wiler97’s Offseason Plan

PREAMBLE

The White Sox are on the verge of being a legit World Series contender. With a couple of pitchers and a right fielder, they could find themselves as the AL favorites in 2021.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

  • Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M – non-tender
  • Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M – non-tender
  • Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M – tender
  • Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M – tender and trade later
  • 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

CLUB OPTIONS

Write “pick up” or “decline” or “rework” after the option.

  • Edwin Encarnación: $12M – lol
  • Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout) – nope
  • Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) – hard choice, but ultimately should probably be declined

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

Try to retain, or let go?

  • 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

COACHING STAFF

Here’s a first: Pick your manager and pitching coach, with any elaboration.

  • Manager: AJ Hinch Gonna follow the crowd with this one and assume that the Sox hire Hinch. Hoping that he actually had as little to do with the scandal as he said he did.
  • Pitching coach: John Savage I’d see if Savage has any interest in becoming an MLB pitching coach. As UCLA’s pitching coach, he’s coached many pitchers that would ultimately become excellent in the MLB. Gerritt Cole, Trevor Bauer, and Adam Plutko are just some of the current guys that Savage has helped. He’s also coming off of a National Pitching Coach of the Year award, so he definitely comes with some hardware.

EXTENSIONS

Andrew Vaughn: 6 years, $45 million Because this is just what the Sox do to get their guys on the Opening Day roster, it makes total sense to secure Vaughn at a reasonable price while throwing a couple of options that could help this contract hit 8 or 9 years.

FREE AGENTS

List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:

No. 1: Marcus Stroman (Five Years, $100 million). After getting UCLA’s pitching coach, I thought about how that might help recruit Bauer to the Southside. But, they’ve had almost identical careers and Stroman will almost certainly cost much less. I also trust Stroman’s future a bit more than Bauer’s and think that he’s a more realistic signing than Bauer with the Sox’s Front Office.

No. 2: Mike Zunino (One year, $3 million). I find it hard to believe that the Rays of all teams would pay $4.5 million to keep Zunino around for next season, so I’d like to give him a shot as a backup. He’s got plenty of power and is terrific on defense, so he might be able to thrive in a role where he’s not playing everyday anymore.’

No. 3: Freddy Galvis (One year, $4 million). If Nick Madrigal isn’t able to make the Opening Day roster after his shoulder surgery, Freddy Galvis could be a good placeholder. This would also give us a bit more infield depth besides just having Danny Mendick off of the bench.

No. 4: Chris Archer (One year, 5 million). Chris Archer is a good low risk, high reward type move. I know that we’re all sick of moves like this, but it’s different this time. If Archer does well, then awesome, he’s a solid part of the rotation going forward. If not, it’ll buy time for Kopech to get ready to join the team.

TRADES

No. 1: Trade Dylan Cease, Reynaldo Lopez, and Jimmy Lamber to the Red Sox for Andrew Benintendi. I’m honestly not sure if this is too much, not enough, or just right, but this seems like a definite guy that the Sox should go after. The Red Sox are absolutely starving for pitching, just like we’re starving for a right fielder. Assuming that his numbers last year were due to the injury he sustained pretty quickly into the season, he’d be the perfect guy to start for our Sox in right field.

No. 2: Trade Gavin Sheets to the Pirates for Kyle Crick. Gavin Sheets doesn’t likely have a future in Chicago, and Kyle Crick has been a solid reliever for a few years now. Bolster the bullpen by trading from a position of depth for the Sox.

SUMMARY

This lineup is assuming that Madrigal is healthy enough to make the Opening Day roster.

SS – Tim Anderson

C – Yasmani Grandal

1B – Jose Abreu

LF – Eloy Jimenez

CF – Luis Robert

3B – Yoan Moncada

DH – Andrew Vaughn

RF – Andrew Benintendi

2B – Nick Madrigal

Bench:

C Mike Zunino, 2B/SS Freddy Galvis, CF Adam Engel, IF Danny Mendick

Rotation:

Lucas Giolito

Dallas Keuchel

Marcus Stroman

Dane Dunning

Chris Archer

Bullpen:

Codi Heuer

Garrett Crochet

Aaron Bummer

Jace Fry

Jimmy Cordero

Kyle Crick

Matt Foster

Evan Marshall

This team, at least on paper, should be good enough to become a World Series contender.

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iamkarnold

WAAAY too much for Bennintendi imo. He can’t hit lefties and last year he barely hit righties. You made me google Kyle Crick, and I like that trade!

Josh Nelson

Freddy Galvis would be a good addition to help in the infield.

Chris Archer on a “Prove it” deal is wild to think about where he was in 2017. But it’s not a bad idea!