The White Sox roster is currently constructed with only Luis Robert as a starting outfielder since Andrew Vaughn is moving to first base and Eloy Jimenez figures to be a regular designated hitter. Our Jordan Lazowski has previously identified 10 free agent outfielders for the White Sox to consider, and while many would fit the team well, each seems to have a unique but noticeable flaw.
To be clear, this does not apply to Aaron Judge or Brandon Nimmo, outside of their injury concerns. Nevertheless, the White Sox are not serious suitors for Judge, and even Nimmo will likely be outside of the team’s price range. The next tier of free agent outfielders has grabbed the attention of White Sox fans, and while all have considerable upside, their respective shortcomings might say a lot about what each specific fan believes is the team’s most glaring weakness.
Defining “The B-Tier” of free agent outfielders
If Brandon Nimmo is an “A-Tier” free agent outfielder, then Aaron Judge belongs in a tier of his own. Nevertheless, it feels harsh to put the forthcoming outfielders in a “C-Tier,” and Brandon Nimmo is better than every player listed. It is also important to note that these players are not the only ones considered in this tier, as Mitch Haniger, for example, is good enough to qualify. However, he has not been connected to the White Sox very much.
Moreover, the “C-Tier” would include outfielders that are more strictly part-time players (such as Tyler Naquin) or have much lower ceilings (like David Peralta).
The “B-Tier,” then, includes Andrew Benintendi, Michael Brantley, Michael Conforto, Joey Gallo, and Masataka Yoshida. Let’s evaluate each outfielder’s unique flaw below.
Andrew Benintendi: Can he hit for even close to average power?
Andrew Benintendi is a popular name in free agency, and he will probably get the largest contract in terms of total value of any outfielder in this tier. Benintendi is a terrific contact hitter with a healthy walk rate and low strikeout rate. While advanced metrics don’t love his defense the way that fans do, he is at least a clear upgrade defensively for the White Sox, and he would be more than capable in left field.
That said, Benintendi is coming off a season in which he hit just five home runs along with a .095 ISO. He was still a very productive hitter, but the White Sox also struggled to hit for power despite low strikeout rates and no shortage of singles. If the White Sox sign Benintendi, the transaction would double as a vote of confidence from the front office in the existing roster’s ability to tap into its power. If it cannot, then a Benintendi signing would add another singles-heavy hitter to a singles-hitting lineup.
Granted, Benintendi hit 17 home runs in 2021 in what was a worse season for him overall. Since 2022 was a better campaign for him in spite of less power, no team should want to force him to become a worse hitter. However, if he cannot find an ideal medium between power and contact, then it may not be wise for the White Sox to add him to the roster given what could be considered a redundant skillset.
Michael Brantley: Is he an outfielder, and does he have anything left in the tank?
Michael Brantley had a tremendous four-year run in Houston, but he will be entering his 15th MLB season at 36 years old. Since he already was a negative value defender in left field with the Astros, his best fit going forward may be as a designated hitter, both for defensive purposes and to keep him healthy.
Nobody can deny that Brantley is a fantastic hitter, but again, he offers little power and is entering the “danger zone” from an age standpoint, as a dramatic decrease in production could come at any moment. If the White Sox sign Brantley, he would need to be capable of at least splitting left field duties with Jimenez, and he would also need to continue to hit the way he has throughout his career in spite of his age.
Michael Conforto: Can he produce immediately after missing an entire season due to injury?
Prior to the 2022 season, the common criticism of Conforto was that his 2021 production was down compared to his track record. However, Conforto was stellar in the second half of the season, and also might have been considerably unlucky throughout the year.
After missing the entire 2022 season due to a shoulder injury, Conforto will be counted on by his new team to produce in 2023, likely on a short-term contract. While still just 29 years old, it is possible that Conforto’s injury and rust could combine and limit his performance on both offense and defense.
If the White Sox sign Conforto, they would need to rely on him to be his usual self in the middle of the lineup, rather than a player who needs to use the season as time to shake off the rust and get up to speed.
Joey Gallo: Can the White Sox afford to gamble on a high-ceiling player when his floor is also unusually low?
The enigmatic Joey Gallo may also be looking for a short-term “prove it” contract, especially after his 2022 struggles may have been more mental rather than physical. He was a four-win player as recently as 2021, in spite of his unconventional route to providing value. However, while he is still a solid defender, his offense took a massive hit in 2022, mainly due to a decrease in power.
While the tweet above implies that Gallo may be due for some positive regression due to the league banning shifts, he will still need to hit for more power in order to provide significant value to any team. A good version of Gallo (2019 or 2021) can carry an offense when he’s hot, but if the White Sox sign him, they would need to avoid the 2022 version that was essentially a replacement-level player – especially since the team is already counting on bounce-back years from most of the starting lineup.
Masataka Yoshida: How will he adjust to MLB pitching?
While the White Sox have not been heavily linked to Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, he is a left-handed hitter that is expected to be posted in the coming days. The 29-year-old Yoshida hit .336/.449/.559 (1.007 OPS) with nearly twice as many walks as strikeouts in the NPB last year. He also added 21 home runs in 121 games.
On the downside, Yoshida is not considered a good defender, which makes him more akin to Brantley in that he likely would need to serve as a designated hitter on a somewhat regular basis. The biggest risk concerning Yoshida, however, is that he may struggle to adjust to MLB pitching, whether for a short time after debuting or overall.
While some think Yoshida will be very successful at the plate, the White Sox may not be in a position where they can risk making their biggest free agent signing a player that has never faced MLB pitchers. It worked out with José Abreu, of course, but one could argue that the organization needs certainty from an outfield that may also feature a rookie in Oscar Colas. Yoshida has a very high ceiling, but if the White Sox sign him, they would need to be very confident in their international scouting.
Since the White Sox are not likely to compete in the Judge or even Nimmo sweepstakes, each outfielder that might make sense for the team comes with unique and noticeable flaws. If the White Sox believe that power is their biggest need, they may lean toward Gallo or Conforto. If defense is the primary factor, then Benintendi or even Gallo could be good fits. If the team simply wants someone trustworthy on offense, then Brantley, Benintendi, or perhaps Conforto are the best options.
Power and defense are both team needs, of course, and Oscar Colas’ potential role as starting right fielder is exciting since those are his main strengths. However, whether the White Sox sign a player mentioned in this article or a lower-tier option, there is no clear answer as to the corner outfield predicament.
Regardless of the team’s selection, the player will carry a somewhat unique flaw — even if he is one of the more popular options. Fans’ preferences may signal their individual beliefs as to what the team’s greatest need is, but the front office’s selection might also signal how the organization views itself, and just how much confidence exists in the current lineup’s ability to rebound.
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Featured Photo: © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Do all these White Sox web sites only hire homeless people who can’t reason?
Nik – I certainly concur with the theme that the Sox don’t have a lot of good OF options this offseason. We face the harsh reality that absent new ownership and/or increased revenue (TV deal, fan support – good luck there) this franchise is relegated to 2nd tier payroll constraints with very limited fiscal flexibility for 2023. Compounding the issue is that the majority of the roster underperformed in 2022 due to injury or simply regression, leaving limited trade capital, along with a farm system lacking high end prospects.
My best guess / hope is that Sheets will open the season in RF, being replaced by Colas with Sheets adding value in the RF / 1B / DH / LF rotation, plus Sheets was valuable as a pinch hitter in 2022. But LF is literally up for grabs at this juncture. Directly to your point, the free agent OF options are completely underwhelming. Nimmo and Conforto were just featured in a recent Bleacher Report article as two of the free agents most likely to be overpaid, so they will likely be out of reach financially along with Bellinger.
Subject to dollars required to sign, on your list I would vote for taking a chance on Gallo. His game took a nosedive when he went to the Yankees and not all players can thrive in that environment, so a chance to regain his confidence is needed and could pay dividends. As you pointed out, there are several concerns with Gallo, but at his best he brings some key elements missing on the 2022 roster. He is a 2x Gold Glove winner, and can play LF and RF, so his defense is miles ahead of most. He also works counts and walks a lot, and when in his groove he hits a lot of homers. All of these traits were pretty scarce on the 2022 White Sox, so Gallo brings a nice set of complimentary skills, again when he’s at his best.
Hopefully Rick Hahn is also exhausting trade options. Arizona, for example, has an oversupply of lefty hitting OF options in our price range but the Sox would likely have to deplete the MLB roster to complete any trade, but perhaps a trade package of Burger (he deserves a real chance, IMO, and Arizona could use a right handed hitting 3B / DH) and/or a bullpen arm can swing a deal.
Lastly, and I’m sure many will disagree, I’m of the opinion that the dilemma the Sox face now is less attributable to Rick Hahn but more so to the roster of players that failed us in 2022. Largely the same roster that won 93 games in 2021 despite a huge swath of injuries could only muster 81 wins in 2022. That’s the bottom line.