joewho112’s Offeseason Plan

REAMBLE

Establish where you see the White Sox at this point, and your mindset/philosophy/strategy in putting together the roster for the upcoming season.

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Write “tender” or “non-tender” after each player and their projected 2020 salaries. Feel free to offer explanation afterward if necessary.

  • Alex Colomé, $10.3M – TENDER
  • Yolmer Sánchez, $6.2M – NON-TENDER
  • James McCann, $4.9M – TENDER
  • Carlos Rodon, $4.5M – TENDER
  • Leury García, $4M – TENDER
  • Evan Marshall, $1.3M – TENDER
  • Josh Osich, $1M – TENDER (why not?)
  • Ryan Goins, $900K – NON-TENDER

CLUB OPTIONS

Write “pick up” or “decline” after the option.

  • Welington Castillo: $8 million/$500,000 buyout – DECLINE

OTHER IMPENDING FREE AGENTS

Try to retain, or let go?

  • Jose Abreu (made $16M in 2019) – 2 YR $25M
  • Iván Nova (made $9,166,167 in 2019) – MAYBE AS A LAST RESORT
  • Jon Jay (made $4M in 2019) – NO
  • Hector Santiago (made $2M in 2019 on split contract) – NO

FREE AGENTS

List three free-agent targets you’d pursue during the offseason, with a reasonable contract. A good example of a bad idea:

No. 1: Jason Castro  (2 years, $15M) – need a back up and we won’t get Grandal

No. 2: Zach Wheeler (4 yr $68M)

No. 3: Dallas Kuechel  (3 yr $60M)

No. 4: Puig (3 yr $50M)

Roster:

DH – Collins

C – McCann

1B – Abreu

2B – Garcia (Madrigal in June or whenever)

3B – Moncada

SS – Anderson

LF – Jimenez

CF – Engel (Robert in June or whenever)

RF – Puig

Bench: Castro, Mendick (later Garcia), random OF (later Engel), Palka or some other teams DFA / maybe-not-washed-up washed-up guy

SP1: Giolito

SP2: Dallas K

SP3: Wheeler

SP4: Cease

SP5: Lopez

Kopech would start in the minors and when he looks good, he can replace Cease or Lopez when one struggles. Rodon would fill in whatever hole appears midway through the season

Closer: Colome

Setup – Bummer

RP3 – Herrera

RP4: Marshall

RP5: Osich

RP6: Fry

RP7: whoever

 

Conclusion:

I have no idea if those contracts are realistic. I think I am near $125M (Jose will be happy to defer some money to help Jerry make ends meet).

I assume

  • DH will suck
  • Puig will run hot/cold but be average overall
  • there will be rookie struggles at 2B and CF but they’ll produce 3 WAR between them and Garcia/Engel
  • Between, Lopez, Cease, Kopech, and Rodon, the back end of the rotation has a ton of uncertainty, both good and bad

This team should be able to win 10 games more than next year with upside risk from Robert, Madrigal, Puig, the back end of the rotation, and too a much lesser degree Collins. Things break their way and this is an 88 win team that adds a few more wins at the trade deadline. Maybe that’s enough for the AL Central

Take a second to support Sox Machine on Patreon
3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
TheBigHrabosky

I like it. If Lopez starts off strong he can stay in the rotation. If not, he can head to the pen when Kopech arrives. Rodon might be better suited for the pen when/if he returns in the second half. I think keeping Abreu is a must if Puig is signed. I want all the Cubans.

Trooper Galactus

I see about a 78-80 win projection out of this, which ain’t bad, I guess.

andyfaust

Good job on one of the most realistic ones. Unlike mine which has Robert, Madrigal, and Kopech all there on opening day. time to start drinking.