Chicago White Sox: Internal second base options
The Chicago White Sox don’t have many unanswered questions when it comes to roster construction in 2020, but the second base position is one of the few still remaining.
It’s so far unclear who the team intends to turn to for that role on Opening Day.
While it is well known that top prospect Nick Madrigal will be the long-term choice for the position, it is certainly in question whether or not the team will call him up to start the season.
As it is, there are still some strong second base options on the free agent market that the team should consider.
It would definitely make the most sense to sign someone externally at this stage, especially when it is considered that they could probably get one of the options mentioned in the article on a minor league deal at this point in the offseason.
Getting a chance to start the season at the position would make the South Side an appealing option for second basemen looking to break camp with a team.
But, if the team chooses to stick with their internal options, there are three options they could turn to.
Nick Madrigal. 1. player. 128. . 2B. Chicago White Sox
Why not start the future now? Well, that’s because of a couple of notable reasons.
One, the team doesn’t believe Nick Madrigal has accumulated enough Triple-A plate appearances as GM Rick Hahn has hinted.
The 22-year-old started the 2019 season with High-A Winston-Salem and played more games (49) there than any of the other two levels he played at.
Madrigal actually only played a total of 29 games at Triple-A Charlotte in which he accumulated 134 plate appearances.
That being said, he also had a .331/.398/.424 slash line there so it’s hard to argue his bat wouldn’t play well at the major league level based on his stats alone.
The other factor to consider, though, is service time manipulation.
Rick Hahn has proven to go against the grain on this thinking in the past as he signed Eloy Jimenez to an extension to put him on the Opening Day roster in 2019 and did the same for Luis Robert this season.
Our own Samiya Green made a compelling case for why the team should continue the trend with Madrigal.
There’s really no doubt in anyone’s mind that Madrigal is the team’s best option to play the position in 2020. His .311/.377/.414 slash line, 35 stolen bases, and lowly 16 total strikeouts would suggest he doesn’t have much more to learn in Triple-A.
If the team would start the season with Madrigal on the roster, which the White Sox front office should give him every chance to prove he deserves to, the rest of this article would become a moot point.
But, for now, the next two options are very relevant.
Chicago White Sox. Danny Mendick. 2. player. 128. . IF
The 26-year-old really had fallen off the radar up until last season when he reached the majors and impressed in the season’s final month.
Over 16 games, Danny Mendick hit .308/.325/.462 with two homers and four RBI to give himself a 108 wRC+ and 0.2 fWAR
Defensively, he moved around the infield as he played second base, shortstop, and third base.
If the team went with Mendick, they would be picking a player who is more likely suited for a utility-infield role going forward, but might be able to give them a short stretch of success to start the season.
The White Sox would need to be very careful about overexposure for Mendick, though, as it’s likely pitchers will figure him out if used every day for a large portion of the season.
There’s no doubt that he deserves a chance to break camp with the team as the team’s starting second baseman, but his 109 wRC+ over 133 minor league games in 2019 suggest that his offensive ceiling is limited.
Chicago will boast a strong lineup in 2020 which gives them the ability to not worry so much about a weak link at the bottom of the lineup early on.
But, as the season progresses, injuries could turn one weak link into three very quickly so the team might not want to rely on Mendick for too long of a stretch this season.
Leury Garcia . 3. player. 128. . IF/OF. Chicago White Sox
The biggest reason Leury Garcia wouldn’t be the best option to start at second base doesn’t really have to do with his playing ability.
Garica, 28, could be a secret weapon for the White Sox in 2020 and starting him at the keystone would take away some of his usefulness.
His ability to play second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots makes him the perfect super-utility player and the team’s swiss army knife.
If the team were to plant him at second base, the White Sox would be forfeiting his greatest quality as a player.
Now, if the team wants to play Garcia at second base for a couple of weeks or even the season’s first month, then this won’t be a concern.
But, if this turns into a more long-term situation, it could be problematic and become very similar to the case of Mendick.
Garcia’s bat could prove to be an issue if he plays every day as he appeared in a career-high 140 games and hit .279/.310/.378 with eight home runs, 40 RBI, and 15 stolen bases to give himself an 83 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR in 2019.
dark. Next. White Sox's Three Biggest Weaknesses
That is fine for a super-utility role where he moves around the diamond and fills in whenever asked, but it’s not really ideal for an everyday player on the Chicago White Sox.