With the Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] set to expire on December 1st, there is an urgency for players, agents and front office executives alike to get some work in before the assumed offseason hiatus. We’ve seen the pitching market move and there have been plenty of rumors on players that are still yet to be signed. As for the White Sox, there has been a consistent flow of rumors, but they made their first meaningful addition to the MLB team today with a reported signing of reliever Kendall Graveman.
GM Rick Hahn would say something like one of the following: “There is no prize for being done first” OR “There is no arbitrary deadline of when we have to get things done” OR “We have the entirety of the offseason to improve this team moving forward.” Regardless of your preferred Hahn-ism or what is said publicly, the front office absolutely wants to get a move done by the lockout date. It is not imperative for the offseason to be successful, but make no mistake that the front office would rest much easier during the hiatus time if they were able to wrap up their key free agent signing before the lock out. NOTE: I wrote all of this in the days prior to the Sox signing Graveman. Not sure Graveman is enough for the team be satisfied going into the lockout, but it is a nice start.
If they do make a meaningful addition from free agency, it would seem to be a free agent bat. Outfielder Michael Conforto and infielder Marcus Semien are the names that the Sox have been tied to. If the Sox were to make good on one of these targets, they would then have some certainty about what their best course is on the trade front and can hopefully pivot to converting on one of their ongoing trade negotiations.
If the team were to shock and sign Marcus Semien, I would not expect any significant acquisitions to round out the offseason to come via trade. Same goes if the Sox were to overcome all odds and sign Max Scherzer. Conforto, though probably not much, could leave the team with little bit more flexibility in free agency but still, the team is most likely to fill the 2B hole via trade.
With that said, that’s what I plan to cover here - who the Sox match up well with in trades and who the Sox would/could/should target from those team. I talked about who the Sox could trade from their roster earlier, and now I will speak to the external trade candidates. After this, I plan to put together a list of potential trades for the club.
TEAMS THE SOX MATCH UP WITH AND WHY
TEAM: ATHLETICS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: 2B Tony Kemp, SP Chris Bassitt, SP Frankie Montas, SP Sean Manaea
With the A’s being almost transparent about their upcoming fire sale, it seems anyone on their roster is fair game. The A’s biggest headlines will come from the rumors around their top trade chips Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, but the majority of their rotation is also assumed to be available as is resurgent second-baseman Tony Kemp.
Who the “big” free agent acquisition is for the White Sox will likely determine how much money they can put to a starting pitcher. As of now, I think it is more likely the Sox put the money to 2B or RF as opposed to a starting pitcher.
The A’s have a former Sox Chris Bassitt and lefty Sean Manaea both one year from free agency and another former Sox in Frankie Montas who has two years of control left. MLB Trade Rumors projects the arbitration salaries for these guys to be $8.8M, $10.2M and $5.2M respectively.
Tony Kemp finally found some consistent success with Oakland (.382 OBP over 397 PA’s in ‘21) after failing to catch traction with the Astros and Cubs. A former top-prospect, Kemp has two years of control left with only a pittance projected to be owed to him. Already on the wrong side of 30, it is a bit difficult to gauge the value of Kemp on the market. Regardless, the A’s are motivated sellers. Kemp is cheap, a left-handed hitter and gets on-base at a position of need. Past that, the Sox have a strong rapport with the A’s front office with the A’s GM David Forst having comradery with the southside’s Hahn. Even prior to Hahn and Forst reaching GM, the two clubs had multiple moves under Kenny Williams and Billy Beane so there is a lengthy history of getting deals done between these two teams with some of the longest-tenured front offices in the game.
TEAM: BLUE JAYS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: INF Cavan Biggio, C Reese McGuire
I put this list in alphabetical order. I bring that up because Toronto is probably the worst fit for the Sox of any any team on this list. They are a competitive team that has a strong - yet very right-handed - lineup and is looking for pitching help. Sounds kind of like the Sox.
However, Toronto’s inclusion on this list is solely because of the two players listed above. Starting with McGuire, he is a trade target of the Sox. The Blue Jays have Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen and it is rumored that McGuire is the odd man out. If the Blue Jays are looking to move him as rumored, McGuire fits the Sox as a left-handed back-up to Yasmani Grandal who may have some untapped potential to explore.
Cavan Biggio is the more interesting yet complicated option to trade for. Entering his last year of pre-arbitration status, Biggio still has four years of control so he’ll make just $1.75M in 2022. As of now, Biggio is the only projected left-handed starter in the Blue Jays line up and is cheap and controlled, but the former top prospect has failed to meet the expectations with his early returns leaving some in Toronto wondering if the team would trade him. Past that, if the Jays brought back Semien, Biggio would no longer have a spot to play everyday. In all likelihood, the Jays probably don’t sell low on Biggio but if he is available, and there are multiple scenarios where he could be, the Sox will check in. Biggio brings upside, on-base skills and versatility and all at a position of need with a cheap price tag.
TEAM: DIAMONDBACKS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: LHP Caleb Smith, 2B/OF Ketel Marte
Arizona is another team that would be near the bottom of the list if I were sorting by best trade partner. The D-backs have a few specific players that could be of interest if a certain scenario played out with the Sox front office.
Forgive me as I veer off path here, but I think the dynamic of the White Sox front office will determine how much of a match the Diamonbacks are for the Sox. Jerry Reinsdorf not only shook the world when he hired his friend Tony LaRussa to manage the Sox in October 2020, but he also shook up his own baseball operations hierarchy. Following the first round exit of to the A’s in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, GM Rick Hahn was entering his ninth season as the team’s General Manager. Hahn’s first move of the 2020-2021 offseason was to fire Ricky Renteria.
In replacing Renteria, Hahn and co. wanted to interview a lot of candidates. Hahn wanted to not only find their guy to lead the team through their highly-anticipated competitive window, but they wanted to use an extensive manager search to learn about the league, learn about what different clubhouses are doing and add value to the team’s process. But Hahn did not get his desired manager search (the extent of it at least) and seemingly did not get any meaningful input in the hiring of LaRussa.
I deviate to recap what happened now 13 months ago because I do not know which voice is winning Jerry Reinsdorf’s support on the plan for the team, use of funds, roster construction, etc. The big picture stuff. Hahn is of course the General Manager. He is handling the execution of transactions, he is doing the negotiations, etc. but is he going to be executing his own plan?
For probably over twenty years now, Reinsdorf’s trusted right-hand guy has always been Kenny Williams. Reinsdorf even referred to Williams as “like a son.” Williams, as many seem to forget, is Hahn’s boss so that hierarchal structure makes sense. Hahn, technically speaking, is LaRussa’s boss. Does Reinsdorf respect the chain of command with respect to LaRussa and Hahn? Does Reinsdorf trust LaRussa over even Kenny Williams? I think LaRussa and Reinsdorf want to win a championship and want to win one as soon as possible and you can make your assumptions as to why that is. I think Hahn wants to win multiple championships.
If LaRussa has the support of Kenny Williams (and Reinsdorf of course) and wants to do something significant with immediate impact, I think the team could trade Andrew Vaughn in a package for a guy like Ketel Marte. While I am one of the many fans of Andrew Vaughn, it is admittedly very exciting to dream about the lineup if the Sox both signed Conforto and converted on a blockbuster for Marte.
TEAM: DODGERS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: 2B Gavin Lux, OF Cody Bellinger
The match with the Dodgers is entirely dependent on what the Dodgers want to do with their own players. They can shop Gavin Lux or just put him at 2B everyday. LA can try to find the 2019 MVP-level talent with Bellinger after a 2021 where he slashed .165/.240/.302 or they could try to give him a change of scenery. He’ll have a big price tag assuming they tender him prior to 12/1 - somewhere around $20M. The Dodgers typically have voluminous offseasons and the club often explores interesting concepts with trades. The star-studded front office has show a unique creativity typically taking full advantage of their payroll flexibility to pull off deals of all kinds.
Getting back to the targets, Lux, at his best, fits the Sox team perfectly but he is not yet a finished product. When Lux entered the draft, the Sox were huge fans of the Midwest prep product out of Kenosha and envisioned potentially drafting him until the Dodgers and many other teams caught onto the then cold-weather high school draft prospect late in the 2016 draft process.
If the Dodgers were to consider moving Lux, the White Sox would likely have to include one of their left-handed studs in Garrett Crochet or Aaron Bummer. The deal would have to be more complicated than that. If the Dodgers were to shop Bellinger and the typically risk-averse White Sox swung for the fences with Bellinger for RF, a deal would have to include Dallas Keuchel or Craig Kimbrel just to make the money work and again, would have to be a far more complicated than just those two 1-for-1.
These are a couple of interesting names you can dream on here, but these matches are probably not as likely as some of the other names on this list.
TEAM: METS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: INF/OF Jeff McNeil
What Jeff McNeil brings to a lineup would complement a lineup filled with Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and others very well. He is a versatile left-handed 2B option with on-base skills (notice a trend?). In my view, the Mets are the most talented team in the NL East and they are going to act like a contending team this offseason. What ails them is that signing of any compensation-attached free agent would require them to relinquish the pick and pool money associated to the 14th pick in next year’s draft. While the Mets may buck consensus view, that’s an arguably prohibitive expense of signing a top tier free agent option.
However, there are notable free agents that do not require compensation like their deadline trade acquisition Javy Baez. Baez, who is a middle infielder that played 2B for New York, is a friend of their $341 million dollar shortstop Fransisco Lindor. If the Mets retain Baez and explore trading McNeil, the Sox would call and get an understanding of the cost. Trading with another contender is always complicated but the match is clear if the Mets bring McNeil to the market.
TEAM: PADRES
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: LHP Drew Pomeranz, 2B Adam Frazier, OF Trent Grisham
Another creative front office, the Padres are left without a closer as All-Star Mark Melancon declined his player option and hits free agency. AJ Preller has previously acquired Craig Kimbrel for his dominant 2015 campaign. While the Padres lineup currently looks set across the diamond, it is hard to imagine the team standing pat while Preller is still running things. Their offseason plan could also be affected by the potential of an NL DH. Additionally, there is concern that Fernando Tatis will need to be in the outfield moving forward. So most anything could and should be on the table for the Padres.
Adam Fraizer, a summer target of the White Sox, was a dud acquisition for the Padres returning to earth after heading West. However, he still fits the White Sox club pretty well with their 2B vacancy. Pomeranz has the reputation of being hurt all the time and a considerable price tag over the next couple years but has been a shutdown lefty when pitching. If Sox pulled off a crazy move including Bummer or Crochet, a deal based around a Kimbrel-Pomeranz swap could make sense.
Always a match for every team at all times, I think the Padres have an outside shot of linking up with the Sox on a wild deal.
TEAM: PHILLIES
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: INF Didi Gregorius, 2B Jean Segura, INF Nick Maton, C Rafael Marchan, C Logan O’ Hoppe
The Phillies are a natural match for the White Sox with the Phillies seemingly annual need of a closer appearing once again. In order to trade Kimbrel, the Sox would have to make the money work. That would likely include taking back one of Jean Segura or Didi Gregorius to fill the White Sox second base need. I think the deal would be more complicated than that, but the match is almost too obvious. Segura, 31, had a strong 2021. Gregorious, also 31, had a regrettable 2021 but also had one of the lowest BABIP’s of any players with an excess of 400 plate appearances.
Past the Kimbrel-infielder swap, the Phillies have a couple promising backstops behind their recently extended JT Realmuto. Marchan, a defensive specialist, is closer to being plug-and-play in the MLB in ‘22. O’Hoppe, a 2021 breakout, may need some further seasoning. He finished the year in AAA but is entering his age-22 season which is particularly young for a backstop. If the Sox want to start grooming their next catcher for after Grandal, the match is there with the Phillies lacking opportunity for both of these guys behind Realmuto. The Phillies could conceivably have interest in the Sox centerfielder Adam Engel.
TEAM: PIRATES
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: OF Bryan Reynolds
Much like the Diamondbacks and a potential Andrew Vaughn-led package for Marte, Bryan Reynolds would be another move the Sox could explore if they were willing to put their chips down and move Vaughn. The two teams talked last summer after Luis Robert went down but Reynolds has raised his stock significantly since then and the Sox weren’t willing to meet the Pirates’ ask at that time. It’s an unlikely move but not impossible because the Pirates should be trying to move Reynolds with contention for the club nowhere in sight.
TEAM: RAYS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: OF Kevin Kiermaier, OF Austin Meadows, INF Brandon Lowe, INF Joey Wendle, C Rene Pinto, UTIL Vidal Brujan
Perhaps a surprising trade match given the team won 100 games last year, the Rays are always a candidate to trade players before they get expense and/or lose their value. Always looking to cut salary, the Rays can spend the offseason acting in ways that most contenders won’t even if they will, in all probability, still be competing for the AL East Crown this upcoming season.
The Rays have decisions to make in their outfield that is stuffed with useful and diverse veterans. They have to pick their loyalties with their glut of middle infield prospects. They have some tough calls to make on their 40-man roster in general.
Joey Wendle would seem to be lacking position security as the team is littered with up-the-middle prospects and recently extended Brandon Lowe. Kevin Kiermaier represents a possible match to Kimbrel’s salary and Kimbrel was a target of the Rays this past July. It’s unclear if the Rays will try to move Meadows but no one should be shocked if they did and he fits pretty perfectly in the Sox RF hole.
I see the Rays as good as a fit for the Sox as any team.
TEAM: REDS
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: SP Sonny Gray, SP Luis Castillo, INF Mike Moustakas, OF Tyler Naquin
The Sox have seemingly talked with the Reds a lot in recent years but have nothing significant to show for it. The Sox explored trading for Tyler Naquin last summer after Luis Robert got hurt and prior to the Reds asserting themselves as contenders. Similarly, the Sox talked about Sonny Gray last offseason but ultimately filled their rotation hole with Lance Lynn. Moustakas would require the Reds taking back Kuechel or Kimbrel and I am not sure it fits for either teams all that well but if the Reds helped with the cash, wishing on Moustakas to return to form may be more worthwhile than doing the same with Keuchel. Even so, Moustakas would be less than ideal and carries some big risk with his trends and pay.
Castillo is a streaky pitcher who the Reds would probably like to receive a significant package for despite his 2021 struggles. I am not sure the Sox would want to trade what it would take if they can use free agency to fill the rotation void. There are a variety of options that the Sox could explore with the Reds, but I am not sure any of them are close to “perfect” fits for the Sox holes.
TEAM: ROCKIES
PLAYERS OF INTEREST: INF Ryan McMahon, C Elias Diaz
Both players listed here are players the White Sox have had trades talks multiple times over the years. Both Diaz (then with Pittsburgh) and McMahon were bandied about as minor leaguers when the Sox were rebuilding and now again as major leaguers as the Sox contend.
However, the Rockies just recently signed Diaz to a three-year-deal but I am not sure that would exclude him from a potential trade that could help Colorado build for the future. McMahon, a former first-base prospect, has become a very capable defender at 2B and has experience at 3B as well bringing great flexibility. This is a framework the Sox have discussed and they may understand what it would take to get this done. It may be a matter of deciding how they’re deploying their free agency funds first but these two represent a one-stop shop to fill two holes for the Sox.
Let me know what you think and what you would like to see next. Thanks for reading.