The White Sox have shaken up their outfield picture from last year, a fairly sensible move given their weak results during the 2022 season. The club’s outfielders collectively hit .254/.301/.393 last year for a wRC+ of 97, placing them 18th in the majors. Defensively, the results were even worse, with the club posting -22 Defensive Runs Saved and -16 Outs Above Average on the grass, both of those numbers coming in 27th in the league, while their -28.6 Ultimate Zone Rating among outfielders was dead last. At least part of those results could attributed to both Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez missing significant time due to injuries, but it was clear that some change was needed.
The club’s first move was letting José Abreu depart, thus allowing Andrew Vaughn to come in off the grass and take over at first base. Reports emerged in October that this was the course the club was considering, and Abreu signed with the Astros the following month. Vaughn was a huge part of those terrible defensive numbers, as he personally posted a -14 DRS, -16 OAA and -10.5 UZR last year. Now that he can return to his natural position, that could allow the club to deploy a more traditional outfielder in his place, depending how the situation plays out.
The other move the club made was signing Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75MM deal. Defensive metrics are somewhat split on his glovework, with OAA considering him subpar while both DRS and UZR are much kinder. Despite that disagreement, it still seems fair to expect the Sox to get better defensive results this year. Vaughn will be on the infield while Jiménez, who is also graded poorly on the grass, seems to be lined up to be the club’s primary designated hitter this year. With Benintendi in left and Robert in center, the club should at least have two competent everyday players in the mix. The question left to be resolved is who will be in right field. The club also lost AJ Pollock when he turned down a player option and signed with the Mariners, in addition to non-tendering Adam Engel, who then signed with the Padres. The right field job has been left open as a battle this spring, so let’s take a look at the candidates.
“Oscar Colas is going to be given every opportunity to see if he can become our right fielder on a daily basis,” manager Pedro Grifol said in an interview a few weeks ago. The prospect has a short track record in affiliated ball and is not yet on the 40-man roster, but it seems the team wants to leave a path open for him to seize a job once he proves himself ready for it.
Now 24 years old, Colas played in Cuba when he was younger, serving as both a hitter and a pitcher. Though some liked to call him the “Cuban Ohtani,” he only logged 3 1/3 innings in Cuba when he was 19 and the comparison never seemed truly appropriate. After spending some time in Japan, Colas was eventually declared a free agent and agreed to terms with the White Sox in 2021. That deal didn’t become official until January of 2022 when a new international signing period began, delaying his debut in affiliated ball until last year. Colas now has one season in the minors under his belt and there’s no denying that it was impressive. He began in High-A before jumping to Double-A and Triple-A, getting 526 plate appearances in 117 total games. He hit 23 home runs in that time and produced a batting line of .314/.371/.524 for a wRC+ of 137.
Those results certainly suggest Colas has earned a shot in the big leagues, but there are also concerns. His work at Triple-A was only a seven-game stint as the season was winding down, and though he hit .387 in that time, he also struck out at a 36.4% rate while walking just 6.1% of the time. It’s a small sample, but plate discipline is the primary red flag on his profile. His strikeout rate wasn’t quite as drastic at the lower levels but increased as he moved up the ranks. Scouting reports from both Baseball America and FanGraphs raise concerns about his propensity for chasing.
He’s not considered a strong enough defender for center field or a burner on the basepaths, with scouts agreeing he makes more sense in right field. He could still be an above-average fielder there, especially because his arm is considered an asset. But corner outfielders are generally expected to produce more offense than center fielders, putting a bit more pressure on his bat. Though the power seems to be legit, the strikeouts could potentially be an Achilles heel. It seems the Sox are open to letting him take a job with a hot spring but he could also warrant a bit more time on the farm after not playing in 2021 and a quick run through the minors last year.
Sheets, 27 in April, has shown some solid work at the plate in his career so far. He debuted in 2021 and launched 11 home runs in 54 games, leading to a .250/.324/.506 slash line and a 124 wRC+. He got his first extended stretch of playing time last year but couldn’t quite maintain that torrid pace. He hit 15 home runs over 410 plate appearances and hit .241/.295/.411 overall for a wRC+ of 100, or exactly league average.
The defensive side of his game hasn’t been graded well, however, as Sheets has a -10 DRS, -7 OAA and -6.0 UZR in the outfield so far. He’s only been in the majors a short time but the profile appears limited, supplying power but not much else since he doesn’t run well or get on base at an especially high rate. He seems like the frontrunner to hold down the job until Colas is deemed ready.
Jiménez, 26, certainly provides value with his bat. Despite missing over two months with a hamstring strain last year, he still hit 16 home runs and finished the season with a .295/.358/.500 batting line for a wRC+ of 144. But his defense has been a liability in his career, leading to tallies of -15 DRS, -17 OAA and -8.2 UZR. It seems the club will try to utilize him as a DH for the most part, though not entirely.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing Eloy in right field,” Grifol said recently. “I’m not talking about seeing him there every day, but I’m talking about maybe seeing him there a day or two a week if possible and keeping him athletic and keeping him working on the defensive side, because I know that helps on the offensive side as well.”
Regardless of who’s getting the regular right field reps, it seems Jiménez will be rotated in there a bit. That’s a fine enough plan but situations could always arise where he has to jog out there more often. Last year, for example, Bryce Harper was diagnosed with a torn UCL that kept him from taking the field but allowed him to continue hitting. That forced the Phillies to put Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos out on the grass more often than they initially planned. That’s an extreme example in the sense that Harper was such a good hitter that the Phils had little choice but to allow him to clog up their DH slot for most of the year. However, it still shows that an injury can sometimes throw off a club’s designs for its ideal alignment, and it’s possible such a scenario arises and leads to an extended stretch in the field for Jiménez.
Garcia, 32 in March, is a candidate to help out with Chicago’s unsettled second base position as well as here in right. In his many years with the club, he’s served a super utility role, playing everywhere except first base and catcher. His glovework in the outfield is considered to be around average, though he doesn’t provide much at the plate, with a career batting line of .253/.293/.350. That amounts to a wRC+ of 74, indicating he’s been 26% below league average for his career. He was well off that pace last year, getting into 97 games but hitting just .210/.233/.267 for a wRC+ of just 39. He’s likely to be bouncing around the diamond to fill in wherever he’s needed. That could include some time in right field, but if he’s getting an extended run here it likely means something has gone terribly wrong.
Victor Reyes/Jake Marisnick/Billy Hamilton/Adam Haseley
None of these outfielders are currently on the roster, but they will be in camp as non-roster invitees. In the case of Haseley, he was outrighted in November while the other three were brought aboard on minor league deals. Marisnick and Hamilton are both glove-first veterans who will be 32 years old this year. They could make their way onto the roster as a fourth outfielder at some point, but it will be difficult to earn an everyday role unless there’s a cascade of injuries to other players. Haseley, 27 in April, was once a top-100 prospect with the Phillies, but his bat seems to have stalled out once he got to the game’s upper levels. He has a .262/.323/.364 batting line in 380 MLB plate appearances for a wRC+ of 82. His Triple-A work isn’t impressive either, coming in at .241/.308/.389. His defense is well-regarded and he’s yet to reach arbitration, so he could theoretically carve out a meaningful role if he can take a step forward at the plate. Reyes, 28, is fairly similar, having hit .264/.294/.379 in his career for an 83 wRC+. He has over four years of service time but still has an option remaining.
External Addition
There are still some names available in free agency, such as Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, Tyler Naquin, Ben Gamel, Robbie Grossman and others. Convincing any of them to sign as a placeholder or a part-time player could be difficult, though an injury during Spring Training or the World Baseball Classic could quickly change the whole picture. The club isn’t close to the $233MM competitive balance tax threshold, with Roster Resource currently pegging their number at $205MM. They are, however, getting pretty close to their franchise spending record. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the club ran a $193MM figure on Opening Day last year, smashing their previous record of $129MM. Roster Resource has them at $187MM right now, just shy of last year. They could seemingly afford to make an addition if they wanted, but it’s possible they simply don’t want to block Colas and the remaining free agents feel they could probably find better opportunities elsewhere.
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Though the Sox seem capable of having a better outfield this year, the overall depth does seem to be lacking at the moment. If Colas comes into spring and looks great, then things are probably in good shape. But if he looks a little shaky and goes back to the minors, then Sheets and Jiménez are likely handling things, with both of those guys being defensive liabilities. One injury would suddenly vault Garcia or one of the non-roster guys into an everyday role. More than one injury would really create a problem.
Think of all the coke endorsements with oscar. He will make opening day
Pepsi would work too…
After all this hype, I feel empty…
Stupid Pepsi comment!
Such bubbly comments!
Any external OF addition should be able to handle CF as well.
You’re right. Robert is oft injured.
The White Sox should have tendered Adam Engel a contract in his final arbitration season, especially in the wake of AJ Pollock’s earlier decision to opt out of his 2023 contract. Engel could have been a solid short-side platoon partner for either left-handed hitting RF they employ throughout 2023, likely Oscar Colas or perhaps Gavin Sheets early on. Engel could have also provided excellent defense at all three spots as their 4th outfielder.
Retaining Engel would have also diminished any thoughts of utilizing Eloy Jimenez on the grass in 2023, short of another injury riddled season.
Baseball is at the same time, beautiful and so weird. Why is the DRS stat called “defensive runs saved”? There are no offensive runs saved, are there?
Why are the poles down the line designated ‘foul’ when a batted ball that strikes them is ruled ‘fair’?
Why the term hit and run when the base runner breaks before the ball can be struck? Run and hit would be more appropriate, no?
The title of this article says more about the Sox off season then all the fans, me included, doubting the moves that this franchise makes.
Where is the rumor in this article!
Where is the question mark at the end of your question?
Really impressed by Colas’ numbers in the Southern League (AA) in Regions Field, which can be death to hitters. Hitting .306/.364/.563 in that environment is very impressive. I believe he hit LHP quite well also, if my memory serves me correctly. All he did was succeed last season, so it will be interesting to see his ability to make adjustments when the inevitable failures and slumps come knocking.
Oscar Colas also comes with rave reviews as a potential clubhouse leader despite his 2023 rookie status. According to White Sox minor league manager Justin Jirschele, Colas was the player that all the Latinos looked up to in 2022. Jirschele will be the AAA Charlotte manager in 2023 after his promotion from AA Birmingham where Colas spent most of his time last season.
Colas might be an MLB rookie but he’s already 24, playing parts of three seasons in Cuba’s CNS beginning at 17 and also spent some time in Japan’s NPB. Colas ought to fit in very well with the White Sox as their next Cuban regular. He could eventually become a clubhouse leader like Jose Abreu with solid production, his work ethic and an infectious personality.
They should give Puig a chance at rf
He’s on the list with Bauer…..never to wear a MLB uniform again.
And Khalil lee.
Perhaps Mike Clevinger as well. 🙁
RF gonna be the firm of Sheets, Jimenez, and Colas.
Disaster.
Hopefully it won’t be too long before Oscar becomes the senior RF partner and boots Gavin and Eloy to the 1B and DH firms.
Jimenez needs to DH. If Colas has a good spring he’ll be in RF on opening day
I can see Marisnick making the team, as he can play all 3 OF spots, and well. That said, you want to limit his ABs, and then usually just against LHP. I can definitely see a 3 person platoon there, with Jake spelling them all defensively.
I see Hamilton and Marisnick on the team. Rf – Colas – Hamilton- Marisnick
Could be really good
Agreed on a rotation of Colas and Marisnick, maybe Reyes instead of Hamilton.
This is what happens to a roster when the club is run by a cheap, dirtbag owner. The White Sox, along with 85% of the rest of the league, will only ever spend enough money on talent to make you THINK they’re trying to win. The remaining 15% will be the teams making multiple World Series appearances decade after decade…
On the button with Jr. It’s not Hahn’s fault the team picked up so much garbage this off season. It always makes me groan when I read how this cast off or that dfa did something good in AA, like Colas. People have him pegged as a sure thing in rf when he has some obvious short comings defensively. So does Jimenez. So does Sheets, but article after article fails to mention that his natural position is 1b. Since they don’t have any candidate that can field and hit, they should just go all defense and let Robert, Vaughn, Anderson and Moncada provide the offense, to which I say, good luck. Put Hamilton – the best defensive OF on the team – in rf with anyone else as a fourth OF since Reinsdorf won’t cough up the money to buy a quality OF or 2b man.
Nobody who has been following this team the past 3 years THINKS that they are trying to win. Their offseason was ranked the worst of all 30 teams. Deservedly. Pollock doesn’t make a ton of money, and took 5M less just to play somewhere else. What does that tell you about what players think of this joke of a franchise.
I said that’s what teams (White Sox) do. I didn’t say the fans are dumb enough to buy into it. Sports media certainly does a good job pretending everything is kosher.
At least Adam Engel is no longer an option.
Seems it would be best to give Colas some time in AAA. White Sox have never been great at development so shouldn’t rush him.
Word is Tyler Naquin will be signed to man right facing right handlers in a platoon.
Huh? Why would the White Sox add a mediocre hitting and defensively challenged left-handed hitter to their RF mix that already has Oscar Colas and Gavin Sheets competing for the job. Exactly who would Tyler Naquin platoon with?
So really Colas or more of the same from last season (where they did soooo well)?
Yeah, nice work Hahn….
I like Sheets, but he is a 1st baseman (which apparently the Sox forget about.. maybe they think there are two first base bags out on the field)..
Jimenez is a DH DH (Say it with me Grifol and Hahn..D…H…..), unless you want to see Jimenez make below average plays in RF instead of LF. Its bad enough he will somehow get hurt as DH and miss half the season as it is.
Garcia? Yeah I guess they do not want to get rid of holes in the lineup but add to them…
The rest? There is a reason why they are with the White Sox instead of a team trying to get to the playoffs and win it all, and it aint advanced scouting that the rest of the league somehow missed……
I like the idea of Oscar the Grouch selling his own cola, but will probably taste like garbage.
It’s a shame to see what the White Sox are doing to themselves after such a build-up to being good and relevant again.
The beginning of the mess the Sox are currently in began with the idiotic firing of Rick Renteria, who took a five year rebuild and got the Sox to the PO in four years. Then the dirt bag owner got involved.
Yep. This is also on Rick Hahn for firing Ricky before his boss forced pal Tony LaRussa into the dugout. The feeble argument was that the White Sox needed a more experienced manager to take them to the next level. How did that work out?
Aside from a new owner, perhaps the White Sox also need a new GM who could take them to the next level. This would also be a likely outcome with new ownership as well.
Meh the White Sox are not doing everything they can to win. I really hope Oscar Colas turns into a great player. Too many ifs to work out for my liking. Ugh this sucks…
Sheets or Colas in RF most days. Marisnick has a chance to make the club as a 4th OF. Jimenez should just DH.
I don’t know why they insist on playing Eloy in the outfield, he should be the DH 90% of his playing time.
Because Eloy wants to play RF!
Trade ELOY if he cannot understand he is a DH role player. Yes, he is young, but can DH for next 10-15 years if injury free.
Grifol has to be paying lip service to Eloy and Sheets about playing the field. In addition to his bumbling in LF, Eloy doesn’t have an outfield arm. It won’t play better in RF.
The infield defense is going to be shaky again with Moncada, Anderson, AAA 2B and Vaughn. They can not afford to have poor defenders in the outfield AGAIN.
Offense, “if” everyone is healthy, should be enough to keep them in contention without forcing both Eloy and Sheets in the lineup.
They should try to trade Sheets, even if the return is a long-term international prospect. That being said, I can see Eloy pouting about not playing RF. If that happens, I have no issue shipping him out.
Also, I just can’t listen to Benetti gush over Eloy’s stellar potential gold glove defense, after Eloy turns a routine out into a running, sprawling catch…
@Spotswood
Pretty much agree with all of this aside from the corner infielders. Yoan Moncada has disappointed with the bat since his breakout 2019 season but he can definitely throw some leather at the hot corner. His athleticism at 3B plays much better than it did at 2B. Andrew Vaughn also ought to be at least an average defensive 1B for the White Sox.
Oddly, I’m (probably the only one) that’s upbeat about Moncada’s bat. He’s seems to be on this every other year thing… Boom or bust. Last year was bust… Less optimistic about his defense. I’m half in on the defensive metrics (despite being an analytics guy by profession). His UZR number has been in a nose dive. His other numbers peg him, as you said, perfectly average. From my point, every year he physically looks worse and last year in particular, he just seemed to check out for periods. I just don’t see positive trends in his defense.
Vaughn, metrics over 280 innings at 1st(still fairly small) have him as a poor defender. As a college player and prospect he graded out as passable defensively. Terms used to describe his defense, fringe, below average, looks uncomfortable, slow actions… It’s his spot for now, we’ll see by June if he’s an asset in the field or not.
I wish I was as bullish on Moncada’s bat as I am with his glove. That said, I’m hardly giving up on him, especially with new manager Pedro Grifol and Royals associate Mike Tosar potentially providing some much needed help with his offense.
Moncada produced better under Rick Renteria than with Tony LaRussa. The outlier was the abbreviated 2020 pandemic season when Moncada never fully recovered from his pre-season bout with COVID-19. Unfortunately for the White Sox and perhaps Moncada as well, 2020 was also Renteria’s last in the White Sox dugout.
The problem is Moncada is one of the prima donnas that need to show up, he has the tools (he did have two 5 hit games last season) , but he apparently is more worried about his singing career than working to fulfill that large extension he signed… Imagine how good Moncada could be if he decided to show up every game for the season
No other major league team would even consider playing Sheets in RF.
Sheets should be at first, especially if Anderson and Moncada are throwing there.. Vaughn may be too small of a target. Id almost start Sheets at first and Vaughn in RF. While his OF skill is not great, its likely better than Sheets.
I agree that Sheets is a better option at 1st. As you said, bigger target, reach and moves (slightly) better than Vaughn. It seems like Vaughn is stiff and has short arms… Sheets is actually better in the OF than Vaughn. By “better”, I mean bad v horrible/non playable. Playing LF, I believe Vaughn was rated the worst OF in all of baseball.
“if he’s getting an extended run here it likely means something has gone terribly wrong.” Rotfl. Yes, something has gone terribly wrong.
I like Garcia as a fill in at 2b but he lets too many balls go over his head in the OF. Still, a valuable utility man.
Victor Reyes. Great defender and he can be a high average hitter. Jimenez is a DH. I’m not sure about Sheets, however.
Let’s be honest. This is the White Sox so Colas is gonna get the job even if he stinks this spring because he’s cheap and the Sox have no back up plan, as usual.
That’s why it’s such a joke when I read that the Sox are interested in Profar or some other established major leaguer. The Sox are always floating names, trying to make fans think they’re really trying hard to upgrade the team. Then they sign DFA’s instead.
Justin Profar and Elvis Andrus still remain unsigned as ‘potential’ fits on the 2023 White Sox. Both are also Scott Boras clients and all White Sox fans realize the past history of the super agent with owner Jerry Reinsdorf. That said, Boras was also the agent for recent White Sox pitchers Carlos Rodon and Dallas Keuchel. You might recall, Rodon surprisingly re-signed with the White Sox after his December 2021 non-tender.
Of the two, Andrus would seem the more ‘likely’ addition before opening day with an opportunity to become the White Sox starting second baseman. Profar would have to accept a role as the likely White Sox #4 outfielder once Andrew Benintendi signed as their everyday left-fielder.
Most pundits expect Profar to secure a regular OF gig before opening day once his price comes down and some team becomes more desperate with an injury or lack of production from internal candidates this spring. Andrus might still secure a preferred starting SS position with a couple of contenders who experience similar issues in spring training.
As a long time White Sox fan, my primary concern right now is their lack of depth in the starting rotation in light of the Mike Clevinger domestic abuse report and his likely suspension by MLB.
IMO Clevinger should just be dropped.. Even if he comes back I doubt he will be good enough for activists to forget what he is accused of.
Jurickson Profar.
🙂 My spellcheck hates both those words….
So do Sox fans blame TLR again this year?
They need Wacha to pitch, Profar in right field and Andrus at 2nd base. Both Profar and Andrus can play ss when TA gets hurt.
Another SP is priority #1 with the White Sox because of the recent Mike Clevinger news. Michael Wacha would be a solid replacement for Clevinger but the front office should explore and exhaust all their trade options first beginning with Braves ace Max Fried.
I’d rather roll with Oscar Colas as the White Sox new right fielder. Jurickson Profar would have been a better fit in LF but the White Sox signed Andrew Benintendi instead. I believe the front office made the right choice with Benintendi, probably the only real good one all offseason to this point. He not only provides the White Sox with a Gold Glove defender in LF but his high BA/high contact left-handed bat atop the lineup pairs nicely along with Tim Anderson’s high BA and solid base running ability. The two should be excellent table setters for the thunder that follows.
Elvis Andrus would be an upgrade and provide more certainty over the handful of internal candidates vying for the starting 2B job. As you also mentioned, Andrus would provide an excellent insurance policy for TA7 at shortstop as he did last season. That said, the White Sox might also be better served trying to find an even better long term solution via a trade this spring, perhaps a blockbuster deal for ‘displaced’ Marlins 2B Jazz Chisolm Jr., for one of the Blue Jays ‘spare’ keystone players or maybe even a reunification with Cubs ‘displaced’ 2B Nick Madrigal.
GM Rick Hahn had hinted earlier this offseason that trades were the more likely avenue to fulfill the White Sox needs in light of his budget restrictions. Perhaps he can still make good on that ‘promise’ with a new SP and/or 2B.
How do you propose they land Fried? To match value in BTV (perhaps not the most reliable site, but a baseline), you’d have to give Vaughn and Montgomery to make it pretty close. No way I’d take Fried over those two. You could throw what little remains of the Sox’ farm outside of Montgomery and Colas, but now the deal cut me off at Burger, Mena, Ramos, Rodriguez, Schultz, and Sosa and I was still about 23M short of even value.
There’s the option of trading TA, I suppose, but now you’re trusting rookies at RF, SS, and 2B, and Montgomery is just not ready yet. If you have any realistic trade ideas that more or less match on value, go ahead. I just don’t see it.
There are some logical fits between the White Sox and Braves in a potential trade involving Max Fried. They would almost certainly include top White Sox prospect, SS Colson Montgomery. If I were the White Sox GM I’d propose a mega blockbuster that also had Braves SS/2B Vaughn Grissom coming to Chicago which would help negate the loss of Montgomery long term.
Try running this scenario through your BTV calculator:
White Sox acquire southpaw ace Fried and his two years of arb control along with Grissom. The Braves land Tuscaloosa, Alabama star athlete SS Tim Anderson and his two years of cheap All-Star control along with Montgomery and young lefty power arm Garrett Crochet. These would be the primary pieces with many other potential tweeks. If the Braves prefer another starter to step in for Fried in 2023 I’d gladly switch out Crochet for Michael Kopech.
The Braves have a recent history of only locking up players on their own terms including the team friendly extensions given to homegrown RF Ronald Acuña Jr., 2B Ozzie Albies, 3B Austin Riley, CF Michael Harris II and SP Spencer Strider. They also inked extensions they deemed cost effective to recent trade acquisitions, 1B Matt Olson and C Sean Murphy. They refused to lock up fan favorite local stars 1B Freddie Freeman and SS Dansby Swanson. They let both walk in free agency with only draft compensation in return. Their history suggests they will not meet Fried’s lofty asking price as he nears free agency but might gladly accept TA7’s remaining two years as their stop gap to Montgomery.
As White Sox fans, we all know the significance that Fried could provide to the rotation as a TOR southpaw, one that was never replaced with the departure of Carlos Rodon last offseason. We are also well aware of Fried’s connection to pitching coach Ethan Katz and Lucas Giolito from their time spent together at LA’s Harvard-Westlake High School, along with Cardinals SP Jack Flaherty. We painfully remember the whole ‘friends and family’ debacle leading up to the botched Manny Machado free agency from 4 years ago. As a long time White Sox fan I’m also a ‘glutton for punishment’ and would like nothing better than to relive that experience the next two years with Fried, Giolito, Flaherty and Katz as the principles this time around. lol
Btw: The White Sox could pull off a Fried blockbuster without top core players Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughn involved since both would be redundant pieces in Atlanta with Acuna, Harris and Olson already set as core pieces. Any thought of including Dylan Cease would also be a non-‘starter’. It’s possible that Eloy Jimenez name might come up in talks if the Braves insisted on adding another defensively challenged LF or DH to their mix that already includes Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna. It’s also conceivable that the Braves insist the White Sox take one of those two back in any swap involving Fried which would also make such a trade a hard pass for me.
Refreshing to see someone put forward a legitimate trade package, instead of the tired “you can have everyone we don’t want for your star ex: Rutherford, Burger Dalquist, Adolfo, Sheets and Engel for Ohtani.
I really have the feeling Atlanta’s GM floated out Fried’s name much like the Angels floated Ohtani. Only way it gets done is a massive overpay. And for a durable #1 lefty with 2 years of control… Your package is solid, but I doubt enough to get it done.
Sox wouldn’t be just trading with the Braves, they’re trading against 20 other teams… Teams that have deeper farm systems and can overpay with prospects.
Sox might value getting Giolito and Fried and Katz together, I don’t think the provides any value to the Braves to entice them to make the trade. I also see Giolito leaving at the end of the year, if not before.
As far as the players involved, I don’t know all the needs of the Braves, but the only holes appear to be SS and RF. From what I’ve read, Grissom is not a SS. If he is, they don’t need TA or Montgomery. Despite how the Sox are pushing Montgomery, there’s a growing narrative that he won’t stay at short. If I were the Braves, I wouldn’t trade for a guy that “might” be able to play SS. I would go to teams that have a true, ready/near ready MLB SS to trade, like Cleveland, Minnesota, San Diego, Baltimore, Tampa, Giants, Mets or Philly. The Braves have plenty of offense. They don’t need a bat at SS, I’d want an elite glove and that is not TA/Montgomery.
Despite Crochet being on his way back from TJS, he’s probably the most interesting piece for the Braves.
As you point out, the Braves aren’t afraid to let a player leave through FA (something they’d face with TA) In this case, Fried has a ton a value as their #1. I don’t think the Sox have the assets the Braves would want without doing serious damage to their roster.
I assume you’re replacing Anderson with a FA signing?
I’ll also add, BTV is an absolutely horrible.
Vaughn Grissom would be the White Sox SS for 2023. He is currently atop the Braves depth chart as their replacement for departed free agent SS Dansby Swanson.
If the White Sox made my proposed trade sooner rather than later it could give them a better incentive and chance to re-sign current free agent Elvis Andrus as their 2023 stopgap SS with Grissom assuming the starting 2B position.
Marisnick or Hamilton should break camp with the team. Send Colas to AAA until at least mid-May unless he absolutely lights it up in ST. He needs to work on his swing decisions. Sheets doesn’t provide enough offense to justify his poor defense, so at least one of those needs to improve dramatically to justify him being a regular. He wasn’t drafted as an OF, though; just another case of the FO seeing a bat and totally forgetting that defensive position matters. He’s good enough to be a platoon bat against RHPs, but not an everyday starter.
Hopefully Colas shows he has nothing left to prove in the minors fairly soon and gets a call up. If the Sox have to rely on anyone else for the majority of RF starts this season, either that person’s development has taken an unexpected leap forward or something has gone terribly wrong. And Eloy should be a DH, even if there are a couple injuries. Marisnick and Hamilton are just so much better defensively and I don’t want to risk Eloy going all out on a ball only to miss half of yet another season.