(670 The Score) After shocking many in the baseball world by hiring Tony La Russa as their new manager, the White Sox are now facing their most important matter of business this offseason.
Fortifying their roster in free agency.
The White Sox are viewed as a team on the cusp of serious championship contention after a 35-25 season in which much of their young talent broke out in a big way. To take the next step, the White Sox need to address a few holes, and free agency presents the best path to do that.
Adding a top-flight veteran is a goal for Chicago, which has money to spend despite revenues taking a big dip without fans in the stands in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The White Sox have the contracts of designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion ($12-million salary in 2020), closer Alex Colome ($10.5 million), catcher James McCann ($5.4 million) and left-hander Gio Gonzalez ($4.5 million) off their books now. Those contracts add up to more than $32 million that’s now free. It’s also possible the White Sox could non-tender outfielder Nomar Mazara ($5.6-million salary in 2020) and/or left-hander Carlos Rodon ($4.5 million).
The White Sox are particularly in need of more starting pitching, which makes right-hander Trevor Bauer a logical target. He’s the premier pitcher available.
Bauer, who turns 30 in January, is a leading National League Cy Young candidate after posting a 1.73 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in 11 starts for the Reds in 2020. Bauer has indicated in the past he would like to sign a series of one-year deals to maximize his value, though he and his camp have backed off that assertion more recently. Nonetheless, that has led to a line of thought that Bauer might seek a shorter-term deal, which would put him in play for many teams. If Bauer were to sign a one-year deal, many in the industry believe he’d be seeking $35 million to $40 million. He wouldn’t command quite that much annually if he signed a long-term deal.
If Bauer isn’t interested in the White Sox or their price points don’t match up, there are a handful of other starting pitcher options in the next tier. Marcus Stroman, Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ figure to get a look from the White Sox if Bauer isn’t a fit.
On the position player front, the White Sox have a couple areas of focus. They need a more consistent right fielder. While George Springer is the big-name outfielder available in free agency, the White Sox could use a lefty bat to balance out their righty-heavy lineup. That could make the 33-year-old Michael Brantley a top target for the White Sox. He hit .300 with an .840 OPS in 46 games for the Astros in 2020. Brantley has a .297 batting average and .354 on-base percentage in his career and has never struck out more than 76 times in a single season. His contact ability would be a nice complement in a lineup that’s dangerous and powerful but has a lot of swing-and-miss bats in it.
Brantley’s age may make the White Sox shy about extending a long-term deal, but he’d be a good fit for the next few years.
If the White Sox aren’t turned off by another swing-and-miss hitter and want to add a left-handed bat with more power, the 28-year-old Joc Pederson could be an interesting addition. He has a career .849 OPS against right-handers and hit 36 homers in 149 games for the Dodgers in 2019. He’d be a platoon player, as he owns a .576 OPS against left-handers in his MLB career. Pederson has been tied to the White Sox in the trade rumor mill on multiple occasions over the past couple years.
Should the White Sox let McCann go in free agency, adding a strong defensive catcher to back up Yasmani Grandal will be crucial, as questions continue to persist about Zack Collins behind the plate.
If the White Sox really wanted to think outside the box and get creative, they could pursue third baseman Justin Turner with the idea of letting Yoan Moncada roam the outfield for a couple seasons. Turner has a wealth of playoff experience and just won a World Series with the Dodgers.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.