Adults in the rooms, and drama ahead

Regardless of the historic futility, the flame out of the Hahn/Williams rebuild the future of the franchise is hurtling toward one of four outcomes:

1–Jerry gets his stadium in the south loop
2–The team is sold to someone who’ll renovate GRF
3–The team is sold to someone who’ll pay for the south loop stadium themselves
4–The team is sold and moved out of town (and I don’t mean Orland Park)…

…until one of those outcomes is reached it’s on Chris Getz to do something completely different with the same parameters this team has always had. There were encouraging signs absolutely (the signing of Fedde & the entirety of AA-Birmingham) and some dour ones absolutely (the trading of Fedde & AAA-Charlotte). Here’s hoping this’ll be more along the lines of encouraging

Tenders

1B Andrew Vaughn 6.4mil – Tender / No other bargain 1B candidates are intriguing enough to best Vaughn’s shoulder shrug price tag
DH Gavin Sheets 2.9mil – Non Tender / Vargas & Ramos will take his bench ABs
RP Enyel De Los Santos 1.7mil – Non Tender
RP Matt Foster 900k – Non Tender
2B Nicky Lopez 5.1mil – Tender / Can transition to a utility role if Baldwin or someone else breaks out
RP Jimmy Lambert 1.2mil – Non Tender
RP Justin Anderson 1.1mil – Tender / Provided average results with durability
RP Steven Wilson 1.0 mil – Non Tender

2024 White Sox Free Agents

SP Mike Clevinger – Nope and now it’s just as much for baseball reasons. I wonder if he’ll ever pitch again.
P Mike Soroka – Something tells me he’s about to go for way higher than he should but best of luck. I’d swap him out for the free agent RP I actually signed below if he’s at like 4-5mil per year but I doubt it.
SP Chris Flexen – Nope although unlike Clevinger he will probably pitch again.

Trade
White Sox receive: SS Aidan Miller (#26 overall prospect / AA), OF Justin Crawford (#53 overall prospect / AA) & OF Griffin Burkholder (Phillies #8 prospect / A)
Phillies receive: LSP Garrett Crotchet

It DOES pain me to keep parting with players who shirseys you’d actually want to buy but the White Sox at absolute realistic best won’t be competing until 2026. An extension doesn’t sound likely so in return 3 more high to mid position players head into the prospect pile. Miller & Montgomery can be the up the middle of the future and the Cubs model of best players available regardless of position is how this should work from now out. Miller shouldn’t arrive until 2026 so they won’t crash into each other developmentally. Always need more OF and Crawford’s high contact has been present at every level. Not much power but he’s no Nick Madrigal either. Also trading Robert Jr now would be malpractice.

Free Agents

->Elias Diaz / C — 2yr/10mil
Of all the bargain bin catchers his D metrics are solid. Will hopefully be Quero’s backup in 2026.

->Martin Perez / LSP –1yr/7mil

->Trevor Williams / RSP — 2yr/16mil (team option for 2027 @ 14mil or buyout of 4mil)
We need two starters w/Crotchet gone who won’t overexpose the young bullpen. Perez was in a similar spot w/Pittsburgh last year and Williams w/DC although the latter had Fedde esque- numbers in 13 starts. An overpay but it won’t hamstring even Jerry’s frugality. One or both will be gone by the time at the very least Schultz (hopefully) arrives.

->JD Martinez / DH — 1yr/8mil
Thought about just handing DH to Vargas or Ramos but they really should be competing for 3B. JDM is eminently flipable at the deadline and professional. Classic White Sox to get him 2 years too late.

->Kirby Yates / RP — 1yr/9mil (team option for 2026 @ 9mil or buyout of 1mil)
Can close and again eminently flipable. Hasn’t posted an ERA below 3.28 in any season where he’s thrown at least 50IP and at 38 he just had his best year

->Randall Grichuk / OF — 2yr/7mil
Can man the corners and keep the seat warm for…I don’t know whomever emerges out of average OF prospect pile. An extra year for the price of playing at 35th & Shields.

->Ha-Seong Kim / SS — 2yr/24mil
Look if we REALLY are valuing D then Lopez/Kim is a great up the middle combo. He’d still be tradeable at that price if Montgomery & Miller emerge quickly

Lineup

C – Diaz
1B – Vaughn
2B – Lopez
SS – Kim
3B – Ramos / Vargas
DH – Martinez
CF – Robert Jr
LF – Benintendi
RF – Grichuk
(Bench C-Lee / INF-Baldwin / OF-Fletcher/ UTIL-Sosa)
76.1mil

Rotation

Jonathon Cannon
Williams
Drew Thorpe
Perez
Davis Martin

Bullpen
RPs: Anderson – Iriarte – Berroa – Burke – Yates – Murfree / LRPs: Ellard – Shuster
33.1mil / TOTAL : 109.2mil

…Respectable guys on short contracts with no history of red-assery (Pham) or downright awfulness (Clevinger) who don’t block anyone. Here’s to hoping Getz’s massive organization overhaul doesn’t crash into whatever the hell Jerry’s plan for actual franchise is. See you @ 35th & Shields friends!

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