White Sox option Eloy Jimenez earlier than expected

Eloy Jimenez (Clinton Cole)

The first and second round of White Sox spring training cuts were harmless, as the club dispatched with guys who were happy to be there but not (yet) in the plans.

The third round of cuts leaves a mark, mostly because I get the sense that the White Sox optioned Eloy Jimenez to Charlotte before he could resuscitate his spring training stats.

Jimenez did look out of sorts this spring, going 4-for-26 with a homer, two doubles, zero walks and nine strikeouts. Had Jimenez wobbled all the way through, say, the third week of March, I could understand why the White Sox wouldn’t want to expose themselves to issues that stem from calling up a guy who hadn’t seemed to resemble himself. But when they do it well in advance of playing time concerns, it seems like they didn’t want Jimenez to get hot, forcing them to scramble for the see-through “defense” argument.

However it happened, we’re a month away from no longer having to elaborate on why “7>6” fails to satisfy. Yes, the circumstances incentivize the White Sox lying to everybody and putting a product on the field that’s even worse than it has to be, so they do it. They’re not alone. It’s just in bad faith, which isn’t normally so enabled in most arenas, and it’s more severe here because Jimenez could’ve been called up last July and accrued 200 or so plate appearances by now, which is really the heart of this specific matter. We’ve all been marinating in manipulation for months, and the White Sox were unwilling to convert some of it into goodwill when they came up well short of the asking prices for the big-name free agents they allegedly pursued. None of this qualifies as “entertainment.”

(Side note: Tim Dierkes panned the White Sox’ offseason at MLB Trade Rumors, and he used a couple of Patrick’s posts to hammer points home.)

With this in mind, Astros pitcher Collin McHugh‘s dig was richly deserved.

https://twitter.com/Collin_McHugh/status/1106017872181149697

The other cuts are more in line with mid-March expectations. Dylan Cease, Jordan Stephens, Jimmy Lambert and Donn Roach moved out to make room for longer innings from starting candidates. Seby Zavala and Zack Collins aren’t usurping Welington Castillo and James McCann. and Luis Robert and Micker Adolfo need to ready themselves for regular playing time. Eight of the nine cuts are legit. The other one? Welp.

Oh, and while Dane Dunning isn’t yet cut, another spring setback has everybody almost wanting to let Dr. James Andrews make the decision by incision.

https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1105966393319718913

Author

  • Jim Margalus

    Writing about the White Sox for a 16th season, first here, then at South Side Sox, and now here again. Letโ€™s talk curling.

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ImmortalTimeTravelMan

I really thought Dane Dunning was going to be part of a trade package in the future. Pretty much blows up that idea.

yinkadoubledare

He’ll be ready just in time to take Rodon’s spot when they don’t want to pay him

tommytwonines

I think thatโ€™s gonna be a long line of clubs that donโ€™t want to pay Rodon. Hope Iโ€™m wrong, but heโ€™s got to start showing something consistently.ย 

PopeDonnPall

That’s right children, after you weathered the rough winter so well, we’re rewarding you by taking away all your toys at once.

BUT you can play with your Ryan Goins and Preston Tucker dolls as long as you’d like. Dane Dunning too but careful, the cat chewed the arm pretty good and it’s hanging by a thread.

dwjm3

Gee you mean Manny Machado didnโ€™t want a contract based on plate appearances when the White Sox are obviously manipulating the service time of their top prospect. Kenny Williams just canโ€™t believe it he thought for sure their deal was better.

35Shields

But the White Sox are just doing the smart thing /s

roke1960

MLBTR gave a good review of the White Sox offseason. Here is the shortened version- “It sucked.” 62% of the people gave them a D or an F. Nice job Cheapskate Jerry and your lying lackeys Rick and Kenny. You guys are the absolute worst.

knoxfire30

How was it not 100% D or F… I mean really.

Other teams fans just trolling with an A B or C.

roke1960

I wonder how it wasn’t 100% F.

35Shields

Addition of the fabled F-?

roke1960

I see our pal Hector Gomez is saying Sox and Eloy are talking an 8-year $100million deal. That would make sense. Then rebuild #3 could start when Rick trades Eloy’s club-friendly contract in 2023.

knoxfire30

how would that be club friendly?

in his first 7 years eloy would be lucky to make 60 mil

roke1960

You know, now that I think about it, you’re right. I just saw the $12.5 million average salary and thought what a steal. But since the first three years will be next to nothing, that’s like $100 million for 5 years. It still could be a good deal, but knowing the Sox’ penchant for turning their young studs into duds, that’s a lot to guarantee to a guy with zero major league at bats.

knoxfire30

If they manipulate this year, thats league minimum, the next two would be like 500k, the year after maybe 2, then first year arb 10ish… then 18 then 22… so I dont see how the sox overpay for 1 added year and take on 100 percent the risk

This would have to be an extension starting in like 2021 or 2022 to make any sense.

jorgefabregas

Who cares if it’s team friendly? It’s not like team friendly contracts have freed them up to spend big on free agents. Get your money, Eloy.

Trooper Galactus

It is absolutely not club friendly, which makes me think it’s total BS at a glance. From a practical standpoint, if they’re able to get him for $12.5 million/year on average, if he’s everything you hope he will be then you’re still underpaying for the performance while extending control an extra season. Honestly, given their total lack of financial commitments in the immediate term, it makes some sense to take the hit on the front end to get the flexibility on the back end, but teams are typically far more risk averse than this (especially ours).

roke1960

We’re talking about one of the most incompetent front offices there is, so trying to apply logical thinking to their decisions doesn’t work.

Trooper Galactus

I could see them trying to convince themselves that they’re doing some sort of damage control, but while it would engender some positivity in the rank and file, in the end it would reek of desperation and idiocy. Granted, if Eloy turns into a perennial 4+ WAR player, they’d look pretty damn smart for doing it, but that’s quite the bet to make.

PauliePaulie

There is zero chance the Chicago White Sox would be the org to completely upend MLB’s payment structure by frontloading pre-arb or arb 1 years.

35Shields

Frontloading contracts is dumb because:
1. Luxury Tax is calculated on an AAV basis, so frontloading has no effect
2. The time value of money is a thing

Unless Eloy is willing to accept less overall money, but frontloaded. It makes no sense to front load.

Trooper Galactus

Wait, how is luxury tax calculated on an AAV basis?

PauliePaulie

If the yankees sign a player to a 10 year $200mil contract, the amount that counts against the lux tax each year is $20mil. no matter how that contract is broken down. ie. paying the player $1mil per year in years 1-9 and $191mil in year 10 counts the same as $20mil per season.

Trooper Galactus

Really? I wasn’t aware of this at all.

As Cirensica

Interesting. By the time his 8th year starts, if he is a star, he would be worth 30-40 million which is almost half of this contract. With arbitration years, and probable super two status, Eloy wold easy make up for the rest during his 7 years.

Yet, the White Sox are just buying 1 extra year while committing guaranteed money to a player who could get injured. Is the risk for the White Sox to save a few millions worth?

lil jimmy

It’s a rumor. From one guy.

As Cirensica

Yup…a guy, by the way, who missed big time on a previous rumor.

roke1960

He actually had the Sox offer exactly right.

Josh Nelson

I was going to say Hector Gomez had good information.

Marty34

It makes sense if it is a heavily frontloaded deal since they have a ton of money and no one to spend it on. Something like $60m for 3, $40M for 5.

NDSox12

I’m not buying it. Why would they have optioned him yesterday if they were on the verge of a deal like this?

zerobs

Just speculating: the early years would be so close to the MLB minimum that it would hardly make a difference. The later years when he’s out of options and is arb eligible would have escalators/vesting if incentives like Plate Appearances are met. So it’s probably something like $50 million guaranteed with $100 million possible maximum. Tim Anderson’s deal was 6 years guaranteed plus two team options ($25M min to $50.5M max), so probably not a lot different except for the higher $$$.

Patrick Nolan

That feels more than a little silly to me on the part of the White Sox. They blatantly manipulated his service time last season to gain control of Jimenez through 2025 (for the record, at this point there isn’t much to gain from promoting him at the outset of the season and I’m fine with them completing their charade since the damage has already basically been done). IF Jimenez is as great as we all think he is and doesn’t sign an extension, even accounting for inflation I find it hard to believe that he would have earned close to $100M. I’m plugging in two of Kris Bryant’s arb salaries (which are probably high in year 1, low in year 2) with what might be a reasonable forecast for 2024-2025

2019: $550K
2020: $575K
2021: $600K
2022: $10M
2023: $12.9M
2024: $19M
2025: $27M

So basically, if that forecast is close, they’re basically guaranteeing Eloy an extra $30M for a single extra year of control, without making him prove a damn thing with performance or health. If they were going to be this generous with him, why the hell wouldn’t they just promote him last season?

As Cirensica

If they were going to be this generous with him, why the hell wouldnโ€™t they just promote him last season?

You keep forgetting this organization is haphazardly ran by incompetent personnel and their soliloquies in a desperate attempt to send a message that reads “we know what we are doing”

Trooper Galactus

I dunno, he’s gotcha there, pnoles.

#3 for HOF

The White Sox front office is incompetent when it comes to putting a winning product on the field. They are not incompetent when it comes to making money. Unfortunately thatโ€™s all theyโ€™re good at.

lil jimmy

If he’s getting that kind of money in the last two years, that would mean he’s killing it. I could go for that!

Patrick Nolan

Agreed. Which is why I don’t see what the White Sox would be getting out of already basically guaranteeing him a salary commensurate with that performance.

roke1960

They can say, “See, we told you we were going to spend that money.”

roke1960

It’s just amazing that two of the worst run franchises in professional sports are the Bulls and White Sox. And what is it that they have in common?

Trooper Galactus

Yeah, my initial impression was that this was an attempt at damage control after they completely botched the offseason.

roke1960

This entire offseason has shown just how incompetent this front office is. Spending $35 million for two relievers over the next two years would generally mean you are trying to win in both of those years. Then adding two of Machado’s buddies would mean you are serious about signing him. They basically threw away $50 million right there. So it would make perfect sense that they would manipulate Eloy’s service team then sign him to a big guarantee, which would only add one more guaranteed year. They have absolutely no clue what they are doing. And Jerry is just fine with that.

Josh Nelson

After this offseason, you are questioning the White Sox decision making process? HOW DARE YOU.

Seriously, this rumored offer fits right in with everything else that’s surrounding the White Sox.

roke1960

How can they be so bad at their jobs?

Trooper Galactus

At a glance I think maybe they would be best served to spread it evenly across the life of the contract. Yeah, $12.5 million a year is ridiculous in the first three years, but by the fourth and fifth years it’s about where he would be if he were a star player, and they’re saving huge in the last three. Given this is the team that considered the Danks contract a millstone, maybe taking that hit on the front end is worth the tail end flexibility to them. Still, that assumes they’re even remotely willing to take that sort of gamble, which would be quite out of character for them.

PauliePaulie

If it’s guaranteed it’s a bad contract for the Sox. If not, it’s a bad contract for Eloy. Reeks of desperation on the team’s part.

35Shields

It’s hard to imagine that so little could be guaranteed that it would be bad for Eloy.

Even if it were like $40m/5 guaranteed with three $20m team options it’s still a great deal for him. Kris Bryant has only earned ~$26m in his first five years

PauliePaulie

Have players in this situation signed multi-year deals that don’t buy out all pre-arb and arb years?

Trooper Galactus

I think Jon Singleton was the first player to get that long a contract before ever playing a single game. As it happens, it worked out pretty well for him and is one of several examples of bad moves by Houston they had to work around.

Patrick Nolan

Hey, that was cool of Tim to give me a shout out! Thanks for pointing it out!

asinwreck

Say what you will of Bill Veeck’s resources and decision-making, he always tried his best.

roke1960

I agree. He had very limited resources but always did the best with what he had. 1977 may have been the most fun team to watch. He assembled the best hitting team he could that year on a low budget payroll. He saved that team from the mid 70s disaster. Then Jerry swooped in and made his fortune.

Lurker Laura

He was a fan at heart, that’s why.

PauliePaulie

I feel weird saying I hope Dane needs TJ, but it’s certainly preferrable to thoracic outlet surgery. Strange he’s heading back so soon after Dr. Andrews gave him the OK.

Patrick Nolan

Oh geez.

“Position players will be prohibited from pitching in games that donโ€™t go into extra innings, unless a team is ahead or behind by at least eight runs.”

NOT COOL!

yinkadoubledare

The stuff I’ve seen has said 6 runs

Lurker Laura

That McHugh tweet, wow. Spot on, but wow.

Also, I know Paul Sullivan is usually pointless, but he does have a nice profile of Yolmer in today’s Trib.ย 

35Shields

I think this bit from Tim’s article pretty much sums up the offseason:

“The truly baffling aspect of Chicagoโ€™s offseason additions is that had they simply condensed the money offered to that patchwork collection of stopgaps, those resources couldโ€™ve been utilized to up the offer to Machado. The near-$50MM they spent on this offseasonโ€™s group is worth much more than $50MM in 2028-29 dollars.”

This FO isn’t just cheap. They’re cheap and dumb.