New rules: The White Sox have 26th man options
Covering the other portion of Major League Baseball’s rule changes and how they might affect the White Sox, we can start by setting aside the concept of the two-way player, because it doesn’t figure to reach our shores anytime soon.
The two-way player designation is only necessary because 1) Major League Baseball is instituting a 13-pitcher maximum, and 2) Shohei Ohtani exists. If he’s healthy enough to play but unable to pitch, he shouldn’t cost the Angels a spot on their pitching staff, so now MLB formally acknowledges it.
Players who qualify as “Two-Way Players” may appear as pitchers during a game without counting toward a Clubs’ pitcher limitations. A player will qualify as a “Two-Way Player” only if he accrues both: (i) at least 20 Major League innings pitched; and (ii) at least 20 Major League games started (as a position player or designated hitter) with at least three plate appearances in each of those games, in either the current Championship Season or the prior Championship Season (for 2020 only, this will include 2019 as well as 2018). The Club must designate that player as a “Two-Way Player” in advance of that game. Once a Club designates a qualified “Two-Way Player” that designation will remain in effect, and cannot change, for the remainder of that Championship Season and Postseason.
This is irrelevant for just about every other team. Matt Davidson was as close as the White Sox got, and he pitched a grand total of three innings. I mean, the Sox have historically struggled to find the other definition of two-way players — somebody who can hit and play defense — so asking for low-leverage reliever or fifth-starter capabilities on top of that seems unreasonable. This merely accounts for Ohtani, with even Michael Lorenzen on the outside looking in.
The Angels have the only roster for which a Venn diagram would be useful. For the 29 other teams, they’re looking at a freshly expanded 26-man roster with a 13-pitcher maximum.
The 26th man
Roster expansion was floated multiple times before finally sticking, so I’ve taken a couple shots in the past at figuring out which players would have been the best use of the spot in previous seasons. We can further fine-tune our findings now that we know teams are prohibited from using that extra spot for a ninth reliever.
With rebuilding teams, the challenge of fielding a functional 25 man roster makes discussions over the 26th man largely irrelevant. Thanks for the White Sox’s active winter in free agency, they can confine their bench players to actual bench duties.
A White Sox team that carries Nick Madrigal on the Opening Day roster likely has three bench spots spoken for:
This trio covers the vast majority of baseball duties, but there are some gaps in their games. It’s basically all right-handed, because even the switch-hitting García struggles with his left-handed swing. The two non-catchers are on the smaller side, which isn’t ideal for emergency first-base duties, nor if you need a homer in a hurry.
This is all why Zack Collins staked a claim to the 26th spot on this roster in so many hearts since he proved capable of making at least some adjustments to MLB pitching in September.
The catch is catching. Quixotic or not, the White Sox think they can mold Collins into a functioning backstop, and they’d have room for him behind the plate as soon as next season, and sooner if injury strikes. As it crouches, Collins catches well enough to allow Rick Renteria to fearlessly flex McCann and Yasmani Grandal into pinch situations, but it’s suboptimal if he’s a heartbeat away from primary duties.
I imagine the White Sox will want to start him in Charlotte and let him devote serious time to the craft. It should probably only take a month or two to determine if he’s made any headway. If there are no signs of progress and the MLB roster needs him, it may be time to let him try to achieve his inner Schwarber.
In the meantime, the Sox can take the 26th man spot in a few different directions:
Veteran infielder: The idea of a left-handed utilityman has made a lot of sense throughout the entire winter, but with Brad Miller signing with the Cardinals and Brock Holt landing with the Brewers, that guy doesn’t really exist anymore. All the other unsigned infielders of note are right-handed save Ben Zobrist, who seems to be done.
This idea is worth following up on when MLB Trade Rumors compiles the out-of-options list.
Defense first: It’s entirely possible that the White Sox wanted to land a veteran along the lines of a Miller or a Holt, but their bench might’ve been a difficult sell. If all is well, Rick Renteria is going to want to play Madrigal, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada as much as possible. A credible major leaguer with multiple suitors probably wants the job with a bit more daylight.
Look around the diamond, and all you see are trusted veterans or very young guys who need to learn how to shore up weaknesses. The only one who doesn’t neatly fall into either category is Nomar Mazara, but the staff’s enthusiasm suggests that even he’ll play against lefties early in order to see if progress is worth pursuing.
In the median case, Mazara needs help against left-handed pitchers, and both corners could use a defensive assistant to close out late leads. Enter Adam Engel, who hit .313/.360/.482 against lefties last year. He’d be incredibly useful to this roster if he somehow sustained that. He’d be mildly useful even if he didn’t, and that sounds acceptable for the last man on the bench.
Thump first: If the White Sox want somebody who can tie a game with one swing while giving their sitting catcher a true day off, then maybe Renteria would like to take Yermin Mercedes for a test drive. Mercedes is right-handed, but he hasn’t had any major difficulties against same-sided pitching, at least when it comes to home run frequency. He’s nominally a catcher, but he does the job well enough to offer the flexibility we discussed with Collins. Hell, he might be the team’s second-best framer.
It’s not an ideal first gig, but given that Mercedes is 27 and just clawed his way onto a 40-man roster for the first time, I doubt he’d object. All he needs is a couple of good swings to win over White Sox fans, because he plays the game with a lot of joy.
Nicky Delmonico: So the White Sox could use a left-handed bat who can come off the bench and play first base? Let us head down to the cellar to see if we can unearth a bottle of 2017 Delmonico.
It was a good year for those grapes, because Delmonico hit .262/.373/.482 over 43 games. The problem is the .213/.290/.357 he’s posted in the 109 games since. The White Sox brought him back to see how much of that drop-off was due to the shoulder he had surgically repaired.
I’m guessing the answer will be “not as much as we’d hoped.” But there’s a reason why Josh and I both came up with his name on Monday’s show when Thomas asked us about off-the-roster sleepers. Daniel Palka covers a lot of the same ground here with more recent success, but his downfall was steeper, and without a clear physical cause.
Position players pitching
We can touch upon this briefly:
Any player may appear as a pitcher following the 9th inning of an extra inning game, or in any game in which his team is losing or winning by more than six runs when the player enters as a pitcher.
If you thought the Jose Rondón Game was an embarrassment, the league agreed.
Previously: New rules: White Sox prepared for three-batter minimum
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I’ve always thought Engel made the most sense, particularly if he can consolidate some of his gains against lefties. I hope Eloy and Mazara make strides defensively, but we have to be prepared for some late-inning defensive changes.
You’d have a catcher, an infielder, an outfielder, and a guy who can swing between the two.
It would be nice if the Sox had a better candidate for “Pinch Base Stealer”. Engel, Mendick, and Leury are all capable of stealing bases, but I don’t think you’d want to count on any of them succeeding in a clutch situation. At the very least they should all be good candidates for basic pinch-running duty.
The three-batters rule will not affect Hunter Schryver this season as he is getting Tommy John surgery.
I really don’t like a bench with Leury, Engel and Mendick- three similar players. I would like to see someone with some thump sitting on the bench in the late innings. Collins would be good, but he need reps behind the plate and won’t get them in Chicago. He should start the season in Charlotte. I am intrigued by Mercedes. I would like to see a bench of McCann, Leury, Mendick and Mercedes.
I think it needs to be Engel. An elite defensive replacement When you’ve got Eloy and Mazara in the corners – who can be a good pinch runner and maaaaaybe help spell Mazara against lefties in RF, has the most immediate use of all the options.
If Madrigal starts the year in AAA I’d like to see Engel and Mercedes.
I agree with your last statement. But when Madrigal comes up, I would like to see Mercedes stay and either Engel or Mendick go to Charlotte.
This team already has a lot of thump in his regular roster to require more thump from the bench. I always see bench players as defensive or good runners, or both. Engel is both. Bench players should be good at one thing to make it worthwhile to replace a better player. Engel is better with the glove and runs well. Mendwick…I am not sure. Leury will likely make the team worse in all aspects if he comes in. I don’t really see too much use for Leury.
Leury’s value is not late-game replacement so much as it is injury replacement. I’m much less confident in any of the other options if a starter must spend extended time on the IL. Leury can cover several different spots without embarassing himself.
That’s what AAA is for.
Bench players should be key members of a team, not merely keeping the bench warmed waiting for someone to get hurt.
I agree with that to an extent, especially in the National League. But I don’t think that 4 members of an AL team’s bench are regularly needed for late-game replacements. Especially now that the Sox have actual talent throughout their lineup, there just won’t be too much call for pinch hitters.
However, we know players are going to get hurt during the course of the season, and if out-of-options Leury occupies a bench spot whenever he isn’t needed–so be it. If Eloy twists his ankle, God forbid, I’d be much happier running Leury out there against RHP than Engel. I do think the Sox could send Mendick down whenever Madrigal comes up. He’s the ideal “27th man” in my opinion.
I had the same thought when Leury’s arb number came out. He’s perfect on a three-man bench, especially in situations where a manager is playing with 24 due to a minor injury. He’s less special when his duties can be divided among two or three people.
This us why I wanted to see the Sox resign Yolmer if they couldn’t get a Holt or a Miller to sign. I’m not sure I want to turn the keys over to either Garcia or Mendick, in the event of an injury to Moncada, Anderson, or 2B. I’m more interested in Mendick’s upside than Garcia but he is too unproven to be relied upon as not only the spot starter but injury replacement.
I’m really curious as to what people think Mendick’s upside is. He was a late round pick with no really plus tools and it’s a testament to his work ethic that he even made it this far, but I keep seeing comments that lead me to believe some fans are WAY overestimating what he brings to the table. I dunno, maybe I’m just sleeping on the guy, but he basically seems like a guy whose 100% peak is off the bench like Yolmer, only with a more equal balance between his offense and defense
I see his upside as probably Tyler Saladino-ish. Useful for a couple years when things are going right.
It’s not exciting, but given that the sales pitch for that roster spot is “Sign up to ride the bench after three weeks,” I’m OK with the Sox testing their internal option rather than acquiring a veteran who has to settle for that role.
Absolutely. I certainly don’t fault them for not pursuing a cheap veteran option when they’re basically keeping the spot warm (and hopefully just handing it to Madrigal on Opening Day).
I think Adam Engel’s gotta stay in Chicago. Great bench guy.
Engel is basically the perfect 26th man. Not somebody who really benefits from being in AAA, not good enough to be an every day starter or even the first option off the bench, but good to have in a pinch for depth across the outfield. Ideally, though, Basabe will finally break through and Engel will become less of a necessity and more of a luxury moving forward.
“As it crouches…..”. I enjoyed that one.
“Test drive Mercedes”. Ha. How long have you been holding that jewel, Jim?
Why not carry Engel and Mercedes instead of carrying an extra RP since we now have the 3-batter rule? Now they have a pinch runner/defensive replacement and some thump
I’m not opposed. I just think the rules are written the way they are because they expect managers to carry 13 from here on out.
Assuming Madrigal starts in Charlotte, I think Mercedes and Engel are the two best fits. It’s hard to understate Engels defensive value given who the Sox plan to trot out there as everyday corner outfielders. And he’s a heck of a lot better than Leury if you need someone to man center when Robert isn’t playing.
Mercedes deserves a shot to show what he’s got. He’s 27. If not now, when?
Never? (I’m kind of interested to see him too, but it’s not like he’s a real prospect, so if he never gets called up I don’t think it’s a big deal).
Edwin Encarnacion hit .260/.336/.453 (104 OPS+) from ages 22-28 before breaking out. Another Toronto stalwart of their last run of playoff success, Jose Bautista, also broke out at age 29 after years of mediocre hitting. Granted, they both had the benefit of several years of MLB experience to that point, but a late breakout for power hitters is not unprecedented.
We’re sure letting 90 PAs do a lot of work for Adam Engel here. 90 PAs where he struck out 25% of the time and walked 5% of the time. How did we all go from “how can the sox keep running Engel out there” to “hey this guy should start a quarter of our games in a year we’re trying to actually compete” so quickly?
Engel’s value resides on his glove and legs. Anything he can do with the bat after the Mendoza line is gravy.
Engel had a wRC+ above 100 in 2 out of 4 months with more then 30 PAs. Leury? That’ll be none.
Yes, Engel strikes out a lot but he can field his position at a gold glove level. Engel also cost a lot less than Leury.
The White Sox are still running a payroll below the league average. The amount of money Leury makes should have zero impact on an argument between him and Engel.
Also, you completely ignored that Leury has over 100 games played across the infield compared to zero for Engel, so this is a pretty disingenuous comparison as far as what they bring to a roster.
Engel’s arm makes any gold glove conversations a non-starter for me.
It certainly hurts his defensive value metrics a bit. Probably also makes him less than ideal for right field.
Pulling for Danny Mendick to be an upgraded version of infielder Luery Garcia. Keep Engel for his outfield glove. Hopefully it’s gonna be needed a lot because we are up 2 in the eighth inning.
Once Madrigal is up, b/c Mendick has options I’d be ok if he goes down and we bring up someone with a bat.
That leaves the bench Leury, Engel, McCann + bat.
I’m not ambivalent about who the bat should be, but it will be determined by how the spring goes. I genuinely think Delmonico is closer to his 2017 self than his 2018 self if he is healthy, so I would be excited about that. Otherwise it’s Collins or Mercedes depending on who is working on their catching at Charlotte, & potentially Vaughn later in the year.
The reason I want to hold onto Leury *and* Engel is multifold, but particularly so that if we are up by a lot (which could easily happen considering the thump in our lineup) it allows us to pull Eloy or Robert & rest his legs.
And we can run a Leury / Engel / Robert outfield for a huge defensive upgrade over Eloy / Robert / Nomar.
Im not trusting Engel’s numbers from 2019 to continue, or his splits to stay the same— but he should definitely be given a chance to try to platoon.
I wish we had some better OF depth in Charlotte. If Luis Alexander Basabe could turn into a healthy functional switch hitting 4th outfielder capable of playing all 3 positions that would be such a godsend.
You’re not stoked about Gorkys Hernandez?
Dozier or Gennett Please! Mendick is the new Delmonico/Palka. Why are all the other players 2019 numbers in Charlotte’s considered inflated but not Mendicks? 2018 is over can we stop giving guys roster spots that haven’t earned them and wouldn’t be receiving/taking them on any other “playoff” team.
Mendick showed he could hang for a month in Chicago.
Well, so did Delmonico and Palka. I’m interested to see how real Mendick’s numbers actually can be across a season, even if I’m not particularly optimistic.
It literally cost 1 or 2 million to bring in a professional infielder(If he make the team) at this point.
Even not being particularly high on Mendick, I do not feel bad rolling with him instead of going out and grabbing a guy like Brock Holt.
Madrigal starts at 2nd. Bench:Garcia, McCann, Dozier and Engel..until Basabe moves up to relieve him!
It will be interesting to see if the 3-batter rule reduces the need to carry 13 pitchers. But assuming 13 pitchers is the norm, the bench becomes 5 OF’s, 6 IF’s and 2 C’s. Encarnacion being limited to 1B means Leury handles backup roles in both infield and outfield. Which means Collins is likely starting in Charlotte. Then the other question is whether Madrigal beats out Mendick for the starting 2B job out of spring. It is only a matter of time though, and then they will have to decide on Leury or Mendick and I’d go with the OBP and plate patience, something the bench hasn’t had in a long time and may come in handy with the 3-batter rule. I don’t see Leury here in 2021, so I assume he eventually gets moved for a reliever; McCann is probably in the same boat.