PREAMBLE
I'm going to pretend that the White Sox are going to try to win. In reality, I expect Rick Hahn to punt this season as another rebuilding year as a way to get another paycheck before he has to turn in his renisdorf loyalty card with all its punches for the next contract extension.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Jose Abreu, $16M- Tender
- Avisail Garcia, $8M- Tender
- Yolmer Sanchez, $4.7M- Tender
- Carlos Rodon, $3.7M- Tender
- Matt Davidson, $2.4M- Tender
- Leury Garcia, $1.9M- Tender
- Danny Farquhar, $1.4M- Non-Tender
CLUB OPTIONS
- Nate Jones, $4.65 million/$1.25M buyout- Pick-up
- James Shields, $16 million/$2M buyout- Decline
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, or let go?
- Miguel Gonzalez (made $4.75 million in 2018)- Let Go
- Hector Santiago (made $2 million in 2018 — added)- Let Go
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Yasmani Grandal (four years, $80 million). I'm tired of watching shitty catching. Free agent catchers have all pretty much sucked once signed, so I think other teams will be wary. Sox can't afford to be.
No. 2: Manny Machado (ten years, $400 million).
No. 3: Craig Kimbrell (four years, $80 million). Oddly reliever deals seem to be the ones working out.
No. 4: Andrew Miller (Three Years, $45 Million)
No. 5: Hyun-Jin Ryu (Two Years, $20 Million) Coming off an injury riddled season, not sure what it would take.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Minor League depth to New York Yankees for Sonny Gray. Apparently the Yankees tire of Sonny. White Sox supposedly have some minor league depth. Someone like Zack Collins or something would be fine, I won't pretend to know what it would take.
No. 2: Trade Leury Garcia, Wellington (plus cash), Alec Hansen, Luis Gonzalez, and Blake Rutherford to Rays for Kevin Kiermaier. Rays are rumored to want to move Kiermaier after a rough season. Apparently, they are all in on flexibility as well and need more depth (Garcia) and a backup catcher (Wellington). Not sure what the Rays would want prospect wise. I figured one of the starting prospects plus an outfield prospect or two would be sufficient.
SUMMARY
C: Grandall, Kevan Smith- Woops, I guess it has too be Narvaez
1st: Abreu
2nd: Moncada
3rd: Machado
Left Field: Delmonico to Eloy asap
Center Field: Kiermaier
Right Field: Avi
DH: Palkapower
Bench: Yolmer, Davidson, Engel, Delmonico
Starters:
Rodon
Gray
Lopez
Ryu
Giolito/ Covey (It hurts me to have to / you Gio.)
Relievers:
Kimbrell
Miller
Jones
Some mix of the remaining prospects on the team.
This team is injury prone, and fairly expensive (probably about $130 million). White Sox win the offseason though, so we can fly that banner next to the one from 2014-2015. I didn't give up much besides money, so if this team does anything they should still have prospect depth to add. Is this team a playoff team? Probably not. Is it better than 2018's team? Probably. Will it ever happen? Probably not. Will I keep asking myself questions? Not anymore.
