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Williams: White Sox Won’t Hold Vaughn Back For Service-Time Reasons

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The White Sox have had extension talks with top prospect Andrew Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2019 draft, but they’re willing to carry him on the Opening Day roster even without a long-term deal in place, writes USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. White Sox vice president Kenny Williams wouldn’t directly confirm that Vaughn is likely to make the Opening Day roster, though he certainly implied that could be in the works.

“We’d like to have that message coming from the manager,” Williams tells Nightengale, “and not me through USA Today.” Sox skipper Tony La Russa tells Nightengale that Vaughn “hasn’t made the club yet” but has made a “very good impression” to this point in camp.

That’s probably understating the matter. Vaughn has never played a game at the Double-A level, but he’s nevertheless tattooed Cactus League pitching at a .289/.396/.489 clip through 53 plate appearances. He’s fanned just nine times against an impressive seven walks, adding a pair of homers, a double and a triple to the mix.

While many clubs around the game would keep Vaughn down at the alternate training site for three weeks to buy an extra year of service time, Williams indicates that the team won’t sacrifice immediate wins even for benefit down the line.

“…[O]ur feeling is that when you’re ready to help the major-league club, there’s a spot for you,” says Williams. “…I think there is a residual effect if you play those type of service-time games. As a former player, maybe I’m a little more sensitive to it than others. If you do that, the player and the agent don’t forget any time soon.”

Last offseason, the White Sox inked veteran slugger Edwin Encarnacion to serve as their primary designated hitter, but they’ve made no efforts to bring in a full-time DH this time around. The South Siders quickly brought Adam Eaton back to serve as their right fielder early in the offseason, but he’s been the lone bat added to a lineup composed largely of impressive young players.

Vaughn, one of the sport’s most promising young hitters, would only further the ChiSox’ youth movement. The former Cal star raked at a .374/.495/.688 clip in 745 NCAA plate appearances, launching 50 homers and drawing 123 walks against just 75 strikeouts along the way. He played in 55 pro games after being drafted in ’19 and put together a strong .278/.384/.449 slash through 245 plate appearances. Because the 2020 minor league season was canceled, that’s the only pro experience to date for Vaughn, though the young slugger tells Nightengale he feels he learned quite a bit while taking as many as seven to eight plate appearances daily against high-end pitching at the Sox’ alternate training site last summer.

If Vaughn were to break camp with the White Sox and never be sent back to the minors, he’d be controlled via arbitration through the 2026 season, reaching arbitration eligibility after the 2023 campaign. Leaving him in the minors for just three weeks would push that free-agent trajectory back to the 2027-28 offseason, but Williams’ comments and the White Sox’ past actions strongly suggest that’s not a priority for them. And even if Vaughn does break camp without first agreeing to a contract extension, the two sides could always continue talks about a long-term pact — be they early in the spring or next offseason.

Eloy Jimenez Dealing With Left Shoulder Discomfort

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White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez departed the team’s game Wednesday with discomfort in his left shoulder, James Fegan of The Athletic was among those to report. He suffered the injury while trying to rob Athletics catcher Sean Murphy of a home run. The White Sox will have more information on Jimenez’s status Thursday.

While it’s unknown whether Jimenez will miss any regular-season time as a result of this issue, he’s one of the last players the World Series-hopeful White Sox can afford to lose. Jimenez had a terrific rookie year offensively in 2019 and then posted even better numbers last season, when he slashed .296/.332/.559 with 14 home runs in 226 plate appearances. The 24-year-old’s 140 wRC+ ranked 28th among 142 qualified hitters.

If healthy, Jimenez will join center fielder Luis Robert and right fielder Adam Eaton in the grass at the outset of the season. The White Sox also have Leury Garcia, Luis Gonzalez, Micker Adolfo and Blake Rutherford on their 40-man roster in the event of a Jimenez injured list stint, and veterans Billy Hamilton and Nick Williams are in the organization as further outfield depth.

White Sox Option Reynaldo Lopez

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The White Sox optioned right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to their alternate site Monday, per a team announcement. The move means Lopez won’t open the season on the big league roster.

Lopez, who came to Chicago in a blockbuster trade with Washington heading into 2017, has had an up-and-down run with the White Sox. Now 27 years old, Lopez has pitched to a 4.76 ERA/4.98 SIERA across 446 2/3 innings as a member of the club. The previous two seasons were especially rough for Lopez, who combined for a 5.52 ERA/4.96 SIERA over 210 1/3 frames. He also walked a career-worst 12.4 percent of batters last year.

Lopez entered spring training with the hope of claiming a season-opening roster spot, but he allowed 11 earned runs in as many innings, gave up 16 hits, and totaled just six strikeouts against four walks in exhibition play before the White Sox demoted him. As of now, the White Sox appear as if they’ll enter 2021 with a rotation consisting of Lucas Giolito (whom they acquired in the same trade as Lopez), Dallas Keuchel, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon.

Injury Notes: Engel, Lorenzen, Antone, Reds, Kelly

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Adam Engel will begin the season the injured list, as White Sox manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) that Engel will miss “at least a couple of weeks” due to a right hamstring strain.  Long known for his glovework moreso than his bat, Engel hit .295/.333/.477 over 93 plate appearances in 2020, and was projected to serve as Chicago’s fourth outfielder this year, also getting his share of right field platoon duty with the left-handed hitting Adam Eaton.  [UPDATE: Engel told The Athletic’s James Fegan and other reporters that his injury carries a normal recovery timeline of 2-4 weeks, though that projection will depend on how his body responds to treatment.]

Utilityman Leury Garcia could fill Engel’s role, and La Russa also mentioned three other candidates in camp — prospect Luis Gonzalez, and non-roster invitees Billy Hamilton and Nick Williams.  Mikie Mahtook is another center field-capable player with MLB experience in camp.  If Engel does make good progress before Opening Day, it’s possible his IL stint could be fairly minimal, so the Sox might just use Garcia or Gonzalez as short-term replacements rather than make a 40-man roster move to accommodate one of the players on minor league deals.

More injury situations from around baseball….

  • With Sonny Gray already slated to begin the season on the IL, two more pitching concerns arose for the Reds on Saturday.  Michael Lorenzen suffered a minor shoulder strain while pitching in an intrasquad game, and Tejay Antone ended a side session due to hip flexor irritation.  GM Nick Krall told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that “we got as good of news as possible” on the two right-handers, saying “I think we’re hopeful that both will start the season on time, but we’re still monitoring the situation.”  Lorenzen was taken out as something of a precaution, while Antone may perhaps be taken along a bit slower, considering that he was already trying to recover from a slight groin strain.  Since the Reds have two off-days in the first eight days of the schedule, they could get by with just a starting four of Luis Castillo, Wade Miley, Tyler Mahle, and Jose De Leon should Lorenzen to miss time.  If Antone is healthy and isn’t instead ticketed for the bullpen, he could also pitch as a starter rather than De Leon.
  • Brewers pitching prospect Antoine Kelly underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last November, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes, and it isn’t yet certain when the southpaw might be back on the mound.  “I think it’s unlikely for him to be ready by the start of the Minor League season….I think we do envision him pitching over the summer. Exactly when, we don’t know,” Milwaukee president of baseball ops David Stearns said.  Kelly was a second-round pick in the 2019 draft, and he made 10 starts (nine in rookie ball, one in A-ball) that year before working out at the Brewers’ alternate training site last summer.  Baseball America ranks Kelly as the fourth-best prospect in Milwaukee’s system, citing his plus fastball and plus slider, and saying he “has the attributes to develop into a mid-rotation or better starter.”

White Sox Claim Nik Turley

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The White Sox claimed southpaw Nik Turley off waivers from the A’s, Scott Merkin of MLB.com was among those to note (Twitter link). Right-hander Jimmy Cordero has been placed on the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster space.

Turley, 31, tossed 21.2 relief innings of 4.98 ERA/4.82 SIERA ball with the Pirates in 2020. The A’s acquired him from Pittsburgh for cash considerations in January. Oakland evidently didn’t plan on carrying the out-of-options Turley on the active roster to begin the season, so they placed him on waivers. Turley will have to break camp with the Sox or else again be offered to other clubs.

Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery this week. He’ll miss the entire 2021 season.

This Date In Transactions History: Tim Anderson Extension

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Today marks the four-year anniversary of the White Sox locking up their franchise shortstop. On March 21, 2017, the South Siders agreed to a six-year extension that guaranteed Tim Anderson $25MM. Via a pair of club options, the deal pushed Chicago’s club control over Anderson to the end of the 2024 season.

It was easy to see the appeal for the White Sox in betting on Anderson long-term. He was a former first-round pick and top 100 prospect, so one could envision him as a core piece of the future. Anderson had also held his own as a 23-year-old the year prior. The young shortstop made his MLB debut in June 2016 and hit a decent .283/.306/.432 over 431 plate appearances down the stretch.

There’s also the reality that early-career extensions tend to carry ample upside with little downside for teams. With the MLB salary structure designed to underpay players early in their careers, extensions for those players often tack on extra years of team control at rates well below what the player would’ve made in free agency if they perform at a high level. Meanwhile, the figures are typically low enough the team can paper over the deal if the player busts.

Still, this contract represented something of a show of faith on the White Sox’s part. Anderson had yet to accrue a full year of MLB service, so he would’ve been controllable through 2022 regardless. His strikeout and walk rates had been well worse than the league average in 2016, so a wait-and-see approach would’ve been reasonable, particularly with the organization embarking on a rebuild. Instead, Chicago placed a bet on Anderson’s long-term development. As Jeff Todd examined for MLBTR, the guarantee set a new high-water mark at that time for a player with less than one year of major league service.

The White Sox are now in position to be handsomely rewarded for that decision. After making the playoffs in 2020, Chicago looks well-positioned to continue to contend over the next few seasons. Anderson is a central reason for that. He has hit a stellar .331/.357/.514 (133 wRC+) over the past two seasons, finishing seventh in American League MVP voting in 2020.

While he has never drawn many walks, Anderson has improved in virtually every other regard since his rookie season. He’s cut his strikeout rate in recent years while hitting for more power and reliably posting high batting averages on balls in play. Anderson will play out the next two seasons on respective guaranteed salaries of $7.25MM and $9.5MM. Barring an unexpected drop in performance or injury, the White Sox should have little hesitancy excising the 2023-24 options (valued at $12.5MM and $14MM, respectively) and keeping Anderson in Chicago for the first half of this decade.

AL Notes: White Sox, Astros, Tigers

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White Sox outfielder Adam Engel will be re-evaluated by team doctors tomorrow after straining his right hamstring in spring play today, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Engel, 29, has a relatively important role on the South Side this season as the fourth outfielder responsible for backing up Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Adam Eaton. While Engel unequivocally comes in behind those three in the outfield hierarchy, he nevertheless could see significant playing time as the only true reserve outfielder likely to make the roster. Engel had a career year in 2020 with a 122 wRC+ in 93 plate appearances after producing 38 percent below average over his first 1,047 plate appearances. Clearly, the sample size matters, but even if he regresses at the plate, Engel runs well and brings a quality glove to the outfield grass. If he ends up missing time, Leury Garcia would become their top outfield reserve. If Engel is out, that could open up an opportunity for the recently-signed Billy Hamilton or Luis Gonzalez to make the roster. Micker Adolfo, and Blake Rutherford would be the other contenders from the 40-man roster. Adolfo is the only right-handed hitter among that quartet. Elsewhere in the AL…

  • The Astros are unexpectedly trying to fill upwards to forty percent of their rotation for the first few weeks of the season. Framber Valdez’s finger injury led to the signing of Jake Odorizzi, but he won’t be ready by opening day. Cristian Javier is also in doubt for the start of the season. That’s opened a window for Brandon Bielak, who impressed manager Dusty Baker with a 70-pitch outing today, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Bielak worked on getting himself in shape to pitch deeper into games, and it’s showed so far this spring in Baker’s estimation. Bielak made six starts and twelve total appearances in his debut last season. He totaled 32 innings with a 6.75 ERA/7.00 FIP.
  • Top offensive prospects Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene were re-assigned to minor league camp today by the Tigers, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Neither Torkelson, 21, nor Greene, 20, were expected to sniff the opening day roster, and both struggled throughout spring training. Still, the 1st and 5th overall selections of the past two drafts, respectively, have bright futures ahead of them in Detroit. Torkelson has yet to make his pro debut in a regular season game, while Greene finished his first pro campaign in Single-A.

Jimmy Cordero Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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White Sox right-handed reliever Jimmy Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The procedure was successful, though Cordero won’t pitch this year.

The hard-throwing Cordero, who appeared in the majors with the Nationals and Blue Jays from 2018-19, joined the White Sox as a waiver claim from the Mariners in the latter of those two seasons. He has since given the White Sox 62 2/3 innings of 4.16 ERA/3.95 SIERA pitching with a 55.1 percent groundball rate. Cordero struggled to keep runs off the board last year, when he logged a 6.07 ERA over 26 2/3 frames, but his peripherals indicated that he deserved better results.

While Cordero did lead the White Sox with 30 appearances in 2020, the 29-year-old was not a sure bet to earn a season-opening roster spot this spring, James Fegan of The Athletic notes. Chicago’s Cordero-less bullpen still boasts the likes of Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, Matt Foster, Garrett Crochet, Codi Heuer and Michael Kopech.

White Sox Discussing Extensions With Lucas Giolito, Andrew Vaughn

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The White Sox have been “engaging” with ace Lucas Giolito and top prospect Andrew Vaughn about possible contract extensions, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports.  For now, no deal appears imminent with either player.  Both Giolito and Vaughn are represented by CAA Sports.

Giolito will be paid $4.15MM in 2021 as per an arbitration-avoiding contract with the White Sox back in January, and the right-hander is under arb control through the 2023 season.  Vaughn’s MLB service clock has yet to start, so an extension would make him the third White Sox player (after Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert) in as many years to sign a multi-year contract before making his big league debut.

At the start of March, Giolito said “there haven’t really been discussions about an extension” with the team, though it appears talks have picked up to at least some extent.  To some extent, Chicago has time on its side given that Giolito is controlled through 2023, yet naturally the Sox would love to lock up Giolito now before his price tag could continue to rise.  If Giolito pitches as well in 2021 as he did over 249 innings in 2019-20 (3.43 ERA with an impressive 32.7K% and 8.6BB%), the White Sox could be looking at an extension worth tens of millions more by this time next year.

Looking at other extensions for pitchers who had between three and four years of service time, Giolito would surely be looking to top the four-year, $45MM deal Aaron Nola signed with the Phillies prior to the 2019 season.  That contract covered Nola’s first arb year — he and the Phillies were approaching a hearing — and also contained a club option that gives the Phils control over a second of Nola’s free agent years.

The White Sox could make the case that Nola was a more proven commodity with 569 MLB innings at the time of his extension and hadn’t suffered any major arm troubles, whereas Giolito already has a Tommy John procedure under his belt.  Of course, Giolito’s camp could counter that prices have simply gone up in the two-plus years since Nola’s extension, and that Giolito’s durability isn’t a concern after he averaged 175 IP in 2018-19 (and obviously Giolito could have banked many more innings if the 2020 season wasn’t shortened).

Both Jimenez and Robert signed six-year contracts with two club option years attached, with Jimenez receiving $43MM in guaranteed money prior to the 2019 season and Robert $50MM guaranteed in January 2020.  It’s probably safe to guess that White Sox GM Rick Hahn is proposing a similar framework to Vaughn’s representatives, so a full eight-year stint would keep Vaughn (who turns 23 next month) on the South Side through his age-30 season.

Selected with the third overall pick of the 2019 draft, Vaughn demolished Pac-12 pitching over three years at Cal, then got his pro career off to a quick start by batting .278/.384/.449 with six homers in 245 combined plate appearances at rookie ball, A-ball, and high-A ball.  His 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the pandemic, but Vaughn’s bat is considered so ready for prime time that he is expected to play an important role for the big league team this coming season, projected for the bulk of DH at-bats and occasionally spelling AL MVP Jose Abreu at first base when Abreu needs a DH day.

A pre-career extension would allow Chicago to install Vaughn on the Opening Day roster without any of the service-time machinations that teams often deploy to keep top prospects in the minors for just long enough to gain an extra year of control.  Like Jimenez and Robert, Vaughn is a consensus pick as one of the game’s best minor leaguers, ranking high on top-prospect lists from Keith Law (who ranks Vaughn 10th), MLB Pipeline (14th), Baseball Prospectus (14th), Fangraphs (14th), and Baseball America (21st).

White Sox Sign Billy Hamilton To Minors Deal

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The Chicago White Sox added Billy Hamilton to their spring camp today on a minor league contract, per the Athletic’s James Fegan (via Twitter). Hamilton was recently let go by the White Sox’ division rival in Cleveland.

In the short term, Hamilton can plug the hole in center while Luis Robert gets himself back to full speed. Long-term, it will be interesting to see if Chicago decides to make room for the speedster. The White Sox already are facing a bit of a roster crunch. Their 40-man roster is currently full, and presumably, they’ll soon need to open a spot for Jonathan Lucroy if they plan on making him their backup catcher. Andrew Vaughn is also expected to receive playing time on the big-league roster at some point this season, and he’ll need to be added to the 40-man as well.

Otherwise, the White Sox are a relatively good fit for Hamilton. Broadly speaking, the White Sox are a more traditional franchise, and manager Tony La Russa might like having an NL-style speedster on his bench to play around with. As of now, Adam Engel is the team’s fourth outfielder, while Leury Garcia can also play with his cleats in the grass. Micker Adolfo, Luis Gonzalez, and Blake Rutherford are the other outfielders on the 40-man roster.

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