White Sox: Do’s and Don’ts for Current 2017 Offseason

White Sox have many decisions to make during this offseason. What are some do’s and don’ts for the team before the start of next season?

With the offseason in full swing, it is time for some do’s and don’ts for our beloved Chicago White Sox. This upcoming season will be year two of a multi-season rebuild, which will include more trades to contending clubs. Considering that is one way to accelerate the process, let’s get into what the South Siders should and shouldn’t do over the next few months.

Do’s

Trade Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia

If you take into account that Abreu has been a dominant hitter for some time now, his value may never be higher than right now. Keep in mind that while he has only played in the major leagues for four seasons, Abreu didn’t come to the United States until he was 26-years-old. If you want to some simple math, he will be 31 on Opening Day of 2018 meaning his lifetime .301 average and 30-plus home run per year power could decline at any moment.

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As for Garcia, this is a player who performed at a bench player level for his entire career and then became and All-Star in 2017. That is very rare, even for someone who is 26-years-old and has parts of six MLB seasons under his belt (talent inconsequential). Another red flag is Garcia’s BABIP, which led the majors by .021 (.392) and is very likely to regress in 2018. His batting average of .330 should be very good in the future, but his impressive 2017 is unlikely to occur again.

Even more important, is that both of these players are eligible for free agency after the 2019 season. That makes moving them now exceedingly important, considering the Sox window to contend on a consistent basis may not even be open until 2020.

Sign bargain free agents

This is one of the keys to rebuilding a baseball team. If you bring in cheap free agents and they perform above what those around baseball expected them to, that club can deal them to a team looking to win at some point during the season. The Sox did exactly that with Anthony Swarzak this past July, when they sent him to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor league outfielder Ryan Cordell. That is especially impressive considering that Swarzak did not come to camp on a major league contract, so can the Sox strike gold again?

Don’ts

Trade any of the top young talent

If the Sox start dealing away their elite youngsters, they will erase what was already started. And considering Rick Hahn is off to a great start, it makes little sense to destroy anything that is underway on the South Side. If the ballclub can stay the course, it is possible to have a Houston Astros type organization in a handful of years. Will that happen? Who knows, but impulsive trades and free agents signings could set them back, and that would make little sense to anyone right now.

Sign or trade for any big name players

It is far too early to commit any significant amount money to one player, especially considering what has been started. This may intertwine with what was referenced in the last topic, however it needs to be stated nonetheless. Dealing anyone, especially prospects would cripple a chance for the Sox to get their feet on the ground, and they need to get a solid base before any signings or dealings can happen.

Next: Don't Expect Quality Return in a Jose Abreu Trade

Overall, these areas are critical for the Sox to focus on during the current rebuild. There are certain players that still have value, and can be moved if the price is right. Keeping an individual on the team just because he is well-liked by the fans is great when the club in winning, but not so much when they lose 90-plus games either way. My point is don’t try to be bad, be terrible and let the young kids play. When they grow up, we could have a run Sox fans.