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White Sox Update: Rick Hahn, Scott Boras, Rumors, and More

by Joe Binder

Rick Hahn and others addressed the media at this week’s GM Meetings as the rumors have begun to fly. Here’s the latest…


White Sox Name Scott Coolbaugh as Assistant Hitting Coach

After hiring Frank Menechino as the team’s next hitting coach last month, the organization announced another addition to the coaching staff. Scott Coolbaugh has been named as the club’s assistant hitting coach, replacing Greg Sparks. Last season, Coolbaugh was the hitting coach for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City. He also was the hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles from 2015-2018.


Latest on Jose Abreu and Contract Talks

Jose Abreu is yet to make a decision on his $17.8 million qualifying offer. Should he opt to decline, it is believed by many insiders that the team is working on a long-term deal to keep the veteran on the South Side for a few more seasons.

As for Rick Hahn, he is playing the waiting game along with the rest of us to see which path the first baseman decides to go down. He had this to say today:


Rick Hahn Addresses the Media at GM Meetings – Tuesday

Speaking of Rick Hahn, the White Sox GM addressed the media yesterday. Here’s his top quotes and talking points:


Scott Boras Comments on South Side as Landing Spot for Top Free Agents

Scott Boras had some interesting comments regarding the South Side of Chicago that should give fans some hope this offseason.


Rick Hahn Addresses the Media – Wednesday Edition


Lucas Giolito Finished Seventh in Cy Young Voting

Justin Verlander edged out (future White Sox?) Gerrit Cole to take home the 2019 American League Cy Young Award. White Sox ace Lucas Giolito finished seventh in the voting after an incredible comeback season. Click here for the full details on this year’s voting.


Eloy Jimenez Finishes Fourth in Rookie of Year Voting

In case you missed it, Yordan Alvarez was named the American League Rookie of the Year. The South Side’s Eloy Jimenez finished fourth in the voting after slashing .267/.315/.513 with 31 home runs and 79 RBIs.


For more White Sox updates, be sure to follow us on social media @SoxOn35th!

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Aaron Sapoznik

Aside from some significant free agent signings, I’m feeling that Rick Hahn will orchestrate a blockbuster trade this offseason.

One possibility that makes sense would be a rare intradivision trade with the Indians. Cleveland is likely to trade SS Francisco Lindor this offseason or next. Lindor has two more seasons of expensive arbitration control before hitting FA in 2022. This very site is projecting Lindor to receive $16.7MM for the 2020 season. (mlbtraderumors.com/2019/10/mlb-arbitration-salarie…). He will likely top $20MM in 2021. Lindor turns 26 on Thursday, November 14th. The White Sox have a 26-year old shortstop of their own in Tim Anderson who is in the midst of a very team friendly 6 yrs/$25M (17-22) & that also includes two affordable team options (23-24). Lindor is a switch-hitter and arguably the best all-around SS in MLB. Anderson is fresh off of a 2019 AL batting crown and is under cheap control for 5 more seasons.

In my mind a trade just involving these two would be a reasonably fair exchange. I’m also guessing that the Indians might get another team to pay even more for Lindor which leads me to the blockbuster element. The White Sox add top 1B prospect Andrew Vaughn to the package while the Indians counter by sending veteran 1B Carlos Santana back to Chicago. Vaughn is rated the #21 prospect in mlb.com’s top-100 list and figures to make his big league debut in 2021. Santana is 33-years old and will earn $20,833,334 in 2020, the final year of a 3 yrs/$60MM contract. Santana’s contract also comes with a $17.5MM team option for the 2021 season. Santana would join likely returning FA Jose Abreu as the White Sox primary 1B/DH tandem in 2020, similar to what occurred last year when Abreu shared those same positions with another acquisition from the Indians, Manny Machado BFF Yonder Alonso. (ouch!)

The White Sox would acquire two prolific switch-hitters in Lindor and Santana, each with 2 years of expensive team control which Chicago can easily accommodate. They would join 5-tool switch-hitting 3B Yoan Moncada in the White Sox batting order. Those 3 bats would balance out a White Sox lineup that currently leans heavily right-handed. I also had the White Sox signing switch-hitting free agent C Yasmani Grandal this offseason. He would be the icing on Chicago’s big batter cake beginning in 2020. Meanwhile, Cleveland would receive a similarly aged athletic SS in Anderson who possesses an electric bat and lightning speed on the bases along with the top 1B prospect in all of MLB who should be ready for prime time in 2021. The financially limited Indians would also assume the last 5 years of a young veteran’s cheap team contract along with all the pre and arbitration eligible control of a top prospect. In order to make all of this more feasible to the White Sox, they would then offer Lindor a contract extension similar to or better than the 8yrs./$250MM one they submitted to Manny Machado last offseason in order for him to forego free agency in two years.

The other potentially significant trade I had in mind would involve the Dodgers. LA has a surplus of left-handed hitting OF’s who can each play CF and RF in Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson. Bellinger is going nowhere with the exception of a permanent home as the Dodgers CF or RF, especially if they are successful in acquiring one of their two targeted free agent third basemen this winter in Anthony Rendon or Josh Donaldson (mlbtraderumors.com/los-angeles-dodgers). This would enable them to move incumbent 3B Justin Turner to 1B and keep Bellinger in the outfield along with AJ Pollock and one of Verdugo or Pederson.

My preference would be for the White Sox to land Verdugo who is the better all-around hitter and fielder, one who also possesses a cannon arm. He is still just 23-years old and has 5 more years of team control. Verdugo won’t be arb-eligible until 2022 and a FA until 2025. He would fill the RF black-hole for the White Sox as they transition from rebuilders to contenders. Of course, he would be far more costly in terms of assets going back to the Dodgers compared to Pederson who is 27 and only has one more season of arb-eligibility remaining in 2020 before hitting free agency next winter. Pederson does possess more raw power but is prone to striking out and has yet to demonstrate an ability to hit lefty pitching with any consistency. Pederson could probably be had for a package of mid-level prospects and maybe a bullpen arm while Verdugo would require a top White Sox prospect, perhaps a centerpiece like Vaughn who could replace soon to be 35-year old Turner at 1B in a year or two.

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