All-Patreon All-Star Break: What do the other AL Central windows look like?
We wrap up the last day of the All-Star break with a question about the teams the White Sox will spend the rest of the season sizing themselves up against. From Sox Machine supporter Ed:
If the Sox window for contention hopefully opens in 2020, what do the windows of contention look like for the other 4 teams in the AL Central?
By and large, it should be well-timed. Running down the division:
Minnesota: The Twins are in a fascinating position, because they’re set to lose three-fifths of their rotation to free agency after the season, as well as Jason Castro and Jonathan Schoop. Their young core will be around for a while, though, as Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco are under lengthy team-friendly extensions, and Byron Buxton is under team control through 2022. Considering they’re carrying a lower payroll than they did during the Joe Mauer days, the Twins have room to add, and they can also deal from a top-10 farm system with prospects whose ETAs are largely centered in 2020-21. They’re going to have to restock next winter, but they shouldn’t be in the position of tearing it down or regrouping for the foreseeable future.
Cleveland: While Trevor Bauer is a free agent after next season, the Indians’ official fork in the road on paper comes after the 2021 season, when Francisco Lindor and Corey Kluber hit free agency. Jim Callis has their next big wave of prospects arriving in 2022. With neither Lindor nor Bauer expected to remain in Cleveland, the bigger question is whether the Indians deal one or both before in an attempt to accelerate the next phase. If they try to win while Lindor’s available, a step back after 2021 lines up nicely with what should be an aggressive White Sox team.
Detroit: The Tigers have a couple of arms that could arrive in the majors fairly quickly — Casey Mize and Matt Manning — but it’s going to take a few years for impact position players to show up, which includes this year’s fifth-overall pick, Riley Greene. Their payroll loses Jordan Zimmermann’s $25 million contract after the 2020 season, which might increase the new Ilitch administration’s willingness to spend. Maybe they add some prospects closer to contributing by trading Matt Boyd, but otherwise it’s looking like the Tigers are a couple years behind the White Sox.
Kansas City: The Royals drafted their top prospect when they took Bobby Witt Jr. with the second overall pick, but as a high school shortstop, he likely has three to four years of development ahead of him. The same can be said for a lot of their prospects, where the pitching is ahead of the hitting. The Royals payroll is pretty bare once Alex Gordon comes off it, and they could receive a haul if they have the appetite trade Whit Merrifield, but if Dayton Moore doesn’t want to completely blow it up (that includes Danny Duffy and maybe Sal Perez), then they might be able to form a homegrown-powered team until 2022 or 2023.
Any White Sox rebuild seems like it’ll definitely have to go through the Twins, and maybe through the last throes of this current Cleveland core unless some of the high-ceiling young talent arrives earlier than expected. If the Indians have to take a clear step back, it’s hard to imagine the Royals or Tigers stepping up to occupy the void.
The hope is that the White Sox rebuild achieves its first success earlier than later, and not just for the sake of our interest. If the Sox can tap into postseason revenues and a charged-up season-ticket base at the end of 2021, they should have resources other teams don’t, in the same fashion the Tigers used Little Caesars money to depress the division. That’s assuming a work stoppage doesn’t get in the way, anyway.
The Sox really need to spend this winter to open the window completely in 2020. With a 2020 rotation headed by Giolito, Cease and Kopech, and possibly Lopez, they need to add a premium starter. Obviously Cole would be great, but even adding Wheeler or Odorizzi would make the rotation pretty formidable. On offense, assuming Abreu re-signs and Madrigal is up by May, the infield should be set. McCann and Collins can handle the catching, though it would be nice to see them add Grandal and move Collins to 1b/DH. Robert and Eloy will be in cf/lf. I”d like to see them add Puig or Dickerson to play right. The bullpen has Colome, Bummer, Fry, Herrera and all the other options (Fulmer, Ruiz, Minaya, Hamilton, Burdi, Marshall, etc.), so maybe adding one veteran would be good, though not necessary. That team could push the Twins next year, and really set the stage for 2021.
I think Puig is an interesting possibility as well, particularly if they retain Abreu.
That’s why I’d like Puig. Having Abreu and Moncada there already will certainly be a help. The only worry about that is that the middle of the order would to too righthanded. Need Reed, Collins or Sheets to become that lefty power bat at 1b/DH.
I get the sense that Abreu and Puig don’t have much of a relationship, and trying to pair them together is like hanging out with a person you didn’t like in high school because you don’t know anybody else in college.
Puig always strikes me as the type of person who needs a little father-figure guidance with him. Maybe it’s not Abreu, I have no idea what their relationship might be. Puig’s passion would be a nice addition, if tempered.
Yeah, but sometimes that works!
It’s more like trying to hang out with someone you didn’t really know that well in high school just because you both happen to be living overseas in the same country now and working at the same place. That’s a great reason to hang out!
One of my partner’s best friends is a girl she barely knew in college, but they both ended up on the opposite side of the country together and their shared experiences and connections brought them together.
I think Puig would thrive in that clubhouse. The Sox seem to have a very close-knit fun group of players. Puig’s antics would fit right in.
I don’t have any interest in Puig, but I also don’t know why that is.
Puig rules. Super fun player and a huge fan favorite here in LA. He’d be a great addition imo.
And how much are we willing to pay a guy whose play has declined every year since his rookie year? 15 mil per year? 20 mil? I’d rather trade for Mitch Haniger.
Can’t wait for the offseason plans, to see what people think the Sox will have to give up for 3 years of Haniger.
Mariners aren’t gonna sell low.
Maybe, maybe not. The Mariners haven’t received great returns for recent trades and he’s coming off an injured season with poor numbers. It’s worth talking to them instead of of handing Puig millions of dollars just because he’s Cuban.
Jim, maybe nobody told you, but they are both from Cuba. I think that makes them both Cubans. All Cubans are friends, idolize Jose Abreu, and prefer playing for the White Sox over any other team.
Kenny Williams sure thinks so….
Hard pass on Puig, who is better as a platoon player. Marcell Ozuna or JD Martinez and Garrit Cole, and leave everyone else in place. The bullpen will figure itself out, especially if Ruiz puts it together in the second half, which I think he will. Maybe bring Jay back as a fourth outfielder.
It would suck for the rebuild to succeed only to face a 1994 scenario all over again.
Absolutely must add a frontline starter.
The options for Right Field are pretty disappointing. Nobody on the farm has separated themselves from the pack.
For FAs: Puig is an average major leaguer who has never made the jump to stardom everyone predicted. Ozuna has been awfully inconsistent and something tells me he would be awful with the White Sox since they have the habit of killing veteran FA acquisitions.
I like the idea of pursuing Hanigar in a trade and the Sox might be able to pull a fast one on the Ms.
The Sox have to spend on starters. I don’t have any confidence in Dunning, Kopech and especially Rodon being dependable in the near future after their surgerys, and the jury is still out on Cease. I’d want two quality starters to hedge my bets.
With Castillo, Nova, Jay, Jones, and Alonzo gone, 35 million. I want the best starter, and the best bullpen pitcher. The very best.
We’re talking about adding impact bats/quality starters, but the same bozos are still in charge. I’d like to think that after a year when several players have stepped up and the competiitve window is just about open, they will spend the money they didn’t spend last year. But I thought they would spend last year and they didn’t. Do you really believe they will be in the hunt for Cole, JD (if he opts out), or any of the other top free agents? I’m afraid they will spend another winter getting guys like Melky, Robertson, Dunn and LaRoche and they say, “see, we spent the money.” I have no confidence that this group will acquire true top talent. I hope I’m wrong, but nothing in their history has said otherwise.
@roke1960: When you say “they”, don’t you mean “him”?
We need to assume injuries will happen (like the Cubs and Yankees have faced)– we need at least a couple of good starting pitchers for that reason. We can’t rely on a fully healthy team and everyone clicking to win…. need some depth, too. We have it in a couple of spots but not enough of them for me to be comfortable.
Robert just hit a Grand Slam in his 3rd AB at AAA. 5 RBIs today.
Sounds about right.
But can he bunt?
I’ve seen enough. Start the clock.
Now Robert has 2 homers and 6 RBIs!
Dude is a beast.
12-11 in the 6th. Fulmer just served up a 3 run dong. It’s like rock em sock em robots down there.
Another hit and RBI for Robert. Lined single to CF. 3-5, 2 HRs, 7 RBI.
BEAST!
And with a sac fly, his AVE is higher than OBP. I know it’s a 1 game sample, but I love to see those anomalies.
Hopefully Lindor makes it to free agency, so we can come up with another cockamamie contract offer and lose out on him to whoever offers him the most money