HallofFrank’s Offseason Plan: Depth!

LET’S TRY FOR DEPTH

I’m setting out with two goals: bolster the rotation and make this a deeper team. I want 26 players you feel at least decent about playing for a few weeks.

I’m spending big on SP. The White Sox will have a great offense in 2021. If they make my moves, they’ll have a great rotation, too. That, combined with a solid bullpen and good depth, spells World Series contender.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

  • Nomar Mazara: $5.9M – EXTEND – 2 years, $8M
  • Carlos Rodón: $4.5M – EXTEND – 2 years, $6.0M
  • Lucas Giolito: $5.3M – WHAT DO YOU THINK?
  • Reynaldo López: $2.2M – TENDER
  • Evan Marshall: $1.9M – TENDER
  • Adam Engel: $1.4M – TENDER
  • Jace Fry: $1M – TENDER
  • Yolmer Sánchez: NON-TENDER

I made two surprising moves here: extending Mazara and Rodon. I know many will think me insane, but here’s my reasoning: with the extension, each is cheaper and provides depth with some decent upside for a reasonable price.

The extensions likely guarantee each more money than they find on the market while helping out the 2021 payroll a bit. I’d rather start with Rodon as the 5th starter than Cease and I’d want Kopech/Dunning to be able to settle in in the minors.

CLUB OPTIONS

  • Edwin Encarnación: $12M – DECLINE
  • Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout) – DECLINE
  • Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) – PICK UP

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

  • Alex Colomé (Made $10,532,500 in 2020) – LET GO
  • James McCann (Made $5.4M in 2020) – LET GO
  • Jarrod Dyson (Made $2M in 2020) – LET GO

BUDGET BEFORE FA/Trades

  • Obligations: $77.8M to eight players
  • Options: $4.0M
  • Arb-eligible: $12.6M to five players/$7M to Mazara & Rodon

TOTAL: $101.40M

COACHING STAFF

  • Manager: Dave Roberts
  • Pitching coach: Whoever Roberts wants

I’m betting on a Dodgers loss in the World Series and them trying out something different to get over the hump. If they do, Roberts is by far the best option in my book. He checks a lot of boxes for the Sox.

FREE AGENTS

No. 1: Trevor Bauer (four years, $148 million; 2 player options for 5th/6th year at $20M each). This is a hefty contact in the days of COVID, and though he lacks the years of Gerrit Cole, Bauer can brag that he makes more per year: $37M AAV.

No. 2: Jose Quintana (two years, $14 million). Let’s get this man some wins. $7.0 M AAV.

TRADES

No. 1: Trade Dylan Cease, Jonathan Stiever, and Evan Marshall for Clint Frazier. This is my 3rd straight year trying for Clint Frazier. He’s been the odd man out of the Yankees OF for years and would be my RF of the future. My guess is the Yanks can do better than this, but they haven’t found a deal they like yet. This gives the Yanks a balance of present and future value that just may pry Clint away.

No. 2: Trade Reynaldo Lopez for Aledmys Diaz. Diaz is 30 and his mostly a utility player, but he’s got a decent bat. I’d say Lopez would be an interest project for the Astros and gives them some pitching depth while saving about $1M.

BUDGET AFTER FA/Trades
PRE: $101.40
FA: $45
TRADE: ~$1M

TOTAL: ~$147.50

This is a little over the suggested $135M, but I took the higher numbers for arbitration. And while Jerry can be cheap, he’s also an opportunist. My thought is: full out pursuit of Bauer and Q is the February tack on.

SUMMARY

26 Man Roster
C – Grandal, Collins
1B – Abreu, Vaughn
2B – Madrigal, Leury
3B – Moncada, Diaz
SS – Anderson
OF – Eloy, Robert, Frazier, Mazara, Engel
SP – Bauer, Giolito, Keuchel, Quintana, Rodon (Dunning, Kopech in AAA)
LRP – Crochet (CL), Bummer, Fry
RHP – Heuer, Foster, Cordero, Burdi
Lineup: (1) Anderson, (2) Moncada, (3) Abreu, (4) Grandal, (5) Eloy, (6) Frazier, (7) Frazier, (8) Vaughn, (9) Madrigal.

This plan makes the Sox a deeper team and gives them a monster rotation. Rodon is the weak link, but give him a shot and if he doesn’t work then Kopech or Dunning should be ready to step in and Rodon can try his hand at the bullpen—that should work out really well, right?

I love Bauer anchoring the rotation. He and Giolito are one of the, if not the, best 1-2 punch in the league. And Clint Frazier is an addition which adds to the 2021 team, but is also a cost controlled option for the future.

This team should win the AL Central. Fin.

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