3 impactful free agent hitters for the Chicago White Sox to sign
The Chicago White Sox are loaded with talent. They have multiple MVP caliber players supplemented by a lot of very good players as well. There are also some second-year players that expect to take that next step as well so it is very exciting to be a fan of this team right now.
Most of the team is very young in general so they should be very good for a long time which is awesome to hear. We can only hope that they sustain it because there could be some really good times ahead.
They do, however, need just a bit more. We saw in 2021 that the Houston Astros humbled them hard in the postseason. Houston is a team that is battle-tested and the White Sox are not there yet. Bringing in a few guys who are might help but their current roster needs to just go through it too.
There are a lot of ways for the White Sox to improve their team right now. There are trades to make or they could go for a free agent that is still out there. Following the lockout, there is still a lot of great players out there looking for new homes in 2022. The White Sox would be perfect for a lot of them.
Of course, this team could really use some help at a few different positions. It would be nice if they could add some arms but they also might want to focus on some new hitters as well. These are three really good hitters for the White Sox to consider signing before the season:
The Chicago White Sox adding Trevor Story would add so much pop to their lineup.
The Chicago White Sox absolutely does not need a shortstop. Tim Anderson is perfect for that job right now as he is legitimately the face of the franchise. He isn’t going anywhere any time soon but that doesn’t mean that the White Sox should avoid Trevor Story.
If they can convince Story to play second base upon bringing him in, the White Sox would be so set for a long time. He can certainly play that position just fine. He really makes his money with his bat as he is one of the best hitters in the world.
In six years with the Colorado Rockies, he has been dominant at the plate. His time includes two Silver Slugger Awards and two All-Star appearances. He has also received MVP votes and appeared on the ballot, as a result, three times.
2021 was yet another good year for him. He slashed .251/.329/.471 for an OPS of .800 which is outstanding. He hit 24 home runs, had 75 RBIs, and scored 88 runs. All of those totals can even be considered low for him but he did deal with the trade rumors all season long before finally staying put. It would be interesting to see him hit at Guaranteed Rate Field in a lineup like this.
Jorge Soler coming to the Chicago White Sox could work if done the right way.
Jorge Soler is one of the most interesting free agents on the market right now. He is a very good player but he is also someone who isn’t always as good as his potential. He had a negative WAR in 2021 split between the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves but he would claim it was the best year of his career.
Soler won the World Series for the second time in his career, this time with the Atlanta Braves. He was named to be the World Series MVP because he was so good in that series against the Houston Astros. Seeing the White Sox sign the reigning World Series MVP would not be a bad thing at all, especially since it came against the team the Whtie Sox needs to go through.
He is going to hit a lot of home runs regardless of what team he signs with. The thing that could make the White Sox intriguing for him is their stadium. Guaranteed Rate Field would be the perfect home ballpark for a hitter like Soler who has so much power.
The White Sox are also a very young team that could use the playoff experience that he provides. He is familiar with the town because of his time with the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox needs someone who plays his position. It just seems to be a really good fit all around.
The Chicago White Sox could prioritize deep postseason experience in free agency.
The Chicago White Sox are one step away from being a World Series team. They have proven for two years in a row now that they can dominate in the regular season. Now, it is about winning that first playoff series and seeing how deep they can take it.
There are lots of players out there that can help bring that level of experience to the White Sox clubhouse and that needs to be the priority. At this point, nobody has that experience as fresh as the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. Jorge Soler isn’t the only one available.
White Sox fans should remember Eddie Rosario well. He is a very good player that spent the first six years of his career with the Minnesota Twins before starting the 2021 season with Cleveland. They traded him to the Braves mid-season and he went on to be a big part of their championship squad. They rebuild their outfield at the deadline and he was one of the pieces.
Rosario, like Soler, showed that he can be a clutch hitter in the playoffs as well. Soler was the World Series MVP but Rosario was the NLCS MVP. That type of experience and attitude is something that the White Sox desperately needs.
Hopefully, the team adds another bat or two. They are going to be a very good team regardless of what they do but we should be thinking about that next step now. They already have superstars so they should concern themselves with playoff performers that can help in October just as much.