The Dodgers have spent over $300 MIL in back to back years, and are the clubhouse leaders in Luxury Tax penalties paid. At a 50% penalty, the Los Angeles forked out $40 MIL in Luxury Taxes in 2016. With an estimated $204 MIL payroll – considering there are several roster holes now created by departing players, the team will need to spend around $235 MIL in 2017 total payroll. With a 50% penalty – and an additional 45% hit – for going $40 MIL over the new $195 MIL limit in 2017, I highly expect the organization will be less willing to spend 90 cents extra for every dollar spent beyond that. This means that they should not re-sign Kenley Jansen or Turner. The White Sox have the Closer, Third Baseman and Second Baseman needed to complete their roster/winter shopping – if a deal can be reached.
Last year the Dodgers were in the middle of a 3 way trade with the Reds and White Sox.
with the full rebuild going on in the south side of Chicago now, the Los Angeles Dodgers brass should be targeting some players back in return. This time they should acquire Todd Frazier, but I also think they should go for Brett Lawrie and White Sox team Closer David Robertson.
The total net projected salary of those 3 players would equal $28.5 MIL – which would be substantially less than what it would take to re-sign Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen. David Robertson has pitched for a big market like New York before, so playoff baseball is not foreign to him.
Lawrie would adequately replace the production the club had with Chase Utley and Howie Kendrick this past year for a fraction of the cost.
Having Todd Frazier’s power would really benefit the ailing/aging slugger of Adrian Gonzalez, and also the young and brilliant Corey Seager,
The White Sox have had a decent offseason – however every team that was near or beneath them in the standings have also upgrade their rosters going into 2016. With a need for an upgrade for the OF, and the chance to put forth an incredible homer-centric Infield, I would love to see them go after Ian Desmond, and or Dexter Fowler.
I like the moves the White Sox have done in the offseason. The only problem is what the Royals and Tigers also have done this winter will make it tough for Chicago to keep up.
The Pale Hose finished a disappointing 76 – 86 in 2015 – and almost 20 games behind Division winner KC for the AL Central.
Despite the poor results off those player acquisitions Rich Hahn acquired Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie so far in the hot stove this year, and also inked catchers Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro as key moves.
I love this aggression – and even believe that LaRoche and Cabrera will have bounce back seasons for the White Sox this season. Cabrera was pretty decent in the 2nd half, and LaRoche suffered the Adam Dunn NL to AL syndrome.
Having said this already, the Royals are sitting with a talented squad as reigning World Series Champs, and the Tigers added Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Upton, and bushel full of relievers and Cameron Maybin.
There is no doubt in my mind that Detroit will be much better than their cellar dweller 2015 campaign.
The White Sox have a decent pitching staff in its entirety. Maybe not as talented as the Cleveland Indians, but the Tribe doesn’t have the sticks as Chicago either.
KC has the best bullpen in the Division, and will rely heavily on it again with their grinder offense backing it up.
Chicago is still spending at a decent clip – having a budget of near $123 MIL so far, but Detroit has crept up to near $200 MIL, and KC has paid for its title, by going near the $140 MIL team salary barrier.Read the rest of this entry →
The White Sox should be decisively better in 2016, however to lump them in with the Royals right now for the Division is just not practical yet. However the team could hit on all cylinders and then add players as the year goes on. Chicago only stands to lose four player to Free Agency after 2016 in John Danks, Adam LaRoche, Al Avila and Dioner Navarro. The latter 2 were brought in on one year deals to provide the Catching tandem in 2015.
Chicago has finally thrown their hat into the ring for the AL Central Race. They have pulled off a trade to acquire Todd Frazier in as 3 way deal with the Reds and Dodgers.
The end result is they get 2 years from the former Reds, while parting with Trayce Thompson, Frankie Montas and Micah Johnson away from the club. It is a quality versus quantity deal.
This comes on the heels of the club picking up Brett Lawrie for 3 years worth of service for a couple of Minor Leaguers.
Before these deals, the club really only hand secured a tandem of Catchers with Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro for the offense. Now they have much more depth, and are asserting themselves with one of the better lineups in the AL Central.
If Adam LaRoche can bounce back with his usual 25 HRs and 80 RBI power, you could have 3 Infielders and the Designated Hitter all crack 20+ HRs in the 2016 campaign.
Jose Abreu also stands to benefit with bringing in a hitter like Todd Frazier. You could see a lineup that goes Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera, Jose Abreu, Adam LaRoche, Frazier, Lawrie, Avisail Garcia, Avila or Navarro and Tyler Saladino. This looks a lot lengthier than a few days ago.
By the moves they made, they could also trade LaRoche to another club if they were so inclined. There is no reason to think the Avila and Navarro couldn’t see some DH action for their roles in the 2016 club.Read the rest of this entry →
One thing is for sure, the 2014 season can not be worse than the 2013 season was for the White Sox. It’s impossible right?
While Sox GM Rick Hahn thought the 2013 team could find a way to relive a little bit of the magic they captured during the 2012 season, they couldn’t even come close.
The Sox began 2013 on a fast start, going 4 – 2, and ending the season’s opening week home stand on a Dayan Viciedo walk off HR. Read the rest of this entry →
Rick Hahn started off this winter by making his first major move as White Sox GM. when he signed 26 year old Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a 6 year $68 million contract. While most are surprised that the White Sox were able to sign Abreu, most are also happy with the signing. So fans are hoping that, along with Avisail Garcia (22) (who we traded away for by way of giving up just a year plus from Jake Peavy), CF Adam Eaton (25) (who the club sent away a #5 Starting Pitcher for) – and now picking up the #77,- 2013 MLB prospect – and future 3B in Davidson (for an average replace Closer) – that you can see they may have four of the Sox cornerstones for years to come – without yielding too much in return.
I must admit, I was surprised. Caught off guard to be exact. As I watched SpongeBob with my daughter on the couch, I received a MLB Trade Rumors notification on my phone.
Ho hum. Another arbitration avoidance or perhaps a minor league signing. No big deal right? Except, did that say “White Sox acquire”? I think so.
And I’m pretty sure it said “White Sox trade Addison Reed”. Whoa. That’s big. OK, maybe it’s big to me because I’m a White Sox fan, but still, this is big.
I immediately became excited. Who’d they get?!?! I hope a third baseman. Maybe a catcher. Hopefully somebody major league ready? Nah. No way Reed would bring back someone of that caliber.
Rick Hahn made his first major move as White Sox GM. when he signed 26 year old Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a 6 year $68 million contract ;;st month. While most are surprised that the White Sox were able to sign Abreu, most are also happy with the signing. So fans are hoping that, along with Avisail Garcia, Abreu can be one of the Sox cornerstones for years to come.
Rumors are flying. This team wants that guy. That team wants this guy. The Major League Baseball GM Meetings in Orlando have come and gone.
The Winter Meetings in January are on the horizon. Trades have been proposed. Some trades have already been made. Ideas have been shared. Laughs have been had. Who’s going where?
Fans of every MLB team want answers all of these questions regarding their respective favorite team.
Sometimes, one team’s move directly affects a given move of their competitor. It’s uncanny how it can happen, without it being glaringly obvious.
“Rick Hahn made his first major move as White Sox GM yesterday when he signed 26 year old Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a 6 year $68 million contract. While most are surprised that the White Sox were able to sign him, most are also happy with the signing. So fans are hoping that, along with Avisail Garcia, Abreu can be one of the Sox cornerstones for years to come. Chicago had their worst year in a long time this 2013 season, and this move is good in that it did not cost the franchise anything but money on the payroll.
I love Paul Konerko. I love Frank Thomas. These two White Sox first basemen are whom we as fans will compare the recently signed Jose Abreu to, as we should.
Don’t compare him to Yoenis Cespedes, or Yasiel Puig, just because they are also from Cuba. He’s the direct replacement for Paul Konerko, just as the longest reigning White Sox player was the replacement for Frank Thomas.
I assumed Rick Hahn would wait until after the postseason was completed to begin the White Sox revamp going into the 2014 season.
Well, the World Series hasn’t even begun, and Hahn managed to sign the biggest free agent hitter available to a 6 year, $68 million contract. This is also the biggest contract given to an international free agent in the history of MLB.
Good start? Some say no, but many say yes. Abreu was very sought after, desired by many MLB clubs. We, as Sox fans, knew of the White Sox interest in him once it was announced that he was soon going to be made available as a free agent.
But, I don’t think many of us thought he would sign here. Boston maybe. Yankees? Rangers? All distinct possibilities. No way the White Sox get him.
Then, you started hearing rumblings that White Sox left fielder Dayan Viciedo, also a native of Cuba, knows Jose Abreu, and even played with him on a couple Cuban teams.
Could he be whispering in the Cuban players ear about coming to Chicago? Maybe. Was the $ the main contributing factor in Abreu signing with the White Sox? More than likely.
2013 was, by far, one the worst years for the Chicago White Sox, but one of many in a long run of disappointments for the organization. Teams in major markets should have contending on the field regularly. The Sox have a ways to go in order to shore up their poor farm system, and put home grown talent on the field.
This season was Flowers first chance at being the every day catcher, and he has also disappointed.Flowers was part of the Javier Vasquez trade to the Atlanta Braves a few years ago, and at the time, was a highly touted prospect. But, he has fought through mediocrity ever since his acquisition. Flowers has since hurt his shoulder, and will miss the rest of the 2013 season. While the young backstopper continued to struggle this season, the Sox called up catching prospect Josh Phegley from Triple A Charlotte in July. Flowers is Arbitration Eligible in 2015 – and under team control until 2018.
As a very disappointing 2013 season winds down for the Chicago White Sox, several questions arise heading into 2014. Who will be the starting third baseman?
Who will be the starting catcher? Who will be in center field? Who’s at first base? And, maybe even, who will be the White Sox manager?
Let’s start at third base. Jeff Keppinger was signed during the 2012-2013 offseason with the expectations of being the every day third basemen, and a quality bat in the lineup.
A career .281 hitter, Keppinger has disappointed in 2013. While he’s come around the passed month or so, he’s hitting just .244, well below expectations.
As a baseball fan, no matter how bad the team you root for may be, the All-Star Game is the best. As a White Sox fan, I haven’t experienced many really bad seasons in my lifetime. As I’ve written in previous posts, this has not been a good year for my White Sox. And, as a Sox fan, it feels like the sky is falling. Come the ALL-Star break, I try to forget about my team’s struggles, and look forward to the Summer Classic.
So, I’d like to focus on a positive note this time around. Chris Sale. Man is he good.
While young star pitchers like Matt Harvey, Clayton Kershaw, and Stephen Strasburg get a lot of publicity (and rightfully so), Chris Sale doesn’t receive much of the spot light.
And that seems to suit him just fine. Though when the spot light shined its brightest at the MLB All-Star Game last Tuesday night at Citi Field, Sale stepped to the mound for 2 innings of perfect baseball.
The bad 2007 season was preceded by the 2006 season, during which the Sox won 90 games, but fell short in the AL Central behind the Twins and Tigers. 2006 was, of course, preceded by the World Series Championship 2005 season (man, a White Sox fan loves saying that. 2005). Following the aforementioned 2007 season, in 2008, the Sox won the AL Central title, but lost to the eventual AL Champ, Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. But, the Sox haven’t had any REALLY BAD teams in recent memory. 2007 was, by all accounts, not good. But, to me, a 100 loss team is a REALLY BAD team.
As I sit next to my daughters on the couch watching SpongeBob, my oldest (Abby, 9), turns to me and says, “Daddy, why aren’t you watching the White Sox?”. To which I respond, “They’re off today, they don’t have a game. They stink anyway….”
She looks at me in disgust and screams, “Daddy!! Don’t say that!!” She’s never heard me say that before. Granted, in 2007, the Sox were pretty awful, going 72-90.
But, she was 3 at the time, and didn’t really care about baseball. (Though I like to pretend she enjoys baseball now. I’m really trying to make that a reality….)
Team Management thought enough of Sale after his 1st year as a Starter – to have him earn 850 K in 2013, $3.5 MIL in 2014, $6.0 MIL in 2015, $9.15 MIL in 2016, $12 MIL in 2017 and two straight Team Options in 2018 ($12.5 MIL) + 2019 ($13.5 MIL) or a Buyout of $1 MIL in either season. Sale was 4th in AL Wins (17) and ERA (3.05), plus 5th in Win Percentage (.680). The man fanned 192 (9th in AL) and was 5th in AL WHIP (1.135). He was named an ALL – Star for his efforts in the 1st half.
Chris Sale seems relieved after inking his 5YR/$32 Million Contract with the White Sox. Why shouldn’t he be? Rather than going year to year through arbitration, Sale and the Sox decided to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
The deal could be as lucrative as $60 Million by the time all is said and done. After the 5th year, the Sox hold Team Options for 2018 and 2019.
What’s the downside? I suppose Sale could blow out his elbow due to his “bad mechanics”. Chances are, he only continues to get better. Don Cooper, Sox pitching coach, says Sale won’t be “babied”. The Sox are hoping to get 200 plus Innings out of Sale in 2013.
Last year was Sale’s first full season as a starter, and it ended up being a successful one. Sale went 17-8 with a 3.05 ERA – and finished 6th in the AL Cy Young race. Sale is said to have added 7-8 pounds over the winter, and plans on having a strong 2013 from start to finish. He’s looked great in Spring Training so far (2 – 0 with a 4.38 ERA + a WHIP of 1.216).
2012 Chris Sale Highlights Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:
Former GM ‘Maverick Kenny Williams has rolled the dice on some big contracts with Rios, Dunn and Peavy.. There have been some moments of prosperity and failure for each, however the results have been ok overall. The team should be competitive with both payroll – and on the field in 2013
Considering the collapse of the 2012 White Sox, the team losing A.J. Pierzynski and Kevin Youkilis to Free Agency, one might not expect the 2013 White Sox to fare any better. But, looking on the bright side, they should have a solid starting staff, with Chris Sale having another year of experience under his belt, and, hopefully, the return of a healthy John Danks. That’s a pretty good 1-2 punch. Next is Jake Peavy. Not a bad 1-2-3 punch, if you ask me. Follow those 3 with Gavin Floyd and/or Hector Santiago/Jose Quintana, not too shabby. An “expert” may look on the not so bright side, and see a “whole lotta outs in the lineup”.
Between Gordon Beckham, Alexei Ramirez (both struggled in 2012) and the newly anointed starting Catcher, Tyler Flowers, that’s a combined average of .237 (which equals a whole lotta outs). While some say Beckham’s and Ramirez’s defensive prowess make up for their offensive deficiencies, many White Sox fans disagree. But, if Alex Rios and Adam Dunn can carry over their production from 2012 into 2013, the Sox could be in the running for the division title again. The addition of Jeff Keppinger at third base, while not a high-profile move that White Sox fans had grown accustomed to with former GM Kenny Williams, he is solid at the plate and in the field. Let’s take a look at the Sox payroll for the 2013 season….
DeWayne Wise’ catch to preserve Mark Buehle’s perfect game:
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