PREAMBLE
I paid less attention to the White Sox last year than anytime in the past 40 years of being a fan - I didn't attend any games and probably only watched a few innings all season. So for my OPP, I'm just hoping they will put together a somewhat watchable team. It won't be good, but after the disaster of last year, I'll take 65 wins and some hope for the future. They'll need to sign a bunch of veterans to short term contracts, but hopefully this plan will do so better than Getz did last year. There's also one trade of the type that rebuilding teams need to make - take on money in the hope of getting an asset.
MANAGER
I'd prefer George Lombard. I think it'll be Sizemore. Either way, I don't think it actually makes that much difference. At best the next manager will fulfil the Renteria role of restoring some order.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Andrew Vaughn: $6.4M - tender. No obviously better options out there right now.
- Nicky Lopez: $5.1M - non-tender
- Garrett Crochet: $2.9M - tender and trade (see below)
- Gavin Sheets: $2.6M - non-tender. Please, no more Sheets on this team.
- Enyel De Los Santos: $1.7M - honestly, I am not entirely sure who this is. Tender, because in 2025, every team must have at least one guy with a neck tattoo.
- Jimmy Lambert: $1.2M - non-tender.
- Justin Anderson: $1.1M - non-tender.
- Steven Wilson: $1M - non-tender.
- Matt Foster: $900K - non-tender.
CLUB OPTIONS
- Yoán Moncada: $25M ($5M buyout) - decline. Moncada will either be a steal for another team or will be out of the league.
- Max Stassi: $7M ($500K buyout) - decline.
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Michael Soroka (Made $3M in 2023) - resign for 1 year/$2 million.
- Mike Clevinger ($3M) - fire into the sun.
- Chris Flexen ($1.75) - resign for 1 year/$2 million.
FREE AGENTS
1. Sign SP Walker Buehler to a 1 year / $8M contract with a player option for a 2nd year at the same salary.
An overpay, but this rotation will need a credible starter, and Buehler should be open to a pillow contract.
2. Sign OF/DH Michael Conforto to a 1 year / $6M contract with a player option for a 2nd year at the same salary.
Conforto quietly had a decent year posting his highest slugging % in four years. He can play LF, RF, and DH and provide some mentorship for the big offseason acquisition (see below).
3. Sign C James McCann to a 1 year / $3M contract.
Lee isn't a starter and I don't want them to rush Quero.
4. Sign INF Jorge Mateo to a 2 year / $7M contract
Mateo is an excellent defender who is expected to be non-tendered by the Orioles. He's projected to get $3.2M in arbitration so this is an overpay, but not by much. If he plays well and Montgomery is ready, this contract will be very tradeable.
5. Sign INF Adam Frazier to a 1 year / $1.5M contract.
6. Sign INF Thairo Estrada to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.
Both are veteran infielders who were competent for awhile until falling apart last year. I'm not confident in any of the Sox's infield prospects so this is insurance until Baldwin, Sosa, Montgomery and Ramos prove themselves.
7. Sign LHP Cole Irvin to a 1 year / $1.5M contract.
8. Sign LHP Andrew Chafin to a 1 year / $3M contract.
Shopping at the lefty store and upgrading the team's moustache game.
TRADES
1. Trade P Garrett Crochet to the Baltimore Orioles for OF Heston Kjerstad and P Luis de Leon.
If the Orioles want Crochet they're going to have to give up something. Kjerstad will instantly become the best RF the Sox have had in who knows how long. De Leon is a lefty who can go into the Bannister pitching lab.
2. Trade P Nick Nastrini and P Jake Eder to Arizona for P Jordan Montgomery and OF Jorge Barrosa. AZ will pay $5M of Montgomery's $22.5M contract.
Montgomery flopped in AZ and the Diamondbacks have telegraphed that they want to get rid of him. The Sox can pick up AZ's #20 prospect in this deal. AZ needs bullpen help so the Sox can deal from relative strength here. I'm not sold on either Nastrini or Eder conquering their control problems so it's not a big loss to let them go. The team needs a good veteran starter, and if Montgomery pitches well, he'll definitely be tradeable.
SUMMARY
Here's the roster:
C - McCann
1B - Vaughn
2B - Sosa (or Frazier or Estrada)
SS - Mateo
3B - Vargas
LF - Benintendi
CF - Robert
RF - Kjerstad
DH - Conforto
SP - Montgomery, Buehler, Cannon, Thorpe, Flexen
RP - Soroka, Martin, Burke, De Los Santos, Berroa, Irvin, Chafin
Bench - Baldwin, Lee, Estrada, Frazier, with Quero in the wings
The team's salary comes in at about $101M if I added everything up correctly. There is still room to add another RP. This team isn't good and will still have a ton of holes to fill in 2026, but there's a good chance of avoiding 100 losses. That's progress, right?
