White Sox: Three Chicago Cubs players to pursue this offseason
The Chicago White Sox are a team that is just a few players away from competing for the Division and the Chicago Cubs might have some guys to look at.
The Chicago White Sox share the town with the Chicago Cubs. That fact has led to a pretty big rivalry. The rivalry is pretty much a fan-based rivalry, however, and it doesn’t impact either team on the field that much. They have the crosstown series and that is it. They are not in the same division or league for that matter, so it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. They will never impact each other’s chances of winning the World Series unless they actually play in the fall classic.
They have proven that point in recent years as they made a huge trade with each other in 2017. The Cubs acquired Jose Quintana from the White Sox in exchange for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease. It is a trade that appears to be dominated by the White Sox but each team got what they needed at the time. The Cubs have been very successful since their rebuild officially ended, including a World Series title in 2016.
It has been downhill since for the Cubs since then, however. They did not qualify for the playoffs in 2019 and that has led people to believe that there are going to be some changes this year. They have already fired head coach Joe Madden and replaced him with David Ross. That is a monumental change for them and some player movement could follow. There are three players that the Chicago White Sox should try and take from the Cubs as they head into 2020:
1. player. 9. . 3B/RF. Chicago Cubs. Nicholas Castellanos
The Chicago Cubs made a brilliant trade when they brought in Nicholas Castellanos at the trade deadline. He came over from the Detroit Tigers and was so awesome for the Cubs down the stretch. They missed the playoffs but he was a bright spot for them as they tried very hard to get it. Obviously, it came up short but it certainly wasn’t his fault.
His numbers significantly increased when he arrived on the North Side from Detroit. Obviously, the Cubs are a much better team than the Tigers but the increase in production was so great that you can’t even blame it on that. It seems to be a great fit for him but if it doesn’t work out but he still wants to stay in Chicago he could come to the South Side. In 100 games for Detroit, he had 11 home runs, 37 RBIs, and a slash line of .273/.328/.462. Those numbers are okay for a terrible team but when he got to the Cubs he played in only 51 games and had 16 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a slash line of .321/.356/.646.
He would fill a position of need for the White Sox if he came in and played some serviceable right field. He isn’t the best defensive right fielder on earth but he can be a good enough hitter that it might be worth it. The White Sox haven’t had great production from that position at the plate in a long time and Castellanos would be a great fit. He has also lit up the White Sox in his career so Rick Hahn would be really smart to try and get this guy.
2. player. 9. . P. Chicago Cubs. Cole Hamels
The Chicago Cubs added in Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers during the 2018 season. He has been a good player for them during his mid-30s but his time as a Cub is more than likely done. If he did want to continue his career in Chicago however, he could come to the South Side who could probably use some help at both the top and bottom of their rotation. At 36 years old, he will likely be a guy at the bottom of the rotation and that is okay.
He went 7-7 with the Cubs in 2019 which isn’t terrible for a guy who was behind guys like Yu Darvish, Jose Quintana, Jon Lester, and Kyle Hendricks. He wasn’t awful by any means and he probably deserves a better record than he had. He had a 3.81 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. His WAR was 3.0 and he compiled 143 strikeouts. It was a pretty good year for him as he pretty much is what he is at this point.
The White Sox pitching staff is going to be crowded next season, especially if they add a starting pitcher or two. Lucas Giolito, Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Michael Kopech, and Dylan Cease are all going to be fighting for starts so it will be interesting to see if they can add a guy like Hamels and potentially make a trade involving one of the previously mentioned guys. Hamels would also be a good presence in the clubhouse as well so that could be something Rick Hahn looks at over the winter.
9. . LF/C. Chicago Cubs. Kyle Schwarber. 3. player
Kyle Schwarber is going to go down as one of the most memorable Cubs who ever lived. He was a major piece to their World Series win in 2016. He was injured for most of that season but he came in for the final series against the Cleveland Indians and had a time. Anyone who was a big part of that team is a Chicago legend forever. Now with all of that said, the Cubs might have a big enough shake up this offseason that some big names could be on the move.
The Cubs are either going to try and sign Kris Bryant or trade him. There is also a rumor that they move Willson Contreras. The thing is, we don’t really know exactly who they are going to move. They just hired David Ross to be their new manager so there very well could be a shakeup. Kyle Schwarber could very well be a guy they trade away. He was born to be a designated hitter and there is a major need for that on the south side.
He would come in and be the starting DH right away and could be the best DH the White Sox have had since Jim Thome. In 2019, he had a slash line of .250/.339/.531. He added 38 home runs and 92 RBIs. Those are some really good numbers for a guy like Schwarber and the White Sox would love to add a bat like that in the middle of their lineup. He isn’t the best defensive outfielder but on days that Eloy sits, he could get in some time out there as well. With guys like Moncada, Abreu, Jimenez, and Anderson in the lineup, Schwarber would become very dangerous.
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This move would require a trade because his contract is not up. The Cubs still have control of Kyle Schwarber so another trade between the two Chicago teams would need to take place but there is no doubt that he would look good on the south side.