GD’s Offseason Plan

PREAMBLE

Let’s build a damn contender here, we are done with losing on the Southside.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

  • Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M- Non Tender
  • Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M- Non Tedner
  • Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M-Extend
  • Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M-Non Tender
  • Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M- Tender
  • Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M- Tender
  • Jace Fry: $800K | $1M | $800K-Non Tender
  • Yolmer Sánchez: Uncertain- Non Tender

Most of these seem pretty obvious expect for maybe Jace Fry. I’m okay with letting Jace Fry walk after 2 seasons of +4 SIERA, although it’s going to be unfortunate to see someone pick him up and get him back to his 2018 form.

An extension that is well deserved for Lucas Giolito where it seems that both sides love each other here. Doing the terms of this contract I was going to compare it to the Yoan Moncada contract in a way going 5/80 back loaded.

Year 1 $5 M

Year 2 $10 M

Year 3 $20 M

Year 4 $20 M

Year 5 $ 25 M

CLUB OPTIONS

  • Edwin Encarnación: $12M-Decline
  • Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout)-Decline
  • Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout)-Pick Up

Do I need to explain this section?

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

Some tough decisions here but for the better in my opinion. The price on Colomé is going to be hefty purely based off his arbitration from last season and with the amount of talented back end arms in free agency I don’t think it would be particularly hard to replace the heart attack of the 9th inning.

James McCann I really am going to miss you and miss having constant arguments every single day on twitter with people that think you are better than Grandal, but you are not worth the price tag that people have been throwing out. I wish you the best of luck as the backup in New York or the starter somewhere not named Tampa Bay.

Leury coming back seems like a no brainer to me just based off how much he was missed throughout the middle of the season this year. If he slides into first base head first again tho DFA him.

COACHING STAFF

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

  • Manager: AJ Hinch

Seems like the best pick outside the cheating scandal and hey everyone deserves second chances.

  • Pitching coach: Matt Zaleski

I do not remember ever seeing so much praise from pitchers coming up from camp talking about how much a guy has helped them and I think he serves as a good analytical mind to bring up and give this staff a fresh start.

FREE AGENTS

With 135 Million Dollar Budget

Marcus Stroman  4/72

Stroman seen as the number 2 pitcher option behind Trevor Bauer on the free agent market, who offers a lower ceiling than Bauer but a higher floor. Stroman has also been tweeting about how he’s going to move forward analytically and that gets me excited for him.

Joc Pederson 4/32

For a team that needs left handed bats to help against RHP Joc fits in perfectly with a career 128 wRC+ against RHP and a clear upgrade from Nomar last year who for some reason was better against LHP than RHP.

Tyler Flowers 1/4

Welcome back to Chicago Tyler Flowers and I’m sure Sox fans would be so happy bringing him back with how loved he was when he left but he is one of the best defenders behind the plate in baseball posting top 10 CDA in 2019 and top 5 CDA in 2018, also being top 10 in FRAA in 2019 and top 5 FRAA in 2019.

Trevor Rosenthal 3/27

Trevor Rosenthal is one of my favorite RP on the market along with Trevor May. I went with Rosenthal here because of his 2.83 xFIP, 2.31 SIERA,  and his absolutely elite peripherals.

Tommy La Stella 1/5

La Stella might get more than what I’m offering here but just trying to work with the budget I would love to add him. Another left handed bat that plays very well against RHP. a 134 wRC+ in 2019 and a 151 wRC+ in 2020. It would help to balance the L/R lineup and help the Sox with their struggles against RHP.

With 150

I would go after Springer (5/100)  and May (3/27) and drop Joc off of my plan.

TRADES

None unless Jerry wants to spend and go get Kris Bryant.

SUMMARY

This team honestly needs a $150 M budget if it fully wants to compete with the Rays, Dodgers, Yankees, or even their own division. If they were to add with brining on extra salary with Springer and May I think they would be a contender next season instantly. Yoan Moncada obviously has to return to form and we need to see a full season out of Robert. Arebu needs to keep hitting like this to match his contract and if we could turn one of Cease, Dunning, or Kopech into a number 2/3 our rotation is going to be solid along with our bats. Our Pen is actually my favorite part of our team where we could have 4 very very good arms with Foster, Heuer, Bummer, and Rosenthal. That doesn’t even include guys like Crochet who I would like to see start in the minors next season as a SP, Marshall who posted a 2.04 FIP, 2.58 xFIP, and 2.82 SIERA. That also doesn’t include if you were to add a guy like Trevor May who had a 2.38 SIERA in 2020, a 2.17 SIERA in 2018, and under 3 xFIPs in both of those years. The Pen has a chance to be absolutely dominate if Jerry were to spend and bring in those additions.

Line Up (if Yoan Moncada doesn’t return to 2019 form.)

SS Tim Anderson

C Yasmani Grandal

1B Jose Abreu

LF Eloy Jimenez

3B Yoan Moncada

DH Andrew Vaughn

CF Luis Robert

RF Joc Pederson/Adam Engel

2B Nick Madrigal/Tommy La Stella

(If Yoan Moncada returns to form)

SS Tim Anderson

3B Yoan Moncada

C Yasmani Grandal

1B Jose Abreu

LF Eloy Jimenez

DH Andrew Vaughn

CF Luis Robert

RF Joc/Engel

2B Madrigal/La Stella

Bench: Flowers, Garcia

Rotation

Giolito

Keuchel

Stroman

Dunning

Cease/Kopech

Bullpen

Heuer

Foster

Bummer

Marshall

Cordero

Rosenthal

Tyler Johnson

Final Payroll $135,749,999

 

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Sox_Fan2008

Love your article!