It’s time to win, which means trading some of everyone’s favorite minor leaguers.
I don’t see the White Sox getting the best of any of the commodities on the market. Those folks can not only choose their money, but they can choose their location and that makes all the difference. The Sox ain’t a destination……YET.
This team competes for the AL Central title…..
Arbitration Eligible Players
Alex Colome – Tender – $10.3M
Leury Garcia – Tender – $4.0M
Ryan Goins – Non Tender
Evan Marshall – Tender – $1.3M
James McCann – Tender – $4.9M
Yolmer Sanchez – Non-Tender – $6.2M
Carlos Rodon – Tender – $4.5M
Josh Osich – Tender – $1.0M
Options
Buy Out Welington Castillo $500k
Other Impending Free Agents
Jose Abreu (retain, see below)
Ivan Nova (buh bye)
Jon Jay (buh bye)
Hector Santiago (buh bye)
Free Agents
Jose Abreu – 5 years $75M – Let’s make Abreu, 1st baseman emeritus. This deal will pay Abreu $10M flat for the next 5 years, with $5M per year deferments for the seasons after that. This will keep Jose Abreu a White Sox through his age 37 season. This will make most White Sox fans happy and given the fact that Jose still claps at LHP, he should stay reasonably valuable in a diminished role off the bench in those last few years. I think Abreu can earn 1 WAR or some hitting part time in them years, which is more than enough given the pricing here.
Travis D’Arnaud – 2 years $4.5M – The White Sox are in the market for another catcher this off-season and as much as I’d like it to be Yasmani Grandal, there isn’t a lot of faith in the business community that will happen. Why not D’Arnaud, an interesting name that was supposed to be a guy and finally stayed healthy this year with the Rays. He had a decent walk rate and acceptable strike out rate in 2019. Seems like a reasonable gamble. Unfortunately he hits right handed too, but he’d give the White Sox another competent backstop.
Lonnie Chisenhall – 1 year $1.5M – The White Sox need a lefty bench bat that can handle both corner outfield spots and 1st base. I found him. Assuming his calf is okay (it wasn’t last year). Cheap, adequate plate appearances vs RHP
Josh Donaldson – 4 years $64M – I had a hard on for Josh Donaldson last year, and 75% of Sox twitter wasn’t with me, so I’m bringing him back, and Imma guess most of Sox twitter would be with me as we have him share the DH role with Moncada and Abreu and fills in at 3b and 1b throughout the year. Perfect flexibility for this squad and still an excellent bat. Strong feaux hawk game too.
Hyun Jin-Ryu – 3 years $69M – There is only 1 high end SP that is #108thicc and that’s this guy. He’s a little older than the rest of the crop that people want, so we can get him on a shorter, higher AAV deal. That’s nice because it allows for the Sox to be out of the deal in 3 years and looking for some new shit. He’d instantly become a 108 fave.
Brad Miller – 1 year $1.0M – He’s cheap and versatile and he hits left handed. He’s a league average hitter in his career and above that against RHP. He’s the kind of guy the 2019 White Sox were dying for.
Trades
TRADE #1
White Sox receive Trey Mancini and Dylan Bundy
Orioles receive Dane Dunning, Gavin Sheets, Micker Adolfo, Steele Walker & Lenyn Sosa
TRADE #2
White Sox receive Ken Giles
Blue Jays receive Blake Rutherford & Alec Hansen
LINEUP
C McCann
1b Abreu
2b B Miller / Madrigal
SS Anderson
3b Moncada
LF Jimenez
CF L Garcia / Robert
RF Mancini
DH Donaldson
bench of – Engel / L Garcia
bench if – D Mendick / B Miller
bench c – T D’Arnaud
bench other – Chisenhall
Sp – Gio
Sp – Cease
Sp – Lopez / Kopech
Sp – Ryu
Sp – Bundy
cl – Colome
set up – Giles
rp – Bummer
rp – Fry / Rodon
rp – Herrera
rp – Marshall
rp – Osich / Lopez
rp – J Cordero
Total Payroll ~$121M
Some of this is intriguing. You need to give up a lot more for Giles.
What do you think a “fair” deal from the White Sox for Giles would be? Want to see how far off you think mine was.
Move Steele Walker from the Bundy/Mancini deal. I kind of like the Giles trade, but I hate the Bundy/Mancini deal. I rather see how the prospects play out than have a couple mediocre guys from a really bad baseball team.
Luis Robert ..
clearly
Well, I think Alec Hansen is toast and cant be in the conversation. And whatever improvement Rutherford made last year, it wasnt in power. I dont think he’ll pan out in system.
But we are trading for only for one year of Giles, so although Giles is an elite RP, “a lot more” is perhaps an overstatement?
I think Gavin Sheets OR Mickey Adolfo plus a pitcher (?)
Yea, I originally had Adolfo in this deal and Rutherford in the other……I could see that.
Giles arb est is $8.4M not necessarily cheap
I actually think you’re pretty spot on there. He’s only controllable for one year and, like you said, he’s not cheap. He was also injured for a decent portion of this year, wasn’t he?
I like the Donaldson add. I’d take him over JDM cause he can field. I thought he’d get more, but your offer is in line with Spotrac https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/atlanta-braves/josh-donaldson-8604/market-value/
Wouldn’t Donaldson be looking for the opportunity to play 3B instead of DH?
I’d think he’d take the biggest guaranteed money at his age. But I have no clue.
Might be difficult to get the O’s and Jays to bite on those returns.
Ran both through the trade simulator to ensure they were in the ballpark. I thought Rutherford was an overpay for 1 year of Giles at his $8.4M arbitration figure, but it doesn’t seem lik you agree.
Maybe I’m undervaluing our guys. I like the agressive approach.
You could be correct. I don’t really know. That’s always the toughest / most fun part of these things, making the trades.
Ryu isn’t leaving LA. I like the Mancini idea. Not interested in Bundy.
re: Bundy, he’s a league average arm, but I also liked him forever, so it’s probably more in the dangerous fetish realm by now
Why do you think Ryu wouldn’t leave LA? Honest question. I don’t disagree that he’s likely to stay, but he also won’t have a QO attached to him this year and, as a guy with a lengthy injury history, he seems likely to go where the most money is.
Oh man, are we really thinking Abreu might get that much? That seems like a huge overpay, no?
I like the strategy of the Mancini/Bundy deal (i.e. move some of the second tier prospects for some controllable talent), just not the specific players you’re targeting. Bundy is just too homer prone for me with the current offensive environment and, while I can get over bad defense if there is enough offense, I’m not sure Mancini does enough with the bat for me to cancel out the D.
This is a really weird thing to like, but I actually really like Chisenhall as a cheap bench signing. Hits righties well, solid defender at a couple of spots. Just needs to stay healthy (which for him is no given). I think I had him in my plan last year.
I suspect Abreu gets more than he’s worth, but I dunno. Bundy had a 99 ERA+ last year, he’s league average, that’d be an upgrade over half the rotation from 2019.
That’s definitely true. I guess it’s hard to parse out how much you’re giving up for him since it’s a package deal. What you you give for him alone without Mancini in there?
Good question, not sure how that would line up without both of them in there.
Very well thought out additions and subtractions. You bolstered the starting pitching staff, bullpen and lineup while staying at $121M.
Jerry would probably choke on his expensive dinner if he heard Hahn committed to 5 seasons of paying Abreu, but it’s laid out in a way it won’t hurt so much if he can’t perform as he ages.