3 players the Chicago White Sox wish they still had on their roster
Hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes there are things in life people wish they could undo. In the Chicago White Sox case, there are plenty of moves they wish they could undo.
With the start of the MLB season just around the corner, the White Sox has a handful of moves still to make. They still have yet to find a starting second baseman, right fielder, or pitching depth. As of now, Luery Garcia will be the starting second baseman with Gavin Sheets, Adam Engel, and possibly Andrew Vaughn platooning in right field.
News broke that former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon signed with the San Fransico Giants. It will be the first time in Rodon’s career that he has pitched with anyone but the White Sox. With his injury history, it is easy to see why the White Sox were willing to let him go.
They have Micheal Kopech slated to be the new fifth starter and a former Cy Young winner in Dallas Keuchel who is looking to bounce back in 2022.
The Chicago White Sox have had a lot of good players leave the team too soon.
Rodon simply wasn’t in the White Sox plans moving forward. However, that doesn’t mean that the White Sox couldn’t have used his services. He isn’t the only one. There are a few former White Sox players that would be very beneficial to Tony La Russa’s squad in 2022.
Here are three players the White Sox would like to have back on the roster from trades that didn’t pan out the way that Rick Hahn had hoped:
Nick Madrigal
Nick Madrigal is certainly going to be missed by the Chicago White Sox.
Trading away Nick Madrigal could not have gone much worse for the White Sox. Craig Kimbrel was a disaster, Cesar Hernandez did not produce, and the White Sox got knocked out of the ALDS in four games. Now the White Sox are left searching for a new second baseman.
Before getting injured, Madrigal was having a fine season at the plate. The former fourth overall pick was hitting .305. He even notched his first two big-league home runs. His bat-on-ball skills have always been elite but he was beginning to drive the ball more consistently before tearing his hamstring in July.
What Madrigal provided the White Sox was contact and speed. A nice balance for a lineup loaded with power hitters. During his first taste of big-league action, he batted .340 which ranked second amongst major-league rookies in 2020.
While injuries were a concern, Madrigal has shown he can consistently bounce back. In 2020 he separated his left shoulder and was still able to finish the season with a .376 OBP.
In 2021 he raised his OPS by .030 points after getting surgery in the offseason. In college, he consistently played injured and still managed to be named PAC-12 Player of the Year and a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist.
Madrigal was seen as a future core piece of the franchise when he was drafted. The White Sox would love to undo the Craig Kimbrel trade and have him back.
Marcus Semien
Trading away Marcus Semien was an all-time bad mistake by the Chicago White Sox.
When Marcus Semien was with the White Sox, it was hard to envision him as the star player he is today. Here we are and Semien just signed a massive deal worth $175 million to play second base for the Texas Rangers.
Semien signed before the MLB lockout even started so he was taken off White Sox fan’s wish list relatively quickly. However, bringing Semien back into the fold would have been an excellent addition for the White Sox.
During his six seasons in Oakland, he became an All-Star, Gold Glove Award winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger. He is as dependable of a player as they come. In 2019, he led the entire MLB in games played and plate appearances. He did it once again in 2021.
In 2019, he finished third in the MVP voting after hitting .285 with 33 home runs and 92 RBIs. He had an even better season in 2021, increasing his home run total to 45 and RBI total to 102. Semien has quietly emerged as one of the best middle infielders in baseball.
The White Sox gave him up for a mediocre season of Jeff Samardjza. That is probably one they would like to have back.
Omar Narvaez
The Chicago White Sox should have never let Omar Narvaez get away from them.
Outside of second base and right field, the White Sox do not have a ton of holes on the roster. However, the backup catcher has been an issue since James McCann left. Seby Zavala and Zach Collins have struggled offensively.
McCann had a sub-par season with the New York Mets so bringing him back wouldn’t make much sense. However, Omar Narvaez would be a stellar option to have as the backup catcher.
Before he got traded for Alex Colome, (the only move on this list that worked out very well for the White Sox) he was putting up solid offensive numbers on the South Side.
Narvaez batted .275 his final year with the White Sox. He had 24 extra-base hits including nine home runs. Statistically, he and Kevon Smith put up the best offensive numbers for a catcher tandem in the American League in 2018.
He got even better in Seattle, hitting .278 with a .813 OPS in 2019. He also launched a career-high 22 home runs. In 2021 he became an All-Star with the Milwaukee Brewers and handled a dominant pitching staff behind the plate. A Narvaez and Grandal catching duo would easily make up the best backstop in the MLB.