3 White Sox players that could break franchise contract record
One of the things the Chicago White Sox are good at is locking up young talent to long team-friendly deals.
One of the reasons the rebuild went so well is because most of the White Sox trade chips were under team control. Adam Eaton, Chris Sale, and Jose Quintana all had years of control when they were dealt which allowed Rick Hahn to jack up their prices.
On the current roster, Hahn has already signed Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, and Luis Robert to long-term deals. However, not everyone has received such a deal and others like Tim Anderson have deals that will expire in four years.
The White Sox must capitalize on their championship window while the band is still together. Once the sand slips through the hourglass and the time is up they are going to have to open their checkbooks to retain some of their talents.
If some of the White Sox budding young stars continue on the trajectory they are on then free agency could be very lucrative for them. Multiple players have the potential to shatter the franchise record for the richest contract.
The Chicago White Sox might be ready to hand out a big-time contract.
Yasmani Grandal currently owns the richest contract in franchise history. He signed a four-year deal worth $73 million. It surpassed Jose Abreu’s six-year deal for $68 million that he signed before his rookie season in 2014 when he was coming over from Cuba.
Grandal’s contract is actually very team-friendly. While he is an excellent player he is not a superstar like some of his teammates have the potential to be. The White Sox are a very young team with many players still yet to hit their primes.
That record contract could be broken this offseason if the White Sox make some splashy acquisitions once the lockout ends. If they don’t, here are some players on the roster that could pass that mark down the road:
Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson has been one of the most consistent White Sox players ever.
If the White Sox aren’t going to pay Tim Anderson then who are they going to pay? Anderson is not only the face of their franchise but one of the faces of the league.
He is also one of the most marketable and beloved players on the roster. In 2021, he was selected as the cover athlete for R.B.I Baseball 21, making him the first White Sox player to be featured on the cover of a video game. He also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with Javier Baez
Anderson is signed through the 2022 season with options for 2023-24. His play on the field validates an extension. In 2019 he led the major leagues with a .335 batting average. In the process, he joined Luke Appling and Frank Thomas as the only player in franchise history to take home an American League batting title. Anderson was also tied for first in four-hit games with six.
The following season, Anderson attempted to become the 12th player in the modern era to lead the majors in average in back-to-back seasons. He fell just short, finishing second to DJ LeMahieu. However, his .322 average, 10 home runs, and .529 slugging percentage were enough to earn a Silver Slugger Award.
During the playoff, he raised his level of play. His nine hits in his first three postseason games are the most in MLB history. His Wild Card Series performance also put him in the company of Lou Brock as the only players with three straight three-hit efforts in the playoffs.
He batted over .300 once again in 2021 this time posting a .301 average. He also added 17 home runs, 94 runs scored, and a team-leading 18 stolen bases. Anderson was also named to his first All-Star team. At the age of 27, he is just entering his prime.
Lucas Giolito
Lucas Giolito has been an elite pitcher for the White Sox since the year 2019.
Lucas Giolito has made it clear he wants to be on the White Sox for life. The two sides were discussing contract extensions last season but nothing came to fruition.
Giolito is set to hit free agency in two years so the White Sox need to hurry to take advantage of their window or extend him.
Lucas Giolito deserves high praise due to his history with the team. His track record speaks for itself. In 2019, he finished sixth in the Cy Young voting, won AL pitcher of the month in May, and made his first All-Star team.
His 228 strikeouts were the seventh-highest total in franchise history. His three complete games were the most by a White Sox pitcher since Chris Sale and his 3.41 ERA represented the third-best improvement from a season before in MLB history.
On August 25th, 2020 he tossed the 19th no-hitter in franchise history. It was one of the most dominant no-hitters to date. He struck out 13 Pittsburgh Pirates only walking one. For that season, he finished seventh in the Cy Young voting.
During the postseason, he twirled a gem against the Oakland A’s in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series. The 6’6 right-hander earned the victory after allowing one run on two hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. He retired the first 18 batters he faced before allowing a hit to Tommy La Stella in the seventh inning.
He posted another solid season in 2021. He had a 3.53 ERA, struck out 201 batters owned the lowest WHIP amongst qualified White Sox starters with a 1.10 mark, and led the team in innings pitched.
At the age of 26, Giolito is in line to be the ace moving forward once Lance Lynn leaves. The White Sox would be wise to pay him.
Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease is going to make a lot of money in his Chicago White Sox career.
Dylan Cease will be a free agent in 2026. If he continues to blossom into the pitcher the White Sox think he can be then he could easily surpass Yasmani Grandal’s $73 million mark. Based on raw talent and potential, Cease may even be in line for a Max Scherzer-type deal down the road.
Cease has a ways to go before he gets to that point but he has been improving each season and shown glimpses of ace-type stuff.
His slider had the highest spin rate in baseball in 2021 and its horizontal break ranked in the top 28 percent in the league. He recorded 29 swinging strikes on May 27th which tied for the second-most in any game by a White Sox pitcher in the pitch-tracking era.
Cease also boasted an absurd whiff rate, getting a swing and miss on 32.3% of all his pitches. His 226 punchouts were a team-high and were the seventh most in the MLB.
His ERA has improved each season as well. In 2019 it was 5.79, in 2020 it was 4.01 and in 2021 he lowered it even further to 3.91. Opponents batting averages have gone down each year as well. In 2019 opponents were hitting .271 off of him. Now they are hitting just .223. At this rate, he is on track to be the new ace of the staff by 2024.
Cease needs to learn how to go deeper into games. However, he still complied 165.2 innings which was the second-most on the White Sox. He also led the club with 32 starts. Pitching is a hot commodity these days. If Cease can continue to improve he will be in line for a huge payday.
Related Story. Liam Hendriks really enjoyed Craig Kimbrel. light