It’s been a busy couple of days for the White Sox, who acquired Lance Lynn in a trade with the Rangers and then signed Adam Eaton to a one-year, $7MM deal. However, the Pale Hose aren’t done yet, as The Athletic’s Jayson Stark (Twitter link) reports that the team might still add to both the rotation and outfield even with Lynn and Eaton already in the fold, with Michael Brantley still a potential target. Turning to the bullpen, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the White Sox “have their sight set on” free agent closer Liam Hendriks.
Since Alex Colome is a free agent, Hendriks would be a natural replacement and even an upgrade for save situations. Hendriks has been nothing short of dominant over the last two seasons with the A’s, posting a 1.79 ERA, 13.1 K/9, and 6.71 K/BB rate over 110 1/3 innings, racking up 39 saves in the process. MLBTR projected Hendriks as the top free agent relief pitcher available, though with so many relievers flooding the market, it remains to be seen how sizable a contract Hendriks can land.
There hasn’t been much buzz about the Australian right-hander to date, quite possibly because teams are still weighing all the available bullpen candidates before making a move for likely the most expensive option. Still, Hendriks also has fewer red flags than just about any of the other free agent relievers, so an aggressive team like the White Sox might just want to address their ninth-inning vacancy as quickly and simply as possible. Aaron Bummer or Evan Marshall are in-house candidates for save situations, but the Chicago bullpen would certainly be strengthened overall with the addition of another established stopper.
In contrast to Stark, Nightengale suggests that the White Sox have moved on from Brantley for budgetary reasons, though “they would have preferred” Brantley to Eaton. That said, in a year when the White Sox clearly seem to be in win-now mode, maybe they’re willing to splurge on both Eaton and Brantley to make the lineup as strong as possible. Brantley and Eloy Jimenez could split time between left field and DH, and while it had been widely speculated that the Sox could turn to star prospect Andrew Vaughn as a DH candidate in 2021, the team might prefer an established veteran bat in the lineup rather than a promising but unproven rookie like Vaughn.
Adding another starting pitcher would similarly put more veteran stability in the rotation, with this hypothetical new starter slotting into the fourth spot behind Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, and Lynn. The White Sox might prefer having Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, and Reynaldo Lopez competing for just the fifth starter’s job rather than counting on two rotation spots to be covered by those three young hurlers.
Go get ‘em White Sox! Always fun to see an up and coming team spending some $
Trust Rick Hahn.
I trust Hahn – I don’t trust Kenny or Jerry.
I’m not going to lie, when I saw Dunning as part of the trade, I cringed. That being said, the Sox are obviously going all in this season. Making it isn’t enough, it’s win or bust. And to me, winning it all in ’21 is the only way it was worth it to lose Dunning for 1 year of Lynn (unless they extend/re-sign Lynn before ’22). Yes, Lynn is a drastic improvement to the rotation, so in that respect I’m fine with the trade.
Not exactly crazy about the Eaton signing, but he is an improvement over Engel and Mazara. Engel becomes a valuable 4th OF/defensive replacement.
And for both Eaton and Lynn, they’re on the hook for one year each at an affordable price. This may loom large if they decide to extend Giolito, which I hope they do.
Definitely go get Liam, I’m hesitant on Brantley. I don’t want them to run into another problem of too many mouths to feed. Would it kill them to give Collins a chance? Playing him once a week and expecting great offensive numbers is a ton to ask. And what if Vaughn is ready after a month or two in AAA/Schaumburg (however they’re doing it in ’21)? Personally, I’d pass on Brantley.
@83sox, did you just hear the latest? Brantley was overwhelmed with the WSox offer – and can’t wait to play for LaRussa and Drake LaRoche.
@Dogbone
So you’re saying Brantley took a low-ball offer, because according to you, that’s all Reinsdorf offers. Makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Do you ever actually comment on Cubs message boards, or is it strictly trolling Sox message boards. Because anytime I ever look on Cubs message boards, I never see you post any pearls of wisdom.
Ok 83sox, you got me. So here are a couple pearls of wisdom for you: 1) You say Eaton is an improvement over Engel. Say what!!! That is a complete insult to Engel. – and 2). If you’d take your rose colored glasses off, by now you should have realized that Zack Collins would be better used, as a wind turbine. He will never be a starting catcher on any MLB team. Personally I truely wish that he will start about 100 games this season for your beloved.
@Dogbone
You’re very confident Engel’s 36 games and 88 AB’s in ’20 weren’t a fluke. Ditto for Eaton’s 41 games in ’20. Not saying that Eaton won’t continue his sharp decline, because it’s possible, but I’ll gladly take Eaton’s body of work over Engel’s as an everyday player.
You’re right, Collins certainly won’t be the starting C for the Sox the next 3 years. Grandal will have that honor. You know, the guy you say is a massive overpay from an owner who gives nothing but low-ball offers.
One more thing, you are bringing up Drake LaRoche, after four or five years. Why? You are really getting desperate with your trolling. Why not bring up Sale’s uniform cutting antics or Adam Dunn’s tenure on the South Side while you’re at it.
Boy, you really feel threatened by the Sox. I would too if I hated the Sox that badly. I certainly don’t feel threatened by your Cubs. In fact, I respect what they did in ’16. It’s quite entertaining seeing the Sox present and future eating away at you, leading to such desperate posts.
@Dogbone
You’re very confident Engel’s 36 games and 88 AB’s in ’20 weren’t a fluke. Ditto for Eaton’s 41 games in ’20. Not saying that Eaton won’t continue his sharp decline, because it’s possible, but I’ll gladly take Eaton’s body of work over Engel’s as an everyday player.
You’re right, Collins certainly won’t be the starting C for the Sox the next 3 years. Grandal will have that honor. You know, the guy you say is a massive overpay from an owner who gives nothing but low-ball offers.
One more thing, you are bringing up Drake LaRoche, after four or five years. Why? You are really getting desperate with your trolling. Why not bring up Sale’s uniform cutting antics or Adam Dunn’s tenure on the South Side while you’re at it.
Boy, you really feel threatened by the Sox. I would too if I hated the Sox that badly. I certainly don’t feel threatened by your Cubs. In fact, I respect what they did in ’16. It’s quite entertaining seeing the Sox present and future eating away at you, leading to such desperate posts.
Let’s not forget THE JERSEYS WERE NOT SALES FAULT. The man got SCAPEGOATED
Good points here. Hahn is making some good moves. Sox might be a good sleeper WS pick
If the Sox are “all in” for 2021, what were they thinking with Eaton? That’s not “all in”. That’s refusing to spend on better players like Springer, Rosario, or even Pederson. Pederson is not great but has not been hurt 1/3 of his career like Eaton.
We’ll see what the remainder of this offseason is like. Hendricks has been good the past couple years, but was actually not so great before that. I prefer Hand, much longer and steadier track record since 2016. And the Sox have bad luck signing ex-A’s closers… remember Billy Koch?
Brantley would be ok, although it implies Vaughn and Mercedes may have no place to play again. I know they want left handed hitters and Brantley fits the bill… I can’t say he would be a bad pickup, but unless the plan is for him to play some in right, he does not make sense on a deal longer than a year because it means they have no place for Vaughn.
This Eaton signing just makes me cringe… Rosario would have been a perfect upgrade, and probably not terribly expensive, on like a 3 year deal. A chasm of difference offensively compared to Eaton. Only obstacle to that was Reinsdorf and money, even with 35M coming off the books.
You hate the Eaton deal but want to give Rosario a three year deal? Why? Twins didn’t even want to give him a one year deal lol.
Just get Hendriks and Hand and call it an offseason
RHP Liam Hendriks should be a priority as the White Sox closer. Hard pass on LHP Brad Hand who’s lost some velocity. The White Sox have enough lefty relievers on board with Aaron Bummer, Garrett Crochet and Jace Fry.
It’s evident that the White Sox will also add another veteran SP for the back of their rotation. Bringing back Jose Quintana seems like the natural fit. They could use another southpaw in their rotation to complement one that currently only features Dallas Keuchel. The White Sox don’t have many internal options aside from Bernard Flores after their non-tender of Carlos Rodon. Crochet figures to be in the rotation come 2022 but the White Sox have him penciled in for late inning bullpen duty similar to what they did with Chris Sale early in his MLB career.
I don’t believe the White Sox are counting on RHP Michael Kopech to be in their rotation come opening day. They need to monitor his innings after not having thrown a pitch in an official game since late 2018 due to his TJ surgery and 2020 opt-out. They would prefer limiting Kopech’s innings early on at AAA and have him potentially available for the stretch run and the postseason. That would leave RHP’s Dylan Cease and Reynaldo Lopez as the White Sox #4 and #5 SP’s. Cease is a lock barring injury. Lopez is out of options so he needs to be on the pitching staff come opening day or they will likely lose him to a waiver claim. With the addition of a more reliable veteran, Lopez could slot in very nicely as the White Sox long reliever or even as another late inning setup man.
I also believe the White Sox are keen on adding another left-handed bat and add him to the LF/DH mix along with Eloy Jimenez. Much like Kopech, I believe the White Sox will start top prospect Andrew Vaughn at AAA barring an early contract extension like they gave Jimenez and Luis Robert prior to their MLB debuts. With Vaugn it’s more of a service time issue along with the fact that he has never taken an official pro bat above the A+ level. Vaughn reportedly looked great in the White Sox alternate summer camp but they don’t really need to rush him to the big leagues with Jose Abreu at 1B, Yasmani Grandal available to backup and DH, along with two other catchers on the roster in Zack Collins and Yermin Mercedes who could also be in the DH/1B mix. Short of a Vaughn extension, it makes sense for the White Sox to add a proven lefty stick on a short term deal who could share time in the OF corners and at DH. Michael Brantley would be the ideal fit with his high BA/OBP and contact ability. Joc Pederson and Kyle Schwarber would be an excellent backup plan to Brantley. They each strike out frequently but add the element of high OBP and SLG while also crushing RHP.
@jhomeslice
All you need in RF is someone who is an upgrade to Engel and Mazara. I don’t see why it has to be an All-Star lineup or bust. I’m not crazy about the signing either, but they’ll be fine at RF. And if they’re not, they’ll try again next year.
The going all-in was meant more for the Lynn trade, but ok, maybe I was sloppy with that phrase. My apologies.
@jhomeslice
I apologize for my previous post. Rough day at work and having to come on this site and deal with fools like Dogbone. I respect you from reading your posts over the last several months.
Yes, not especially pleased with Eaton signing either, but as I said, he is an upgrade. Hopefully the next move will be more to our liking.
@83sox I was not even responding to you specifically at all… no worries, I did not take anything personally, and nothing you said was confrontational.
I just feel like… there were/are multiple players better than Eaton. Rosario had homer/rbi numbers last year identical to Eloy. 30/109 the year before. Eaton is not close to that category, has been hurt 1/3 of his career also. Why did they choose Eaton? Because he cost very little. So their goal is to try and win – without spending money. Those goals are not aligned. With 35M coming off the books (45 with Colome), they can afford to spend a bit, and it looks like their plan instead is to reduce payroll rather than put the best team possible on the field. Reinsdorf is like the devil… empty promises. Money is more important to him than winning, and always has been. And there you have it.
In 2015/2016 they had a much higher payroll, with awful teams, and their payroll is nowhere close to even those levels. They did everything so intelligently the past few years getting their core guys under contract so that they could spend on free agents, without breaking the bank at all, and when it comes down to it… they don’t. They could sign even Springer and still be well under where they were in 2015/16. So the point is not whether Eaton is an improvement, it’s that basically Reinsdorf is not all-in. Eaton is a bottom feeder signing compared to other available players that they can easily afford, and that would make the team way better than Eaton. JR doesn’t even have to be crazy all-in. Just getting the payroll back close to 2015/16 levels with some solid additions and they will have a great team, not a moderately competitive one that winds up predictably falling short. If they don’t spend even 10M a year on any player this offseason other than replacing Colome, I consider it an absolutely pitiful testimony to Reinsdorf’s character and integrity.
Liam Hendriks would be an awesome addition! Yes please!
@southsidehitmen Hendricks took over the closer role for the A’s in the middle of the 2019 season. He has been very good since then but only has essentially one full season of closing experience. He has 40 career saves, 25 in 2019. As good as he has been, that is not a long track record. And his career ERA is over 4. The Sox roughed him up pretty good in game 2 of the playoffs, knocking him out of the game if people remember. While watching that game, I was thinking “they can get to this guy”. I was not thinking “I wish he was our closer”.
He may continue to be good, but is far from can’t miss. I would greatly prefer Hand, just a much more solid pick because they would not be basing their choice on one season of closing experience.
okay but seriously, where is the daily Jays rumor?
gone are those days, welcome to sox rumour days
There should be a Kim one coming up soon with his recent meeting with Ryu lmao
White Sox will seriously go after Brantley with a competitive offer, once they hear back – regarding their ‘fair offer’ to Barry Bonds. Should be any day now.
It’s 2020.
So much Sox news. Dogboner is gonna overload his circuits.
LMAO at Len Kasper taking a radio job for the Sox.
I actually like Ken Kasper and will be happy to hear him on the radio. It’s very difficult to replace Farmer. Andy Mazur was as dry as a box of crackers. DJ is a good dude but very boring. Kasper has a good enthusiastic voice broadcasting. Ya gotta love Stoney but the games that Len will do with Jason should be a lot of fun. Jason Benetti has made it very easy to forget about Hawk. I never hated Hawk and admired his love for the team but he just got on my nerves sometimes.
Is Ken Kasper the long-winded combination of Len Kasper and Ken Harrelson?
All joking aside, I’m with you on DJ; he’s painfully boring and sounds like a muppet with a cold.
Oops, typo on my part. Funny reply though. Especially your description of DJ. That’s on point.
Whoops on the misspelled name. Kasper’s not terrible, there’s just too many dead air moments with him. If the game is super competitive, it’s tolerable. Any other time he puts me to sleep.
I almost feel bad saying that because I like DJ as a person, but as an announcer I’m not a fan.
Also, with regard to Hawk, I liked Hawk when he was younger and more fun. I think he slowly turned into that know-it-all old guy and it kind of ruined him. But ironically, I think working with him is a big part of why Steve Stone seems hell bent on not being that angry old know-it-all, despite being old and knowing it all lol.
Love listening to Steve Stone.
Dogbone, who are the Cubs going to sign???? More than likely no one, but I thought I’d ask. Window closed!!!!!
May her rest in peace, but Farmer absolutely SUCKED. Horrible play-by-play guy – who was more interested in talking about what a bad-ass he was than in relaying basic info to the listener, like the, you know, the SCORE, the inning, the count. DJ is also brutal. And talk about getting on my nerves? Benetti CANNOT shut up! He has, arguably, the best color man in baseball sitting next to him, and he just refuses to let him talk. I don’t care what Benetti think about sabermetrics – I want him to give me the play-by-play (which he is good at) and let Stone take care of the baseball end. And his cutesie segements (MathSUX) are already old.
Wait for it…..
It’s there
It’s official. Today is White Sox day.
Spend early and then miss out
Don’t stop now boys!
My final holiday wish list would be Liam Hendriks as closer, Jose Quintana as veteran insurance for the back end of their rotation and Michael Brantley to share LF/DH duties with Eloy Jimenez and Andrew Vaughn. If Brantley is too expensive, Kyle Schwarber would be a great option for that same role on the White Sox. Re-signing James McCann would be the cherry on top of my White Sox sundae!
I think the rotation is set. I loved Q but I’m confident that Kopech or Cease would be as good as him at this point, plus they need the seasoning badly.
The White Sox were expected to add two veterans to their rotation mix this offseason, one TOR and another for the backend as an insurance policy. This is similar to what they did last offseason when they signed FA’s Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez. Lance Lynn was their TOR acquisition this offseason and Jose Quintana could be the backend insurance policy for 2021.
Few pundits and many fans don’t expect Michael Kopech to be in the White Sox opening day rotation. He hasn’t pitched in an official game since late 2018 because of his TJ Surgery. His MLB experience was limited to a handful of starts before the injury. Most expect Kopech will begin 2021 at AAA Charlotte and receive a promotion later in the season. The White Sox also need to monitor his innings in 2021 and having him as an option for the postseason takes precedent over him being in the opening day rotation.
I fully expect Dylan Cease to be the White Sox #4 or #5 starter on opening day depending on their next veteran acquisition. Reynaldo Lopez can compete for a spot, be a long reliever or potentially an effective late inning setup man. Lopez is out of options and will almost certainly be a member of the White Sox pitching staff in 2021 barring an injury, trade or totally sucking in camp.
What do you think about the Sox getting Felix on a minor league deal?
Aaron I hope Kopech starts the year, and think he will. Lopez has been so awful most of the past couple years that I think he is done as a starter. Their best hope for him is a middle relief guy. I don’t have much hope for his success, personally. You can just see the complete lack of confidence and command every time he takes the mound.
I hope rather than sign Q as people expect, that they take a flyer on Kluber. His injury was not an elbow flexor or rotator cuff, so there is a chance he might have something left. He was beastly as recently as 2018… he might not get to that level again, but there is a chance he isn’t washed up. He just seems like one of those guys that will probably find a way back to a very competitive level at some point, for a team willing to invest in him. I could see him pulling a Clemens (without the roids), with people writing him off way too early. His upside could make the difference in a playoff series for sure. Take a flyer on him… would love to see him in a Sox uniform!
Nostalgia aside, Q can keep his 4.7ish ERA on the northside. He’s awful.
You’re going to be disappointed then because Q is a free agent, so he’s not staying on the northside either.
As long as the Sox don’t waste a roster spot on him, it’s all good. I wish him the best, though. Hopefully he can figure out how to throw a strike again.
All Q would need to do is eat innings. He’d be the 4th starter at best.
It’s 2020–Q doesn’t eat innings anymore. You’re lucky to get two innings out of him with a 4-run deficit.
Can’t find the plate either.
Ya lol Q doesn’t eat innings , he was lucky to get to the 5th last year
Where did Jerry find the money? He cries poor from his yacht.
he hasn’t spent anything
They had a payroll of 130M or so back in 2015/2016 with epic awful teams. They are not close to that now. They could sign Springer, and still be well below those levels. They have 35M coming off the books, 45 if you include Colome. Eaton and Lynn cost 15 combined. If they signed Springer for 25 per, that would put them back at last years payroll, basically.
Which yacht? I imagine he has about 20
His yacht in Arizona? lol
Wow other teams had better get in on the action before every free agent is playing in Chicago next year lol
Holy crap, If the Sox just go out and get every free agent and trade player available… I think they won the off-season.
I think the Mets are going to have something to say about that. Today is White Sox day but soon the Mets are going to make some noise.
Maybe. But don’t forget when the Phillies were in the same situation as the Mets just a few years back and ready to spend “stupid money”. Look at them now, trying to offload that “stupid money”
Tomorrow is Halo rumor day
Be nice if the Twins would make a move to get Hendricks, Hand or Archie Bradley since they lost May, Wisler and Romo!
I have no idea what the Twins are doing with their bullpen anymore. I don’t think anyone does.
They were so good last year and you let those 3 go, doesn’t make sense!
My first reaction to the Eaton signing was that they should have paid up a bit more for Brantley. Maybe now they’ll end up with both! I think bringing in Brantley to play LF and moving Eloy to DH (at least for 2021) improves the club both offensively and defensively, and allows them to continue Andrew Vaughn’s development rather than rushing him.
I’m also a fan of the Sox going after Hendriks. I’ve never been a huge Colome fan, and think it’d be well worth the few extra million bucks it would take to land Hendriks. Adding him (and getting Bummer back) would turn their bullpen from a very good one to an elite one.
Not sure what it will take, but I really don’t like the idea of a multi-year commitment to re-sign Colome. Plus the guy makes you nervous every time he takes the mound.
They aren’t moving Eloy to DH. At best (or worst, depending on how you look at it), he’ll split time in LF and DH.
I do not understand why some people are eager to try and make Eloy so one-dimensional at this stage of his career, especially with Robert playing next to him.
Because they see a couple laughably bad plays a year and think it’s the end of the world. He’s fine out there 97% of the time, and in a small ballpark with Robert to his left, that’s good enough. Unless they have a legitimately better everyday option (they don’t; otherwise they wouldn’t be constantly looking for a RF), moving him to full-time DH is premature at best.
I agree the Eloy is “fine” defensively most of the time, and I can live with him not tracking down a few catchable balls, if staying more engaged in the game helps him be a better hitter.
On the other hand, I do worry about him injuring himself running around in the outfield. He is a big dude who has already shown that he can get hurt running into walls or diving for balls, etc. And losing him to the IL will definitely reduce his offensive production.
So adding someone to the lineup who can play LF some of the time, to reduce the opportunities for injuries if nothing else, might not be a bad idea.
The problem with Eloy is if he has to make a play on a well hit ball, there’s a 50-50 chance he hurts himself. Dude is not particularly athletic or graceful covering in LF. Moving him to DH or 1B would greatly prolong his career.
He was better in LF than Babe Ruth Jr from that DYNASTY (ha) team.
Liam Hendricks was just short of amazing with the A’s. If the White Sox can hammer a deal to mutual liking then the south siders are playoff runners for sure or even more…
I find it very ironic how I would be elated if the Rangers moved or released Odor, yet that same amount of excitement comes from Sox’ fans when they sign a big name player lmao. Just goes to show how different the two teams are.
I’m actually pretty surprised the Rangers haven’t eaten Odor’s contract yet. They’re entering a rebuild, have a lot of young up and coming players who will be deserving of opportunities, and while it always sucks to have to eat a contract, he only has about $20-25 million more left on his deal I believe.
I agree. You don’t want to waste valuable at-bats on a bum like that when you’re trying to develop your young talent.
That’s how we felt in 2019 before you guys were nice enough to take Wellington Castillo off our hands. So many at bats wasted on that bum.
Man is that the truth. The fact that so many of the Sox young catchers weren’t able to get any big-league experience during the middle of a rebuild is something I will never understand. Especially Collins.
Lynn and Eaton just replaced Encarnacion and Rodon’s salaries, so no money spent yet. I’m all for getting Jimenez out of LF most of the time to platoon the position and DH with a LH bat…but I think Brantley will want multiple years. I’d sniff around on Gardner, Pederson or Schwarber who should all be available on 1 year deals. Spend the money on Hendriks and find another 1 year deal in Lester or Hamels for the back of the rotation.
They had about 10 guys get pay raises from 2019. Arbitration and back loaded contracts factor in as well
The money wasted on Mazara in 2020 should cover a decent chunk of those raises.
Great point on the money just being replaced from 2020 salary! No thanks on Babe Jr., though.
The White Sox are becoming the new Blue Jays with their “interest” in everyone.
When is Nightengale ever right?
Yesterday regarding Eaton.
First one in on LaRussa
Why get Eaton if they’re going after Brantley? They already have Engel as a defensively solid 4th OF and platoon option. And I doubt teams were banging the door down to get Eaton, especially this early. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to get Brantley if the Sox aren’t getting Springer, but it’s just curious.
And Hendriks would be an awesome move. A strong bullpen would become even better.
They aren’t getting Springer, so it’s not worth worrying about. They’d get Brantley to spend most of his time at DH. The chances of Vaughn actually starting the year with the big league club are slim.
Brantley would be DH and split LF with Eloy
I kind of wanted them to bring back Colome but only at a bargain price. He’s not dominant but he gets the job done and has stayed healthy. However, if they can get Hendricks, forget Colome. As for Brantley, not sure about adding another aging vet to the mix. I guess as long as he comes at a decent price, why not.
Hendriks should be priority #1 right now.
That being said, Marshall is like 4th in line for closer if they stay in house. It’s Bummer, Heuer, or Crochet (assuming they keep him up and in the bullpen this year).
I’ve been saying the Sox should sign Hendriks (and re-sign Colome) for a few months now. I don’t what Eaton does for them, though. The Sox need a RF who can hit for power and drive in runs. Certainly Engle is as good as Eaton in terms of fielding at the point. They really need to stop experimenting with guys and go get the player they need for once. Make a five year offer to Springer that’s slightly above market value ($125MM) and solidify the outfield. The additions of Lynn, Hendriks, Springer and Kopech, they’d be more than good enough to dominate the AL for years to come. Spending done.
They have no less than 6 guys that can hit for power and drive in runs (7 when you factor in whoever takes over at DH). The only regular that doesn’t have power is Madrigal. If Eaton reverts back to pre 2020 form, he’ll be a good addition to the offense. Another player that hits .300 with a 10% BB rate and sub 20% K rate would be fantastic for guys hitting behind him.
So what they have it already. There is no such thing as “moderation” when it comes to building a winning roster.
If you’re going to add pieces to fill a whole, especially for a position like RF, you look for impact as well as improvement. IMO, any RFer should hit for power (25+ HR/86+ RBI) over the course of a full season.
Defense is important, but not as impactful as offensive production at that particular position.
Again, if you’re trying to upgrade a contending roster, and you have money to spend, a RFer who will mash is more impactful over a GG corner outfielder who struggles to hit single digit HRs and 70 RBI.
Engel is far better than Eaton with the glove.
Phillies??? Middleton…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!
They should target Hendricks and Rosario. They need someone at DH who can also potentially handle RF, given how unreliable Eaton is.
Rosario or Schwarber with Hendriks works for me
Schwarber would be second choice, since he would provide zero defensive insurance. Actually, it would be Brantley then schwarber.
@maximumvelocity
They’re fine with defensive insurance in RF with Engel.
Engel has no business playing everyday. He can’t hit well enough. They need a better fallback option.
White Sox are acting just like the Reds were last year. I bet they will fare better than Cincy ended up faring this season.
I am certain that after signing Adam Eaton (bad move) that the White Sox are NOT in on Michael Brantley. I would be surprised if they are serious about Liam Hendriks. If they are interested they will be easily outbid. The White Sox have added a starter in Lance Lynn and a bad left-handed bat with declining defensive skills in Adam Eaton. This will be their two biggest acquisitions of the offseason.
I wasn’t thrilled with the Eaton signing — though I’m feeling better about it after my initial reaction of despair has faded and I allow myself to reasonably discount his 2020 performance as an anomaly and convince myself that he could end up being a decent RF platoon partner with Adam Engel. And the rumor that more signings are coming is encouraging.
I definitely hope they sign an experienced closer. I’m fine with Hendriks, of course, but I don’t necessarily trust short-term relief success enough to pay a ton for it. So I’d be OK with any of Hendriks, Hand, Rosenthal, Colome, Yates, Bradley, Trienen, or maybe even Melancon or Shane Greene.
As for a DH, while I am excited to see what Andrew Vaughn can do, given the fact that he is entirely untested at the major league level, a proven hitter would be a safer bet. That being said, I’d prefer that they sign someone on a one-year deal so that Vaughan isn’t blocked for too long. Cruz could be fun, but someone who could cover an outfield spot on occasion would be preferable. If Brantley is too expensive, then Ozuna isn’t even a remote possibility. And my impression is that Rosario wouldn’t be particularly interested in a primarily DH role — that’s not his style of play. Same might be true for Pederson, whose extreme splits aren’t terribly appealing for an everydy player anyway. That doesn’t leave a lot of great options. Schwarber is then probably the best choice. Or you take a chance on Dahl or Puig or Rojas. If those are the choices, giving Vaughn (and/or Mercedes) a chance might just be a reasonable course of action.
Whether or not they sign a DH/OF, I really hope they sign another FA starter. In fact, I’d rather they didn’t sign a DH if that meant they could spend more on another starter. Lots of options here. My first choice would be Sugano, who shouldn’t be outrageously expensive and is less risky of a proposition now that they’ve added Lynn to the rotation. But I’d also be on board for a reunion with Quintana, or just about any of about a dozen decent starters on the market.
So many options are available. I hope they go out and get more done.
Uh, Cruz would be more than “fun” at DH for the Sox. He absolutely mashes at G-Rate. Put him in the middle of that lineup and he goes 1-2 for MLB RBI leader along with Abreu.
First, LaRussa. Now Eaton, so why not Quintana for the trifecta?
I dislike the Eaton signing even discounting his lost 2020 season. He’s an injury-prone jerk who will likely do more to damage team chemistry than to enhance it.
The best take I read on the Lynn trade was that excluding Bauer, Lynn is better than any of the other FA starters. Dunning was a high price, but with Cease, Kopech and Crochet all in the starting mix, for 2021, one of the four was very likely going to be dealt.
Team absolutely needs to sign another free agent starter, and let Cease and Kopech battle it out for the 5th slot.
Maybe the bucks saved on Eaton and Lynn will be poured into Hendricks, or Hand but as you noted, don’t want to give bucks and term to any closer. Colome returning would be fine as long as it isn’t for more than two seasons. He’s an absolute high-wire act without a net, but he’s got the job done the last two years.
Cruz as DH would be fascinating; however, at some point Father Time will catch up to Cruz and he’ll fall off the cliff. I have this gnawing feeling that whenever the Sox sign him, that’ll be the start of his finish. Rosario as DH would be sweet, but he’s probably looking for a gig as an outfielder.
If the Sox get another starter, does that mean both Kopech and Crochet become pensmen for the big team or does one stay and the other sent down assuming there is a minor league season? I am not a Jimmy Cordero fan. It might be that he was overused last season, but he seems the weakest link in the pen. As well as trying to sign a FA closer, should the Sox get another reliever as an upgrade on Cordero, or should it go with Kopech and Crochet in the pen? Nice problem to have.
Not sure who Cordero had to bribe or blackmail to stay on the roster. He’s just brutal.
Cordero was actually quite good this year except when (1) he finished an inning and then came out again to start the next inning or (2) he was pitching for the 4th time in 5 days (or similarly overused). Unfortunately, he was put in those situations too often.
He does have the best sleeve cut of and MLB player.
Having too much good pitching — especially young pitching with options — is never a problem. There are going to be injuries to starters and/or relievers, and having Cease, Kopech, Crochet, and Lopez as options to start or to pitch out of the bullpen or to take stints in the minors is a great situation to be in. With those options, and other bullpen arms in the system already, if they sign a closer, I don’t think they’ll be looking for any other middle relievers.
If they had not signed Eaton, I’d be cool with a full-time DH, but Eaton can’t stay healthy and is in decline. If he gets hurt, they are right back where they have been since he left.
That’s why another outfielder who can slide into DH and play corner outfield makes more sense, because they could cover both positions better in case of an injury.
Rosario would work, because he would be a DH/subpar RF they could platoon in the field and at DH if he went down. Brantley can’t play everyday in the field, and Schwarber would be really bad in RF, but they still could make more sense.
Cruz is also going to crash and burn at any moment, so it’s a risk.
The DH carousel still seems the best option. It would include but not be limited to Grandal, the backup catcher and Abreu.
Signing a FA to DH isn’t the best plan unless they can sign a good bat for a year and an option. I don’t see the likes of Brantley or Rosario doing that. Not interested in Schwarber. Cruz probably would but we all know the recent history of the Sox signing FA DHs. Why would it be different this time?
Could Vaughn DH in 2021? Yes, but I’d much rather see him playing 1B in AAA than a DH in MLB at least for a good chunk of the season. I want to see the kid dominate in AAA before coming up to the show. If there is no AAA season, Vaughn can’t sit idle for another season, so then I’d give him a shot at the Sox DH.
Jake Burger is similar to Vaughn except that he has been idle for much longer so he can’t possibly be considered ML ready in 2021.
I am interested in Rosario on the Sox, but that stupid Eaton signing has messed that up unless Rosario is good for a one-year deal.
Is Garcia too valuable as a super sub to be a full-time DH? Yes because you have to factor in injuries, so there is not enough Garcia to go around.
Convince me why the Sox need to sign a big bat DH. My position is swayable provided you can convince me. Having a surplus of DH types beyond 2021 is not what this team needs, so that is what guides my thinking.
Of course, crystal clarity to this issue could all be brought about by inking Jimmy McCann. He could split catching duties and be the primary DH. Alas, I don’t think has a chance of happening.
Colome got the job done the last two years – but it was always a highwire act, and it was not in what you would call high pressure situations. I would much rather spend that money on Hendricks!
How is L.Hendricks better than Colom for the W-Sox