Heading into free agency last fall, Jose Abreu made no secret that he wanted to remain with the White Sox, and he told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that he didn’t even talk to any other clubs during his brief time on the open market. “My family is good in Chicago. They love Chicago,” Abreu said. “They are really grateful and good and happy with the White Sox organization, just the way that the organization has treated them….For us, it didn’t make sense to look around to other places.” The Marlins were the only other team known to have have interest in Abreu last November, though it appears that interest didn’t manifest itself into any early negotiation with Abreu’s representatives.
There never seemed much chance that Abreu and the White Sox would part ways, given how GM Rick Hahn repeatedly spoke during the season about how much the team valued Abreu’s contributions on the field and in the Sox clubhouse. After Chicago extended a one-year, $17.8MM qualifying offer to Abreu, the first baseman ensured his continued stay on the South Side by accepting the offer, and then worked out a contract extension in November that runs through the 2022 season.
The latest from around the AL Central….
- While Abreu more or less sidestepped free agency entirely, the market wasn’t as kind to Cameron Maybin, who told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that he received mostly minor league offers before finally landing a Major League deal from the Tigers. Maybin rebounded from a pair of subpar years to hit .285/.364/.494 with 11 home runs over 269 PA with the Yankees last season, but still found the process of obtaining a guaranteed contract to be “frustrating….I thought it would be easier to get a big-league job. I do feel like I’m a big-league talent, like I am big-league caliber.” Still, Maybin is happy to be back in Detroit for his third stint as a Tiger, and is eager to serve as a veteran mentor to a young team and prove that his 2019 performance wasn’t a fluke. Though Maybin turns 33 in April, “honestly, with my athleticism, I feel like I can play for another five years. Especially with this swing change.”
- Kyle Zimmer was given a fourth minor league option by the league, the Royals right-hander told MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Players usually only have three option years, though a fourth option can sometimes be granted under certain circumstances — like, in Zimmer’s case, a wide range of injuries that have limited to just 341 total professional innings since being selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2012 draft. Zimmer was finally healthy in 2019 and made his MLB debut, making 15 relief appearances for Kansas City and posting a 10.80 ERA over 18 1/3 innings. With this fourth option year to work with, the Royals can now opt to start Zimmer in the minors to begin the season rather than potentially be forced into exposing him to waivers as an out-of-options player if they didn’t have a 26-man roster spot for him.
Not sure why Maybin is surprised. He had a good season, where he was used as mostly a platoon player in a pretty small sample size. He hit well above his career average and had some pretty significant splits. By WAR it was his 5th best season in his 13 year career. He is the definition of the kind of player that teams pick up on low 1 year deals or minor league deals hoping to cover an injury or be a stop gap for a prospect.
Good analysis!
It’s hard for us mortals to understand the thought process of someone who is good enough to crack the bigs, let alone squeeze out a respectable 13 year career.
Maybin and those of his ilk make it that far because they believe in themselves big time.
Great take.
Maybin should of been back with Yankees. A great clubhouse guy. Wish Yankees brought him back especially with Hicks out. Not sure Gardner everyday CFer anymore while Yankees wait for Hicks. Maybin and Tauchman would of been a great platoon
I would have liked to have Maybin back too. I love Gardner, but he was not cheap to bring back and had a cancer bat in the playoffs
They brought Gardner back because of the 4.0 WAR, overlooked the postseason numbers. If they get back into the postseason this year, will be interesting to see if he makes the roster or plays as a starter.
Abreu is the captain of this team. Such a productive and humble individual. There’s nothing to dislike about him
He’s a little immature and not a great defender. Pretty average overall when compared to the others who play his position.
I would love to know how he’s a little immature
I stopped reading at “…little immature…”. You obviously have no clue what you’re talking about.
Nope he actually is! He made his manager call his mom to explain why he was getting a day off. Pretty immature to me. The dude needs to grow up already!
You know that was a joke, right? And it stemmed from him not wanting to take a rest day…
This guy must be a Cubs fan.
Konerco 2.0
Sox are gonna pay Abreu and Keuchel $124mil. And they’re going to regret it.
K.
Keuchel has to do something right to log enough innings years 2 &3 to turn his 3/55 into a vested 4/74 deal. I’d bet that turns out to be a decent signing while multiple in-house youngsters become TOR guys starting in 2021. If seeing the Abreu deal influences Moncada in any way to extend besides Robert coming here, suppose this can be viewed as his “commission”/overpay. Let’s cross fingers his production holds up, but Eloy and others push him down in the lineup later to maybe 5th instead of 3rd spot.
It’s reported that Keuchel only needs to throw 160 innings to trigger the option. Easy stuff for a soft tossing lefty. They’d have to cut him after year 2 for him to miss it. Making even the $55mil guarantee a total waste of $.
That’s a pretty weak vote of confidence on Abreu. They had him at $17.8mil. He doesn’t want to play anywhere else. Bad extension for an already declining R/R bad defensive 1B.
Twins overpayed for Donaldson. Most of their fans think Maeda is $3MM. Almost as sad as Sano, the camerawoman and the declined bathroom invitation.
Photographer. Minnesota is some kind of place, they have malls where a hulking man can try to drag a small woman screaming her lungs out into a bathroom for ten solid minutes without anyone noticing saying or doing anything.
Might not be too crazy. 4/7 of his full years throwing over 160 innings, one of which was 168. Wrong side of 30. Who knows. As a Royals fan and back to following the minor leaguers closer than the major league team, the White Sox will be fun to watch. Jealous of Hahn setting a core for years to come.
They aren’t going to regret paying Abreu. It’s obviously going to be an overpay, but Jerry is 100% fine with it.
It’s not a huge overpay for Abreu either. Under $20 million a year for a guy who can produce about 20% above league average isn’t bad at all.
pplama, go back to the Twins articles knucklehead.
Assumes he’s a Twins fan. Triggered. You’re scared aren’t you? Good, you should be!
Check any Twins article—pplama is a Twins fan pretending (doing a poor job of that) to be a “disgruntled” Sox fan with his over-the-top criticism of anything Sox related. You’re a joke, man.
For the first time ever you may be right. Disgruntled sox fans are a rare breed considering there are only 1,000 loyal sox fans in Chicago total. It’s amazing you finally posted something on a white sux thread. I was worried about you cuz you haven’t posted anything on a cubs thread in a few hours. You sure your ok chi?????
Let’s check back on Oct. 1 after an 80 win season and April ’21 after they cry poor on signing Betts, CSC.
One of us has a big plate of crow coming.
You think an 80 win season for the White Sox is a good thing?? Way to set the expectations painfully low!! Btw hilarious that you think Betts is coming to Chicago. You literally dropped your pants for Machado and he gave you guys the finger. You have no shot at Betts, no shot!
My comment was for ChiSoxCity(CSC), Moneyballer.
This is an 80 win team that spent it’s money a year too soon and’ll cry poor next year when they need help to get over the hump. Just like 2015.
I agree they are overpaid, but to what degree?
I think Abreu will benefit from more protection in lineup, and I do think DK’s struggles were related to a protracted season without ST.
That said, I do think people promoting playoffs are somewhat delusional considering youth and health issues surrounding the team.
Depth is also a grave concern. But DK and Abreu to me are the least of their worries.
Who’s overpaid? Grandal? The Sox paid the best catcher in baseball to come to Chicago as a free agent. So what. Everybody’s overpaid to dumb fans who can’t comprehend the economics of professional sports. It’s not your money, focus on their performance this upcoming season.
Nailed it.
That’s a universal comment best kept for football talk, where salary cap fits fully rule a given player’s analysis.
But not in baseball. Let’s all keep the focus where it belongs: on batting average, homers, and the won-loss record for starting pitchers, whose ERA and complete games are the main measures of a man’s grit and value to their base ball nine.
lol i love cubs fans telling Sox fans about $
When they couldn’t even sign scooter gennet this year
Cause there paying
Kimbrell
Darvish
Heyward
Chatwood around 75 mill
But go head lol I’m listening
Considering how few teams will be able to pay Betts the money he is seeking, saying the White Sox have no shot is very naive. It has nothing to do with which team can offer the most, but which team is willing to do so. If it gets too expensive, I can see the Dodgers walking away. After missing out on Machado, there’s more pressure on the White Sox to overspend.
The best C in Baseball? Debatable-
The Sox lineup is not better than the Twins but their rotation should be as long as Kuechel and Gio have average above average seasons.
As of right now the Sox def closed the gap with the rest of that Division but are they going to make up 28 games?
We will see Oct 1st!
Kimbrel better than any Reliever Sox have.
Darvish and Kuechel even out
Heyward and Chatwood def bad signings.
Thankfully Chatwood FA after this year.
As a Cub fan wouldnt surprise me if Sox have a better year than Cubs!
Darvish beats Kuechel.
If we get the Darvish we did last year, no doubt better than Kuechel. But cant base it off a good half a season
If we get the Darvish we did last year, no doubt better than Kuechel. But cant base it off a good half a season
The OP discussed DK and Abreu.
Try following along before you speak.
lol not the biggest fan of it but imagine giving 184 to a RF who makes Jon Jay look half way decent
Lol that must suck
Or wait how bout the
15 mill setup man
To the closer you paid 20 mill to pitch 20 innings
Or the closer you paid 50 mill to come in and just watch his fastball get turned around and blow the division to a the cards who blow and brewers who don’t have a single starting pitcher
Abreu now has a lineup of complete bad asses. He’s going to redefine mash. And from what I hear, Encarnacion has discovered the fountain of youth in his friendship with Eloy Jimenez.
Too bad Minnesota has a lineup of badder bad asses. Twins are a monster!
lol
The lineups may be comparable but I’m sorry the Sox blow the Twins rotation away
The lineups are NOT comparable and let me remind you that the White Sox were 28.5 games back last year. You could shave that in half and still be out of it by the all-star break! You’re in dreamland, scrub.
You’re in for a rude awakening, boy! I cannot wait to see the Sox put foot to @ss this year.
For one the team that started the year was not the same team that ended it, and for two I don’t care about last year. The Sox got considerably better and the twins signed a 37 year old third baseman while not really doing anything to make their rotation better
Donaldson is 34 and Maeda is an upgrade over Gibson. I’m rooting for the Sox but dumb statements like this from your fanbase is making that hard,
We don’t care who you root for.
chicagofan1978 that is both absurd and factually incorrect! You’re making white sox fans look uninformed and ridiculous. I would stick to not trying to formulate thoughts if I were you.
You’re practically in a therapy session projecting your fears here chisoxcity. Reality is tough to face when a 100+ win baseball team improves their, offense, defense and pitching staff. White Sox are all kinds of screwed and you know it!
Even though I’m not entirely sold on Minny, they are undeniably the favorites in the division. Cleveland’s teetering on a rebuild, Det & KC are in full rebuild, and the Sox are just coming out of their rebuild. I think it’s still a year too early for the Sox to grab the division (though I’d love to be wrong).
If Minny did nothing this Winter, which looked that way before Donaldson and Maeda, then I’d say Minny should be concerned. But coming off a 100 win season and actually improving upon it in the off-season, they are the overwhelming favorites to win the division. Minny still has issues (definitely their rotation) which will most likely prevent a deep playoff run, but as for the division, it’s theirs. But if you make the playoffs, anything can happen. I’ll be shocked if they don’t win 100 this year in MLB’s toilet division.
Minnesota benefited from three tanking teams in their division who weren’t trying to win. The Sox have since added $100MM+ to their payroll, and promoted the top rated prospect in baseball. So the 2019 comparisons are ridiculous. Additionally, if the Twins can go from 78 wins in 2017 to 100 wins a year later, so can the White Sox. Winning is not incremental or gradual in professional baseball. I can think of at least five teams that went from last or near last place to winning their division recently. So Twins fans can talk about 2019 if it helps them to sleep at night. Moncada, Anderson, Jimenez and Robert ain’t trying to hear that. They’re going to put foot to @ss this year, and there’s not much the Twins can do about it, if Giolito and company have anything to say about it.
Better focus on beating the Royals. Sox are 35-41 against the lowly Royals since 2016 and were 9-10 last year when the Sox were clearly a much better team than KC. That can lose you a division title. But this is clearly a two team race this year between Minnesota and the Sox. Should be a great race. Both teams appear to be loaded. Whether they can advance in the playoffs against the likes of the Yankees, Rays, Astros or A’s remains to be seen. I really like what the Twins and Sox did in the offseason, though.
Last time for the speak and spell crowd—this is a completely different roster in 2020. What happened the past 4-5 years are irrelevant.
You of all people should know how pesky the Royals are regardless of their record. Just saying 9-10 against them this year and you will not win the division. I know it is a different roster in 2020, but to think you will go 19-0 against the Royals is not realistic either. I think 14-5 should get it done for the Sox as long as they don’t get dominated head to head against the Twins. Sox are my pick in the Central, but a lot of things have to go right and rebounds, improvements in player performance need to be made.
Starting pitching should be lights out, especially if Kopech comes back strong and Giolito doesn’t regress. A lot to be excited about for Sox fans, but the Twins added to their roster this offseason and won over 100 games last year.
I was wrong about his age sorry I didn’t have his Wikipedia page pulled up, and Maeda? Pfft ok. Maybe Rich Hill can throw a few innings before he gets his inevitable blister that puts him out for half the year
Centralfan I still wouldn’t sleep on Cleveland they are super pesky. And we don’t know how long Clevinger will be out for.
chicagofan1978. Of course Cleveland will always be there but they have lost a lot of quality pitching.
Yeah and they always seem to have someone even better to back them up.
Twins had a great 2019 and got nuked in the playoffs. Nobody wants that to repeat, and it likely will.
It’s time to step aside.
“There never seemed much doubt that Abreu and the White Sox would part ways…”
That’s 180 degrees from correct.
When players like Moncada and Eloy and Robert get called up to the MLB team, it is a player like Abreu that help them transition into contributing Sox players. He deserves, and will earn, every bit of his contract.
Maybin should have been picked up by any one of a number of teams. Milwaukee, Seattle, Toronto, Texas, San Fran, Anaheim, a few others come to mind. I think Detroit got a steal. And good for them, Maybin is familiar with the Detroit org. Win-win.
Detroit can only hope to flip him at the deadline for a prospect. I highly doubt they’re able to do it. Tigers are going nowhere in 2020!
They already had him to fill that role at 1/$17.8.
The Sox might start a new business model where they slightly overpay respected vets and then get those same vets to talk the youngsters into signing way under market value contracts in the name of loyalty.
Why would an overpaid vet tell a young player to be underpaid?
Why would a young player listen to an overpaid vet telling him to be underpaid?
Why woul the young players agent not explain to his client what a hypocrite and terrible mentor that veteran player is?
Their business model should be to not overpay declining vets so they can lock in prime years of young talent. Lkie successful teams do.
Who’s overpaid?
Abreu? He got slightly overpaid for exemplary conduct, on field performance and leadership in the clubhouse. He’ll be there long enough to mentor the young players a few years, and mash some baseballs in the process, so what?
Grandal? Best catcher in baseball… skilled hitter, knows how to manage a pitching staff, the best framer in the game. You don’t get players like him to commit to a longterm contract for “market” value as a free agent. So what?
Keuchel? He’s an experienced lefty starter who induces ground balls, something much needed in the Sox’s rotation. Again, you don’t get quality free agents like him for market value. So what?
Encarnacion? Another experienced veteran to mentor the young talent, on a 1-yr contract. So what?
Considering the contracts the Sox have dished out to young core players, it’s nonsensical to complain about overpaid veterans on this team. Sox fans should be glad they’re willing to spend more to get the players they want. It’s a good s indication that they’re still willing to go after a top free agent in the future.
Have to agree. Who is to say who is overpaid? Too many factors at play to determine that.
I am a big fan of my team too but I don’t thing about all I @sk is people act mature about it not result to pettiness and act like grown men
The misinformation on this message board is silly and hilarious. As for Keuchel and his vesting option kicking in (from the Yahoo Sports website January 6, 2020):
Left-hander Dallas Keuchel’s $20 million option for 2023 in his contract with the White Sox would become guaranteed if he pitches 320 regular-season innings in 2021-22 combined, including at least 160 in 2022, and he passes a physical at the end of the 2022 season.
As for Abreu’s immaturity, quote from Renteria:
“He comes into my office every night kind of yelling at me, and so (Saturday) he was coming in and I said: ‘You’re not going to convince me. You’re not getting in the lineup, so don’t say a thing.’ So he said he was going to have to call his mom (Sunday) to make sure she doesn’t get too upset because she sees him as a grinder and he’s got to get out there.”
Sounds like Renteria’s joking there.
Can’t you all just get a room? This is not for two people having an argument.
I really thought the WSox would pull the trigger on Castellanos or Ozuna after Kuechal and Grandal. IMO, Puig in this lineup makes a lot of sense in RF
My hope is the Sox have higher aspirations for RF. Like, a certain free agent RF next year. That would explain bringing in Mazara on the 1-yr contract.
True, I more so meant on a 1 year deal.
No, I’m with you on that. Was hesitant prior to the offseason, but the Sox have added or retained enough veteran leaders to help manage any “situations” that might arise with Puig. His skillset and passion make him a perfect fit for the White Sox as far as I’m concerned. He’s probably looking for more than a 1-yr guarantee, though. If the Sox are willing to pay Betts $330M-ish to lock down RF for a decade, by all means wait for him.
I don’t have a problem with the 3-year deal for Abreu. Sure, he’s in decline, but it’s a slow decline. Most likely by the time he’s a liability for the team, his contract will have ended or he will be in his final year. If he can produce close to what he did last season over these next 2 or 3 seasons, I’ll be happy.
You could do a lot worse offensively as a 1B than .280, 30 HR, and 100 RBI. Yes, his defense is a liability (which will be a non-factor once Vaughn comes up sometime next year) and there’s more to offense than those 3 stats, but if you’re looking at power numbers, I’m not going to stick my nose up at those numbers. If he puts up .280, 30 HR, and 100 RBI (or even close to that) the next 3 seasons, I’ll be happy. And that doesn’t account for the intangibles he brings to the team.
It’s not like the team is tapped out because of this contract. His contract will be up by the time a lot of the core’s salaries start climbing. Cease, Madrigal, and Vaughn won’t be arb eligible until after Abreu’s contract ends and Kopech will be in Arb 1 in Abreu’s final year (Yoan, Lucas, Lopez, and Bummer will be in Arb 2 then). This assumes none of them get extensions by then.
So they overpaid on Abreu. The knock on the Sox FO is they’re too cheap, yet when they finally decide to spend, all of a sudden it’s a massive overpay and they’re fools for blowing their money so carelessly. I think the Sox handled the Abreu contract situation well, and I’m happy he’s in the fold for these next 3 seasons.
They are cheap *and* they overpaid, at least on those two. I’m ok with overpaying on Abreu. His leadership skills on that team make him practically a coach as well as player and it sends a message to all the young guys that if you’re loyal, talented, and hard-working, you’ll be taken care of when the time comes. But they are cheap in the sense that they could have afforded a guy like Cole or Strasburg and passed. They also didn’t make Machado a great offer last year (though it seems the Sox dodged a bullet on that one). Their other signings are about right for Grandal, Cishek, and Gio. I do wish they’d gotten Castellanos instead of Mazara just because I doubt either Betts or Springer goes to Chicago next year, but other than that, it was a great offseason overall.
By your reckoning, 29 teams “passed” on Cole and Strasburg. Only the Agents know everything that went on. The only thing we know for sure is that Cole and Strasburg passed on the White sox.
By your definition, EVERY team that didn’t attempt to sign Cole is cheap. That’s not a knock against the Sox, it’s a knock against the economics of the game. They offered $300MM to Machado, and likely more to Harper last year. “Cheap” teams simply don’t do that. Another point is, the same people calling the White Sox cheap are the exact same crowd criticizing them for attempting to sign stud free agents to mega contracts. It’s stupid.
White Sox have shown the past two offseasons that they will pay
The White Sox did not offer 300 million dollars to Machado. Verifiably false.
@AssumeFactsNotInEvidence
Actually the Sox offer to Machado (if he would’ve made 550 PA the year before each option kicked in) would’ve been 10yr/$320MM. The guaranteed money from the Sox was 8yr/$250MM. So, verifiably true.
Pads deal was best guaranteed deal, but the Sox offer was the best overall offer. 550 PA is definitely attainable for a player (you could miss about 25 games and still hit that mark). I guess Machado wasn’t willing to bet on himself.
But that’s OK, I’ll take Yoan over Machado.
From Bob Nightengale’s Twitter account:
The Chicago #WhiteSox’s final offer to Manny Machado was an eight-year, $250 million guarantee with a $35 million option in 2027 a $35 million option in 2028, making the potential total worth $320 million. The option years vested with 550 plate appearances the previous season
4:40 PM – Feb 19, 2019
Additional Machado info (NSFW):
youtu.be/KBL5oTzt_wY
“They also didn’t make Machado a great offer last year”
Really? They offered him over $30mil/yr for 8 years with 2 reasonable options to take it to $320m over 10 years; all he would’ve needed to do was stay relatively healthy years 7&8. To say that wasn’t a great offer is ridiculous. It obviously wasn’t the most guaranteed money, but it was still a great offer – and it was more than anyone outside of SD was willing to put on the table.