRs.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Yoan Moncada, Edgar Quero, Sheets to the Blue Jays for Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho.
WIth the loss of Chapman, Moncada can get a fresh start and offer good defense. Quero is a top 6 catching prospect on a team that still has Danny Jansen. Sheets offers them the extra coverage in the OF for the loss of Varsho,
Kirk is sturdy with a bat and Varsho has more pop and speed then Sheets and can also catch as well as play OF.
No. 2: Trade Garrett Crochet to the Rangers for SS Ezequiel Duran.
Tender Garrett and then move him. Rangers won the World Series but are still in need of bullpen assistance and Garrett is a solid lefty who is cheaper and younger than Josh Hader. Duran has some decent players in front of him on the field and puts up solid offensive numbers with only two years in the show.
SUMMARY (Rough estimate ~$164M)
I think this puts out a playable and competitive lineup, especially in a weak division, but also offers the opportunity of multiple potential trade deadline options in the event that the team is hindered by the curse of Jerry.
Batting Lineup:
Benetendi - RF
Luis Robert - CF
Vaughn - 1B
Tesocar Hernandez - LF
Jimenez - DH
Kirk - C
Duran - SS
Candelario - 2B
Urshela - 3B
Catchers:
Alejandro Kirk - $3.5M
Carlos Perez - $1M
Korey Lee - $770K
1B: Andrew Vaughn - $3.7M
2B: Jeimer Candelario - $6M
SS: Ezequiel Duran - $770K
3B: Gio Urshela - $10M
OF:Andrew Benetendi - $16.5M
Luis Robert - $12.5M
Teoscar Hernandez - $18M
DH/Utility:
Eloy Jimenez - $13M
Daulton Varsho - OF/C - $5.5M
Oscar Colas - $770K
Zach Remillard - $770K
SP -
Dylan Cease - $8.8M
Jordan Montgomery - $18M
Blake Snell - $16M
Lucas Giolito - $13M
Touki Tousisaant - $1.7M
RP:
CL - Gregory Santos - $770K
Michael Kopech - $3.6M
Deivi Garcia - $770K
Aaron Bummer - $5.5M
Tanner Banks - $770K
Jesse Scholtens - $770K
Jimmy Lambert - $770K
