Chicago White Sox: Mindset after Mookie Betts extension
Mookie Betts is off the board so that might affect the White Sox mindset for RF.
The Chicago White Sox are going to roll with Nomar Mazara as their right fielder this year. That is okay because no matter how Mazara hits, he is going to be an upgrade over the production the White Sox have had from the right-field position. With that said, unless he turns into a complete superstar, the White Sox are likely to always be looking to upgrade that position. There are some superstar options coming up here but one big one is off the board.
It might have been a pipe dream to think that Mookie Betts would ever come to the White Sox but you never know. They have a bunch of great young players and some solid veterans that are going to form a very good team. Mookie Betts would turn 2021 into a borderline World Series contending year to a full-blown World Series contending year. Well, it is reported that a ten year 350 million dollar extension is coming his way with the Los Angeles Dodgers so he is out.
The Dodgers could still be a team of interest because they still have a great player that can help fill the void for the Sox. They have Joc Pederson who has an expiring contract after this year. Betts’ contract might push him out of town so the White Sox can absolutely go for him. He and his 30+ home runs each year would be a fantastic upgrade for the Sox.
This also makes George Springer an interesting option for the White Sox. If he proves in these 60 games that he wasn’t only good because he played for a cheater organization then he should earn himself a really nice contract. The White Sox outfield would look stunning if you had Springer join Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez out there. With Betts off the board, he is probably the next best option.
Where do the White Sox rank against the Cubs?. light. Hot
All in all, Betts is out of the White Sox hair in terms of having to face him very often which is also nice. They will only play the Dodgers in the regular season every so often and would only meet in the playoffs if it were a World Series matchup between the two teams. It didn’t look like he would ever sniff that kind of money after the COVID-19 pandemic cost the MLB a lot of revenue but here we are. This definitely could change the mindset of the White Sox and a lot of other teams that needed a right fielder.