3 Chicago White Sox to hesitate on trading this offseason

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The Chicago White Sox are a team that is going to take a long look at itself in the mirror. After they hire a manager in the coming days, they are going to address some of the roster issues that plagued them during the 2022 season.

There are a lot of holes to address but there are some issues that went beyond the players. You have to wonder what this team is going to look like when they have a competent manager in the dugout.

It wasn’t a good situation in 2022 as they didn’t have a good offensive approach and it looked like most of the players never actually wanted to be there.

If the situation improves during the offseason because of a new manager and coaching staff, you might see a jump back up for a lot of players. For this reason, they should hesitate on trading these three players:

1. Lucas Giolito

The Chicago White Sox should be wary of trading Lucas Giolito this off-season.

Lucas Giolito is high on a lot of people’s trade lists. That might not be the smartest idea in the world for a variety of reasons.

For one, he was an elite pitcher in 2019, 2020, and 2021. One bad 2022 season with the team the way that it was is not a recipe for success. That is just asking for him to go to another team and dominate again as one of the league’s comeback players of the year.

It’s not like he was even close to being the worst pitcher in the league either. He started to get better again as the season went along too.

With an adjustment made during the offseason, better management, and a better vibe, 2023 could be a big year for him. They should not trade him unless the return is amazing.

2. Yoan Moncada

The Chicago White Sox should probably give Yoan Moncada one more chance.

Yoan Moncada is in a similar situation as Lucas Giolito. However, Lucas doesn’t make the money that Moncada does which also might make him hard to trade anyway. Even if a team was willing to take a flier on him and his contract, he isn’t worth trading right now.

Like Lucas, he had a very bad 2022 season. He also doesn’t have a track record of being elite like Giolito but he has very good tools that have been on display in the past. If he can get back to the player that he was in 2019 and 2021, he can really help this team win games.

That is also only in reference to his offensive game. He was one of the worst hitters in the American League according to almost every metric. However, he was an elite defensive third baseman which is something that a lot of teams would sign up for.

Inserting someone like Jake Burger at third base would be an upgrade with the bat but a significant downgrade with the glove.

That move isn’t worth it. It is very hard t find guys who can do what Moncada does at the hot corner. If they keep him and he finally puts everything together, the White Sox may be really happy with the result.

3. Liam Hendriks

The Chicago White Sox better be sure of themselves if they trade Liam Hendriks.

Liam Hendriks is one of the best closers going in Major League Baseball right now. He has an electrifying way about himself too which makes him even more fun to watch. He is the type of player that has been an absolute joy to have with this organization for the last few years.

It also helps that he is just an incredible person. He and his wife do amazing things for different causes around the world. There is nothing not to like about him and the way that he carries himself both on and off the field. He loves competing with his teammates.

Certainly, being an elite pitcher also helps him be very well-liked. For most of his White Sox tenure so far, the White Sox were a lock to win a game that he entered with a lead. Nobody enjoys locking it down and securing the win more than Hendriks. Again, he is an electric factory.

There are going to be teams that want him in a trade. That makes sense because he can make a good bullpen great.

The White Sox shouldn’t make anyone untradable after this horrid 2022 season but they better be sure of the return and themselves if they trade Hendriks. They have some players that could fill the role of closer on a good team but nothing would be as guaranteed as Hendriks.

All of these guys would be hard to see leave but the team needs to do what is best. However, overreacting to this bad season would be a very bad idea. They should really hesitate on selling these guys for less than they’re worth.

light. Related Story. The White Sox should be bringing Jose Abreu back

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