The White Sox are actively pursuing outfield upgrades, with Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes “among [the] possibilities” for the team, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Chicago has been linked to outfield upgrades ever since adding Todd Frazier in a three-team trade with the Reds and Dodgers, and Rosenthal himself reported that the South Siders were interested in Gordon just last week.
Either Gordon or Cespedes would provide a major upgrade for the Sox, who currently project to have an outfield of Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia (left to right). While Eaton is among the game’s more underrated players and quietly enjoyed an excellent 2015 after a slow start, the club’s corner options are less exciting. Cabrera is only one season removed from a strong performance in Toronto and recovered from a slow start of his own to bat .288/.330/.449 with 11 homers from June 1 through season’s end. Considering that finish and the remaining $29MM on his contract over the next two seasons, Cabrera seems likely to stay put.
Garcia, on the other hand, has been a more disappointing case. He’ll earn a projected $2.3MM next season (per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) but is coming off a season in which he batted just .257/.309/.365 with sub-par defense in right field and poor baserunning metrics. The White Sox looked at Garcia as a potential star when they acquired him from the Tigers in 2013’s three-team Jake Peavy/Jose Iglesias trade, but he’s yet to realize his potential, having delivered below-average offense with the Sox in addition to his poor glovework. Both Baseball-Reference and Fangrapgs peg his collective body of work at sub-replacement level over his time in Chicago.
The 32-year-old Gordon would considerably improve Chicago’s outfield defense even if he were to shift to right field, as he rates eighth in Defensive Runs Saved and fifth in Ultimate Zone Rating among Major Leaguers at any position over the past three seasons. (Alternatively, Cabrera could move to right field in the event of a Gordon signing.) Gordon’s bat has been about 16 percent better than the league average over the past four seasons, as he’s produced at a .275/.354/.436 clip despite a decidedly pitcher-friendly home environment, so he’d add value on both sides of the ball. He’ll probably command a five-year committment when all is said and done, and he’d require the Sox to part with their top unprotected draft pick — the No. 27 selection the team received as compensation for the loss of Jeff Samardzija in free agency.
Cespedes, unlike Gordon, wouldn’t cost the Sox a draft pick, and he’s also two years younger. Those elements, however, lead to a higher expected asking price for the slugger, who is coming off the best season of his four-year Major League career. Cespedes, slashed a combined .291/.328/.542 with 36 homers between the Tigers and Mets, would be a more impactful offensive upgrade for the Sox, pairing with countryman Jose Abreu in the middle of the order. His glovework hasn’t generated as much fanfare as Gordon’s, but he’s an above-average defender in the corner outfield and could handle center on a short-term basis in the event that Eaton misses some time due to minor injuries.
Garcia is still just 24 years of age, so he could potentially improve and lessen the need for a player such as Gordon or Cespedes. But, the Sox are very much in win-now mode as they seek to maximize the prime years of Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and Abreu as well as the limited two-year window for which they control Frazier before he can become a free agent.
If the White Sox are willing to spend money on an outfielder, I don’t understand why there’s no talk about Justin Upton.
Simple, Upton comes with too much baggage. The only OF I want here is Gordon.
What baggage?
What baggage does Upton have? Daddy issues?
Upton I think will cost a draft pick as well, but has more ceiling than Gordon. Gordon is a bad idea. 32 and likely going to be going down in skill set, not up and reportedly wants something like a 5 year deal, which would be crazy for the Sox to do. Top all that off with having to give a division rival a draft pick that could potentially hurt you long after Gordon’s skills diminish and the Sox are paying for a shell of the guy they wanted.
Cespedes is younger, does not cost the Sox a draft pick, and has good numbers. The only downside to him is that he sometimes appears unmotivated, but he has also shown that if the team cannot get what they want out of him he goes somewhere else and pays dividends so I’m guessing his trade value would be more than Gordon if this season is a failure (which is quite a possibility with Robin still at the helm). Not sure you could say that about Gordon. Gordon is a lefty compared to Cespedes who is a righty. Other than that, Cespedes is better than Gordon..
Royals will get a sandwich pick when Gordon signs with another team. Sox will not be giving anything to the Royals by signing him. Gordon may fit the Sox budget better than Upton or Cespedes.
Well, as it stands with lost picks and with the Sox having the worst record of teams losing a compensation player, the Sox would lose what amounts to a late first rounder (27 overall). That is nothing to scoff at. Hard to give that high a pick up for a 32 year old with limiited offensive ability simply because he’s cheaper.
Upton is 28. He’ll play half (or more) of his contract before he’s even Gordon’s age. Gordon should be a last choice.
@Sportingdissent said it best. Sox need as many higher picks as they can to rebuild on the fly. Plus giving up any pick to a division rival is not something that the Sox want to do.
I’m with you; Upton, Cespedes, and then Gordon. If they have to give up that sandwich pick I’d rather have the younger guy.
Sox could easily contend with the Tigers/royals in 2016 if they get cespedes. Eaton,Cabrera,Abreu,cespedes,Fraizer is a solid lineup. Sale/Rodon/Quintana is a solid rotation
Yes
no thats a solid 55% of the lineup. the rest of the team on the position side is still bad.
Jedihoyer what are you basing the on? They’ve got about as effective a catching platoon as is out there now, picked up an above average 2B, and will likely platoon DH in this scenario between LaRoche (who still hits righties) and either Sands or Garcia who are both above average against lefties. Really the only whole would be short, but the defense Saladino gives you there would more than make up for having one below average bat in the lineup.
That White Sox lineup, if they do go out and get Cespedes, would be pretty damn scary and moreover versatile.
lawrie is at best described as average, last year he was well below. saladino was plus at third. you have no idea how he will be at SS. they arent keeping 6 of’ers on the roster just to platoon at dh,
Saladino has thousands of innings at SS logged in his career. He only played 3B in the majors, but he’s pretty darn elite defensively at short.
Lawrie is not best described as average, as a 2B his numbers last year would be above average. He has upside and pedigree, but for arguments sake just looking at last year if he repeats he’d be amongst the best 2B in the league from an offensive standpoint. And that says nothing of his elite defense. With Fraizer, Saladino, and Lawrie, the White Sox might have the best defensive infield in the AL.
Oh…haha hoyer. You’re just a Cubs fan.
I’d be mad if my team gave Heyward that much money too. It doesn’t look like people are paying free agent outfielders anymore. And if they were, Upton’s probably the better player to give $180 million.
If the Sox are really in ‘win now’ mode then Cespedes’ demands should not be an issue. You get a guy who is 2 years younger than Gordon and does not cost you a pick (like Upton and Gordon will do), you also have Abreu on this club who can make things easier for Cespedes I think. The one thing I no about the Sox, they tend to gravitate for the guys that will not cost draft picks in compensation. As for the log jam in the OF, it is a no brainer. Garcia to the minors to fix his swing. I never thought more of Garcia than a 1st/DH anyway. This notion of him playing in the OF is ridiculous. I said it when they got him (well that and the Sox should have went for Iglasias and not Garcia, but anyway) , and I say it now. Upton is interesting a guy who at 26 has a lot of upside (and cost the Sox a DP if they take him), but if the Sox really want to win now I doubt they want ‘potential’.
I hope we steer clear of Gordon. Upton or Cespedes and I’ll be happy
Gordon has 2 6+ WAR seasons and 2 2+ WAR seasons over the last 4. Going into his age 33 season what should the ChiSox expect from him?
If the Sox were smart, they’d go get Upton. Give him a backloaded contract and a couple opt-outs like the Heyward contract. They can easily afford it once LaRoche and Danks are gone (hence the backloading). He’s the only one worth giving up a draft pick for.
If they aren’t into that idea, I’d much rather have Cespedes than Gordon.
FIRE VENTURA HAHN AND WILLIAMS NOW!!!!!!!!