White Sox: Target Options After Shields Acquisition

Now that the White Sox have added a starting pitcher, it is time to look into potential moves down the road in 2016 for the club.

My big question is this, what do they need more, a bat (two of them potentially) or a stud bullpen arm. Let’s take a look at some potential options:

Bullpen Arms

Aroldis Chapman (New York Yankees closer)

Outside of the fact that Chapman is an elite left-handed reliever, he is a free agent after the 2016 season (according to spotrac.com). Since he will be free to test the market after this year, it makes sense that he might come at a cheaper price than he would if he were under contract in 2017.

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Chapman has been excellent again since his suspension, and (according to his stats on ESPN.com) is 8 for 8 in save opportunities.

With 15 strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched, if Chapman were to pitch 100 innings, he is on pace to strike out nearly 150 hitters.

Jake McGee (Colorado Rockies closer)

He is another left-handed option in the pen, he is nowhere near the talent that Chapman is. However, he is 14 for 16 in save opportunities with a 3.66 ERA in 19.2 IP. One outstanding quality McGee has is that he can pitch in the 8^th or 9^th inning, which would help the White Sox tremendously, as they already have David Robertson as their closer. McGee will be in his arbitration years in 2017, making him an even more attractive candidate for the White Sox.

Bats

Josh Reddick (Oakland A’s outfielder)

As of right now due to the fact that he is on the disabled list with a fractured thumb. Reddick is having a career year, as he was hitting .322 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI’s before he went down with the injury.

The best part about Reddick is that he is an elite defender in right field, meaning if the White Sox were to acquire him they would have stud defenders in both corners of the outfield. A positive about the injury for teams looking to bring Reddick to their roster, is that it decreases his trade value.

Another factor to add to that last point is he will be on the open market past 2016, and in a weak free agent class he should get a big contract

Jay Bruce (Cincinnati Reds outfielder)

Here is a player that the White Sox should be interested in, just due to the fact that the Reds are in absolute sell mode as of this second.

Since the lineup needs an instant boost, Bruce might make some sense due to the fact that his power bat from the left side would be a welcome addition to the middle of the order, as he could hit in the #5 spot, moving Melky Cabrera up to #2.

With a batting average of .279, not to mention power and run production (12 HR and 37 RBI’s) Bruce could help balance the lineup out some as he swings from the left side. The one drawback is that he will be constantly hitting into a shift, meaning that he is a dead pull hitter.

Bruce’s BB/K rate is terrible as well, with 12 BB’s and 44 K’s. This might one might make some sense. One more plus, Bruce is a capable outfielder who could play either corner but would make for a better DH on the South Side.

Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado Rockies outfielder)

Gonzalez may be the most talented of the three outfielders listed, as he has legit superstar ability. However, the biggest issue with him is that he has a long injury history and unlike the others mentioned, the White Sox would owe him big money for 2017 ($20 million).

Gonzalez is an interesting name due to the fact that the White Sox love to go and get big names, which is what Gonzalez is. However, this one might be a little bit too much of a risk. While there is a chance that Gonzalez could carry the White Sox to the playoffs, he could also miss several weeks.

One problem this season is that outside of the long ball, he isn’t driving in runs. While Gonzalez has 11 home runs, he has only driven home 24 men. He had the same issue in 2015, while launching 40 bombs, he only drove home 97 men. The 97 men is a solid number, it is just that I would want more RBI’s out of a player who goes deep 40 times.

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Overall, if the Sox were to make one move, based on all factors involved, I would go after Jay Bruce. While he may not be as good of a player as the other two outfielders, it is more important to acquire a player and not give up much, as the system needs to stay as talent rich as it can (which is hard right now).

I would take a bat because the White Sox can’t hit very well, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see their top prospect Tim Anderson in the near future (who is a shortstop).

If I were to trade for one of the two relievers, I would go after McGee due to the fact that he would cost less in terms of prospects, and the White Sox would have him post 2016.

Next: RBI Decimal: A Sabermetric View of the RBI

Not to mention they would be able to use him in the 8^th inning. I just think that the bullpen is less of an issue now that Shields is on the roster, who will eat innings and save the pen form overuse. Expect the White Sox to make a few more moves, as they seem to be going “All-In” in 2016. Enjoy the trade season, White Sox fans.