Ranking the top 3 Chicago White Sox extension candidates

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.