3 White Sox free agents who will leave and 2 who will return in 2024
The Chicago White Sox are not a good team so some big decisions are looming in the off-season. There are two different directions that they can go with things depending on where Chris Getz thinks that they should go.
It seems like he thinks that they are going to try and compete next year. We're not here to tell you that is the right decision but it is likely to be the decision nonetheless.
Winning in 2024 doesn't feel likely but they are going to try. Will it be the third straight season in which it fails? Probably. Regardless, it shouldn't be too hard to be better than they were in 2023.
Whose fault was it that they were this bad in 2023? Well, the answer is not that easy to come up with. You can say it all starts at the top with Jerry Reinsdorf because people have to be held accountable if they don't do their jobs right.
The Chicago White Sox had a lot of issues with their team in 2023.
You can also get on Jerry for always making sure that the wrong people are hired. Chris Getz hasn't really started yet despite everything assuming he will fail. Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams, and Pedro Grifol were all terrible at their jobs. Hahn and Williams are already gone but we'll see about Grifol.
The players also deserve some blame. Most of them did not live up to what they were supposed to be in 2023. A lot of them have a lot of work to do if they want to have good long Major League careers.
Some players on this team are going to return and some are going to stay. These are the free agents that will leave and the ones that will stay:
Leave
These 3 Chicago White Sox free-agents are gone after this year.
1. Mike Clevinger
Mike Clevinger was good for the White Sox in 2023 in terms of pitching. However, he was terrible for them off the field before he ever even threw a pitch. He was under investigation not long after being signed by the White Sox and it was a major distraction.
Yes, he pitched well but this isn't the guy you keep around during a retool or a rebuild. He is not good for this organization. They even tried to get rid of him via waivers at the end of the season but nobody took him. He is as good as gone when the off-season starts.
2. Yasmani Grandal
Yasmani Grandal signed (at the time) the richest contract in the history of the Chicago White Sox. He really only did what he was expected to do at times in 2020 and the second half of 2021. Since then, he has been mostly terrible.
He is certain to either be on another team or retire this off-season. He has been a great Major League catcher in his career but his time is done. He has been very bad for two years in a row now and the White Sox should not be bringing him back.
3. Elvis Andrus
The White Sox thought they'd be getting the Elvis Andrus who finished the 2022 season strong with them. Instead, he was terrible. It ended up not working out with him as the second baseman and there is no chance that he will be brought back in 2024.
Second base remains a problem for the White Sox heading into this off-season. They haven't had a good one in a long time and Andrus is certainly not a long-term option in his mid-30s.
Stay
The Chicago White Sox might have a few free-agents who stick around.
1. Liam Hendriks
It might be worth it for Liam Hendriks to stick around. He just beat cancer and then missed the end of the 2023 season as he recovered from an injury.
It was a tough year for him but it was also a year in which he showed that he is a warrior. He is an inspiration to all and he should be welcomed back to the White Sox with a contract for 2024.
Hendriks deserves to finish his career with the team that he went on that journey with. At the very minimum, he should be welcomed back for another year. He has a team option and the White Sox should pick it up.
2. Touki Toussaint
Touki Toussaint isn't a UFA or looking for an option to be picked up but he does need a contract using arbitration if necessary. The White Sox should be all in on bringing him back for the 2024 season. He is someone that should not be let to get away.
He isn't part of the long-term plan or anything like that but he should be someone that they want back for a 2024 season that could go in any direction.
This White Sox team needs a pitcher like Touki to eat up some innings. He had a good year in his role and should be brought back.
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark