Ranking the top 3 Chicago White Sox extension candidates
We are getting ready for a big 2023 Chicago White Sox season here. After the disaster that was the 2022 season, they have a lot to prove.
They are bringing in a new manager with some new players that are all hoping to help the core that already exists get back to contending.
They are a team that has some players that are going to need some extensions soon. There are a few of them worthy of it and a few that aren't quite there yet but can be soon.
The 2023 season is going to be big for all of them as they try to get better. These are the three players that are trying to prove that they are worthy of a big-time extension:
1. Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease has to prove that he can go out and be elite once again.
Everyone in Chicago White Sox land wants to throw Lucas Giolito out the window but forgets that he was a top-ten AL pitcher in 2019, 2020, and 2021. One bad 2022 season and everyone wants him gone. However, after literally one dominant season, we are ready to send Dylan Cease to the Hall of Fame.
Dylan was incredible in 2022. He finished in second place for the American League Cy Young last year and signed Scott Boras to be his agent. There is no doubt that he is preparing for a big payday in the future. We can only hope he proves that he is worth it and it is with the White Sox.
However, Cease still does just remain a candidate for an extension rather than a lock. He only has one truly great season under his belt (he was good but not elite in 2021) so he has to go out there and do it again. Hopefully, there is even another level that he can get to and the White Sox take advantage.
2. Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson is absolutely someone that is worthy of an extension soon.
Some people are starting to forget how truly awesome Tim Anderson is. His power numbers were slightly down in 2022 but so were the power numbers of the entire White Sox team which suggests that it was a coaching/philosophy issue more than anything.
He was so good in the first half to the point where he was an American League All-Star. Not only was he an All-Star, but he was also the starting shortstop. He was on track for yet another really good year but he got hurt in the second half. The plan was for him to return if they were still in it but he never did because they fell too far out.
As a result, they are hoping for more health from him this year. There is a new manager and hitting coach in there too so the vibes should just be totally different. If Tim Anderson can get back to having fun while playing baseball, he will thrive once again as he did before things got bad with the team.
The team goes as he goes. He might make an error every now and again but he does also make some good defensive plays out there as well. He is also an incredible leadoff hitter and he is going to deserve some big money in short order. The White Sox need to stay committed to winning players and he is a winning player.
3. Lucas Giolito
Don't count Lucas Giolito out yet because there is still something there.
We touched on it when we talked about Dylan Cease. Lucas Giolito had one bad year since turning the corner in the league. He was amazing in 2019, 2020, and 2021. There is no reason to think that one terrible year (by his standards) in 2022 is the new norm for him.
His weight gain was a failed experiment last year and now he is trying to get back to his old dominant ways. He tried to adjust in the middle of last season which is incredibly hard but he did improve a tad as the year went along. Now, he has had a whole off-season to get right.
Lucas is an incredible baseball mind that is committed to being very good. There is a reason that he got a double-digit (in millions) contract to avoid arbitration this year. The White Sox know that 2022 could have been a fluke which is why they paid him that and why they didn't trade him for unfair value.
If Giolito comes out and pitches well in 2023, he is going to get a nice contract extension. He might have gotten it this past year if he wasn't below his standard on the mound. This is going to be a big year for him (and all of these guys) as their future wealth could depend on it.
Next. The White Sox should consider a trade for Max Fried. dark