Non-tender day might generate some surprises around Major League Baseball, but none came from the White Sox.
The White Sox declined to offer contracts to Nomar Mazara and Carlos Rodón for the upcoming season, as most everybody expected. Mazara was projected to earn $5.9 million for 2021 after hitting .228/.295/.294 in 2020, and Rodón $4.5 million after throwing just 7⅔ largely ineffective innings. Both entered their third and final year of arbitration eligibility, but both will enter free agency a year earlier than expected.
Credit Rick Hahn with the most euphemistic way to spin this.
“A great deal of consideration and analysis goes into our decisions to forego the arbitration process and instead engage with players and their representatives as free agents,” said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. “We plan to stay in contact with both Nomar and Carlos and evaluate their possible fit with our club as we move forward through the offseason.”
I would like him to use this angle for every transaction. Imagine him using this for Carson Fulmer's DFA:
"A great deal of consideration and analysis goes into our decision to forego the standard employment arrangement and instead engage with the player as a member of another organization. We intend to make contact off Carson in the not-too-distant future."
The White Sox did tender contracts to the other arbitration-eligible players, and they reached a 2021 contract with Jace Fry, who will make $862,500 in 2021. MLB Trade Rumors had projected a $1 million salary through a full-season arb model, versus $800,000 for a prorated or abbreviated version.
A reminder of the other projections:
- Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M
- Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M
- Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M
- Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M
We'll survey the entire list of non-tenders in a post and podcast for Thursday morning.
(Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)
