Along with this post, Tim Dierkes is holding a live White Sox-centric chat on Thursday at 9am central time. Use this link to ask a question in advance, participate in the live event, and read the transcript afterward.
Aside from a new manager, the White Sox don’t seem destined for a major shakeup after a very disappointing 2022 season.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Lance Lynn, SP: $19.5MM through 2023. Includes $18MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2024
- Yasmani Grandal, C: $18.25MM through 2023
- Yoan Moncada, 3B: $46MM through 2024. Includes $25MM club option ($5MM buyout) for 2025
- Liam Hendriks, RP: $29MM through 2023. Includes $15MM club option ($15MM buyout) for 2024
- Joe Kelly, RP: $10MM through 2023. Includes $9.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2024
- Kendall Graveman, RP: $16MM through 2024
- Eloy Jimenez, DH/LF: $25.5MM through 2024. Includes $16.5MM club option ($3MM buyout) for 2025 (also has club option for 2026)
- Luis Robert, CF: $39MM through 2025. Includes $20MM club option ($2MM buyout) for 2026 (also has club option for 2027)
- Leury Garcia, IF/OF: $11MM through 2024
- Jake Diekman, RP: $4.5MM through 2023. Includes $4MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2024
- Aaron Bummer, RP: $10.5MM through 2024. Includes $7.25MM club option ($1.25MM buyout) for 2025
Option Decisions
- AJ Pollock, LF/CF: $13MM player option with a $5MM buyout
- Tim Anderson, SS: $12.5MM club option with a $1MM buyout (also has club option for 2024)
- Josh Harrison, 2B: $5.625MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout
Total 2023 commitments: $135.47MM
Total future commitments: $249.85MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parantheses; salary projections via Matt Swartz)
- Lucas Giolito (5.080): $10.8MM
- Adam Engel (5.058): $2.3MM
- Kyle Crick (5.027): $1.5MM
- Reynaldo Lopez (5.004): $3.3MM
- Dylan Cease (3.089): $5.3MM
- Jose Ruiz (3.048): $1MM
- Michael Kopech (3.041): $2.2MM
- Danny Mendick (2.168): $1MM
- Non-tender candidates: Engel, Crick, Ruiz
Free Agents
What went wrong with the 2022 White Sox? Take your pick. Start with former manager Tony La Russa, whose storied tenures with the A’s, White Sox and Cardinals landed him in the Hall of Fame in 2014. Upon being hired by the White Sox after the 2020 season, he’d been out of the dugout for nine years. The White Sox won the AL Central under La Russa last year, but finished in second place with a .500 record in 2022. Health issues prevented La Russa from managing in the season’s final month, and he eventually announced those issues would require him to step down rather than finish out a contract that ran through 2023. Regarding the disappointing ’22 season, La Russa explained in a statement, “I was hired to provide positive, difference-making leadership and support. Our record is proof. I did not do my job.”
The club’s search for a new manager is ongoing, with Ozzie Guillen, Ron Washington, Pedro Grifol, and Joe Espada among those in the running. Managers are not measurable in the way players are, and I think often tend to get too much credit or blame for a team’s record. So I won’t try to get into the merits of each candidate, but hopefully this time around Rick Hahn, the team’s GM for the last decade, will have autonomy to make his own choice. Hahn’s place as the team’s GM seems secure at least for now. As Jon Heyman of the New York Post put it at the end of September, “It’s unlikely longtime White Sox general manager Rick Hahn will pay for the team’s stark underachievement…while owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s legendary loyalty worked against the baseball ops department with the Tony La Russa hiring, it likely works in their favor now.”
Turning to the players, disappointments and failures abound for a club that was a consensus favorite to win the AL Central and instead finished 11 games behind the Guardians. We’ll start with the outfield, which served as the worst defensive unit in baseball. Much of that has to do with Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets, who combined to take 30% of the team’s defensive innings in the outfield. Vaughn, in particular, probably rates as the worst defensive outfielder in baseball in 2022. While Sheets was exactly league average as a hitter, Vaughn improved to a 113 wRC+ as a sophomore. We’ll get to first base later in this post, but that was Vaughn’s position through college and his brief time in the minors, and it seems he’ll finally settle in there for 2023.
That leaves the White Sox with only one outfielder definitively penciled in for next year: center fielder Luis Robert. Robert, 25, did not take the star turn many anticipated in 2022. Health has been a big part of that. Robert played only 68 games in 2021 due to a right hip flexor strain that cost him more than three months. Robert hit so well in 43 games since returning from that injury that 2022 seemed like his possible coming-out party. Instead, he played in only 98 games, managing a 111 wRC+ while playing a middling center field.
Robert battled a groin strain in April, but then went on a 62-game tear in which he posted a 139 wRC+ despite a COVID stint in the middle. After that run of success, Robert dealt with lightheadedness, blurred vision, a wrist sprain, and a bruised hand. While Robert’s talent remains tantalizing, he’s played in just over half of his team’s games since 2021 and the White Sox have to be ready to call upon backups often next year.
One of those backups could again be AJ Pollock, who must decide between a $13MM player option and a $5MM buyout after the season. As a 35-year-old coming off a down year, Pollock doesn’t figure to top the $8MM net value of that option on the open market, so the smart money is on him staying put. The Sox also gave center field innings to Adam Engel, who can be retained affordably through arbitration but is not a lock given a 63 wRC+ on the season.
Pollock, Vaughn, and Eloy Jimenez served as Chicago’s left fielders this year. Assuming Pollock takes more of a backup role, Vaughn moves to first, and Jimenez gets increased DH time, the White Sox need a new starting left fielder. Several key White Sox hitters struggled against righties this year. Free agency offers a particularly solid fit in Andrew Benintendi, a quality defender who hits right-handed pitching well. Joc Pederson is another palatable option. Pollock can complement in a lefty-mashing role.
Right field continues to be a revolving door for the White Sox; they haven’t found any success at the position since Avisail Garcia’s 2017 campaign. 24-year-old Oscar Colas might be able to break the mold. Colas signed in January for $2.7MM and spent most of the season hitting well at High-A and Double-A, finishing his season at Triple-A. Yoelqui Cespedes could be a factor as well, though he didn’t hit well enough at Double-A to suggest he’ll succeed in MLB.
Since neither the health of Robert nor the success of Colas is guaranteed, the Sox could consider a veteran addition capable of playing both center and right field. Mike Yastrzemski, Cody Bellinger, Kevin Kiermaier, and Ramon Laureano could fit that description. Bellinger could be non-tendered by the Dodgers, while Kiermaier’s club option will be bought out by the Rays. Yastrzemski and Laureano are arbitration-eligible for the Giants and A’s, respectively, but could be trade candidates this winter.
Moving to the infield, the White Sox are in a tough spot with Yoan Moncada. The 27-year-old is locked up at significant cost through at least 2024, but he has continued to alternate good and bad seasons since coming to the White Sox. In 2022 he was both bad (career-worst 76 wRC+) and injured (oblique strain, multiple hamstring strains). Barring a trade, the team will have to pencil Moncada in at third base again, with Jake Burger still serving as the backup option.
At shortstop, Tim Anderson’s $12.5MM club option is an easy choice to exercise. Anderson is an excellent player when healthy, but has only played in 62% of the team’s games since 2021. This year he dealt with a groin strain and a torn ligament in his left hand. The White Sox caught lightning in a bottle with the strong play of veteran Elvis Andrus, who was released by the A’s in August. If Andrus departs for a more clear starting job elsewhere, the club will need a good backup plan at shortstop much as they do with Robert in center field.
Second base was handled by Josh Harrison and Leury Garcia in 2022. Harrison, 35, played capably, but there’s still a pretty good chance the team declines his $5.625MM option after the World Series. Second base has been a void for the White Sox even longer than right field has; they haven’t really had a player excel there since Tadahito Iguchi in 2005, excepting 109 solid plate appearances from Nick Madrigal in the pandemic-shortened season. Speaking of Madrigal, there’s a fair chance he’s made available this winter if the Cubs sign a shortstop. The White Sox do still have Garcia under contract. Danny Mendick could be an option as well, once he’s recovered from a torn ACL suffered in June. The free agent market could offer players such as Jean Segura or Kolten Wong if their options are declined. Brandon Drury could be a solid addition given his ability to play both second and third base.
Over at first base, vibes are strong that Jose Abreu will be allowed to leave as a free agent after nine successful seasons. While I understand the desire to plug Vaughn in at his natural position and leave DH at-bats for Jimenez, Sheets, and Yasmani Grandal, the team seems fairly nonchalant about losing arguably their best hitter. It’s true that a team with Abreu, Vaughn, and Jimenez has to make a defensive compromise by putting one of the latter two into a corner outfield spot. Still, the offense takes a hit with the probable loss of Abreu.
In Jimenez, the White Sox have a third core position player who has missed significant time over the last two seasons. Jimenez has missed even more time than Anderson and Robert, playing in only 43% of the team’s games since 2021. 26 in November, Jimenez remains capable of a monster offensive season if only he can stay healthy. In 2021, he tore a pectoral muscle in spring training and made his season debut in late July. This year, it was a late April hamstring strain that required surgery and cost Jimenez more than two months. While the lack of communication between players and teams during the lockout is a significant variable here, it’s fair to ask: why can’t the White Sox keep Robert, Anderson, and Jimenez healthy? Is it something inherent in the players, or the team?
Behind the plate, the White Sox have a repeat of the Moncada situation: stuck with with a player who has a big contract and hit really, really poorly in 2022. Grandal, 34 in November, led all catchers with a 158 wRC+ in 2021 and was one of the worst-hitting backstops with a 68 mark this year. Grandal dealt with back and knee injuries this year, following offseason knee surgery. Unless they can unload his franchise-record contract somehow ($18.25MM of which remains), the White Sox have to hope he can bounce back and provide value in ’23. Grandal hasn’t topped 627 1/3 innings behind the dish since 2019. He needs to be complemented with a starting-caliber catcher. Seby Zavala was able to fill that role this year with a surprising 111 wRC+ at the plate. A veteran addition would still make sense here.
Moving to the rotation, the White Sox received better results than they could possibly have expected out of Dylan Cease and Johnny Cueto, who combined for 337 1/3 innings of 2.70 ERA ball. The only thing holding Cease back from being a bona fide ace is his walk rate, which went up a tick this year to 10.4%. He still managed to post a ridiculous 1.51 ERA over his final 23 starts. The White Sox control Cease for three more years, and they may consider trying to lock him up beyond that. Cueto, signed to a minor league deal in April, may sign elsewhere as a free agent.
Along with Moncada and Grandal, Lucas Giolito performed well below expectations this year. While his SIERA was virtually identical to 2021, his ERA rose from 3.53 to 4.90. Strikeouts, fastball velocity, and walks all moved in the wrong direction, and notably, Giolito’s batting average on balls in play rose from .269 to .340. That can’t all be blamed on the team’s defense or on bad luck, as Giolito’s pitches were indeed hit harder than last year, per Statcast. There’s not much to be done here except try to find a way to bounce back; Giolito is still a bargain at his projected $10.8MM arbitration salary.
On the other end of the spectrum, Michael Kopech pitched to a 4.73 SIERA but managed a 3.54 ERA, despite being the staff’s pre-eminent flyball pitcher working with the game’s worst defensive outfield. Much of that ERA stems from a .223 BABIP. It’s worth noting: if the skills Giolito and Kopech demonstrated in 2022 – strikeouts, walks, and groundballs – remain the exact same next year, you should expect Giolito to have the better season.
At any rate, the White Sox have four starting pitchers locked in for 2023. Even with internal options like Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and eventually Garrett Crochet, the Sox would be well-served adding a starting pitcher.
With a collective 4.00 ERA, the White Sox did not get great results from their bullpen. But again, ERA is unreliable, and the group did miss bats. Having traded Craig Kimbrel on April 1st, the highest-leverage innings went to Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman, Aaron Bummer, and Reynaldo Lopez. The first three are under contract for next year, and Lopez is under team control. Veterans Joe Kelly and Jake Diekman are under contract as well, so Chicago’s bullpen seems pretty well set for next year unless they trade someone to trim salary.
The White Sox opened the season with a payroll over $190MM – easily the highest in franchise history. Assuming Giolito, Cease, Kopech, Lopez, and Mendick are tendered contracts, they’ll have about $167MM committed to 18 players. Add in eight more players at the league minimum and the payroll is around $172MM. So if you’re Hahn, what do you do with a roster that is already largely in place for next year, and limited financial wiggle room?
Running a similar group back next year with a new manager isn’t as crazy as it sounds. The Sox can add one decent defensive outfielder and get Vaughn into his natural position, and the outfield defense will improve greatly. They could use a new second baseman plus rotation and catching depth. Maybe Hahn will shake things up with some trades, though it’s not a team with any real surplus except possibly well-paid relievers. Most of the pieces remain in place for a 90-win team – particularly if Anderson, Robert, and Jimenez are able to stay healthy next year.
I really like the idea of signing Benintendi. The Sox need one starter for next year and possibly two starters the next year. They seem to match up well with the Marlins. They could trade Vaughn or Eloy for one of their starters plus one of their almost ready starters. Or, they could spend some money and bring back Rodon.
How exactly do the White Sox and Marlins match up well? Other than looking at it with Sox colored glasses… Eloy is always hurt and is a terrible fielder… the white Sox are going to trade Vaughn and let Abreu walk? Also, they are letting Abreu walk because white Sox ownership is dirt cheap.. think they are going to “spend some money” to bring Rodon back?
It’s time for White Sox fans to start dreaming up trade scenarios for Tim Anderson and salivate at “winning” trades again because they won’t be winning anything else.
Because the Marlins want to add a contact hitter. Rick Hahn said they will pursue the trade route to help the team. He also said no decision has been made on Abreu. Sheets can play first base if Abreu isn’t brought back. I said signing Rodon was an option. How are they going to improve without trading Vaughn or spending money? Why would someone trade for Tim Anderson when there are so many free agent shortstops available. You’d be trading him on the low.
You’re not getting, “one of their starters plus one of their almost ready starters” for a guy that can’t stay on the field. Eloy still hasn’t broke 2 fWAR in a single season.
Vaughn.
“They could trade Vaughn or *Eloy* for one of their starters plus one of their almost ready starters. “
Dirt cheap? Seventh highest payroll in 2022. Don’t be lazy and parrot something that’s regularly said, but just not factual. Now if you said the money hasn’t been spent wisely, you’d have a point.
Oh man that is hilarious! You’re right, we just assumed the White Sox were cheap and not that they turned 200 million dollars into a .500 record…
Realizing the White Sox spent money and still couldn’t win the weakest division in baseball…. Priceless
unless it’s Alcantara, then I wouldn’t trade Vaughn or Eloy. Vaughn led the team I. he’s and rbi and will only get better. Of the few things the Sox did last year was move Eloy to cleanup. Abreau was horrible with RISP and Eloy picked up the runners Abreau left. Not signing Rodon after 2021 was a huge mistake as his numbers this year. But the Sox wouldn’t even cough up 11m to sign him. If the rumours are true and he ends up with the cubs right under the Sox’ noses, that would be hard to take.
Vaughn had a 113 wRC+ and -.4 fWAR…
Well Marlins would not trade a young cheap arm like say Lopez for only Vaughn or Eloy so that won’t b an issue. Even bringing up Alcantra is laughable, the cost would b exorbitant. I know every one wants to see their team get something without giving up much, let’s b realistic here. Young proven front of rotation starting pitchers are one of most valuable commodities in the game.
Poor insight here avenger, it would have been $19 m, not 11 m, and the Sox were already full in the rotation, so aside from the health concerns, that would have been $19 M for at best a #3 or #4 starter. Not a wise investment when shoring up the bullpen was the route they went.
Naturally, they got burned when both Crochet and Bummer went down and Lance took 3 months to get right. And Kelly and Graveman didn’t pitch to expectations
But you cant look at the QO decision in a vacuum. Turning down the Rodon QO made sense at the time, particularly the way he faded down the stretch in 2021 and was unusable in the playoffs.
That could be a great deal or a terrible deal, depending on where Benintendi’s market is with the injury history, and whether or not his wrist fully recovers, I’d read it has been a lingering and ongoing issue.
I like Brandon Drury more for the White Sox, can cover second, third and all three OF spots if needed, but I’d expect the market on Drury to be hefty, in Avisail Garcia territory with his defensive flexibility, and unsure the Sox are willing to committ that much to field a utility player.
They have a few good infield prospects that could be ready in 2023, and I think they like Adam Haseley, who hits for a little power, has good speed and can play good defense. I like Blake Rutherford too, he is still in the Sox system and had a good season in AAA.
The only moves I can see the Sox making are signing Jose Abreu and possibly signing a SP, while looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline.
This- why I think they should resign Abreu to a team friendly deal and trade Vaughn instead. Move on from Abreu in 2 years and hand 1b to Sheets then. Vaughn had a solid year but is easy to replace,- look at the depressed market for the likes of Joc, Kyle, and Castellenos in previous years. With Colas and Rutherford or Haseley possible replacements, the Sox have other options.
Haseley and Rutherford are below average for AAA.
Shout out White Sox Dave
My hope is that one of the international signings breaks out and provides us with some cheap offense. They won’t raise payroll, and we’re stuck with Grandal, next year might be another rough season.
Jose Rodriguez is likely going to be the guy at second base. I can’t see the Sox resigning Harrison with Romy Gonzalez, Jose Rodriguez Lenyn Sosa, and Bryan Ramos all coming up in the infield.
Jake Burger is a nice trade chip, could be enough to bring in some good bullpen help because say what you want about Moncada, he can play third and he can hit.
BWmiller, Moncada, TA have to suit up to prove what you say first. Seattle’s SS Crawford and 3B Suarez have averaged 140 games each the last two years.
Suarez had a good season, he is a good hitter, better than the numbers he had posted in seasons previous, JP Crawford still young, TA is a better player. If I could pick a pair I’d take Moncada and TA.
Grandal, Kelly and Pollock yikes. They are throwing money down a drain on those former Dodgers
Kelly is in a contract year, could be a good one for him if he has any intention of playing beyond 2023, Pollock had a good season, also in a contract year, could be a good one if he has any intention of playing himself into a new contract. So the Sox have that going for them in some regard. Grandal will be be Grandal, around a .400 OBP if he’s healthy.
Grandal is a year removed from a monster year in 21 (.940 OPS). He carried the club for like 6 weeks once he got going. Let’s see what a healthy year past knee surgery (which robbed him of his ability to barrel up) can bring. Despite his inability to launch, he still had the sound strike zone judgment.
Another disappointing season, another useless article suggesting the Sox shouldn’t change anything. Write up like these used to piss me off 10-15 years ago. Now I find them hilarious.
More that the suggestions I made are within the parameters of things the White Sox might reasonably do based on their history.
What would you like to see happen? I promise I won’t call it “useless.”
As your task was to write an Offseason Outlook, thanks for a job well done. The White Sox have in large part painted themselves in a corner as a result of poor roster construction and contracts. For the White Sox to do well in 2023, Hahn is going to need to make some creative moves and the key players are going to have to play up to their ability.
Don’t worry Tim, ChiSoxCity checks your site multiple times a day. Thanks for the write up.
Tim. Looks like the one omission from your report was info on possible impact players from their minor league system. I took a peak at their prospect list. Oof. Probably a couple years away from helping the parent club?
Here’s to better health for the existing roster in 2023. Oh, Abreau, moving on is the one significant change?
I’d agree with Dierkes, resigning Abreu, extending Giolito, and possibly signing a SP are the only reasonable moves the Sox can make.
Change ownership, change leadership, change management, change location…. I solved all the White Sox problems.
Unfortunately White Sox fans can only dream of these changes!
For better or worse, “doing nothing” is close to correct.
What went wrong?
1-Anderson, Moncada, Roberts & Eloy missed about 270 games. I’d guess that cost them no less than 6-7 games.
2-Sheets & Vaughn are young-ish, and certainly less experienced. One more year in the league should be at least +2.
3-Lynn had an awful start, Giolito had a bad season, and Kopech was inconsistent.
I think the current team is easily capable of 90+ wins. Assuming they re-sign Cueto, they have a good rotation, good 8-9th inning BP, and probably 6 good offensive players.
What they lack is depth, everywhere. I would let Abreu walk, use Vaughn/Sheets as the 1B/DH, and use the money you save for a good #4 (lefty) OF, a good UIF, and at least 2 good RPs. Probably a manager NOT collecting social security (I think Guillen would be perfect). And someone to convince ownership that the WS can be WS contenders and dig into the Cubs ownership of Chicago, but they need to go over the top with payroll.
Benintendi or Nimmo via FA for the OF, Vaughan to 1B, have Eloy DH full time which gives he and the Sox the best chance of no long term injury + better for defense. Would be nice to see Andrus at 2nd.
I agree with this whole 100%.
Lenyn Sosa is an option at 2B. Maybe not right away, but I could see sometime mid-season as a possibility.
Still a double A minor leaguer.
Trade Sosa.
Sox have lots of options at 2B.
Mendick, Harrison, Andrus?, Garcia
And Romy. Encouraging sign is how Sox minor leaguers transformed after their initial cups of coffee. Did not expect the likes of Sevy, Romy, Gavin, Danny, Jimmy Lambert, Reyno and Davis Martin to all bounce back in a big way after getting sent down. Maybe the Sox are on to something with Project Birmingham- they’ve almost gotten nothing useful from Charlotte. If Colas, Cespedes and/or Rutherford show any positive development, the Sox may have a solution to their budget quandary. Especially with much of the money coming off the books in 24.
Back up the truck fellas, this team can’t stay healthy and the word was the locker room was divided in 2022.
Genuine question: Divided in what way? Any insight on the issues were?
Wrong!
Maybe some liked TLR; some not.
Big deal!
You mean word from one bearded fella with a history of throwing teammates under the bus? The story conveniently came out just as said bearded fella got jettisoned, then got promptly quashed by Liam and a whole host of teammates who flourished under Cairo.
I like Hendricks but OMG that contract?!?!
I thought that was a misprint. A 15m buyout on a 15m option, wow!!!
The buyout is to be paid in $1M increments on an annual basis. It was an interesting compromise for a guy that wanted a guaranteed 4th year and a team that refused.
That was for AAV purposes, right? Spread the money out over 4 years instead of 3.
He earned his contract!
Existing Sox players just need to step it up in 2023!
Keep Harrison.
Trade Giolito.
Call up Colas.
DH or trade Eloy.
A new trainer might keep them healthy on the field.
How about a trade of bad contracts that helps the White Sox lower payroll and get another starter?
White Sox trade Moncada and his $47M remaining contract to the Dbacks for Madison Bumgarner and his $35M contract.
Dbacks need a 3b and need to move MadBum out of the way for 5 young starters to get some starts next year. Sox need pitching depth and payroll relief.
Moncada is an excellent fielder and his hitting started coming around toward the end of the season. If he gets back to his 2019 form, he’s worth the money. As for Bumgarner, he’s been a busy for the Dbacks. What we don’t need is another bum arm
Not just an excellent fielder, but one of the most patient hitters and a valuable lefty bat who comes up clutch. .300 hitter with an .840 OPS in clutch situations (runners in scoring position, 2 outs).
Dumpster, so why did the Sox lose 8 in row, when they needed clutch hitting the last two weeks of this season. He was in the lineup then. What about the rest of the season. Stats in just 100 games don’t add up to the stats in averaging 140+ games of longevity in a season. I’d rather have an average of one clutch hit over 140 games .250 BA every game the entire season than a guy who hits .300 over ten games then is nowhere to be found the rest of the season, Get your money’s worth. Compare Moncada and TA to Seattle’s Suarez and Crawford and you get your money’s worth, per game. What do you want, two .3oo hitters who don’t suit up everyday or 2 hitters at a .250 avg, each who show up and help the team reach the playoffs. The Sox answer to that question is you lose. Get rid of them both while you can get something for them. Moncada doesn’t play enough to judge his fielding.
Dumpster, Defense evaluated over how many games played?
Hahn and KW should go. TA, Eloy, and Moncada have only played 50-60% of games the last two years. Sorry they gotta go, they are unlucky to put it mildly. They got their money and lost their heart. Abreu has leadership value still, he shows up everyday. Mendick and Crochet were huge losses. Mendick and Andrus bring more defense, Gonzales played well as a backup. If Colas, Colson Montgomery improve rapidly at AAA, Sox still have a good core to make things work. Players need more conditioning, they have been lazy and the injuries show it. New manager and coaches should see to that. It wasn’t TLR’s fault, they lost 8 in row the last two weeks of season without him.
At this point the Sox need to make some hard choices. The Cubs moved on from Jimenez because they knew he couldn’t stay healthy playing OF and at the time there was no DH. Quintana had been reliable for the Sox, Unfortunately he wasn’t for the Cubs very often but filled a need. Cease was a wild card then but turned out fantastic. Was worth a shot. Sox should trade Giolito. He has been inconsistent and would still bring a nice price of things they need. Decide who the 1B is going to be, Vaughn or Sheets and trade the other one. The problem with the Sox is they have way too many guys who do the same things. Somebody said it, If the Sox are going to come back, Hahn is going to have to get creative. No idea why they wanted Kelly or Pollock, The whole league knew they were declining. They don’t have a ton of farm guys who are coming so Hahn needs to own his mistakes and cut the payroll at the same time. He made his bed and I don’t envy him the task but I feel as if he could do it if Williams and Reinsdorf would just retire into the sunset.
TLR wanted Kelly!
Sox got the best they could for Kimbrel.
They totally screwed that up. They lost Madrigal, a solid fielder and hitter for Kimbrell, then got nothing for him when they unloaded him to the dodgers.
Madrigal couldn’t hit his way out of a paper bag!
Madrigal was an average fielder with no pop and extremely poor baseball acumen. He cost the Sox an important game in the AL wildcard round in 20 with his ridiculous baserunning miscues. Never seen a player with positive contact skills give all of that value back over the season with negative baserunning war. Madrigal has only gotten worse as teams have accounted for his lack of spray on the spray charts. Unless he reinvents himself or suddenly finds pop in his late 20s, he’s already peaked. Dustin Pedroia he is not.
Dumpster, Moncada and TA cost the Sox at least 10 games by not being prepared to play. Mendick because of a serious injury was a bigger loss. He is a better player fundamentally than Moncada and TA in the field ZERO ERRORS while hitting .280.
Mendick, Andrus, Gonzales, and a great fielding 1B form a solid infield defensively. Abreu has had to play goalie there with TA and Moncada.
Sox pick for a new manager will come from the last few they have yet to interview. Maddon, Mattingly , Girardi, Alomar, Martinez?
10 games? Where and how?
Moncada in a down yr, 1.0 WAR. TA, out for big stretch, 1.2 WAR. But who needs WAR, when you have a new stat: -10 LPOMB. 10 Losses pulled out of my butt.
Dumpster, your thinking is skewed. Moncada played 104 games, TA 79 games. Thats together Moncada 58 missed games, TA 83 games missed. Total 141 missed games of your so called CLUTCH hits by 2 .300 hitters according to you. 10% of 141 games is 14 games, so I was wrong they cost the Sox 14 games not 10. Lots of one run games in the season that could have had at least ONE clutch hit by these clowns. Then again there is no stat on lost clutch hits because they didn’t play. Read the post by Tim.
Dumpster, you can’t see your butt when your head is in it.
Dumpster, you are right, sabermetrics not worth it , if you don’t want to play the game. He’s gotta go !
Fwiw, check out Baseball Savant. Looking at Outs Above Average, the most advanced metric which rates range and the difficulty of plays.
In 2022, Moncada was 9th out of 31 primary 3B in fielding, 4th in the AL behind Gold Glove finalists: Urias, Bregman and Donaldson. From 2019-2022 combined, Moncada was 8th out of 32 primary 3b, 4th in the AL behind Chapman, Donaldson and Ramirez.
TA was 19th out of 41 SS, 8th in the AL. Who were the worst SS in the AL? Semien, Torres, Rosario, Kiner-Falefa, Bichette, Witt, Boagerts. All seven registered at least -8 OAA (Outs against average). TA was middle of the pack with +3 OAA.
Dumpster, they don’t take in the lost range from the dugout to the field. You don’t play , you can’t be evaluated as average or better. You keep dodging the comparison of innings played. Anyone with fewer innings played can look average. If there was a qualifying stat of 140 games played per year they and others wouldn’t even make the charts. The best players are based on their longevity in terms of games played. Not play 20 games and take 8 weeks off. Your savant hasn’t seen his butt either. It’s harder to have great stats when you play more games during the season and are on the field, not play hide and seek
They never should have picked up that option.
Not picking up the option would’ve made it look like a bad deal. It was easier for them to pick up the option, and then trade for a modestly worse contract.
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not. It does seem like they either misread the market on Kimbrel or fell victim to the sunk cost fallacy.
Reinsdorf told his kids that, when he dies, sell the Sox and keep the bulls. Shows what he thinks of his ball club.
Wrong – but maybe Ayo can play baseball !!
Except for the fact that other teams also have seen what Giolito has done as well. The only team that would fall for taking a chance on him, has him now.
Bummer is a sabermetric darling who just isn’t good. Deal him b/c someone will see gold and cash dump this last year of Kelly to whoever would pay most/all of his 10mil. Too many $$ tied up in the bullpen. If someone will pay half of Grandal’s last year (9mil) b/c he is a “catcher”, let him go. There are so many player cost cut opportunities that won’t be missed. They can use part of savings to get a lefty bat and/or better defensive player at just about any position. Reduce payroll a bit and spend later if club play warrants it.
If Hendriks can get you a decent lefty bat (old fashioned trade), go for it. One thing WSox are good at is stumbling into decent closers. Developing position players and prioritizing defense to at least some degree continues to be its kryptonite.
I agree with you on Bummer as he seems to wilt in big pressure situations and he seems to like to see his pitches break 10 feet instead of just trying to make them move enough to miss bats. Reminds me of Marmol. But if you trade him, who are you replacing him with?
Lambert, Davis or farmhand on the cheap. Area of savings in BP while they hope FA bound Giolito is incredibly motivated and Lynn healthier. They’ll need bounceback magic from rotation for sure…..and a very different lineup composition that’s based on substance rather than past Baseball Prospectus rankings of the individual players.
No and no.
Grandal had 6 consecutive good seasons prior to last year.
Kelly had a 53/23 K/W last year, with a 3.06 FIP. Don’t let his ERA deter you. RP ERA is very volatile.
Continuing to rely on pricey vets that are now injured a lot (Grandal/Kelly) is what contributes to the mess they are in. The results aren’t bad luck. They need to free up $$ to give themselves flexibility.
You aren’t going to free up a lot of money. How much money are you going to have to kick in to trade those guys? How much will it cost to replace them?
Explained in original post for $…..and they can use a farmhand to fill BP vacancy that has too much payroll allocated to it at present. Defense first C is key anyhow and not expensive-if you continue banking on that position being vital to offense-that is bad roster construction. WSox core players even when healthy are toward bottom of the league against RHPs (not just ’22). They have to get players fundamentally better on D and basepaths. The puzzle pieces they have of overloved past prospects don’t fit together even with less IL time to be a legitimate AL contender.
Grandal is going to be 34. Catchers don’t tend to age real well unless they’re Molina. Maybe he won’t be as bad as he was in 2022, but I don’t think his past 6 years of performance are very relevant when projecting his 2023. I’m not sure how much better you can do for 9m-ish, but if you think you can I’d absolutely deal him.
That’s pretty much what I am thinking. You can get rid of anyone if you pick up enough salary. But then you have to replace that position. I don’t enough about Zavala to know if can be a fulltime replacement. But if he is, then it would seem odd to get rid of McGuire. If the WS were going to replace Grandal with Zavala, then you would want a quality backup.
The rest of it is conjecture. he’s not a kid, but he is not ancient. His HR/FB has consistently been in the 14.7%-2.84&, but mostly in the high teens. It doesn’t feel like being one year older would contribute to a decline to 5.6%.
But my personal test would be, if the WS were to pay half of his salary, I’d like my RS to take a chance.
Uncle Mike you are on the right track though Hahn grew up as a Cub fan and with KW they together are too busy trying to look Smooth ! Enough of the paycheck collector routines and get a GM and VP with some grit that will hire a manager that will kick some asses , keep them in good playing condition and bring some defense, pitching, and some fire into the offense. Sox had a decent team BA, but better defense and pitching would have won the division. Cleveland as the youngest team in the league has a very good shot at repeating. Hahn and KW haven’t shown any magic the last five years. They won last year because of a weak division.
What is the thinking behind Liam Hendriks having a $15M club option for 2024 with a $15M buyout? I’ve never seen that before.
I see the answer above. Thanks.
Because he is that good!
This team would be fine, if healthy. Also if they would just shutup and play hardnose fun exciting ball instead of the tired fake “old school” BS that TLR brought in.i really think Ozzie would be good for this team. He is the kind of guy that loves the fun that comes with winning, plus he has the spine to comand it of himself, and those around him. He may be annoying, or a clown to some, but, he is a winner and loves the game. He does not care what people think.he just likes to win.
TomTom you are banging the wrong drum, Ozzie was a poor manager over his 9 years as a manager .513 winning pct. No hall of fame material there in those stats. 3 of the last 4 years were losing records. Check baseballreference.com. He used his media jobs to hype his relevance just like TA a mediocre SS. All hype , tell the world you are a good manager then fail to prove it. Thats what is in store for the Sox if they hire him as Head Clown. A PR Nightmare. It’s Halloween People !
The one thing the Sox do have is a couple of very promising OF’s in Colas and Cespedes. I could see the Sox OF in a couple of years being the Cuban Missiles. Robert, Cespedes and Colas so playing Jimenez and Sheets out there is counter productive. Hahn also needs to hire Espada, He would be an awesome fit for this team I think. I’m also pretty sure LaRussa was the last guy he wanted as a manager, That was all Reinsdorf. The other thing they severely need is a new training staff. There’s no Herm Schneider there for sure. Also just my opinion but Moncada is a waste of money and a roster spot.
Uncle Mike, Cuban missiles don’t like Fidel Guillen. Abreu im sure agrees.
Been a Sox fan for well over 60 years. Tim gave us one of the fairest assessments of this years team that I have seen. So hard to believe how quickly this team fell apart. I’d keep Vaughn and let Abreu walk. Other than BA I think Vaughn will equal the power that Abreu had this past season and more so no loss. And Abreu had 11 errors. Great career with the Sox but it’s time to move on. Not a knock on Abreu but when the front office has Vaughn AND Sheets playing the OF when they’re 1st basemen, shame on them. ]
They need, number 1, to get it right with the next manager and let him pick his own staff. Then add a corner OF, 2B and catcher. If they can stay pretty healthy next season and with a few right moves, I think they can get back into the thick of things. Those are big IF’s with the current front office.
Thanks Tim!
Trade Eloy.
Sign Abreu for 2 years.
Abreu can DH or give Vaughn a day off at 1B occasionally.
With the shift being banned how will this impact the Sox infield? Anderson was never a great defender and has limited range. I don’t see the Sox getting one of the top SS on the market either.
1B should go to Vaughn and make Jimenez full-time DH. As good as Abreu was it’s time to move on, too much money locked up in DH types as it is.
Rocker, Edgar Martinez a career DH was worth it.
He was, but do you see the Sox paying him with the current logjam they have?
Rocker, nothing a creative trade or two couldn’t solve. Defense with Sheets, Vaughn, and Abreu questionable, but Abreu’s team leadership and bat are worth keeping. With Colas, and others in the minors Sox can part with Sheets or Vaughn not much defense there. TA in the outfield would be a better fit for him. Robin Yount was a converted SS to CF and he made the HOF. If TA won’t play outfield , perfect reason to sign and trade him. Andrus even being older is a better SS.
Yeah, with what Anderson is due next season, he’s here to stay. There used to be talk of moving him to the OF but I’m not sure about that one.
Hopefully the new manager will get on players butts and motivate them. Just getting guys in their natural positions will help a lot with this team. And yes, Jimenez has to DH. Split it with Sheets. And we have to hope that Colas is ready. And see if we can bring back Cueto and Andrus on 1 year deals moving Andrus to 2nd as he said he would be happy to do.
MacD, you pointed out the problem. WHY put a better SS (Andrus) at 2B just to appease the media hyped TA who doesn’t play 100 games. Cater to TA’s and Ozzie’s ego’s and you are sure to lose again next year. TA is an outfielder or DH. Ozzie is a subpar manager his record .513 over 9 years proves it. Both SS, both poor leaders, both hyped, both subpar performers in there designated roles. Both haven’t suited up enough lately to prove anything. Play the best and you will get the best effort.
Hell, if TA offered to play 2B or OF then yes, sign Andrus for 1 year and let him play SS but I really don’t think that will happen.
I also do not want Ozzie. His circus left town many years ago. I wanted Bochy but with him in Texas I wouldn’t mind Ron Washington. I still feel they need an experienced manager with this team.
And I agree on TA. Saying you are the team leader doesn’t make you the team leader. He needs to let his ego rest, work on his tender legs and then just play. That’s the first thing I would tell the team. Quit saying how good you are until you prove it.
Espada to manage.
Sign Andrus to play 2b, goodbye Harrison.
Colas in RF.
Make the tough call to let Abreau walk. Vaughn to 1B.
Open the checkbook and sign Rodon.
Make sure Lynn comes into camp in shape.
None of that is crazy. The rotation would be awesome. Stuck with Yaz unfortunately.
Signing Rondon may not be crazy, but getting the checkbook open is unlikely.
Sign Rodon,… the guy who seemed to have spent almost as much time on the DL as he did active with the Sox? Pass. If the Sox sign Rodon to a large multi year contract he will make Reinsdorf look like a genius.. in that JR never wanted to sign pitchers to long term deals because of possible injuries.
Get rid of all frequently injured players. Their talent is useless if they can’t play.
Well first start with the useless conditioning staff. Then throw the gauntlet down to the players to stay in shape, which I doubt was done in this org, more likely they ‘suggested’ the players actually take care of their bodies to y’know earn that check.
Was sitting at freddies pizza in Bridgeport and Steve Stone walked in. Asked him about the inside scoop on the next manager… and couldn’t believe my ears .. Ron Karkovice is the front runner to be the next skipper. Who would have thought
I thought it was Pants Rowland.
No idea who you talked to but I’m sure Steve Stone was on the first plane to AZ as soon as the season ended. What possible reason would he have to be in Bridgeport after the season? I’m pretty sure of 2 things. 1- If that REALLY was him that was a joke and 2- If all that was true the Sox are throwing in the towel for the foreseeable future.
I remember leaving a Cubs game right after it had finished and by the time I was on Clark St, Stoney was getting in his car with a blonde chick ready to run over anyone in his way. He had a place to go and a thing to do.
Donny, are you sure that ‘blonde hair’ wasn’t a wig?
Maybe he loves freddies pizza
If that’s true then I think Stoney was stoned. Or just joking.
Gonna be Tom Paciorek!!
Let Deikman go. He was brutal last year, and does’nt look to have any upside.
I couldn’t believe that the RS were able to trade that contract without eating some salary, let alone getting a player back. he gave up 30 walks in 38.1 innings with the RS. That makes him almost unusable. He had a .845 OPS v righties, so the chances of actually needing him are small, as in B2B lefties.
He’s not expensive at $4M, but I don’t see him even being worthy of a taking up one of the 26 spots.
Yes, Diekman has to go but has a $4.5 million guaranteed next season. The Sox are so bogged down with bad contracts that they can’t/won’t buy those players out. The Garcia extension was just plain stupidity. We can only hope that Grandal has 1 decent season left in him. Kelly isn’t going anywhere. As I look at Tim’s breakdown it’s just stunning that the Hahn/Williams show goes on.
Diekman will be traded in a package with Eloy.
So I was at Henry’s bait shop in Bridgeport and who comes walking in but Ron Kittle himself. So I asked him about the future of the Sox’s and the inside scoop on the next manager . He said to keep it to myself but Tony Graffanino is the front runner. Wow this is getting good.
Lmfao
Sign Andrew Benintendi.
Resign Cueto and Andrus
Trade for Sean Murphy
Between the thought that this team is cursed, or just them having inept management everywhere in the org, I just have no faith that this front office will make the right moves to make an annually competitive team. The White Sox love to shoot themselves in the foot every chance they get, for every one good move they follow it up with several bad ones and its been that way for a long time now.
I would like to see:
Vaughn be the 1st baseman,
Have Sheets as a ute guy (as it seems like he can pinch hit when needed, and a power lefty bat is something the Sox need).
Eloy at DH (and Sheets when Eloy inevitably gets injured running to first).
Moncada.. well he is worthless in a trade right now, so hope the next manager challenges him to actually care about performing at a high level.
Colas in RF.
Robert in CF.
Try to get good players for 2nd and LF ( I mean good ‘now’ players, not good ‘5 years ago’ players).
’86 Grandal, and splurge and bring in Contreras for catcher.
Keep Anderson long enough to get Montgomery up from the minors then trade Anderson or just dump him (and his tired act).
Get a conditioning staff worth a #$%^