Pete Chapman’s Plan
This season the White Sox should be trying to put a .500 type team on the field. The arrow should be pointing up even if they don’t make the playoffs. I’d much rather have major leaguers on the field then AAAA guys trying out for positions across the diamond. It didn’t work last year and won’t work this year. This is the year to get guys to bridge a team to the young guys coming up. Rarely can teams jump from 60 loss teams to playoff teams and with how the White Sox spend they won’t be one of the rare ones to do that. That’s why putting out a competent team is important so when young guys come up they fill a hole not are the saving grace. I don’ however think this is the year to start trading high quality guys in the minors. They aren’t close enough to do that.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Write “tender” or “non-tender” after each player. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.
- Jose Abreu, $16M – Tender
- Avisail Garcia, $8M – Non-Tender
- Yolmer Sanchez, $4.7M – Tender
- Carlos Rodon, $3.7M – Tender
- Matt Davidson, $2.4M – Tender
- Leury Garcia, $1.9M – Trade
- Danny Farquhar, $1.4M – Non-Tender (Resign to a minor league deal and figure out what he needs financially for anything medically)
CLUB OPTIONS
Write “pick up” or “decline” after the option.
- Nate Jones, $4.65 million/$1.25M buyout – Pick Up
- James Shields, $16 million/$2M buyout – BuyOut
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
Try to retain, or let go?
- Miguel Gonzalez (made $4.75 million in 2018) – Gone
- Hector Santiago (made $2 million in 2018 — added) – Gone
FREE AGENTS
Andrew McCutchen – 2yrs $40 million 3rd year club option for 15 million – The White Sox are gonna likely have to overpay to get the solid vets to play for them instead of ring chasing on a good team. The good thing about overpaying in the short term it might allow to get guys on shorter guaranteed deals. The Sox have room to spend the next couple years and this is one of the better ways to do it. Doesn’t hinder the team long term and improves it in the short term. McCutchen would start in right field and have the ability to play CF allowing for the team to not have to constantly have two soft hitting CFers on the roster. I think he still is a decent defender in the corners. He would be the best OBP player on the team immediately. Even with him declining over the past few years from his Allstar self he is a upgrade at all parts of the game over Avi.
Josh Donaldson – 2 yrs $48 million 3rd year club option for 20 million – Almost everything that was said above for McCutchen financially and on the field can be said for Donaldson except for a corner infielder instead of outfielder. He would be one of the best OBP guys on the team. He can still play 3rd but likely would play some 1st and DH. Injuries are a concern but it’s a gamble the Sox should be willing to make especially because they can rest him some at DH. The Sox have no everyday 3B in the whole organization currently so getting one now is a must.
J.A. Happ - 2 yrs $28 million- Happ takes over the old vet role that Shields held for the past couple years. The only difference is Happ is a lefty and has had more success over the past couple of years. This is likely his last big payday and the Sox will have to give him a decent amount even given is age. Consistent middle of the rotation type of arm is needed.
Hyun-Jin Ryu - 3 yrs $50 million- When Ryu pitches he normally is very good. “When” is the issue. He is a big injury scare. The Sox have the future arms and time to make the gamble on a guy like him. When healthy he would be a nice middle to the top of the rotation lefty. He is still in his prime as a pitcher and the Sox should catch him in his last good years with this deal.
Greg Holland - 2 yrs $18 million - He had a rough year and the Sox would be buying low here. He turned it around at the end of the year playing for the Nationals. The bullpen market is very good this year and I think it would be a mistake to not grab someone who can close. Having a closer on the roster much like this past year with Soria allows for everyone to fit in their more natural positions in the bullpen and not force anyone to do too much. Depending on the season he either becomes trade bate or you have at worst a so so veteran bullpen arm for 2 years.
TRADES
Trade – Leury Garcia and Thyago Vieira for Raimel Tapia. Trade Leury Garcia has been the more successful major leaguer between he and Tapia and he makes more sense on a team contending now based on his age, control, and skill set. Leury Garcia’s ability to be a super utility guy who can switch hit makes him a better fit for the National league. His ability to run and play CF would allow him to cover Colorado’s huge outfield. Tapia is young and has mostly been blocked in his young career. He is probably a guy who could use a change of scenery and is more fitted for a rebuilding team over a contending team. He has torn up the minor leagues but has had little success in the majors so far. A lean speedster who can play any OF position. Mainly a high contact hitter from the left side of the plate but has some pop. He hit 12 HR and 35 doubles between AAA and the MLB (mostly coming from AAA and playing in Colorado). Vieira is a sweetener in the deal. Can throw 100 but hasn’t figured out how to locate. I think he has the plus stuff that Colorado would like to try to see if they can get him to figure it out and be a helpful bullpen piece for them in the future.
LINEUP
2B - Moncada
RF - McCutchen
3B – Donaldson
1B - Abreu
LF – Delmonico(after April 15th Jimenez)
DH – Palka
C - Narvaez
SS – Anderson
CF – Tapia
Bench – Engel, Davidson, Castillo, Sanchez
SP – Rodon, Lopez, Ryu, Happ, Giolito
RP – Holland,Jones, Fry, Covey, Minaya, Bummer, Frare, Davidson
SUMMARY
The payroll is over 110million but it isn’t an insane amount more. I feel like this is a realistic amount of money they would spend and realistic guys they could get. None of the deals are long term contracts and that seems more the White Sox style. They will over pay guys for a few seasons but haven’t made huge long term deals. I think this team would be around .500 and if things went right in this division they could be sniffing playoffs. I didn’t make any long term investments to the team or trade away any of the highly regarded prospects. This is truly a bridge team. To be honest it is similar to a White Sox team from years past before the rebuild. The only difference is you have the farm system to go with it.
