The Chicago White Sox are a team coming off a very mediocre year. They are trying to make it right by having a bounce-back year in 2023.
In order for that to be the case, they need to have all hands on deck. Everyone needs to do their job to the best of their ability. If they don't, the team will be bad once again.
If everything goes according to plan for some players, they could really cash in. There are two very interesting pitchers, in particular, that are going to be looking for paydays soon.
One of them is a player that the White Sox should extend right now and the other is someone that they should avoid.
The Chicago White Sox have some very interesting decisions to make.
Extend Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease was one of the best pitchers in baseball last season, despite what anyone says. He came in second place for the American League Cy Young Award which is incredibly impressive. He was the ace of the White Sox staff that desperately needed him to be that good.
The White Sox should extend Dylan Cease right now. He can be the ace (or one of the aces) for a very long time. He throws gas and mixes in some of the best off-speed stuff you'll see in this league. He should be in a White Sox uniform for a very long time.
Avoid Lucas Giolito
Saying to avoid Lucas Giolito doesn't mean to trade him now or give up on him. It means that Cease should be extended right now and Giolito shouldn't. Lucas has to go out there and prove that his bad 2022 season was a one-off bad year.
He can come into 2023 as good as he was from 2019-2021 and everyone will forget about the one bad year. Everyone has a down year every now and again but you don't go out and extend someone for a lot of money after a down year.
Giolito and Cease are both a big part of this rotation right now. However, if someone gets the extension right now it is Cease. Giolito has a lot of work to do if he is going to get himself back in that type of conversation. The White Sox need a lot from both of them this year.