White Sox: Ten players who might not be on the team next year

The Chicago White Sox fully expects to be a division contender in 2020 and there are some guys who won’t be a part of it in favor of prospects.

The Chicago White Sox had some memorable moments in year three of their rebuild. They took the team and stripped it to the bone in 2016. They started by moving Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox and it was all rebuild from that point on. They have been heavily invested in acquiring prospects and drafting players really high to develop them and hopefully build them up for long term success. It appears to be working as they had a pretty good year in 2019 with all things considered as they improved by 10 wins.

With guys like Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez reaching their potential and leading the way, this team has a really bright future and it could start as early as 2020. That would be really fun to watch as Sox fans as they haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2008. They have the pieces to get it done sooner than later and not just be a one and done team. They are building a team that they expect to compete year in and year out.

That may lead to some familiar faces that were on the 2019 team to be on the 2020 team. This team is hoping they can compete next season and some guys just simply aren’t going to be there to see it. There are some obvious names and there are some that might be a little more of a surprise. This list isn’t going to be made up of guys who are guaranteed to be gone but have a chance to be gone based on their level of play of contract status.

Ryan Cordell

Ryan Cordell was a  gap player for the White Sox in 2019 but he was never going to be a guy on this team long term. He had some moments where he was good but there is no doubt the White Sox needs an upgrade at the right-field position. That is one of their areas of concern headed into the offseason. Their top two prospects are not right fielders and that could be the only non-pitcher position of concern next season if not addressed properly.

Cordell had a -0.6 WAR which is very not good and in 217 at-bats, he had 48 hits for a .221 batting average, 7 home runs, 22 runs scored, and 24 RBIs. He wasn’t an everyday player this season but he got enough time that there were games he stood out and others were completely invincible. He was one of four players sent to AAA Charlotte on Monday with the purpose of becoming a Minor League free agent following the 2019 World Series.

He should be able to find some work with another organization as the 27-year-old might be able to contribute to a AAA team and help them win. He is not going to be a part of the White Sox but he was a good soldier while he was there in a tough season.

Ryan Goins

Ryan Goins is a veteran utility infielder that spent a little bit of time with the White Sox after being an AAA All-Star thanks to his performance in the first half. At 31-years-old, he was clearly not going to be there long term as they get younger and more skilled, but he was a good player when Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada were injured and they needed some help.

When a team ends its rebuild, the fans should always look at players like Goins with fondness. He was a pretty good player for the White Sox while he played. He actually is the first player on this list with a positive WAR at 0.2 and that is only in 52 games played. He had a .250 batting average and had two home runs and 10 RBIs. He didn’t light the world on fire but he did have a few nice games and should be proud of his career up to this point. He is a guy that has worked hard and it paid off for him at times.

He was one of the four players sent to AAA to become Minor League free agents following the World Series. It is hard to tell if he will look for work or retire but he should have something left in the tank if he is okay with playing in the minors again. He likely won’t see any time with the White Sox in 2020 but we wish him well as a fanbase.

Matt Skole

Matt Skole was never an everyday player on the 2019 White Sox but he certainly isn’t going to be one going forward. The White Sox put Skole in the group of four players going to Charlotte for the purpose of becoming an AAA free agent and his time with the team has likely come to an end. He might be able to find some playing time in 2020 but the 30-year-old certainly would need to try and do so with another organization.

In 2019 he had a -0.6 WAR which is not good. They are going to be replacing him with a better player pretty much no matter who they put in. He had a .208 batting average and had 6 RBIs on 15 hits and no home runs. It was a tough season for him in the Majors but there is a reason to believe that his career might be able to continue his career playing professional baseball somewhere in 2020.

Skole can bring his veteran leadership to another organization trying to develop a good farm system but the White Sox are more than ready to move on. It is going to be a season with winning expectations for the Sox and Skole wouldn’t really be able to help them out there.

Jon Jay

This next player hurts to talk about for all White Sox fans. Jon Jay was seemingly brought in to help convince Manny Machado to come to Chicago but Machado ended up signing a very lucrative contract with the San Diego Padres and leaving the White Sox with Jay. Jay barely played this season as he started and ended the season on the injured list and he will for sure not be on the White Sox in 2020.

Jay’s time with the White Sox wasn’t very good. Everyone knew why he was brought in and it didn’t really feel right having him on the team after Machado chose San Diego but there was really nothing they could do about it. He had a -0.8 WAR with the White Sox in his little amount of playing time. In 47 games played he had 44 hits, a .267 average, no home runs, and nine runs batted in.

He is not going to be on the White Sox next year and the 34-year-old will be looking for a new team to try and sign with. Maybe he will go join his friend in San Diego, but the south side certainly will not be where he resides. There is nothing personal with Jay, the circumstances were just less than ideal for him.

Welington Castillo

Welington Castillo is likely not going to be a part of the 2020 Chicago White Sox. James McCann had a breakout year and the catcher of the future, Zack Collins, is going to be there. This could end up being one of the best catching duos in the league if Collins takes another step forward and plays well behind the plate. That leaves no room for Castillo on the depth chart. They even have Seby Zavala as their third-string in case there is an injury.

Castillo is going to be the odd catcher out and as a free agent, looking for another team. He had a -0.2 WAR in 72 games. He hit .209 and had 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. He wasn’t the reason the team was a non-playoff by any means, but the time to move on is not. There is no reason for him to be a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2020 with all of the good catchers that are going to be options for the next year.

The White Sox and their fans love a good catcher, and James McCann was exactly that for them this past year. He was a pleasant surprise and was a White Sox representative on the American League All-Stars. The elevation of McCann’s game is one of the number one reasons that Castillo will be on another team next year.

Yolmer Sanchez

Yolmer Sanchez is one of the most interesting guys on this list. He is one of the few on the list who are not an absolute guarantee to not be on the team but there is a chance they are not. What makes Sanchez expendable is the fact that the infield is starting to look a little crowded as far as potential starters. Yoan Moncada is going to be the third baseman for the foreseeable future, the same thing with Tim Anderson at shortstop and the organization hopes Nick Madrigal is going to step in and be the guy at the second base position long term.

Sanchez is a nominee for a gold glove at second base so there is no doubt he is a really good defender, but his batting leaves a lot to be desired. He is not a horrible hitter by any means, but the ceiling of Madrigal is what White Sox fans want to see develop instead of 27-year old Yolmer Sanchez. Madrigal is going to experiences some ups and downs in 2020 so Yolmer could be a good bench infielder for the downs in Madrigal’s season but he might want consistent playing time.

He had a 2.1 WAR in 2019 and had a .252 batting average in 149 games. He had 2 home runs and 43 RBIs to go along with 59 runs scored for the Sox. It was a decent season for a guy like him but Madrigal might be an upgrade if he hits the ground running. Madrigal isn’t bad defensively either, as he was nominated for a MiLB gold glove himself. This one isn’t a lock but there is certainly a chance he is on another team next year.

Ivan Nova

There are a lot of people that want the White Sox to bring Ivan Nova back in 2020 but there is a chance those people will be disappointed. With Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Dylan Cease in the mix, along with Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon coming back from injury, there is little room on this staff. Especially if they do decide to bring in a big free-agent pitcher. Nova was a pretty good pitcher in 2019 but there might not be enough spots available for him.

This is another one of those players that it is not an absolute lock that they are gone, but there is certainly a chance. He went 11-12 in 2019 and that was with him playing really well down the stretch. He had a 4,72 ERA, 1.455 WHIP, and a 2.1 WAR. Those are decent numbers for a 5th starter but they might be able to upgrade in 2020.

Nova’s best performances of the season may have come in two games that mean a lot to White Sox fans. The team went 2-0 in games he started against the Chicago Cubs. If you have that sort of success against the Cubs as a member of the White Sox, people will always remember you fondly. He was a good player for the White Sox and if he is forced to go elsewhere in 2020, we wish him well.

Leury Garcia

Leury Garcia has been a pretty good player during his time with the Chicago White Sox. The only problem now is that we might be getting into the time where the White Sox would only need him as a fourth outfielder. If they sign a big-name free agent to play right field then he could be off to another team. With players like Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert getting ready to take over left and center for the foreseeable future, Garcia’s only option might be the right-field spot.

If he does get the opportunity to be the starting right fielder all power to him. He had a 1.6 WAR in 2019 with a .279 batting average, 93 runs scored, and 40 RBIs. It certainly wasn’t a bad season and he could have earned himself some playing time with the White Sox next year, but he may not if they sign someone even better to play right field.

If he is okay being a fourth outfielder, then, by all means, keep him because he would be great in that role and it would take a lot of pressure off of him. If he wants to play in 150 games then the White Sox might not be the team for him but it all depends how the offseason goes. This is a great player and it is a big decision for Rick Hahn and the rest of the management team.

Jose Abreu

The White Sox have gotten a lot of great years from Jose Abreu. None might be greater than this last season he had where he led the American League with 123 RBIs. Winning an RBI title can’t hurt his wallet doing it in his contract year. He also hit .284 and had 33 home runs. He was one of the best players on the team and has been the single best player overall since joining the team in 2014. He had a WAR of 2.4 in 2019 and a career WAR of 21.2.

The White Sox are going to do everything they can to bring Abreu back and he seems to really want to see this rebuild through. The only reason he is on this list is because of the fact that his contract is up and the World Series is almost over. His free agency looms and anything can happen. It would be a big hit to the White Sox to lose him so it would be in their best interest to let him come back and see this through.

Abreu was there for a lot of bad baseball being played by the White Sox, and now that this thing might be about to turn the corner it would be great to see him be a part of it. He was the only great player they kept through the rebuild so they might as well keep him now. There are going to be other teams that pursue him which is why there is a small chance he is playing for another team in 2020.

Anything can happen with any of these players and some of them are more likely than others to be gone, but they all have at least a chance of not being members of the Chicago White Sox in 2020. We would like to see a few of them back but there are no guarantees.