PREAMBLE
The 2018 White Sox was a team lacking in power, plate discipline, defense and depth. My goal for 2019 is to add FA Veterans who can get on base, eat innings and be the face of the organization (post Tanking years). The 2019 White Sox should be a competitive team, but at the same time be ready to promote their farm system, have room in their budget to buy KEY missing pieces and know which prospects they will retain / move. I’m not a baseball writer or even a good writer, I’m a Sox fan and here’s my team ramble:
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Jose Abreu, $16M – Tender “Vote Pito”
Avisail Garcia, $8M – Tender “If he starts well, we can move him.”
Yolmer Sanchez, $4.7M – Tender “Utility player off the bench”
Carlos Rodon, $3.7M – Tender “Not a great year but I want to see a Healthy Rodon pitch a full season”
Matt Davidson, $2.4M – Tender “Split platoon with Palka, coming off the bench”
Leury Garcia, $1.9M – Non-tender (I’ve seen enough, too many injuries to keep stats consistent)
Danny Farquhar, $1.4M – Non-tender (Great recovery story, we’re not the Make a wish foundation)
CLUB OPTIONS
Nate Jones, $4.65 million/$1.25M buyout – Decline (We’ve all seen enough)
James Shields, $16 million/$2M buyout – Decline (Thanks James, don’t call us)
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Miguel Gonzalez (made $4.75 million in 2018) – Adios, Goodbye (Lets not impede his future Mariachi singing career)
 FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Andrew McCutchen ( 1 year, $11 million). Plug into the outfield taking Delmonico’s spot. McCutchen will bring a higher OBP that this outfield has severely lacked. We have a stacked outfield in the Minors but McCutchen can be the “Duck tape” to hold this outfield together.
No. 2: Bryce Harper ( 8 years, $300 million). With a stacked outfield (as referenced above) bringing in Harper will allow the Sox to move a prospect to bolster our starting rotation or infield. A Harper, Eloy, McCutchen (Basabe,Roberts) outfield would just be a circle jerk to Sox fans.
No. 3: D.J. LeMahieu ( 2 years, $16 million). Moving Moncada to 3rd is the best move for the Sox, adding LeMahie would allow Madrigal time to flourish in the Minors.
No. 4: Nathan Eovaldi (2 Years, $10 Million) Eovaldi has shown in the WS he still gots some good stuff in him, 2018 WHIP (1.126). Adding Nathan will bolster the front end of the rotation sliding in after Rodon.
No. 5: C.C. Sabathia (2 Years, $8 Million) Sabathia showed in 2018 he can be a 4th or 5th SP (29 games / 153 IP / 3.65ERA / 2.34 WAR) Sabathia doesn’t seem like a club house leader or mentor to the young pitchers but CC comes at a better cost then brining back Shields. CC seems like an asshole, Chicago media would swarm to him for soundbites.
 TRADES
Depending on how Abreu’s and Garcia’s season goes, Sox should look to add to the prospect list or future plug-ins at 1B & SP. I like what the Brewers did this past off season and moved prospects for players they felt could help them WIN NOW, the Sox should keep this in mind once we’ve turned the corner and look to be ahead on injuries in the INF and Pitching.
ROSTER
Lineup:
1. Bryce Harper – CF
2. Avi Garcia (Eloy Jimenez) – RF
3. Daniel Palka / Matt Davidson Platoon – DH
4. Jose Abreu – 1B
5. Yoan Moncada – 3B
6. Andrew McCutchen- LF
7. Tim Anderson – SS
8. D.J. LeMahieu – 2B
9. Omar Narvaez- C
Bench:
Sanchez (INF), Davidson (1B/DH), Rondon (INF), Castillo (C), Garcia (OF/DH)
Rotation:
– Lopez
– Rodon
– Eovaldi
– Sabathia
– Giolito
Bullpen:
– Fry
– Covey
– Frare
– Hamilton
– Ruiz
– Gomez
SUMMARY
I believe the Sox can be competitive and be ready to promote their farm system with a few FA signings. I don’t feel we’re at a point trades are needed, I’d rather we hold on to our prospects until 2020/2021 then welcome any trade requests to beef up any position or pitching needed. The Sox have a core of players that can shine but having a lack of protection in the lineup and lacking of “Major league” outfielders has hurt this team. I can hear the grown already from a few Sox fans once they hear, we’ve signed McCutchen or Sabathia but these aren’t “Kenny’s” choices, these are guys that can bring depth to this club and can be signed for minimum year contracts. The goal is to have a competitive team but be able to promote our prospects to positions we need
I’m a Sox fan and I do this overthinking because I love this stupid team. I want to see us become relevant again and be the team everyone hates for reasons of winning and not for stupid reasons (i.e. our fans attacking the 1B KC Royals coach, The LaRoche scandal and the team that traded Sale).
Some good ideas in here, but I think you’re bidding way too low on all your contracts.
I realized that I’ve commented with the boring and not-very-descriptive adjective “interesting” more than once, so this time I will say that I find Eovaldi the most intriguing of the free agent pitchers in that I think the Sox could get him, and he might actually be worth getting.
I also like the idea of McCutcheon as a bridge to younger centerfielders. I’d keep Engel as 4th-outfielder, defensive-replacement type, though.Â
Well put on eovaldi
Is McCutcheon still a viable center-fielder?
I would just non-tender Avi in this scenario. With that loaded outfield, where does he play to see if he gets off to a good start. And I doubt you can trade him for anything, regardless of his start, with his history of inconsistency and injuries.