7 players the Chicago White Sox should non-tender this offseason
The Chicago White Sox have nine arbitration-eligible players. They should non-tender seven of them.
The Chicago White Sox do not plan on being big spenders this offseason, despite losing a record-setting 121 games.
In fact, the team is looking to cut payroll.
That is what happens when not a lot of fans turn out to watch a disaster mixed up with a clown show. The other valid reason the team is going to cut payroll is that ownership and the front office is willing to give young players a shot to see what they can do at the big-league level.
One good way to cut payroll is by making sure $20 million is not committed to seven players who are eligible for arbitration.
That is what MLBTradeRumors.com's Matt Schwartz projects seven of the Sox's nine arbitration-eligible players could make next season.
The White Sox should not cut these players loose to save money. Instead, it is because these players are not very good. It is time the Sox start thinking differently about how they construct their rosters. Also, they must stop hoping some players will ever reach their potential.
Andrew Vaughn is one of the players who likely will never become an All-Star.
A team rarely non-tenders its leader in wRC+ and batting average. When the wRC+ is 97, and the average is .246, then it makes sense for the White Sox to pass on paying Vaughn a projected $6 million next season.
Andrew Vaughn's salary projection is no longer in line with his performance, so the White Sox have some real questions to ask themselves about the best use of plate appearances at first base. https://t.co/8MJZYK3rQE
— Jim Margalus (@SoxMachine) October 2, 2024
All he has ever done as a professional baseball player is be an at or below-replacement-level player. That is not exactly what you want to see out of a former top-five pick who was supposed to be a cornerstone player of last decade's rebuild.
If the team is serious about entering another rebuilding phase, it would be a good idea to get rid of the remnants of the failed previous one.
The numbers and the eye test support that Vaughn is not likely to carry the torch of great-hitting play from franchise icons such as Paul Konerko and Jose Abreu.
The power has never really been there in a position that demands it. The Sox could get the same type of power and save some money if they signed say, Josh Bell.
The only saving grace for Vaughn right now is he will be 27 next season, so there is still time for him to realize his potential. The problem is it is starting to become more expensive and time is starting to run out.
Veteran Nicky Lopez is good for the community but not for power or value in the lineup.
Nicky from Naperville has been great at giving back to his hometown area. He also has been willing to honestly discuss the horrendous 2024 season when asked.
What he is not good at is hitting the ball over the fence. He hit one home run all season and had a wRC+ of 77. He led the team in on-base percentage, but that is not saying much since it was .312.
He is projected to earn $5.1 million next season. That is not something you pay for in a veteran utility player. Contenders would not even pay that much.
Heck, he was waived after the trade deadline with the hope a contender might want him on their bench and everyone passed despite his decent speed.
He does not do anything special in the field either. He was -1 defensive runs saved at second and -9 at shortstop. Lenyn Sosa's solid finish to the season means the Sox will be fine without Lopez at second. Nicky's lack of pop and terrible defensive runs saved numbers shows he should not be playing shortstop.
Making matters worst, he already had his career season in 2021. There is nothing to point to and think he might get better.
Gavin Sheets is overrated as a power hitter.
There is this narrative about Sheets that he can at least be a power-hitting, left-handed bat off the bench.
He finally got regular at-bats this season and produced just 10 dingers. He has 46 home runs in his four-year career.
For a guy with his size, you would expect to him crush the ball more. He simply does not do that, especially with slugging percentages below .400 the past two seasons.
He got limited at-bats during his first three season, but this year he got 458 at-bats and did not produce much power.
The only thing he did okay was he had a .303 on-base percentage this season. Otherwise, he produced an 88 wRC+ and finished as a -0.9 fWAR player.
Plus, the Sox must clear out redunancy on this roster. Since he and Andrew Vaughn are pretty much the same type of player, with the only difference being Gavin is left-handed, it is best to follow the same path with Sheets and move on.
The DH spot needs to be clear for the team's top-5 prospect, Edgar Quero, to hit on days he is not catching next season. The right field should be clear of his presence so Dominic Fletcher and Zach DeLoach can get at-bats.
He is expected to get $2.6 million next season. Considering the Sox got better production at around the same cost from veteran Paul DeJong, you would prefer the Sox have that money freed up to get a player at the bargain bin in free agency who can actually hit home runs and be flipped at the trade deadline.
Relievers Matt Foster, Justin Anderson, Jimmy Lambert, and Steven Wilson are players the Sox can easily replace.
Lambert will be coming off shoulder surgery. Elbow injuries are easier to get back to form than shoulders and rotator cuff problems. Since it will cost $1.2 million to keep Jimmy, it would be better for the front office to allocate that money and not have to worry about whether Lambert can ever pitch effectively again.
The same goes for Foster who came back from an injury to throw 6.2 innings only to get hurt again. Plus, he is 30. While his projected $900k will not break the bank, it is better to go with a younger reliever in the pen.
Justin Anderson was good for showing up to the ballpark. He was used a lot out of the pen this year. The problem was he was not very good at maintaining the lead for the Sox. He is projected to make $1.1 million, so it's not crazy money.
Then again, the Sox have a ton of pitching depth in their farm system, and not everyone is going to make the starting rotation. It would be better to open up a spot in the pen for one of the promising arms than one who had a 1.50 WHIP.
Steven Wilson was one of the players the Sox got in the Dylan Cease deal that did not pay off. He was either ineffective or injured this season. Projected to cost $1 million might not be a bad price to see if he can bounce back.
The issue is he will be 30, and his presence on the roster blocks a promising young arm from debuting in the majors to show what he can do. It would be better to go with the cheaper and younger Jairo Iriate, another pitcher acquired in the Cease deal, to replace Wilson.
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