White Sox should jump on opportunity presented in AL Central
If the rumors are true, the White Sox might have a chance at the playoffs if Rick Hahn plays his cards correctly.
The White Sox front office should pay close attention to the happenings in the Indians front office as the rumors are showing the Indians might have a massive sell-off.
According to an article by Buster Olney on ESPN, the Indians are listening to offers on everyone except Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez. With the rest of the AL Central in rebuild mode behind the Sox, if the Indians really are going to reduce payroll, the Sox could have a chance at taking the AL Central.
To make matters better for the AL Central teams not in Cleveland, the Indians did not offer any qualifying offers to their free agents according to MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. This list include Michael Brantley, Andrew Miller, and Cody Allen. The qualifying offer was $17.9 million. Along with those three men, nine other Indians hit the free agent market including players like Josh Donaldson, Melky Cabrera, and Rajai Davis.
This could mean that the Indians window has officially closed. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals have just begun rebuilding. And, the Minnesota Twins have a new manager.
Could the Sox have a chance?
Not with the current 40-man roster.
If the Sox want to take full advantage of the Indians rumored sell-off, Rick Hahn needs to make changes to the pitching rotation.
He should think like the Yankees and go big. No one would expect it and that’s perfectly ok. The White Sox and their fans deserve nice things.
First, he should trade Lucas Giolito, before he’s in too deep with the team. Giolito racked up the most earned runs and the most bases-on-balls in the American League. A pitcher like that will not help the team. He’s only making the league minimum, but he costs the Sox more wins than that low salary is worth.
After getting rid of Giolito, Hahn should get his hands on a few of those outstanding pitchers in the free agent market. His first acquisition should be Dallas Keuchel to be ace of the team. With Reynaldo Lopez and Carlos Rodon, the Sox will need a second and fifth starter. The others could be made via trade or could be pitchers like Francisco Liriano, Anibal Sanchez, Wade Miley, or maybe the versatile Nate Eovaldi.
Hahn could even work on Sonny Gray, as the Yankees are keen to get rid of him.
No matter what Hahn does, he needs to find an ace who can lead and inspire the rest of the pitching staff to be better than they think they can be. James Shields may have been a positive asset in the clubhouse, but his pitching was uninspiring. The Sox need an ace with swagger who creates bit of nervousness in batters. The current pitching staff just doesn’t do that.
If the Indians are really interested in moving their pitching, then by all means, Hahn should go after one of them. Corey Kluber will demand the most money, but Carlos Carrasco would be a solid fit in Chicago. He doesn’t come with the drama of Trevor Bauer. Instead, Carrasco comes with a career ERA of 3.71 – better than any of the 2018 ChiSox starters.
Imagine a Sox rotation that included Keuchel, Carrasco, Lopez, Rodon, and say … 2018 Anibal Sanchez? I could watch that.
All of the teams that made it to the playoffs had one thing in common – a lights-out bullpen pitcher.
The Brewers had Josh Hader. The Dodgers had Pedro Baez. The Red Sox had Joe Kelly. And, the list goes on.
The White Sox did not have any bullpen pitchers who could dominate. Not one. There is no way that the team will go anywhere in the new post-season without a solid bullpen. So, Hahn will have to make several moves to get that part of the house in order.
First, he needs to sign that one lights-out pitcher. My suggestion is Joe Kelly or the post-season go-to guy – Andrew Miller.
Then, Hahn needs a closer. A real. Veteran. Closer. There are plenty of them available. David Robertson would be an interesting player to bring back to Chicago. Other closers who could add their skills to the bullpen include Brad Brach, Kelvin Herrera, and Tony Sipp. Of course, Craig Kimbrel is out there, too.
I’d also be perfectly satisfied with Hahn making a smart trade for Edwin Diaz of the Seattle Mariners.
Yes, by this time, I’ve got the White Sox 2019 contract obligations sky-high. But, there are only a few more additions I’d like to see.
Only a few of the rebuild-bullpen pitchers should remain. Of course, Hahn needs to keep Nate Jones. Others who showed promise in 2018 were Jace Fry, Juan Minaya, and Aaron Bummer. Hector Santiago was ok as a long-inning guy, but there are better ones out there.
Matt Davidson might also prove to be a valuable asset in the pen during Spring Training. If he doesn’t, there’s always the DH spot.
Once the rotation and relievers decisions are completed, the other position players need to be fixed.
Behind the dish, the catching platoon is satisfactory. Welington Castillo and Omar Narvaez do well both offensively and defensively. Of regular players, Narvaez had the highest batting average on the team. Despite Castillo’s 80-game suspension, he did manage to hit six home runs and bat .259/.304/.406. As a catching platoon, they were one of the best hitting in the MLB.
First base should be covered by Jose Abreu. He is a two-time All-Star and should be on a team that gets to the post-season. He knocked in the second most home runs on the team. Only Daniel Palka hit more.
Second base needs a change and the best choice would be to trade Yoan Moncada. He led the league in strikeouts and his 73 runs were not enough to justify his 219 Ks. Better second basemen are on the free agent list: Ian Kinsler, DJ LeMahieu, and Josh Harrison.
Or, Yolmer Sanchez could be moved back to second base, which would open up third base for Manny Machado to fill.
Finally, short stop should stay as it is. Tim Anderson did well at that position and he’s only going to better, especially if Machado is added to the team. Anderson’s 20 home runs and 26 stolen bases were valuable to the team.
Finally, Hahn should make another huge move and sign Manny Machado. There aren’t many better at third base and short stop. Yes, he wasn’t enough to help the Dodgers win, but the Dodgers problems were much bigger than Machado.
The designated hitter could be on rotation, unless Daniel Palka can prove 2018 was not a fluke.
At the end of the 2018 season, the ChiSox outfield was mediocre at best.
Yes, Adam Engel finished third in the AL center field Gold Glove nominations, but he didn’t win. And, he certainly wouldn’t win any batting awards.
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So, center field needs an upgrade. The Sox shouldn’t get rid of Engel, but he would be better as an outfield bench player. I have been a big fan of Adam Jones, who is a free agent after several years leading the Orioles. Jones may be 33 years old and his glove is nothing like Engel’s, but Jones can hit. And, his veteran presence is invaluable.
Jones is incredibly motivated to win in the post-season and on a solid team, he shines. On that horrible 2018 Orioles team, he hit .281/.313/.419 with 35 doubles and 15 home runs.
If Avisail Garcia can stay healthy, right field should remain his. This kid can hit and his range in the outfield is one of the best in the game. Of course, there are right fielders on the free agent list, but Hahn can’t replace everyone. Can he?
Left-field needs an upgrade more than right field. Michael Brantley and Marwin Gonzalez are both available, but they won’t come cheap. Curtis Granderson, a Chicago native, is also available. While he’s getting up there in age, he could be an interesting option to platoon with Engel or Leury Garcia.
dark. Next. White Sox rumored interest in Machado and Harper
That’s it. With a team filled with veterans and some of the youngsters added for the rebuild, the Sox could take over the top – especially if the Indians are ready to throw in the towel.