PREAMBLE
The whitesox have gone from possible playoff team to perennial world series contender. With just a few more moves this team is ready for the bigtime. My main focus will be shoring up the SP situation, bench, and adding a left hand hittng RF bat.
ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
- Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M non-tender
- Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M tender
- Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M tender
- Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M tender
- Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M tender
- Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M tender
- Jace Fry: $800K | $1M | $800K tender
- Yolmer Sánchez: Uncertain non tender
These were all easy calls for me, the lone outlier may be Rodon but I have a plan for that....
CLUB OPTIONS
- Edwin Encarnación: $12M Decline - This guy is done
- Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout) Decline - but hey you did get to pitch for the wsox finally!
- Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) Re-work, 1 year 2.5 mil - Still a value considering the versatility
OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS
- Alex Colomé (Made $10,532,500 in 2020) Dont fix what isnt broken RESIGN 2 years 24 mil (11.5, 12.5
- James McCann (Made $5.4M in 2020) His market will price him out of the sox plans, and my plan.
- Jarrod Dyson (Made $2M in 2020) Let go
COACHING STAFF
Here’s a first: Pick your manager and pitching coach, with any elaboration.
- Manager: AJ Hinch - Best available guy out there, dont screw this up!
- Pitching coach: Danny Farquhar - Feel good story :)
FREE AGENTS
No. 1: Marcus Stroman 4 years 76 mil. The whitesox cant afford Bauer so this is the next best option. Stroman is a proven winner and showed well for many years in the AL East. Him and TA7 can hug it out. He slots up to the 2 spot in the rotation nicely for the contention window.
No. 2: Jose Quintana 1 year 7 mil. Welcome back, our new 5th starter (or until lopez figures it out, or crochett is ready). Good value add minimal risk on a 1 year deal.
No. 3: Jason Castro 1 year 4 mil. Solid backup C, sox have had interest before and I dont think they are sold on collins or mercedes being good enough defensively to be primary backups at the major league level.
No. 4. Cameron Maybin 1 year 3 mil. The perfect 4th outfielder , well liked teammate etc etc.
TRADES
No. 1: Trade Sox Send Dlyan Cease, Jonathon Stiever, Carlos Rodon, and Adam Engel to the SF Gaints for (get hawk excited), Mike Yaztrzemski. From the sox perspective after signing Stroman and Quintana to fill the SP void they have some SP to trade, but they address to me their biggest need and that is filling the RF hole, and doing so with a high obp left hand hitting bat. Mini Yaz is gonna play rock solid defense, hit against lh and rh pitching , and gives the sox lots of years of control during their contention window. The giants are destine to rebuild and its an absolute miracle given the state of their starting staff last year that they finished only 2 games below 500. Belt, Posey, and Yaz are on the wrong side of 30 and they need an influx of young talent. They dont have much hope in the immediate future with the dodgers and padres set for long contention runs.
SUMMARY
Depending on the arb cases, and how some of the deals end up being constructed I put the payroll just shy of 140 million which should be in range with what Jerry can afford for an immediate title contender.
SS Anderson
RF Yaz
1B Abreu
C Grandal
LF Jiminez
CF Robert
3rd Moncada
DH Vaughn
2nd Madrigal
BENCH
C Castro
INF Mendick
OF Maybin
UTIL Garcia
1st Giolito
2nd Stroman
3rd Kuechel
4th Kopech
5th Quintana
Closer Colome
RH's Heuer, Foster, Marshall, Cordero, Lopez
LH's Bummer, Fry
Go get em in 2021 boys!
