The Chicago White Sox made some very interesting moves on Friday night as a result of the tender deadline set by Major League Baseball.
It was a crazy night across the league as some big names are leaving their teams and will be looking for work this winter.
The White Sox were no strangers to that type of news either. Nobody is leaving in an absolute stunner but there is a bit of a surprise when it comes to the list of players.
Chicago declined to tender Adam Engel, Mark Payton, and Danny Mendick ahead of the deadline. All three of them are going to be seeking new organizations to latch onto once the offseason begins.
The #WhiteSox have declined to tender 2023 contracts to outfielders Adam Engel and Mark Payton and infielder Danny Mendick.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) November 19, 2022
The Chicago White Sox made some interesting cuts on Friday night.
Seeing Mark Payton leave isn't that big of a deal for the White Sox. He isn't someone that is going to be of any help to this squad over the next few years.
However, it is a bit surprising to see Adam Engel and Danny Mendick on there. They are both guys that have done good things throughout the years. Each of them started off as a good fielder but a terrible hitter but found their bat through development.
Engel had a tough year following a 2021 season in which he was mostly injured. His defense took a turn for the worst in a lot of ways while his bat wasn't the same. He looked like someone that could make a good fourth outfielder but that is a stretch now.
Mendick had a breakout performance early in the 2022 season but then tore his ACL on a freak play and missed the rest of the year. His offensive numbers were really helping the White Sox win some games before the injury really ruined it all.
He was supposed to be ready for spring training but he will have to be ready with a new team because the White Sox are saying goodbye.
We can only hope that this means that they are going to use that money elsewhere but nobody is banking on it knowing the owner.
This is a significant offseason as they try to get back on their feet after a bad 81-81 season. If upgrades replace these non-tendered players, that will be a great start.