MLBTR will provide a broader view of each club’s winter plans when our annual Offseason Outlook series kicks off at the end of the regular season. Until then, the White Sox are the latest team to be featured in our quick look at this season’s non-contenders. We’ve already covered the Marlins, Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Brewers, Reds, and Phillies, and now let’s jump to the American League to look at the White Sox. A high-profile 2014-15 offseason had Chicago looking to vault back into contention, but instead they head into the final week battling to avoid the AL Central basement. Here are a few areas that the Sox will surely address in the coming months…
1. Improve the defense. Heading into today’s action, the White Sox ranked last among all teams in UZR/150 (-7.0) and third-last in Defensive Runs Saved (-40). Among Chicago players who played at least 900 innings in the field, second baseman Carlos Sanchez was the only one to post a positive UZR/150 or DRS total. Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton at least hit well enough to overshadow their poor glove work, while Alexei Ramirez, Melky Cabrera, Avisail Garcia and Adam LaRoche all posted below-average hitting totals along with shaky defense. The Sox can upgrade the defense at shortstop by declining their $10MM club option on Ramirez for 2016 (possibly replacing him with Tyler Saladino as a bridge to top prospect Tim Anderson, as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes has suggested) and in right by moving Garcia to a part-time role. Sanchez and Saladino haven’t shown much at the plate as big leaguers, though if they keep up their strong defense, the White Sox may be willing to live with a couple of weak lineup spots. That said, if the team goes defense-first at a couple of positions, then they really need to focus on the other seven lineup spots in order to…
2. Improve the offense. As noted, Chicago simply had too many players who weren’t contributing either offensively or defensively in 2015. Aside from first base (Abreu) and center field (Eaton), you could argue that the White Sox could look for an upgrade at every other position on the field. Chicago is still hopeful that prospect Micah Johnson can blossom at second base in the wake of a fairly lackluster rookie year, plus Saladino and Sanchez could yet perhaps form a defense-first platoon at short if Ramirez isn’t brought back.
Cabrera and LaRoche are owed a combined $25MM in 2016, making them virtually unmovable for trade purposes, so the Sox might consider some kind of timeshare between the two and Abreu, where Abreu plays every day at either first or DH and LaRoche/Cabrera is in the other spot. Garcia probably won’t generate a big arbitration number in his first year of eligibility and he’s young enough to be kept, though an everyday spot has to be out of the question. These moves would open up both corner outfield spots for either a new addition or rookie Trayce Thompson, who has been very impressive since debuting in August.
This leaves third base and catcher as possible areas that could be augmented by the addition of a proven regular. The White Sox will likely try to bring back Geovany Soto to pair with Tyler Flowers, though Chicago could also decide to make a bigger splash with a larger-name backstop.
3. Decide on how much to spend this winter. While not many of GM Rick Hahn’s offseason moves paid off, the White Sox aren’t in bad financial shape. The club has roughly $88MM committed to nine players for 2016, and Flowers (who earned a modest $2.675MM in 2015) is probably the most notable of a handful of arb-eligible players. Hahn could therefore have maybe $20-$25MM to work with if owner Jerry Reindorf is willing to match this year’s payroll figure. This might not be a slam-dunk of an if, however — I could see Reinsdorf authorizing one major free agent signing but don’t expect a repeat of last winter’s acquisition spree given this season’s disappointing results. Slowing down to a full rebuild isn’t likely given that the club doesn’t want to waste another season of Abreu or Chris Sale in their prime, though Hahn may have to get a bit creative in making additions or perhaps in swapping a bad contract or another.
Looking at the list of this winter’s free agents, there aren’t any third basemen on the open market who would merit a huge contract and no catchers either, save perhaps Matt Wieters (who is no sure thing given his injury history and underwhelming 2015 numbers). This is just my speculation, but Ben Zobrist strikes me as a good free agent target for a White Sox team that is lacking at so many positions. Zobrist’s versatility could allow the Sox to use him every day around the diamond, and give them some flexibility in addressing other spots. If Chicago was to make just one “big signing,” a player like Zobrist would be a good fit.
I would really like to see LaRoche dealt. I think Pedro Alvarez would be a good buy low DH candidate.
The white sox need an experienced manager first before they dwell into these areas.
Experience? Robin Ventura will have 4 years of MLB experience following the conclusion of the 2015 season.
So, at the trade deadline, the White Sox and Padres were in exactly the same position (the Padres were actually 1 game closer to a playoff spot). They have some of the exact same flaws. They have about the same financial flexibility headed into the offseason. They have roughly similar (and uninspiring) options on the minor league side. They have been equally bad since holding onto players at the deadline.
I’d love to have someone explain why – other than “narrative” – the two clubs were and continue to be covered so differently by baseball punditry for their respective decisions.
Are you going to write this same comment on every White Sox/Padres article?
The article should read 10 Needs: not 3
The three needs for the 2016 Chicago White Sox season should be changes in the front office, manager and coaches. Someone must be held accountable for the mess the team is in.
Actually there are 4 needs: #1 should be get a competent manager and staff to help direct this club in the right direction (maybe keeping Cooper as pitching coach). I’m not saying they need Guillen back, but they definitely need a bit of fire, if not confidence, and I do not think Robin provides either of those. 3+ years of poor performance and lack of accountability shows this need to replace the manager at this point in addition to the other things that need to be done and I think this first thing to do would also help with the 3 other points.For those saying manager is not the issue I say look to the North side of Chicago as evidence of what a good manager does for a young club.
Jerry R won’t bring Ozzie back…but it would be interesting to see Ozzie work with a GM that he respected. Ozzie and Kenny Williams disliked each other and the relationship was not going to be repaired. That said…one reason is due to Kenny still calling the shots! Sure Hahn is the GM in title…but look at how many interviews Kenny does whenever they make a deal/move! Jerry needs to clean house for sure…and it starts with Kenny and then Robin!
Actually Ozzie is already back. He works for the Sox in their cactus league and part time in their minor leagues.
I can actually see Ozzie coming back once Kenny leaves which will be soon according to rumors.
Avi’s defense sucks, but he still just recently turned 24 and I feel like that bat of his has a string of .280/.350/.500, 25-30 HR/85-100 RBI seasons that are close to breaking out of it. I gotta give it at least until sometime next August to let him try & find it before I even think about benching or trading him.
He is starting to look less like ‘mini Miguel Cabrera’ (like all the homers were calling him back when they got him) and more like ‘mini Carlos Quentin’ with the injuries and lack of a consistant bat. If there still is winter ball he should be playing in it as a DH and trying to elevate the ball more.
Ventura really needs to go.
Jerry needs to stop running this team like a “mom and pop store” and start holding people responsible for their actions. Just cause someone used to play for your team, doesn’t mean you have to employ them for the rest of their life.
I’d even go so far as to say that Coop should go too. No other pitching manager has as much power an influence a she does on the team. I sometimes feel sorry for Ventura cause he can’t really do anything with the pitching part of the team cause Coop is Jerry’s buddy. No competent manager will ever want to come if they have to deal with him.
I dunno, who is really saying when I pitcher should be taken out, or when Coop should go to the mound? If it really is Coop then that is one peeve I do have with him, he,just seems to be absent when one of the young guys is in trouble, not sure who has more pull on the bullpen, him or Thigpen (who by the way was a horrible choice for bullpen coach). That said, he is an awfully good pitching coach and they are not easy to find. In the end the next manager should be able to weigh in if he wants Cooper or not, but if they want to get rid of him they better guess right on his replacement
1st The Sox have to stop signing over the hill, one dimensional, left handed power hitters like Thome, Dunn, LaRoche who Strike out 1 out of 3 at bats, they need guys who can get on base and go from 1st to 3rd on a single
2nd they need speed, Rudy law had 77 SB’s when they won in 83, Sox have 72 SB’s collectively, worse yet they were thrown out 42 times so along with speed they need to know how to run the bases, which along with bunting they seem to get worse at year in year out
3rd They need to overhaul their minor league system which has not produced a homegrown everyday position player of value in a decade. When we have a top prospect it always helps that he knows there is someone behind him ready to replace him if he fails.
Thome wasn’t bad at all. He did his job rather well. His last season wasn’t spectacular but it was still good.
Thome was not bad, it was what they gave up for him that I had an issue with. KW has a bad habit of paying the farm for over the hill guys, that and he thinks he is smarter than the rest of the league because of one year. I think his ego is one reason why Robin is still here (cannot admit he whiffed horribly on Ventura)
The best thing the Sox can do is clean house! Ventura and his coaching staff gotta go, including Cooper. I would love to see them go out of the organization and try to sign Ron Gardenhire. He knows the division and what it takes to win in it. He also is a product of the Twins organization, which means FUNDAMENTALS!! If you played shoddy with the Twins, you played elsewhere.
Time to clean house! Ventura and his whole coaching staff. I wish they would go out of the organization and try to sign Ron Gardenhire. He knows the central and how to win in it. He is a product of the Twins system and that means the players must know how to play fundamentally sound. Something foreign on the south side for way too long. Also, time to cut Pappy Yokum from the booth. Tired of all his Hawkism’s and excuse making. If he is kept I fear we will loose Stoney which would be a shame. Gotta hope Olt will turn out to be the hitter he was projected to be. We need to let Alexei go, put Saladeno at short and let Johnson and Sanchez fight it out for second. Got a lot to fix!