3 free agent shortstops who can help the White Sox replace Tim Anderson in 2024
The White Sox have plenty of options available to them in free agent when it comes to stop-gap shortstops.
The Chicago White Sox were a truly terrible team in 2023. It was an awful situation in every single way and the dumpster fire of a season led to them firing their general manager Rick Hahn and executive vice president Ken Williams. Now, Chris Getz is tasked with the job of getting this franchise back on track.
Part of this retooling that they are doing is letting Tim Anderson walk. Chicago didn’t pick up his $14 million option, so he is free to go wherever he wants in free agency. It is fair for White Sox fans to root for his success wherever he lands, but it is also important for team to figure out the position going forward.
It seems as if the plan is for Colson Montgomery to be the long-term shortstop, but he isn’t ready yet as he only has a handful of games at Double-A under his belt. The potential is there, but he is going to need a lot more seasoning in the minors before he is ready for primetime with a 2025 debut being the safer bit.. Montgomery looks like he could be a potential star in the making. but the White Sox should avoid bringing him up too early.
Looking to the shortstop market this offseason. There are a ton of very good veterans available in free agency that Chicago should consider to bridge the gap until Colson is ready. None of these shortstops should be the long-term plan, but they can all help the Sox for the 2024 season which is all they need right now.
The Chicago White Sox could use a shortstop like Amed Rosario.
Amed Rosario is a shortstop who has been on a few teams and carved out a nice career up to this point. At 27 years old, he is looking for a new home after putting up a .263/.305/.378 with the Guardians and Dodgers in 2023. The White Sox would make a lot of sense for him as he is familiar with the team and brings a few things to the table.
For parts of three years, Rosario was on the Guardians' roster where he was an average bat most of the time while providing decent value with his glove as well. Playing in the same division as the White Sox likely allowed Rosario to have a front row seat to the level of talent that Chicago has assuming the front office doesn't trade everyone away this winter.
Rosario's 2023 season was reasonably productive, but he was still traded at the deadline as the Guardians decided to sell and the Dodgers were in desperate need of middle infield help. He was part of a division-winning team in the end and that LA was interested in him at all does say something about his talent level. Amed also brings some speed and can play shortstop well which, on a cheap and short deal, would be ideal for what the White Sox are looking to accomplish this winter.
Brandon Crawford would be a good stop-gap for the Chicago White Sox.
The Chicago White Sox need as much help as they can get in 2024. If they are going to be a better team than they were in 2023, they need everyone to come together to achieve that common goal. One way to accomplish that would be to bring in a proven winner to help re-shape the expectations in the White Sox's clubhouse and one name that sticks out on the free agent market is Brandon Crawford.
Brandon Crawford is the type of veteran that could really appeal to the White Sox given where they are as an organization right now. He has been in Major League Baseball for 13 years and that is a presence that you can't teach a player from scratch and could really help Chicago through the growing pains they are likely to experience next season.
Crawford spent all 13 of his MLB years with the Giants. There, he had himself a well-decorated tenure which included two World Series championships, three All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves, and a Silver Slugger. He is a legend in San Fran and the only reason he is even available in free agency is because injuries and Father Time caught up with him as he has averaged just a .625 OPS over the last two seasons.
Now, entering what will be his age 37 season, he is likely looking to finish his career with another team before he finally calls it quits. Bringing Crawford in would be an immediate boost in leadership and experience in the White Sox dugout while not infringing on any plans to call up Montgomery in the future.
The Chicago White Sox should consider Isiah Kiner-Falefa for shortstop.
The Chicago White Sox have a lot of good players to consider at shortstop this offseason and Isiah Kiner-Falefa needs to be near the top of their wish list. He has a history of being a Gold Glove caliber shortstop in the big leagues and now that he has hit free agency, he could be exactly the kind of stop-gap at short Chicago is looking for.
IKF spent the first few years of his career with the Texas Rangers where he was a mediocre at best hitter, but his glove always played including in 2020 when he took home the Gold Glove. Not long before the 2022 season started, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins and just one day later, Minnesota sent him to the New York Yankees where he has played for the last two seasons.
The White Sox making a signing like this would be right on par with what they've done for years. He wouldn't cost all that much money at all and he'll be easy to move off of if he plays badly or they determine that Montgomery is ready. His glove should also be good enough to live with what would likely be a limited ceiling at the plate in the short-term as well.
No matter what, all you can do is hope that the White Sox sign someone that helps them win. They claim they aren't rebuilding, but it is hard to win without a successful shortstop. All of these three guys have found success at different points of their careers. Will it continue in 2024? We'll see.
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