Rating MLB general managers: The AL Central

Rick Hahn, Chicago White Sox, senior vice president and general manager

+3.9 WAA

Hahn began 2021 with MLB’s best talent base. Players already under contract entering the season produced 18.9 games worth of WAA for the Sox, the highest foundational total of any of the 30 teams.

Hahn’s enhancement of that base merely ensured that the Sox would dominate the division, which they did, winning by 13 games.

Hahn treated that existing talent base with considered respect. He made a relatively modest 36 personnel moves affecting the major league roster, of which 42 percent produced a positive impact and 47 percent worked out negatively.

That doesn’t sound great, but consider the quality of Hahn’s most positive move.  He acquired Lance Lynn from Texas and got a postseason Game 1 starter, a 2.69 ERA in 28 starts, and a 4.0 WAA.

Thanks largely to the Lynn deal, Hahn had the best trade season of any GM in 2021. The four players he brought in – Lynn, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, and Cesar Hernandez – combined for +2.8 WAA, while the removal of four players to other teams increased Hahn’s overall trade impact to +3.4.

In other aspects, Hahn’s season was average. His free agent decisions did improve the Sox by +2.1 games, but that was primarily due to his orphaning of seven players, none of whom produced positive value for their new teams. The Sox farm system produced Michael Kopech (+1.0 WAA), but it also produced Zack Collins (-1.3 WAA). The overall impact of the rookie crop was -1.6.

Still, Hahn’s ability to land Lynn elevated the overall judgment of his work, making it the division’s best.