Three free agents that can help White Sox defensively
1. Yolmer Sanchez
Now, I know that the likelihood of the White Sox re-signing Sanchez after waiving him are slim, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
In 2019, the second baseman won the AL Gold Glove for his impressive work at the keystone. He registered 11 DRS and a 4.9 UZR.
The biggest reason for the team removing someone as talented defensively as Sanchez was that he was projected to receive $6.2 million in arbitration as noted by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors.
At that price, Sanchez might not have been worth keeping as he has never been a strong offensive option and hit .252/.318/.321 with only two homers and 49 RBI in 2019.
However, if the team could bring him back for $2-$3 million, it is definitely worth it as they won’t find another defender as good as him on the open market.
Now, the argument could be made that the White Sox definitely wouldn’t need him to start anywhere by the end of April as Nick Madrigal should take control of the starting job in short order in 2020.
That being said, in case Madrigal isn’t able to live up to expectations, having a solid backup in-house already would be a good idea.
Every team needs a capable backup infielder just in general and Sanchez has played shortstop and third base in addition to second.
Sanchez would represent a strong option in that regard for the team and given his familiarity with the club, the White Sox should look to re-sign him at a cheaper rate than his arbitration projection.
2. Jarrod Dyson
Center field is an interesting place to acquire a player for the 2020 season as well with it expected to locked down by top prospect Luis Robert in short order.
But, if Robert either proves to be not ready to handle an entire season at the major league level, proves to not be a true center fielder, or doesn’t make the team on Opening Day, signing Dyson as a hedge would be a smart move.
Defensively speaking, Dyson could provide immense value even as a fourth outfielder or short-term starter. In 646 2/3 innings in 2019, Dyson registered 5 DRS and a 2.6 UZR in center.
In fact, throughout his career, he has 97 DRS and a 60.3 UZR playing all three outfield spots and has not graded out negatively ever at any of those positions. If you want to talk about defensive consistency to bank on, Dyson has it.
Offensively speaking, he leaves something to be desired as he hit .230/.313/.320 with seven homers and 27 RBI in 2019 to give himself a 69 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR.
The concern would be that at 35-years-old, Dyson could decline rapidly and with a weak offensive profile, his value would be gone if his defense were to falter.
That being said, the outfielder shouldn’t command anything more than $3 million annually and for no more than two years.
As a strong fourth outfielder option, the White Sox should definitely be looking into Jarrod Dyson this offseason.
3. Kole Calhoun
Of the three positions mentioned, right field is the only spot that the team could guarantee a starting role in for the entirety of the 2020 season as of now.
If the season were to start today and both Nick Madrigal and Luis Robert were on the Opening Day roster, Leury Garcia would start in right field.
While Garcia wasn’t bad in 2019, it appears that the team has already assessed that they need an upgrade at that position in 2020.
With that being the case, Kole Calhoun probably represents the best option on the free agent market.
I don’t think I need to explain how Nicholas Castellanos is not their best option defensively, although his bat would provide immense value to the lineup.
Calhoun, on the flip side, ranked seventh in MLB in DRS (-1) and fourth in UZR (5.1) in 2019.
While -1 DRS isn’t overly impressive, he has 12 DRS over parts of eight seasons in the league and he’s only finished negative in the category twice in his career (other was in 2013) and once in UZR (also 2013).
Despite not being a flashy option offensively, Calhoun is a solid left-handed bat to add to the lineup as he hit .232/.325/.467 with 33 homers and 74 RBI in 2019 to give himself a 108 wRC+ and 2.5 fWAR.
The fact that he’s a left-handed bat would help balance the team’s lineup as they currently are set to only have two left-handed options in their lineup and both are switch hitters in Yasmani Grandal and Yoan Moncada.
Next. White Sox Are Dark Horse For Stephen Strasburg. dark
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors only projects him to net a one-year deal worth $6 million and if that’s the price, the White Sox should jump at the opportunity of signing him.