White Sox: Team should go after ace pitcher Jacob deGrom
The White Sox could use an ace pitcher and there just so happens to be one named Jacob deGrom on the market.
While the White Sox do not have the worst rotation in the MLB (that honor belongs to the Kansas City Royals), adding an ace would move the Sox up in the race to the top.
The Sox rotation is near the bottom with only the Texas Rangers, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Royals below. The team’s combined ERA is 4.60. At the bottom, the Royals have an combined ERA of 5.19. At the top, the Astros have a combined ERA of 2.82.
The details on deGrom
deGrom, himself, is sitting atop the MLB with the best ERA in baseball: 1.69. He has a WHIP of 1.01 in 101 innings pitched. He is 30 years old and having the best season of his career. And, he’s had a solid career in his five years with the Mets.
He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2014 after posting an ERA of 2.69 in 22 games. That season, he gave up only seven home runs. This year, he has only given up five. His career ERA is a 2.81. He was an All-Star in 2015.
Speedy pitches
White Sox fans haven’t seen much of deGrom, since he has only pitched in the NL East. But, this guy is good. The right-hand pitcher stands 6’4 and weighs 180. While he doesn’t have the same ability to get a strikeout like Chris Sale or Max Scherzer, deGrom gets outs. According to FanGraphs, in 2018 45% of his hit pitches result in ground balls. His fastball, which he throws more than 50% of the time, averages 96 MPH. His slider comes in at an average of 91 MPH. deGrom also has a change up, sinker, and curve.
On the market
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Despite having the best pitcher in the MLB, the Mets have announced that they are open for business. In an article by Jim Kelly on MLB.com, the Mets assistant GM Mike Ricco made the announcement to reporters. Ricco said the Mets are not going into a rebuild, but that they:
"“And we’ll have to consider … for me, everything has to be on the table, but you’ve got to look long and hard before you move game-changing, top-of-the-rotation pitchers like that.”"
At one point, the Mets had an outstanding farm system. But this is no longer the case. They are in fourth in the NL East and they do not have any Top-50 prospects. They need just about everything, so the Sox could make interesting offers.
Next: White Sox need that guy to build the fanbase
deGrom does not enter free agency until 2021 and his 2018 salary is a mere $7.4 million. He’s even got World Series experience, which the Sox will need in next few seasons.