With all the talk about Chris Sale, people may be overlooking other possible moves for the White Sox.
David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
One of the hot stories during the Winter Meetings that the Chicago White Sox are listening to offers for LHP Chris Sale. They may be doing more than that however with the abundance of left-handed pitching in their rotation.
As of right now the three locks in their rotation are Sale, John Danks, and Jose Quintana, all of which are left-handed. The guys in the mix to fill the rotation are fellow lefties Hector Santiago and Charlie Leesman, as well as right-handers Erik Johnson and Andre Rienzo.
One of Chicago’s needs is a power bat. Adam Dunn is their best and maybe only home run hitter. The Sox re-signed infielder Paul Konerko but his power numbers have declined as he has gotten older.
Their biggest acquisition came in the three team trade with the Red Sox and Tigers which brought Avisail Garcia to Chicago but despite his large frame Garcia remains high average hitter at this point in his career. It is well-known that the White Sox, Angels,and Diamondbacks are working on a three team trade, maybe that will fill some of Chicago’s holes.
Another possibility would be adding a quality right-hander to balance the rotation. They signed righty Felipe Paulino who has not pitched since 2012 due to Tommy John surgery but that is hardly a guaranteed solution.
Chicago will be interesting to watch for the remainder of the Winter Meetings. Look for them to shop their lefties. If they can do something that makes them better without moving Sale, that might be the best option.