White Sox Should Pursue Mark Trumbo in Offseason
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox have struggled offensively all season. Mark Trumbo would inject another powerful bat into the lineup and could fill the void at DH.
The Chicago White Sox have struggled to put up runs consistently this offseason. They also don’t hit many home runs which is surprising considering where they play their games. U.S. Cellular Field or Guaranteed Rate Field is one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in baseball.
Mark Trumbo would make a great signing by the Sox. Trumbo, who plays right field for the Baltimore Orioles, is hitting .248 with 45 home runs and 104 RBIs this season. He could give them a dangerous heart of the lineup if you pair him with Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier.
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While this team really needs a left-handed bat, a guy like Trumbo could also pay dividends. Also, there really isn’t a power left-handed power hitter comparable to him available. Kendrys Morales may be the closest one.
Trumbo would give the Sox the type of hitter they haven’t had in a long time. Imagine what he could do at one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. Also, he has hit 20+ homer runs in every season except 2014, when he only played 88 games.
The biggest question in bringing him to Chicago would be where to play him. Right now he is playing right field in Baltimore. But Adam Eaton has shown all season why he’s one of the best defensive right fielders in the game. Center field really isn’t an option because he would not be fast enough. You could potentially play him in left field, but Melky Cabrera has a better arm and would definitely play better defensively.
The best bet would be to put him at designated hitter. The guy is a hitter, so let him hit. Besides, the Sox haven’t had a good DH since Jim Thome. This season was a revolving door between Avisail Garica, Cabrera at times, and Abreu. There really wouldn’t be that much of an adjustment period because Trumbo has been a DH in the past. And you can always plug him into the field, just to keep him in the game.
The Orioles signed him to a one year contract worth $9.15 million. He is 30 years old, so his career is winding down, but he still has a lot to give. Best scenario for the Sox is to sign the slugger to a two or three year deal. He is going to want a raise, so the price is going to depend on market value. I’m sure Trumbo will want to see what someone like Edwin Encarnacion will draw. However, Yahoo Sport’s Jeff Passan wrote Trumbo’s stock could be hurt by his lack of defense. That could be a plus for the Sox because they are not big spenders traditionally.
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If the Sox wish to be competitive next season, they need to start opening their wallets and spending during free agency. Trumbo would fill an area of need and improve their lineup. He definitely won’t solve their problems but he will be an upgrade to a stagnant offense. One can only hope the front office sees this too.