With the White Sox finally checking their “find a manager” box for the offseason, the team can now begin to focus more on how they play to augment Pedro Grifol’s 2023 roster. As the World Series starts coming to a close, we are starting to get a better sense of what the market may look like for certain players – and where the White Sox may fit in.
This morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post named the top 30 free agents, as well as expert predictions on what contracts they may receive. The White Sox were named as a potential fit for five of the top 30 free agents, several of whom Sox fans are quite familiar with. Here are the players who are a potential fit, as well as the potential competition and contract expectations:
7. Carlos Rodon: Big year by the Bay. Teams: Giants, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Mets, Yankees. Expert: $150M, 5 years.
11. Jose Abreu: White Sox got him on bargain last time. Great leader. Teams: White Sox, Giants, Rangers. Expert: $75M, 3 years.
14. Willson Contreras: The Mets tried for him at deadline. Teams: White Sox, Tigers, Twins, Angels, Cardinals, Red Sox, Rays, Mets. Expert: $88M, 4 years.
28. Michael Conforto: May need to do short deal to reprove himself after missing 2022. Teams: White Sox, Mets, Yankees, Mariners. Expert: $14M, 1 year.
29. Christian Vazquez: Backup for Astros, but fine two-way catcher in Boston. Teams: Cardinals, White Sox, Angels, Twins, Red Sox, Brewers, Rays, Padres. Expert: $33M, 3 years.
Being listed as a potential fit for two different catchers says a lot about how the market may view the White Sox’ feelings about Yasmani Grandal as well as the White Sox’ catching depth as a whole. Both Contreras (132 wRC+) and Vazquez (99 wRC+) are quality catchers that provide different skill sets. Contreras is much stronger offensively, while Vazquez is much stronger defensively, though both provide clear upgrades over Yasmani Grandal’s performance in 2022. However, given that Grandal is set to make $18.25M this season, the White Sox may be better off betting on a bounce back and spending their budget elsewhere.
That’s where Rodon comes into picture, and the former White Sox would give the team another clear ace to go with Dylan Cease. With now two consecutive seasons of high performance and good health, Rodon has earned himself a high pay grade. However, it’s unclear if the White Sox would pay the projected $30M/season that Rodon may make this offseason. Jose Abreu also checks the box of the *potential* former White Sox, though it’s unclear if Abreu would actually earn $25M on the open market this season.
Finally, Conforto serves as a sort of wild card after requiring shoulder surgery last offseason and not signing with a team. Since he turned down a long-term extension with the Mets prior to becoming a free agent in 2022, Conforto will now have to take a one-year “prove it” deal that should fall right within a comfortable price for many teams. Conforto would serve as a great platoon option next to AJ Pollock, should Pollock opt into his $13M contract ($5M buyout) for 2023.
Note that none of these players have necessarily been “connected” to the White Sox – more so, these represent the industry’s opinion on who might fit the needs best, combined with likely some chatter that is going on within baseball. The Winter Meetings for GMs are coming up, which will give us the first time to really get a sense of some of the early rumors within baseball as to who might be finding new homes this offseason.
As the offseason gets underway after the World Series, we will make sure to provide you with any updates.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more!
Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The top 5 players in the Astros lineup all had WAR’s higher than every position player on the Sox roster. Conforto would be an utter joke as an answer in RF, but would be typical Sox lottery pick/wishful thinking. They need like 2 legit allstars, the likes of Springer (or Judge) and Semien, to become relevant in 2023. I don’t see anything like this happening. They will be lucky to compete in a hapless divison with a fundamentally more sound Guardians team that can actually catch the baseball, and doesn’t suck against right handed pitching.
They blew their “window” by doing utterly nothing the past two offseasons. I don’t see recovery for that, not to mention how much misallocated payroll they have going to the likes of Moncada, Grandal, Lynn, Kelly, Garcia, Diekman, Pollock. Like 75-80 million right there to players they might get next to nothing from. They would be an interesting team if they had an ownership like the Mets. As it is, they are boring, with disappointment so predictable and certain they they hardly deserve any fanfare or attention.
It would be refreshing to see the White Sox connected to an ulta premium free agent while in their current ‘contention window’. The last time the front office ‘engaged’ in that stratosphere was their ‘pursuit’ of both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper while still rebuilding 5 years ago.
Unfortunately, the track record of owner Jerry Reinsdorf suggests only the bottom feeders of Jon Heyman’s list might come into play. To date the highest contracts the White Sox have inked are the free agent deal for C Yasmani Grandal (4/$73M) and the extension given to 3B Yoán Moncada (5/$70M), both of which occurred in 2020.
Btw: I’d be very surprised to see Carlos Rodon and Jose Abreu actually sign for the amounts suggested in this article. Rodon will get get tagged with a QO and his past health issues make a 5-year commitment highly questionable. I can envision Rodon meeting the $30MM AAV but only on a shorter term contract. Even without a QO, the soon to be 36-year old Abreu will be fortunate to ink any deal with a $25MM AAV.
Let’s be real…. Reinsdorf is not going to pay the going rates on top tier free agents. The last time he did that was Albert Belle 30 years ago. He is not going to change course now. Sox have already stated they will no be players in free agency. Improvements per Hahn will need to come from within or via trades.
The problem with that scenario… their farm system is still near dead last and with the exception of a couple of pieces… NO ONE, wants what they have on the big league roster.
So the Sox will trot out pretty much the same line up as last season. If any deals are done in free agency it will be their usual dumpster diving. So more Vince Velasquez / Josh Harrison type deals.
Andrew Benetendi. Don’t know contract situation, but he’s going to be a free agent, lefty, outfielder, and has some pop. AND, played on KC when Grifol was there.
I know this FO and current payroll issues too well. The only two of these I think are legit shots are Conforto, and strictly due to possibility of a “one year deal”, and Jose, strictly due to possibility of a hometown discount. No way they pay a second large salary at catcher (and I don’t blame them considering all the needs).
FA catchers? NO. They’ll hope for bounce back from Yas and look for more if same from Seby (who I think will likely start). Rodon? NO, definitely not 5 years anyways. The rest of roster outlook going to be is expecting guys to perform closer/better, to/than 2021. Hopefully they can find another diamond in rough again, like they did with Cueto and Andrus, but that’s gonna require some luck.
Wish I could be optimistic about a big splash in F/A (Trea Turner anyone?) but don’t see it coming. Agree with the other commentators here that Reinsdorf is not likely to open up cash spigot. Benintendi or Conforto seem more like the Sox M.O. Unfortunately, that alone won’t get it done.
This team doesn’t need a total overhaul but it needs to get faster and better defensively. Cutting ties with Pollock and Harrison is a start. Sad to say, I think Moncada and Jiminez probably should be moved as well, though it will be gut wrenching to watch them on the ESPN highlights for the next 10 years. Just don’t think they fit this team at this time. Need more speed, defense and energy to go with TA, who will most likely be back strong next season.
Here’s a crazy idea: How about signing Trea Turner to play SS and convincing TA to move to LF. Would he do it? Probably not. But it’s worth a shot. With Luis Robert in CF and Elvis Andrus at 3B and even Danny Mendick at 2B, the defense would be vastly improved. TA can run and throw and is a great athlete. No reason he could not pick up LF relatively quickly. Then maybe they sign Benintendi to play RF (where he played a spell in Boston). With Robert and Benintendi, you’d have two Gold Glove winners in the OF, with Adam Engel on the bench for speed and defensive replacement in case of injury. Just thinking out loud here…
Sox will have fewer games against division rivals so they have to make them a priority. Cleveland will maintain the youngest team in the league tag so if its a young man’s game showing up to play will be a premium stat. Forget the analytics, they mean nothing if they can’t suit up. Better than league averages in hitting, pitching, fielding get you in the playoffs . Clutch Konerko, Crede like hitting and a great pen wins it all for the new team model. Defense and pitching must have’s. Moncada, TA, Grandal, and another injured Eloy year put them on the bubble. If the Sox had Suarez and Crawford of Seattle they would have gone way farther than they did.
The worst case scenario for Sox fans occurred in 2022 when the Guardians spent so very little (comparatively) to take the division. Being a consistent playoff team with an eight figure payroll remains Reinsdorf’s fantasy. It is beyond his being cheap; he is driven to prove himself the smartest owner in the room. Unfortunately, no one in his organization got the memo reminding them of the value of defense or, if you’re going to hook your starters after five innings, you might need to stock the bullpen with more than castoffs from other teams that still need pitching.
It would be a fool’s game for Sox management to think that all the team requires for 2023 is less lost time injuries or that less lost time injuries is somehow attainable.
Sox will go for Aaron Judge.