Chicago White Sox: Quietly building an annual contender
The Chicago White Sox have made a couple of headlining moves while being overshadowed by bigger-name free agents. But keep your eyes on this team for the next few years.
If there is one thing more and more teams are starting to understand, including the Chicago White Sox, it’s that the time to win is now.
If you want to appease the fan base, you have to make moves that are headliners. You need to get the world thinking that your team is the best and they’re going to make a run for the championship.
Considering the moves that have already been made by the White Sox, maybe the signing of Yasmani Grandal is the name that jumps off the page, but just because there are no big names doesn’t mean that the White Sox are not a serious threat to the AL Central.
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Here are the significant moves the White Sox have made so far: Re-signed Jose Abreu to avoid arbitration, Signed Grandal to a four-year deal, claimed Tayron Guerrero off waive
rs from the Marlins, and just yesterday made a trade with the Texas Rangers to acquire outfielder Nomar Mazara.
These are some sneaky deals in my opinion; meaning that these are the types of pieces you would add to help solidify a contender.
The White Sox have also had a great draft position the past few seasons and are seeing the meteoric rise of recent selections, and trade acquisitions, Nick Madrigal, Michael Kopech, Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughn.
This past season, they also saw massive production increase from shortstop Tim Anderson, third baseman Yoan Moncada and were anchored in the rotation by Lucas Giolito.
There’s no denying this team is very young. It still requires a few more pieces to build their contender and these winter meetings can help solve that.
The two biggest pitchers in Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole are off the market. They were targeting Zach Wheeler but he went to the Phillies.
They could sign another below radar pitcher like a Dallas Keuchel or a Hyun-Jin Ryu who is coming off a cy young nominated campaign. Or perhaps even strike another trade with the Red Sox who are supposedly trying to unload David Price.
Price might be more of a pipe dream but you have to imagine the White Sox would love a veteran arm in the rotation and with a couple of years of control still left.
Another positive is Carlos Rodon will return to the rotation after missing a majority of last season with an injury. Eloy Jimenez didn’t have an eye-popping first season but that gives him all the more reason to break out in 2020.
That’s how some of the great teams became World Series contenders. You build with young guys you draft or trade for and then add veteran pieces to help lift the team to the next level.
Consider the 2017 Astros or the 2014 Giants and even the 2015 Royals. All those teams had their core built and added the necessary veterans to push them to the title.
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The Chicago White Sox are on the path to be that next team. And not just for next year, but for several years to start the new decade.