Chicago White Sox: 3 buy-low candidates to sign on a 1-year deal
It’s hot stove season for the Chicago White Sox and others. During this time of year, most fans are focused on the big-name free agents. Star players who command multi-year contracts worth absurd figures. While it is easy to focus on where some of the best players in the league wind up in free agency, there is something to be said for bargain-buy shopping.
Every year, teams find a diamond in the rough. A cheap player that is brought in on a one-year prove-it deal who has a breakout season is always nice. Take Carlos Rodon for example. The White Sox non-tendered him only to pull him off the scrap heap a few weeks later. Rodon put together an All-Star season and revitalized his career, making the White Sox one-year deal look like a steal.
For contending teams, these buy low type deals should not be used to construct a full roster. However, these types of players could serve as the finishing touches to supplement a team primed for a playoff run like the White Sox.
Outside of the White Sox glaring needs in right field and second base, there are other areas that they could use some depth. The White Sox are still searching for answers in the bullpen. There are also questions about whether Leury Garcia will return.
The Chicago White Sox has some cheap depth options to consider this winter.
Good playoff teams have depth and flexibility on the bench. If Rick Hahn is going to dish out big money to a free agent, then he is going to have to try and find some buy-low options. These three could be the perfect candidates to take a flier on. All of these players have risks involved and some flaws. But they are cheap, low risk, and could pay dividends if they pan out.
Brandon Morrow
Brandon Morrow would be an interesting player to add to the Chicago White Sox.
In 2017 Brandon Morrow was one of the most dynamic relievers in baseball. He appeared in 45 games for the Dodgers and went 6-0 with a 2.06 ERA. Morrow averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings which was his highest career total since 2010. In the playoffs, Dave Roberts leaned heavily on him.
He helped pitch the Dodgers into the World Series and appeared in all seven World Series games. In total, he threw 14 innings with a 3.95 ERA. His FIP was the second-lowest on the club behind Kenley Jansen’s 1.31 mark.
He proved his 2017 breakout performance was no fluke by following that up with a 1.47 ERA the next season. He threw 30.2 innings and struck out 31 while owning a 1.08 WHIP and 22 saves with the Chicago Cubs. He hasn’t pitched since then.
The former fifth overall pick has been hampered with injuries. He was shut down for the 2019 season after recovering from elbow surgery and kept experiencing setback after setback. He was released by the Cubs, then the Dodgers decided to resign him as a reclamation project. Morrow was uncertain about a comeback at first but couldn’t resist the urge to play baseball again.
The 12-year veteran was once again shut down for the season when his right arm didn’t respond to treatment well. He is now a minor league free agent. With a full offseason to recover, there is still a chance we can see Morrow back on a big-league diamond. He still has expressed interest in returning to baseball.
With the talent he has in his right arm he could definitely be worth adding on a minor-league deal. In the worst-case scenario, he never returns to health and the White Sox has to burn a small minor-league salary. On the flip side, if he can return to form, the White Sox could get a steal. They need bullpen help and a former first-round draft pick would be a shot in the arm if he can get healthy.
Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison might be able to be a good utility player on the Chicago White Sox.
If the White Sox can’t bring back Leury Garcia as a utility player next season, then Josh Harrison could be a viable replacement. Harrison is coming off a solid 2021 campaign. He hit .294 in 90 games with the Washington Nationals before moving to Oakland where he continued to put up decent numbers. Harrison finished the season with a .279/.341/.400 slash line and a .800 OPS to boot.
Harrison will be entering his age 34-season. In 2014, he finished ninth in the MVP voting. He is not the player he once was but he is still a two-time All-Star who can play across the diamond. Harrison’s primary position is second base which is a glaring need for the White Sox.
Even if the White Sox don’t use him as an everyday second baseman (they shouldn’t because there are better options available) he can also play third base, left field, and right field. During his 11 year career, he has played two games in center field, one game at first base, and made one pitching appearance. Basically, you can plug him in anywhere on the diamond. He is the perfect bench piece.
He can serve as a pinch-runner, defensive sub late in games, a pinch hitter, and be in the starting lineup wherever the White Sox need him. Tony La Russa could also use him as a right-handed bat with plenty of versatility for matchup-based lineup construction.
Harrison is essentially a discount version of Leury Garcia, except he has the label “former All-Star” next to his name. He signed with the Nationals for $1 million and should go for a similar number this offseason.
Jesse Chavez
The Chicago White Sox could use some experience and Jesse Chavez provides that.
Jesse Chavez has been in the MLB for more than a decade. He carries with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game. A player like that is exactly what you want on a roster. He has pitched in the big leagues for 14 seasons on nine different teams. Last season, he posted a 2.14 ERA in 30 games with the World Series Champion Atlanta Braves.
Before signing with the Braves, Chavez pitched with the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs from 2018-2019. He threw the ball pretty well, posting a combined 3.58 ERA with a 23 percent strikeout rate. He rarely gave out free passes too. Chavez only walked 5.5 percent of all the hitters he faced through 173 1/3 innings.
In 2020, he fell into a rut and got clobbered to the tune of a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings of work. He was then picked up by the Angels. After struggling during Cactus League play, he was cut. He refound his form with the Braves.
In 33 2/3 innings, he only allowed eight earned runs and struck out 36 batters. He even started four games for the Braves. With 83 major league starts under his belt, Chavez could serve as a cheap long reliever or spot starter. It would be similar to the role Mike Wright had with the White Sox last season. For his career, Chavez carries a 4.52 ERA, 20.8 percent strikeout rate, 7.4 percent walk rate, and 41.6 percent ground ball rate.
The high ground ball rate is promising. Guaranteed Rate Field is a home run hitters park so keeping the ball on the ground is in a pitcher’s best interest. His career numbers don’t jump off the page but the White Sox need guys to fill out the bullpen.
Chavez represents a cheap veteran option who could be valuable in the clubhouse. In 2018 he picked up four saves and had a microscopic 1.15 ERA in 32 appearances with the Chicago Cubs. Perhaps a return to Chicago can help him regain some magic.
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