Chicago White Sox: 3 free agents in World Series to consider
The 2021 ALDS was a wake-up call for the Chicago White Sox. After being completely outclassed by the Houston Astros it has become obvious that the White Sox need some reinforcements if they hope to take the next step.
The offense was inconsistent, the starting pitching underperformed, and the bullpen collapsed. The Chicago White Sox championship window is open right now and the team cannot squander seasons away by being ill-equipped during the playoffs.
As the eyes of the baseball world turn towards Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros as they clash in the World Series, the White Sox front office has an opportunity to witness a showcase of talent that could help them next season.
Both of these teams have players whose contracts are up after the season. Rick Hahn has made it clear that no season will be considered a success until the White Sox are the last team standing. It might be in the White Sox’s best interest to add a piece that helped the Braves and Astros get to the point that the White Sox aspire to be.
By adding Dallas Keuchel and Yasmani Grandal, Rick Hahn made it clear that he values postseason experience. The list of free agents includes some premier arms, former All-Stars, and postseason standouts.
The Chicago White Sox could consider adding a free agent playing in the World Series.
Here are three players participating in the 2021 World Series that the White Sox should consider acquiring during the offseason.
Jorge Soler would be a great fit for the Chicago White Sox during the 2022 season.
There are few trade deadline acquisitions that have made a larger impact than Jorge Soler to the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta’s season was hanging in the balance with Ronald Acuna Jr lost for the season and Marcell Ozuna getting arrested for domestic violence charges. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos turned to Jorge Soler to patch one of the holes in the outfield. Soler has done that and then some.
In 55 games with Atlanta, Soler belted 14 home runs, drove in 33, and posted a .524 slugging percentage. He also hit .269 which helped attribute to his .882 OPS. During the postseason he led off the World Series with a home run in Game 1 then hit a massive go-ahead blast in Game 4.
The White Sox are familiar with Soler’s bat. He has tormented them as a member of the Kansas City Royals. He led the American League with 48 home runs in 2019. He just so happens to check every box the White Sox need.
It’s no secret that the White Sox were better when they hit home runs. Despite a lineup full of power, the White Sox did not hit home runs at a very high rate. Adding Soler would help solve that problem. His power would play perfectly in Guaranteed Rate Field.
The White Sox needs a solution to right field. Soler is a capable outfielder who can also serve as a designated hitter if need be. An outfield that features Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Jorge Soler would rival any in the league. Soler’s durability is also a plus. He led the AL in games played in 2020.
Finally, Soler is battle-tested in the postseason. He won the World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and has five career postseason home runs. There are some concerns, however. The 29-year has a bad habit of expanding the strike zone. Soler led the league in strikeouts in 2019 with 178. He also ranked 17th in the AL in 2020.
Joc Peterson finally playing for the Chicago White Sox would be very cool.
The White Sox have been admiring Joc Pederson for a while now. Rick Hahn even tried to sign Pederson last offseason but he wound up signing with the White Sox crosstown rival instead.
Since being dealt from the Cubs to Atlanta, Pederson has come up in some big spots for the Braves. He hit seven home runs with the Braves and posted a .325 OPB. During the postseason he has hit three home runs and helped the Braves down his former club in Los Angeles.
Most importantly for the White Sox, he delivers during the postseason. He has a lifetime .262 batting average with 12 home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .830 OPS during playoff baseball. Pederson seems to have a knack for clutch moments.
Before he was crushing October home runs for the Dodgers and Braves, he was named a Post-Season All-Star as a member of the Ogden Raptors in 2011. Four years later, he was named a National League All-Star as a member of the Los Angles Dodgers in 2015.
Five years after that, he helped the Dodgers win a World Series Championship. He was especially good during the NLDS hitting .389 with a .421 OBP to boot.
Like Soler, Pederson would help the White Sox in the power department. He was a member of the Home Run Derby in 2015 and 2019. He ranked 11th in the National League with 36 home runs in 2019. In 2018, he was 19th with 25 home runs and in 2015 he was 14th with 26.
In fact, Pederson has posted double-digit home runs in every full season he has played. The only two seasons he didn’t was in 2014 when he played 18 games with the Dodgers and in the shortened 60-game season in 2020.
As a left-handed bat, he would help balance the White Sox lineup and should only see his production increase with the added lineup protection and short porch Guaranteed Rate Field has in right field.
Pederson can also get on base at a high clip as well. He has ranked inside the top 20 in the National League in “hit by pitch” on four separate occasions. His career OBP is .332. That would place him inside the top 100 on MLB currently.
He is not known for his great defense, which is concerning considering that the White Sox already have Eloy Jimenez in left field. But there is a reason the White Sox has tried to acquire his services on multiple occasions. Time will tell if Rick Hahn can finally seal the deal.
The Chicago White Sox could certainly use some bullpen help this winter.
The White Sox bullpen failed to live up to their lofty expectations set upon them leading up to the 2021 season. Their struggles were one of the reasons Rick Hahn went out and added Ryan Tepera and Craig Kimbrel from the Chicago Cubs with the hopes of solidifying the back end of the bullpen.
It did not go as planned. The White Sox are already looking to trade Kimbrel because he turned out to be such a disaster. If the White Sox wants a veteran reliever to replace him, then Kendall Graveman is a viable option.
The White Sox got a first look at Graveman during the ALDS. In nine games this postseason, he has a 1-0 record, 1.64 ERA, and 11 strikeouts.
He opened the 2021 season with the Seattle Mariners and was lethal out of their bullpen. He posted a 0.82 ERA before being traded to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline. He finished the year with 10 saves and a 1.77 ERA.
Graveman mostly thrived in a setup role which is exactly what the White Sox need. Liam Hendriks has the closer role locked up so the White Sox just need to build a bridge to the ninth inning. During the last two seasons, Graveman has held opponents to a .221 and .180 batting average.
Graveman does have a career ERA of 4.15 so his services would not be as expensive as other relief arms on the market. If he can replicate the success he had in 2021 then he would be a great addition to bolster the White Sox bullpen.
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