Chicago White Sox: Zack Wheeler could be missing piece to puzzle
The Chicago White Sox have extended Jose Abreu and signed Yasmani Grandal to the biggest contract in team history. Adding Zack Wheeler could be the final piece of a possible playoff puzzle.
The Chicago White Sox are winning the beginning of the offseason right now, as they have extended their first baseman, Joe Abreu, and signed the best catcher that was on the market, Yasmani Grandal, to a four-year contract.
But there is still one pitcher that should be signed to complete the puzzle, and that is Zack Wheeler.
As I wrote earlier this week, the Chicago White Sox have a pretty impressive lineup going into next season with guys like Abreu, Grandal, Tim Anderson, and Yoan Moncada in the middle of the lineup, but they won’t be a true contender without a dominant rotation.
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Right now they have a decent top of the rotation with Lucas Giolito and Michael Kopech, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, but there is uncertainty with Dylan Cease and Reynaldo Lopez, who wasn’t consistent last season with a 5.38 ERA in addition to five more losses than wins.
So with that said, GM Rick Hahn needs to have Zack Wheeler as the #1 item on his shopping list this winter, as I think Strasburg is out of the question and Gerrit Cole might also be out of the price range after they already spent $124 million on two players.
Wheeler’s price range should be around $90 million, and the White Sox have shown that they want to win this season and in the very near future, and Wheeler would be a big part of that.
I think their division is also a contributing factor to why the White Sox should go get starting pitching. They play in the worst division, which means they could pick up a lot of series wins and even sweeps against teams like the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.
Wheeler would complete a top three in the rotation that would mirror what postseason teams like the Washington Nationals have done in recent years with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin.
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Starting pitching needs to be a priority for the Chicago White Sox if they truly want to be a threat to the rest of the league.