Following up: White Sox finally announce Edwin EncarnaciĆ³n

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 23: New York Yankees Right field Aaron Judge (99) greets New York Yankees Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (30) at home during a game between the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins on July 23, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Finally tying up a loose end from a decade ago, the White Sox formally announced Edwin EncarnaciĆ³n to their roster on Thursday.

We did learn a couple things we didn’t know before, such as which player the White Sox would remove from the 40-man to accommodate EncarnaciĆ³n. That turned out to be Kodi Medeiros, the lefty starter/reliever acquired from Milwaukee for Joakim Soria two years ago. Medeiros couldn’t figure out how to throw strikes as a starter, and his arsenal isn’t especially suited for a league with a three-batter minimum.

We also learned that EncarnciĆ³n is a polite fellow:

ā€œFrom the other side, what I see is theyā€™re very smart hitters,” Encarnacion said of the Sox during a conference call. ā€œThey have a great idea of what theyā€™re doing at the plate.”

Everything else is as initially reported and deduced.

Contract: EncarnaciĆ³n is on a one-year, $12 million deal for 2020, with a $12 million club option for 2021. There is indeed no buyout, which seems odd for that size of a salary.

Role: EncarnaciĆ³n will serve as the primary DH, and he’ll also be the first in line to back up Jose Abreu. That combination will make it harder for James McCann to get playing time, but Rick Hahn made it sound like McCann is staying put.

ā€œHaving quality depth is a positive thing on good clubs, and itā€™s part of what makes good clubs able to withstand the unexpected,ā€ he said. ā€œWe view James as potentially playing a role on a championship club and that hasnā€™t changed since the end of last season to today.ā€

The concept of roster depth is foreign to the White Sox, who generally aren’t concerned about blocking productive talent. McCann is indeed unlucky, but if this Jon Heyman tweet from a few days ago indicates a diversion from the norm, it’s possible he’s taking the inferences about his framing to heart.

Update: Because James Fegan anticipates my needs, here’s a full article on McCann’s offseason work.

ā€œUp to this point in my career Iā€™ve never really had anyone who was able to explain to me why the scoring worked the way that it did as far as the framing metrics go and how to improve,ā€ McCann said. ā€œIā€™ll definitely be monitoring it closer than I ever have. Itā€™s something that Iā€™ll stay up to date with. Iā€™ll be in contact with Jerry throughout the year and just continuing to pick his brain and whatever wisdom he can pass on to me.ā€

* * * * * * * * *

At least McCann removed the possibility of hearing about the shortcomings that prompted the White Sox to usurp him with Yasmani Grandal by already agreeing to a $5.4 million contract for 2020 back in early December.

The White Sox also resolved a couple other cases with extreme prejudice. They outrighted Josh Osich and Ryan Goins before the 40-man roster additions,, and they sidestepped Yolmer SĆ”nchez’s number by outrighting him before the non-tender deadline.

The remaining four incumbent cases are pending as the deadline to exchange numbers arrives today, and the Sox also picked up a fresh case via trade:

  • Alex ColomĆ©: $10.3M
  • Nomar Mazara: $5.7M
  • Carlos RodĆ³n: $4.5M
  • Leury GarcĆ­a: $4M
  • Evan Marshall: $1.3M

That their cases are still open at this point doesn’t reflect anything in particular at this point. After a contentious arbitration situation two years ago, the White Sox resolved all the remaining numbers with ColomĆ©, SĆ”nchez, RodĆ³n and Jose Abreu on deadline day last year.

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As Cirensica

Contract: EncarnaciĆ³n is on a one-year, $12 million deal for 2020, with a $12 million club option for 2021. There is indeed no buyout, which seems odd for that size of a salary.

The buyout is probably inside the first 12 million contract.

ParisSox

mlbtraderumors reported 10 mil this year, 2 mil buyout, 12 mil in 2021

ParisSox

Jim, you’ve been doing this blogging for 3 decades now, haven’t you?

As Cirensica

I remember when I thought Jim was about 40 or something like that when I first starting to read Sox Machine in 2010. 3 decades?…wow, Jim started blogging when he was 10 šŸ™‚

ParisSox

ā€œHawk Decadesā€ was the joke. Ā 
Taps microphone. Ā 
Is this thing on?

roke1960

It is refreshing to see that Hahn is actually concerned about building up major league depth, after all the non-major leaguers he’s had on the roster the last few years. I hope they keep McCann. If they don’t, we’re a Grandal injury away from having a horrible catching situation again. I hope we’re done seeing the likes of Hector Gimenez, Adrian Gonzalez and Adrian Nieto on the major league roster.

evenyoudorn

This is not me saying what I think they SHOULD do, but I will believe McCann stays when he’s there for spring training. I think most of Hahn’s statements could be interpreted as trade posturing. And at the risk of moving goalposts, I could also see him moving in-season… like a rental-for-rental swap to get a killer bullpen piece. But if Collins isn’t totally “forcing the issue” right away, we’ll certainly be happy to have McCann if we’re indeed contenders. Or Collins is who’ll be dealt, and this whole comment was a waste of all of our brief time on this planet.

roke1960

I just don’t see them getting anything of value for him this offseason. They might be able to get a middling relief pitcher for him- but we have enough of those already. A mid-season trade would be more likely- like you said, a rental-for-rental swap.

evenyoudorn

Especially if he can come out hot, to the extent he plays much at all. Shrugging off the fluke tag is another thing in favor of a trade in season.

Neat_on_the_rocks

Sit down and think about the mid season trade you suggested, and it makes no sense at all.

What non contending team is going to move half a year of a “killer bullpen piece” for half a year of a catcher? They wouldn’t, a non contending team would want prospects.

Now, what contending team is going to move a killer bullpen piece they need to win, for half a year of a catcher? I cant see why anyone would, they’d rather move their own prosepcts for a catcher.

Trading James Mccann midseason is not going to get you a killer bullpen piece. At best you’re probably looking at a Steve Cishek, 6/7th inning type of reliever.

That *could* make sense depending on where the Sox are in July. Even if that does end up making sense, its still gonna be a hard team to find a partner with. The stars would have to allgin basically.

lil jimmy

A prospect would most likely be the get.

evenyoudorn

I was already sitting down.

Neat_on_the_rocks

Laying down would have been the only logical course of action from there, then

evenyoudorn

Better to die on your ass than live on your back.

– Voltaire

John SF

Very good point. Ā 

The one exception I can think of is if a team wanted to trade for him in a trade-and-extend situation, because they saw him as their primary catcher for the next couple of years. Ā Ā 

Perhaps a contending team that had just lost their primary catcher to a serious injury like TJ. Ā Ā 

GoGoSoxFan

Serious question: Can anybody remind me of a trade-extend deal that’s been done in MLB? I don’t recall one ever happening.

karkovice squad

At least McCann removed the possibility of hearing about the shortcomings that prompted the White Sox to usurp him with Yasmani Grandal by already agreeing to a $5.4 million contract for 2020 back in early December.

Fegan also has a longer story on McCann going from framing skeptic to framing adherent this off-season and his work with Jerry Narron to shore up his game. https://theathletic.com/1524029/2020/01/10/how-james-mccanns-offseason-work-could-impact-white-soxs-catching-timeshare/

asinwreck

The news that Jerry Narron is working with McCann on pitch framing immediately had me wondering if the Sox might have Narron work with Zack Collins at some point.

oldtimer

Depth – Engel as a late inning defensive specialist who can pinch run and hit OK. Certainly not J.B. Shuck! Ā Leury for the INF once Madrigal plants his flag at 2B. Lots of options to cover 1B if Abreu needs a rest. McCann is a great depth piece should Yaz take a foul tip off his hand! Kopech, Rodon & maybe even Lambert/Dunning. Hopefully our front five can stay healthy and effective for a month or two!

Good solid depth. Not super but major league caliber. Weā€™re getting there. Our front line players still must make up that 120 run differential just to get to even! Ā Iā€™m thrilled with this offseason. Never thought Hahn would do this much!

ParisSox

Yes. Agreed. ExactlyĀ 

theSKOT

The last minute arbitration avoiders are slowly trickling in.

Per source, Alex Colome and #WhiteSox avoid arbitration, settle for $10,532,500.

— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) January 10, 2020

Source: #WhiteSox, Evan Marshall settle at $1.1 million, avoiding arbitration.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 10, 2020

Eagle Bones

Rodon and Mazara came in just shy of their projected numbers. Looks like Leury is the only one left.

zerobs

Leury signed for 3.25M

Eagle Bones

Yup just saw this one. Looks like they came in a little under projects as a group. I’ve now got the OD payroll at $125 mil and change.

asinwreck

Other Sox organizational news today.

White Sox say both Tayron Guerrero and Kodi Medeiros have cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte. They were cleared from the 40-man to make space for Dallas Keuchel and Edwin EncarnaciĆ³n, and both will stay in the organization

— James Fegan (@JRFegan) January 10, 2020

lil jimmy

I’m glad Kodi is sticking around. He has swing and miss stuff. Needs more strikes.

John SF

Thatā€™s exciting for those of us who pay way too much attention to this team, and therefore had opinions on whether or not we wanted to lose Medeiros vs Ruiz vs Fulmer or whatever. Ā  Ā 

Holding onto both of them (and Burr for that matter) is good for the org. Ā Ā 

ParisSox

I love the Colome number. Itā€™s likely literally split right down the middle between what the two sides were presenting. Ā