White Sox Scapegoats: 1 player to release, 1 to trade for pennies, 1 to keep around
The Chicago White Sox are in a world of hurt right now. After being swept by the Minnesota Twins this weekend, things are as bad as they’ve been in a long time.
The Sox have no chance of making the playoffs and July isn’t even over yet. That is not what was supposed to happen right in the middle of their self-declared “contention window”.
Now, the trade deadline is approaching and some big decisions have to be made. The Sox are almost certainly going to be big-time sellers.
There are some players on this team that could get traded and some who have a cloudy future. Of all the everyday position players that could go, there is one they should cut, one they should trade, and one they should really consider holding onto:
Cut: Elvis Andrus
The Chicago White Sox don't need to have Elvis Andrus anymore.
The Chicago White Sox had some success with Elvis Andrus at the end of the 2022 season. Because of that, it felt like a really wise decision to bring him back for more in 2023.
It was not a wise decision. The team didn’t want to find a younger, more reliable second baseman and settled for the older veteran and this is what happened. The fact that fans were excited about that signing tells you everything you need to know.
Andrus is a shortstop by nature but he only played it last year because Tim Anderson was out for the year. This year, with Anderson back, he has been playing some second.
However, having Zach Remillard on the team taking the job over makes much more sense than having Andrus. That is why the team should DFA him now.
Don’t they need a backup? Well, yeah. There are much better options in AAA right now that may or may not be good. However, it is better than using Andrus who isn’t good and has no future with the team.
Trade: Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson is someone that might be worth trading at this point.
Tim Anderson is the face of the Chicago White Sox organization. At least, he was from 2019-2022. Here in 2023 though, things have gone south for him.
After starting off the year so hot with both the White Sox and Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, he has slowed down tremendously. There was an injury there too that may have taken his game down a notch.
It is unclear if Tim Anderson wants to stay with the team or not when it comes to the long term. If the White Sox can’t get an answer, they should trade him.
He isn’t going to fetch the value that he is worth at the top of his game but he is far from the top of his game. Maybe with someone else, he will rebound and become the Tim Anderson that was elite.
He may have to switch to second base if he were traded but that remains to be seen. Although it would be for cheap, the White Sox should try to at least get something for him.
Keep Around: Andrew Vaughn
The Chicago White Sox probably shouldn't trade Andrew Vaughn yet.
The Chicago White Sox drafted Andrew Vaughn with the third overall pick in 2019. He was the best NCAA power bat in the nation at the time of his selection. It seemed like a great move.
With all of the injuries that the White Sox have sustained in addition to the effects on his development caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, things haven’t been easy for Vaughn.
He had to have very little experience in minor-league action and then played out of position when he got to the show. That is not an ideal situation for anyone, let alone a kid with such little development.
Here we are in 2023. Vaughn is far from a bad player. He has a ton of power and creates runs for his team. However, he leaves a lot to be desired when thinking about some of his peers.
Although the interest in him may be high, the White Sox should keep him. He still has a lot of potential locked up in that hat that just needs to be unleashed. Having that happen with the White Sox is much better than another team. They should keep him and help him continue developing (the right way).
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark