PREAMBLE
I think we’re not as far off as some might think from at least being watchable. I figure Jerry will want this too to boost attendance and drive people to the total-bomb-so-far-CHSN thing. Homey needs a big win.
My day job when I’m not obsessing about the White Sox is being the GM for a large store. A big part of my job is ensuring the best mix of teammates that compliment one another… and then also having back up plans, strategies, etc… I’ve taken a similar approach to my OPP to look at creating a decent team for 2025 and then building up a strategy for future growth.
So here goes…
MANAGER
Will Venable. I like what I’ve read and heard, fingers crossed. Probably a good voice for our younger hitters.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Andrew Vaughn: $6.4M — Non-tender
- Nicky Lopez: $5.1M — Non-tender
- Garrett Crochet: $2.9M — Tender
- Gavin Sheets: $2.6M — Non-tender
- Enyel De Los Santos: $1.7M — Non-tender
- Jimmy Lambert: $1.2M — Non-tender
- Justin Anderson: $1.1M — Non-tender (minor league deal/spring training invite)
- Steven Wilson: $1M — Tender
- Matt Foster: $900K — Non-tender
It’s just time to turn the page on so many of these hanging chads that are just sour at this point. Farewell Gavin, Andrew, and others. I think Vaughn will be ok somewhere else but it’s probably not going to happen here. I think Wilson is a buy-low candidate at this point after a down year.
CLUB OPTIONS
- Yoán Moncada: $25M ($5M buyout) — Declined
- Max Stassi: $7M ($500K buyout) — Declined
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Michael Soroka (Made $3M in 2023) — Bring back, 2 years $8 million with a 3rd year mutual option for $4m.
- Mike Clevinger ($3M) — Sucks.
- Chris Flexen ($1.75) — Let him go though he ate innings
I’d like to see Soroka in the pen. I think he has the ability to be a high-leverage reliever who can flex into multiple innings when pressed. I also think this set up will help him to better hold up and stay healthy.
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Willy Adames (6 years, $150 million).
No. 2: Jose Quintana (2 years, $20 million).
TRADES
No. 1: Trade LHP Garrett Crochet and Jairo Iriarte to the Red Sox for Roman Anthony* and Kyle Teel*. So here’s an out of the box one. Crochet is likely on the move as we all know. The big two in the get from the Red Sox will be hard for the BoSox to part with…so Jairo works as a sweetener. It is about dealing from depth in favor of filling in your holes. Teel could take the place of Lee when it’s time and Teel and Quero will be a really fun combo that could play some 1B/DH as well)
No. 2: Trade OF Luis Robert and RHP Prelander Berroa to the Mets for OF Jett Williams, OF Ronny Mauricio*, RHP Brandon Sproat, and RHP Nolan McLean. This is a pretty good haul for Robert. To get all 4 people, I had to sweeten the deal and Berroa looked like a stud in September. I think that could be enough to entire the Mets to do this. In return, we get a true leadoff hitter with big potential, a big bopper in Mauricio, and two solid looking future starters who could be 2’s or 3’s.
SUMMARY
So here we go…
Lineup
CF: Williams ($800k)
3B: Ramos ($800K)
LF: Benintendi* ($16.5M)
2B: Adames ($25M)
RF: Anthony* ($800K)
DH: Sosa ($800K)
SS: Montgomery* ($800k)
1B: Elko ($800k)
C: Quero* ($800K)
Bench: 3B/SS/2B, OF Baldwin* ($800K), C/1B Lee ($800K), 1B/2B/SS/3B Sosa, OF Fletcher* or OF DeLoach* ($800K)
Rotation
SP1: Quintana* ($10M) (trade or put in BP when Schultz* up)
SP2: Martin ($800K) (trade or put in BP when Smith* ready)
SP3: Cannon ($800K)
SP4: Thorpe ($800K)
SP5: Burke ($800K)
(SP6 waiting in the wings - Mason Adams, Ky Bush*, Juan Carela, Tyler Schweitzer*, Aldrin Batista, Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean). It’s not nuts to think a couple of these guys could be ready this year)
Bullpen
CL: Soroka ($4M)
SETUP: Ellard* ($800K)
SETUP: Wilson ($1M)
RHP: Varland ($800K)
RHP: Leasure $800K)
LHP: Shuster* ($800K) (long reliever)
TWO MORE SPOTS: Whoever wins the spring training competition - Jake Eder, Eric Adler, Adisyn Coffey, Peyton Paulette, Zack Franklin, Garrett Schoenle*, Trey McGough, Caleb Freeman, AHT, Nick Nastrini, etc… $800K)
Dead money in Moncada and Stassi’s declined options $5.5m
Payroll ends up at $78m
So here’s why I think this is cool:
- In 2024, the Sox hit 133 HR’s. Adding some power bats, we can see that total go to 150+ depending on how the rooks do. It’s not a huge power improvement but the potential is there.
- In 2024, the Sox stole 90 bases. I think this lineup can do 120+ SB’s.
- This offense has awesome balance in righty/lefty flexibility.
- Square pegs in square holes! Leave Ramos at 3b, Baldwin and Sosa as super subs, Fletcher/DeLoach as 4th outfielder, Adames as a 2b or SS when needed, Montgomery gets unlimited reps at SS, and true relief pitchers are in relief roles.
- Our outfield is amazingly promising now.
- Our bullpen prospect depth is awesome imho. While this OPP bullpen is very young, I think we have a load of talent in the bullpen in the system and I’d be really interested to see who steps up. Soroka could be a decent transition piece to closer until others are ready.
- This defense is far superior to 2024’s. Outside of Benny, I don’t really see any weak spots.
- Last year’s top BA guys were Sosa (.254) and Vaughn (.246). Bringing in Adames and a fresh hitting culture could help those numbers considerably through providing protection and forcing pitchers to think a bit more. I’d also expect that to help with walks and OBP quite a bit.
- The Sox develop pitchers well but not hitters. We all know this. In this scenario, I’ve augmented the system to be much stronger at hitting while not really hurting our pitching depth. This lineup is now young but loaded and has some better proven hitters to anchor it until the rookies can step up.
I mentioned being strategic. With key additions and natural evolution, in my plan, I’d expect to see a rough framework of 2026 like this:
2026 succession plan:
CF: Williams ($800k)
3B: Ramos ($800K)
LF: Benintendi* ($16.5M)
2B: Adames ($25M)
RF: Anthony* ($800K)
DH: Teel/Elko/Quero/Mauricio* ($800K)
SS: Montgomery* ($800k)
1B: Elko/Teel/Mauricio* ($800k)
C: Quero* ($800K)
Bench: 3B/SS/2B/OF Baldwin* ($800K), DH/OF/1B Mauricio ($800K), 1B/2B/SS/3B Sosa, OF Fletcher* or OF DeLoach* ($800K)
Rotation
SP1: Cannon ($800K)
SP2: Smith* ($800K)
SP3: Thorpe ($800K)
SP4: Schultz* ($800K)
SP5: Burke ($800K) or Adams ($800K) or Sproat ($800K)
Bullpen
CL: Soroka ($4M)
SETUP: Ellard* ($800K)
SETUP: Paulette ($800K)
RHP: Nastrini ($800K)
RHP: Leasure ($800K)
RHP: Franklin ($800K)
LHP: Shuster* ($800K) (long reliever)
LHP: Eder* ($800K)
This payroll is immensely small and provides the White Sox with flexibility in the case that their window opens again.
