SoothKippy’s Offseason Plan

PREAMBLE

The White Sox should use this offseason to supplement the gains made this season. There are noticeable weaknesses on the roster most of which cannot be addressed internally which is why we’re going to have look to FAs and trades to plug those holes. The Sox are in the appropriate part of the win cycle to dip into the farm to make trades. A successful offseason filling these holes should put the Sox in position to compete for the division title for the next few seasons.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Write “tender,” “non-tender” or “rework/extend” after each player and their projected 2020 salaries, arranged by the three calculation methods described by MLB Trade Rumors. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.

    • Nomar Mazara: $5.6M | $5.9M | $5.7M. Non-tender – not enough production to justify the cost.
    • Carlos Rodón: $4.5M | $4.5M | $4.5M. Non-tender – he can be someone else’s reclamation project
    • Lucas Giolito: $2.5M | $5.3M | $2.5M. Tender
    • Reynaldo López: $1.7M | $2.2M | $1.7M Decline – hasn’t shown any progression
    • Evan Marshall: $1.3M | $1.9M | $1.4M Tender
    • Adam Engel: $1M | $1.4M | $1M Tender
    • Jace Fry: $800K | $1M | $800K Tender

CLUB OPTIONS

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

      • Edwin Encarnación: $12M. DECLINE 
      • Gio González: $7M ($500K buyout). DECLINE
      • Leury García: $3.5M ($250K buyout) PICK UP

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) WILL GET PAID MORE ELSEWHERE
      • Jarrod Dyson (Made $2M in 2020) LET GO

COACHING STAFF

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

      • Manager: A.J. Hinch
      • Pitching coach: Internal option – Matt Zaleski 

FREE AGENTS

With all the options/arbitration, the payroll currently sits at ~$88 million.

No. 1: George Springer (4 years, $120 million). It’s hard to find a comp for Springer’s contract because the most recent notable OF contracts have been top of the market like Harper and Betts. Cespedes signed for $4/110 in 2017 and Blackmon signed a 6/$108 mil at age 31, so something around those two sounds right.

No. 2: Kevin Gausman (3 years, $28 million). The same deal that Kyle Gibson received last year. He’s coming off a strong season in SF with a 3.09 FIP, and from the beginning of last season through this season, he has the 12th best SwStr% in baseball.

No. 3: Wilson Ramos (2 years, $14 million). Assuming the Mets don’t pick up his $10 million option. He’ll replace McCann as a pretty solid defensive/offensive backup to Grandal.

No. 4: Trevor Rosenthal (1 year, $7 million). Put together a very strong season and adds another power arm to the bullpen.

TRADES

Propose trades that you think sound reasonable for both sides, and the rationale behind them. A good example of a bad idea:

No. 1: Trade Jonathan Stiever, Gavin Sheets, and Bryan Ramos to Texas for Lance Lynn . Lynn has 1 more year before becoming a FA, so the price shouldn’t be too steep. Adding Lynn to Giolito adds another top of the rotation starter and allows Dunning and Kopech to work in the minors and wait for injuries or other opportunities to open up.

SUMMARY

26-man roster:

  • C: Yasmani Grandal/Wilson Ramos
  • 1B/DH: Jose Abreu, Andrew Vaughn
  • 2B: Nick Madrigal/Danny Mendick
  • SS: Tim Anderson
  • 3B: Yoan Moncada
  • UTIL: Leury Garcia
  • LF: Eloy Jimenez
  • CF: Luis Robert
  • RF: George Springer/Adam Engel
  • SP: Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn, Kevin Gausman
  • RP: Evan Marshall, Aaron Bummer, Garret Crochet, Matt Foster, Codi Heuer, Trevor Rosenthal, Jimmy Cordero, Jace Fry (8)

This puts the White Sox payroll at $144.6 million. This doesn’t seem like an unreasonable number where they achieve filling their biggest holes with very good players.

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texag10

I don’t see any way that Gausman signs for so little but who knows what the free agency landscape is going to look like this offseason.

Ceverettsdinosaurs

What is the plan for Kopech and Dunning? Both ML ready, so I don’t think you’d want them in the minors and they aren’t in your bullpen.

Eagle Bones

Man I was way higher on the price for Rosenthal. Maybe somewhere in the middle makes sense? Pen arms just seem to be getting paid lately. I like Lynn, but I think you probably need a slightly better headliner.