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Jordan Lazowski

My name is Jordan Lazowski, I’m a 2019 graduate from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in Applied Mathematics and Economics, and I’ve lived in the suburbs of Chicago all my life. I’m a lifelong lover of this team, 2018 #SoxMath 3rd Place Finisher, a firm believer in James McCann, and an endless Lucas Giolito supporter. I’ve been privileged to be a part of this incredible page since May 2017, and I look forward to bringing you more analytical, thought-provoking content for years to come. Time to ride with the Boys from the South Side, make sure you’re on board.

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Prospect Interview: Codi Heuer

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

While everyone has some extra time on their hands due to the COVID-19 outbreak, here at Sox On 35th we are working to bring you more prospect interviews as we as fans prepare for the final wave of talent to hit the South Side. The next man in our interview series: #27 prospect Codi Heuer.

Heuer was the 6th round pick of the White Sox back in the 2018 draft from Wichita State. He was 6-5 with a 4.31 ERA as the ace of the Shockers’ rotation and was converted to a reliever to start the 2019 season in Winston-Salem. The 22-year-old made his way to AA Birmingham, posting a 2.39 ERA across two levels and 42 appearances in 2019. Heuer firmly put his name on the map for all Sox fans during 2020 Spring Training, during which he gave up just two runs in 6 appearances.

Codi was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions on his playing career and his life growing up, as well as give White Sox fans a better sense of just who this up-and-coming flamethrower is. Read his answers below!

When did you start playing baseball, and when did you decide you wanted to make a career out of the game?

I started playing baseball as early as I can remember. As early as I could walk, my dad and I were playing catch with either a baseball or running routes with a football. I loved sports growing up and my parents had me playing all sports as soon as I could. I always wanted to make a career out of sports, but I didn’t know which one until high school.

You were drafted in the 6th round by the White Sox in 2018. When did you start getting calls from teams, and when did you have an idea that you were going to be taken by the Sox?

I was in contact with teams the whole time throughout the process leading up to the draft. With that being said, I didn’t have any idea that the White Sox were going to pick me until about 3 picks or so before they actually took me off the board. I was talking to my agent at the time, and that’s when I was told that the White Sox were going to take me.

2019 was your first full season in the White Sox organization, and you’ve already gotten some time in AA at just 22 years old. What have you learned about yourself, your game, and your approach in this time?

2019 was an awesome year for me. I learned a lot about my game and myself in just one full season. The thing that stays consistent with me no matter what level I find myself playing in, is to control what I can control. I can control how hard I prepare and work before I play but there are a lot of things that I can’t control in the game of baseball. As long as I take care of what I can control good things usually happen. At the end of the day once that ball leaves my hand then I’m at the mercy of the game. Once I figured that out, that helped me not put any added pressure on a situation as well as not make an already very hard game to play that much harder. Its all about staying simple for me; I’ve always been very competitive, and the idea of attacking who ever is stepping into the box, no matter who it is, has been a huge part of my game.

Going into your second full season in the White Sox organization (however long the season might be), is there an aspect of your game you want to focus on improving to help your chances of getting to the next level?

Going into my second full season, there are always things to work on. As of right now for me it would be to continue being a student of the game and take everything day by day. I try to find something to get better at everyday, and that’s the mentality you have to have to get to the next level.

This year you earned an opportunity to be on the Spring Training roster, and you had been dominating in 6 appearances before the season was postponed. What was your experience like in your first big league camp? Were there a lot of opportunities to learn from guys who had already made it to the big leagues?

I’ve had an awesome experience in my first big league camp. I got the chance to be around a lot of guys with a lot of experience and I got to soak up all the information I could. We have a very talented and experienced group of catchers, so being able to throw to them in-game and then get to establish a relationship with them and pick their brains off the field as well was big for me.

What’s something most White Sox fans don’t know about you?

I think that White Sox fans don’t know a lot about me, but if I had to pick one thing it would be where I am from. Most people don’t know that I am from Missoula, Montana born and raised.

Let’s set the stage: Guaranteed Rate Field, Top of the Ninth, 4-3 Sox. The bullpen door opens, and you walk out. What song are you walking out to?

I would have to go with “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica. That was my walkout in AA and I liked it then so I may have to keep it.

Do you have any advice for young ballplayers hoping to be where you are some day?

For any young players aspiring to play at this level I would say to work as hard as you can. Just think that there is always someone out there trying to outwork you and to find something everyday to get better at. If you just focus on getting better at something little everyday those things add up over time. Also don’t look too far ahead and don’t take for granted that you are playing a game at the end of the day so have fun with it.

On behalf of the entire Sox On 35th team, I’d like to thank Codi for taking some time out to answer questions for us – it is always nice to get to hear a little bit from the guys who we look up the box scores for throughout the season. We wish Codi nothing but the best, and hope to see him on the South Side soon.

You can follow Codi on Twitter: @C_Heuey12

Featured Photo: Hannah Stone/Birmingham Barons

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Spring Training Report: March 4-8

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

Over the past five days, I’ve been fortunate enough to attend five White Sox Spring Training games in some beautiful Arizona weather. Throughout the week, I’ve posted as many videos as possible on my Twitter feed (@jlazowski14) in order to give the fans some more looks at some of the players. Now that I’ve reach the end of my trip, I put together a list of some of the standout players from my week here, as well as some storylines to watch throughout the rest of the Spring.

Note: just because a player doesn’t appear here doesn’t mean they didn’t have any standout moments. There’s over 40 players I could reasonably write about in camp, and I don’t think you necessarily need me to tell you that Tim Anderson is still good at baseball.

That being said: Take a look below!

Players Trending Up

Dylan Cease

Dylan Cease has talked a lot about his fastball command and rotational mechanics being the key offseason pieces he worked on. He took on the Brewers on Wednesday and threw four innings while allowing one run on three hits, striking out five. He had solid command of both his fastball and offspeed pitches, while routinely hitting 98-99 on the radar gun. More importantly though, as Jim Margulus also mentioned in one of his recent pieces, Cease was able to locate his fastball down in the zone consistently against the Brewers, something he was unable to do last season. If Cease continues to spot his fastball down, he will make the high fastball – as well as his offspeed – all the more effective.

Cease now has a 1.50 ERA through two spring starts, so keep an eye on him as he works deeper into games and begins to hopefully turn into the pitcher we all expect him to be.

Reynaldo Lopez

If you’ve read my work, you know I’m not often the first to place a lot of trust in Lopez. I feel he has struggled to develop his offspeed pitches, which will hold him back from overcoming some of his fastball woes. However, some positive things have been coming out of Lopez’s camp to start the Spring. Lopez has thrown 7.1 innings across two starts to begin the spring, allowing just one run across the two outings while striking out eight batters. He has also been working with Yasmani Grandal to throw two different variations of his slider in order to keep hitters more off balance. Lopez will continue to be a pitcher to watch throughout the spring, as he is the prospect who would be the most likely to lose his rotation spot should he begin to struggle this season.

Andrew Vaughn

Of all the hitters I got to watch over the five games, Andrew Vaughn was easily the most impressive out of the group. When I had first heard that Vaughn was likely going to start the season at AA, I was a bit skeptical – he’s only been in the minors for half a season, and I don’t want the Sox to rush his development. I couldn’t have been more wrong, however. Andrew Vaughn is an incredibly polished hitter who has earned the chance to start the year at AA. His approach at the plate is on par with major league veterans – he goes up to the plate with a plan, and rarely deviates from it. Vaughn does not make the mistakes a typical hitter at his age and player experience would usually make.

I said this on Twitter the other day: the White Sox have been looking for a prospect who can just come up and rake from day one and not have the intense struggles that Moncada or Jimenez had. Many think Luis Robert will be this player. However, I’d advise you to place your bets on Andrew Vaughn – he’s a special hitter at his age. If anyone is able to perform well from their very first at-bat, I believe it will be Vaughn.

As Spring Training continues, look for Vaughn to stay with the team for quite some time – he’s earned the extra at-bats in big league camp. I am looking forward to seeing how he handles the challenges of Birmingham to start 2020.

Zack Collins

It does not appear that Zack Collins will break camp on the 26-man roster. However, that has not stopped him from doing his best to force the White Sox’ hand. Collins has posted a .286/.524/.571 slash line to start the spring, while walking more times (7) than he’s struck out (5). He still does have his shortcomings behind the plate – he allowed a pretty easy passed ball on Sunday – but has continually shown he is working to improve his defense to go with his strong arm behind the dish.

It likely doesn’t benefit Collins to sit on the bench and bat once or twice a week, and with Encarnacion, Grandal, and Abreu on the roster, there simply is no place for consistent play for Collins other than AAA. He will be the first one called up in the case of an injury, while simultaneously having nothing left to prove in AAA. The Zack Collins storyline might end up being one of the more interesting ones in 2020.

Danny Mendick

Danny Mendick did not have the best start to his spring. However, over his last three games, he has gone 4-for-6 with a double, and the quality of his at-bats has drastically improved. Look for Mendick to continue to try and force his way into the starting 2B role over the next 2.5 weeks. It will all come down to the quality of at-bats for Mendick, and he took a step in the right direction this week, while proving he can handle four different positions (2B, SS, 3B, LF).

Codi Heuer

Of all the pitchers in camp, Codi Heuer caught my eye the most. He has electric stuff, easily hitting 98-99 on the gun with consistency. He has some serious life on his fastball, and pairs it with a great offspeed pitch that keeps hitters off balance, largely because of his incredible command of his pitches. Heuer has a real chance of flying through the system and making an impact on the White Sox bullpen sooner than later.

Adam Engel

Death, taxes, and Adam Engel having a good spring – the three things you can count on in life. Engel had reportedly made some swing adjustments in September, helping him to a slash line to end the year. Engel has a .375/.385/.708 slash line to begin the spring, and it truly does look like he has made adjustments at the plate that will help him stick as the other half of the right field platoon with Nomar Mazara. The only question remaining is the same as previous years: can he continue this into the regular season? With mechanical changes in place, here’s hopes that this year’s answer is different that the last.

Trending Down

Nick Madrigal

Nick Madrigal was likely going to be kept down in AAA to start the 2020 campaign unless he had an otherworldly showing in Spring Training that forced the White Sox’ hand. Unfortunately for Madrigal, through the first two weeks of camp, it’s been a spring to forget. The young second baseball has a .208/.240/.208 slash line in 24 at-bats, and I wasn’t overly impressed with the quality of his at-bats. Perhaps he’s pressing a bit. Despite how fans may feel, it appears Nick Madrigal could use a little time in AAA before making the jump to the majors. He certainly has not yet forced the issue – though there are still two and a half weeks to change that.

None of this is to say Madrigal isn’t extremely talented – he is, and he will contribute at the major league level very soon. But he could still use a bit of time to develop that talent.

Alex Colome

Much like with Lopez, if you know me, you know I’m not the biggest fan of Alex Colome, either. I worry that his 4.08 FIP, largely driven by his propensity to give up fly balls, is going to catch up to him this year. This week, he got fat with pitches, leaving the ball up and over the center of the plate far more than he should’ve. Perhaps the Arizona air has an effect on his pitches, but he has now given up three home runs and seven runs in three innings in camp. He had two rough outings during my time in Glendale, and while I fully expect him to break camp as the closer, I think the White Sox should keep a close eye on Aaron Bummer and be prepared to give him chances to close.

The Big Storylines of the Week

Giolito, Grandal See First Spring Training Action

After being out for some extended time to start Spring Training, both Lucas Giolito and Yasmani Grandal made their Cactus League debuts on Friday against the Cubs. Giolito worked one inning, giving up no runs or hits, while Grandal got his first hit of the Spring on Sunday against the Padres. Giolito is set to pitch again this week, but rain in the forecast threatens to push back his timeline. Look for Grandal and Giolito to continue to push forward on their trek to be ready for Opening Day.

Kopech Set to Start Tuesday

In a much-anticipated return to the mound, Michael Kopech was announced as the schedule starting pitcher for Tuesday’s matchup. However, as I mentioned, the weather in Arizona is not expected to be kind next week, as the forecast calls for rain Tuesday through Friday. Here’s hopes that Kopech will be able to return to the mound for the first time since the end of 2018. I’m sure White Sox fans will be watching this game.

White Sox Extend Yoan Moncada

Yoan Moncada looked like a player with something on his mind to start the spring. His at-bats weren’t great, and obviously neither were his numbers. Perhaps the 5/$70M contract extension he and his team were working on might’ve been weighing him down. Regardless, with Moncada now in the fold through at least 2024, the young third basemen can now begin to focus on the game on the field. As if a weight had finally been lifted, Moncada went 2-for-3 in his first game after the extension was announced.

This extension leaves Lucas Giolito as the only remaining player not locked up long term. Though there are no rumored discussions, Giolito has expressed his satisfaction with the club and his desire to win here in Chicago.

What to Watch For

#TeamMendick vs. #Team Leury Continues

As previously alluded to, the competition remains open for the starting 2B job. Leury Garcia likely has the upper hand here due to his long tenure with the ball club, though his .211/.318/.263 slash line isn’t exactly awe-inspiring. Mendick’s slash line is .250/.273/.313, so with neither jumping in to firmly take the reins of the second base job, the competition will continue into week 3 of the spring. However, Mendick’s numbers are on the rise, as are the quality of his at-bats. Time will tell how the 2B tale unfolds.

Who Will Complete the Bullpen?

The White Sox rotation and bullpen still remain in flux. Gio Gonzalez is not expected to break camp with the team due to injuries derailing his timeline, so the White Sox will need to find an extra arm to cover the first seven days of the season. Currently, Carson Fulmer and Jose Ruiz appear to be the two names on the bubble for the final bullpen spots. With Gonzalez injured, both are likely to make the team, with the inevitable conclusion that one of the two will be demoted once Gonzalez is ready to enter the rotation.

So, the bullpen battle will continue to be something to watch, as Carson Fulmer is out of options and Jose Ruiz has an 11.12 ERA in 5.2 IP this spring. So far, it looks as if Fulmer will get one last chance at the big league level, as his 2.25 ERA in 8 IP and 8:3 K/BB ratio is a bit more palatable and his command does seem drastically improved compared to recent seasons. However, he has also hit three batters, so he will need to harness his control more regularly if he hopes to stick at the major league level in what looks to be his final chance with the White Sox.

Who Will be the 26th Man?

Ah, the age-old question that didn’t get any easier to answer after five games of baseball. The talk of who will be the 26th man on the White Sox roster has stolen fans’ attention through the spring. Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes, and Nicky Delmonico have all made solid arguments to start the spring that they should be the final player included on the roster. Collins and Mercedes would both be blocked by Grandal, Abreu, and Encarnacion, while Delmonico would end up as the 5th OF behind at least 3 guys who won’t be moved very much. So, while the battle rages on, this spot isn’t exactly going to warrant more playing time. That hasn’t stopped the debate from raging on for White Sox fans, and all three players will have eyes on them as the spring continues to unfold.

Have any other thoughts about Spring Training? Let me know @jlazowski14 on Twitter!

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Interview with Ryan Johansen of White Sox Player Development Staff

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

With the rise of analytics in baseball, teams across all levels have gained the ability to make data driven decisions in player development and evaluation. Data tools such as TrackMan, Rapsodo, and Blast Motion are widely recognized as the best tools to helping players gain a competitive edge in their development. I had the chance to work with the Notre Dame Baseball team with some of this stuff, and trust me, it’s pretty cool.

To make these sorts of data decisions, there have to be people on the staff well versed in the equipment, and just as importantly, well versed in teaching the game. One of these people on the current White Sox staff is Ryan Johansen. Hired before the 2019 season, Johansen currently works on the White Sox Player Development Staff as the Assistant Hitting Coordinator. Before being hired by the White Sox, Ryan founded Johansen Baseball Inc, a training facility that specializes in individual and team assessment. Currently, Johansen serves as a College and Professional Bio-Mechanics Consultant for his facility.

Ryan does some fascinating work and had some very interesting things to say in response to the questions I got to ask him. Take a look below.

Tell us a little about yourself – where you grew up, how you got into the game of baseball and anything else you think helps tell your story about who you are today?

I grew up in St. Charles, IL; we had a ton of baseball opportunities around, and my parents did everything they could to expose me to more of this game. I was lucky enough to play with some really good players – much more talented than I was – and continue to fall in love with and become obsessed with the game. I’ve been really blessed to be able to “do baseball” for work, and I have way too many people to thank to do it justice, but both of my parents played the biggest role. It’s cool to think about how many people they’ve impacted and will continue to impact that they’ve never met, just with their continued support and encouragement.

What can you tell us about the work you’ve done with Johansen Baseball Inc.?

At our facility (Johansen Baseball Inc) we’ve come a long way. We’ve been obsessed with uncovering the cause and effect of outcomes specific to performance and diving deeper and deeper as more and more technology has been released and/or streamlined. Today we have one of the most advanced hitting labs in the country, which has allowed us to look at a lot of single measurable metrics with specific context, as well as understand that not every measurement, specific to numeric value, is created equal, dependent on the other variables that we are able to test for. For example, “ideal” average bat speed is not created equal simply in relation to peak bat speed, but also requires us to take into consideration cognitive response time and accuracy of swing decisions. While it’s certainly “easier” for a machine to tell us what is good and bad, we have to take into account the human element, and how we learn to use and implement the information is ten fold more important than just having the information.

While it’s certainly “easier” for a machine to tell us what is good and bad, we have to take into account the human element, and how we learn to use and implement the information is ten fold more important than just having the information.

Ryan Johansen

Working with players across all ages, from all walks of life and broad talent levels has allowed us as a staff to learn when and how much information to share based on each individual athlete. It’s certainly easy to get caught up in “numbers” and whether they are “good” or “bad,” but we have to remember this whole thing is about the athletes performing on the field, and not simply making an app light up.

Do you consider yourself to be more offensive minded or pitching minded? How do you use either of these mindsets to help leverage a player of the opposite mindset? For example, using a pitching mindset to help hitters improve?

I’m definitely more offensive minded. As a business owner and being as competitive as I am, I’m always on the offense and I want players to learn to bet on their strengths, fight through adversity, and always be on the attack. I think this applies to pitchers as well, although I leave that at our facility up to Jordan Bock, who’s our Pitching & Throwing Coordinator. However, I think understanding pitch profiles and tunneling is extremely important when talking approach and pre-game routines for hitters to make sure that they are as prepared for battle that night while also looking to do damage with their strengths. Controlling your convictions pitch to pitch is what keeps you locked in on your approach, whatever it may be.

What are some of the most important tools – whether statistics, or physical technology (Trackman, Rapsodo, etc) – you’ve used for both player evaluation and development?

This one is tough to only pick out a few; everything has value and is a piece of the puzzle, whether it’s Bertec force plates, or a Blast Motion bat sensor. I think the short answer is batted ball TrackMan data, organized effectively. We can reverse engineer and make really good and quick inferences from that to help players. I also think that’s the meat and potatoes of this whole thing – on field performance trumps any number we can record on a development app. For example, if we’re working with a professional hitter, everything has to stem from their on-field performance and what direction we want to go. It wouldn’t make any sense to take a successful hitter at the highest level and try to revamp a swing because it doesn’t fit our current research of “ideal” or “efficient.” But if we’re building hitters from the ground up, then we work forwards from a movement screen, to a Bio-Mechanical assessment of their swing that includes force plate, 3D Motion capture, and Bat Sensors.

With that being said, there is a starting point for everybody in development, and having all of the resources is where we can find the lowest hanging fruit to keep it simple for the athletes and the coaches executing the programming. Being a hitting coach today requires you to be competent in many more facets of human development in terms of movement and psychology than ever before, and with that being said we’re better off sharing the LEAST amount of information to the player as possible to accomplish the goal at hand, always remembering this is about transferring to on field performance in the most efficient way possible – which usually doesn’t include clogging the central nervous system with unnecessary context.

You were hired by the Chicago White Sox to work in Player Development. Can you talk about what this opportunity means to you?

Living in Chicago and going to games growing up, the opportunity last year and this year means a ton to me and my family. They’ve been an incredible organization to work for and learn from. The direction player development is going is beyond exciting, and I’m humbled to be a part of it. There are a lot of really smart people on our staff that I continue to learn from everyday while being able to bring my skill set and tools to the table as well. The culture is unbelievable and I’m fired up for 2020 and beyond.

It also means a ton to our staff at JB; it’s created additional jobs and advancement for our new employees in my absence, and it’s allowed our staff personal growth opportunities in management, organization, and leadership. Focusing my attention on the White Sox has been great for everybody, and with the new staff, it’s allowed me to dive even deeper into R&D at our facility rather than run training programs.

With any sort of player development, there will be players who aren’t necessarily as “data-inclined” as others. Since your work with Johansen Baseball covers a wide range of ages, I’m sure you’ve seen some players who don’t necessarily have the same grasp of what the numbers mean. What is your strategy towards breaking down the data for players?

I kind of answered this earlier, but you’re absolutely right, there are some players we need to collect silently, turn all of the screens off, sounds off, and just hit. Talk about what they are specifically feeling, do a lot of mirror work, maybe look at video, etc. Then, on the back end, put together programs with the low hanging fruit we see in a way that they want to learn. This whole wave of technology is certainly about more information, but it’s about using that information to help athletes, not just showing off bells and whistles, and how we get there is different for every athlete. There are some athletes that want to dive into the computer and look through the data themselves, which we give them the freedom to do, and there are some athletes that would complicate things and try to work on too many things at once with that type of information.

This whole wave of technology is certainly about more information, but it’s about using that information to help athletes, not just showing off bells and whistles, and how we get there is different for every athlete.

Ryan Johansen

Building relationships and having empathy for the fact we are trying to make their playing experience at whatever level they are at BETTER is a huge factor to knowing how much and when to share. Nate Pearson is unbelievable at this. He’s the most sincere chameleon when it comes to understanding his audience – he connects with everybody in a meaningful way. Super blessed to have him with us and he’s going to do some special things in player development. Somebody sent me this a few weeks ago and it’s absolutely true, “If you can’t help players without tech, you won’t be able to help them with it.” I want to say that was a Coach Jeff Leach tweet but don’t quote me on that.

What is your advice for younger students looking to break into baseball, either as a player or a member of the front office?

I can’t speak to the front office, as I don’t have a role in that capacity, but to accomplish any goal, it all boils down to matching your work ethic to your level of desire to achieve the goal. It doesn’t always pan out, but you’ll always know you gave yourself the best shot. Outside of that, don’t be afraid to publish what you are working on – you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Put your content out there and work extremely hard at making it better. Don’t be afraid to work for free, offer people demos, or go out of your way to test your abilities. The ROI on learning is always high, so don’t take yourself too seriously when it comes to internships and networking opportunities even if the pay is low; social equity can matter in this game.

… you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Ryan Johansen

Lastly, remember your “why.” For me, it’s helping players get better everyday and passing on the mentorship to other coaches, because other coaches did that generously for me. It’s about providing freedom and opportunities for my family and kids, and I’m motivated to go to work everyday not only with the Chicago White Sox, but with the families my staff impacts at Johansen Baseball Inc.

On behalf of the entire Sox On 35th team, I’d like to thank Ryan for taking the time out to give some awesome answers to our questions. It’s fascinating to get into the mind of someone who works so deeply in the game with analytics and learn their methodology behind balancing information with player development.

In my opinion, Johansen represents the best of the analytics community: well versed in the numbers, but also able to relay the information in a way that is tailored to his specific audience – which is unique to each player/team. I hope the analytics community continues to humanize the data, rather than spitting out numbers and insulting those who don’t get it. Ryan and his staff have certainly done an excellent job of humanizing the data they work with.

You can find Ryan on Twitter (@RPJ1317) and Johansen Baseball Inc online at https://www.johansenbaseball.com/.

All Photos Taken from johansenbaseball.com

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Thanks, Sox Fans, and Here’s to 2020

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

June 26, 2017. I was sitting in my room in Ireland during my study abroad program with a buddy of mine, just scrolling Twitter. To this day, I still don’t know how it happened, but I came across this tweet from a fairly new account:

So, I DM’d fearless leader Joe Binder, and the rest is history.

For the past two and a half years, I have been very privileged to have the opportunity to write about the sport I love and the team I love for Sox On 35th. And, over the course of time, I don’t feel I’ve adequately taken the time to stop and thank the people who make everything we do possible: you, the readers, the fans.

The White Sox fan community is certainly an incredibly interesting one. We have a lot of different blog pages, a lot of different personalities, and, as a result, a lot of different opinions. But, all of us have the same goal: to inspire conversation among the fans of our favorite team, and get our opinions out there in the process. Without readers, what we do is pretty meaningless. I’ve had the chance to meet quite a few of you, and I hope to meet many more in the years to come – you are all incredible characters.

For those of you who have been vocal supporters – and you know who you are – I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support. You make what I do ever more rewarding – and, selfishly, it’s always a good feeling when someone appreciates your work. I hope that both myself and the rest of this page continue to create content that you enjoy.

For those of you who read my work and don’t really agree with what I say – whether it’s because I’m too optimistic, too analytical, or you just don’t like me – I also want to thank each of you. You help to make me a better writer by forcing me to continue to consider other opinions I might not have originally considered. Because of all of you, I can continue to grow as a writer, and I hope you continue to challenge me in the years to come.

I had a grandfather who passed away before I was born. As a Irish White Sox fan, my grandma always says he would be proud of what I’m doing, and I do my best to keep him in mind all the time. As we start a new year and decade, I hope all of you can focus on who and what is important to you – I’ve found I’m much happier when I’ve done that.

And, as we start a new year and decade, I hope you’re as excited as I am for what the future holds for the boys on the South Side. We’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – the best is yet to come for both the White Sox and us here on Sox On 35th. I hope you stick along for the ride, because it’s going to be a fun one.

Once again, thank you wholeheartedly for your support – my White Sox fandom has been taken to new levels in the recent years because of all of you. I hope to see a lot of you at 35th and Shields this year. Don’t be afraid to say hi if you see me, or make fun of me for my love of Carson Fulmer. It’s okay, I own it, just as long as you remember I was Giolito’s only supporter once.

Thanks again, Happy New Year, and Go White Sox.

– Jordan

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“You Gotta Be Bleepin’ Me”: The Worst White Sox of the Decade

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

This time of year, everyone likes to think about the best moments of not only 2019, but of this decade. Post after post has been highlighting the best parts of the decade for baseball: the top players, plays, and other highlights, as everyone recounts some of the best in game game.

Not me though.

With a new era of White Sox baseball ready to dawn in 2020, we would all be remiss if we didn’t take a step back and really appreciate where we’ve come from. Things didn’t always look this good for baseball on the South Side, and before we can appreciate all the good to come, we must remember what we’ve gone through as fans to get here.

The players on this list are the players who accumulated the least amount of fWAR from 2010-2019 with the White Sox, combined with some of the most frustrating players to come through the organization this decade. At the end of the day, each decision was at least a little bit subjective. So, I present to you the Worst of the Worst: White Sox Edition.

Catcher: Dioner Navarro (-1.5 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Welington Castillo, Adrian Nieto, Bryan Anderson, Josh Phegley

The White Sox trotted out a total of 22 different catchers in this past decade. Only six of them caught more than 100 games in a White Sox uniform (A.J. Pierzynski, Tyler Flowers, James McCann, Omar Narvaez, Welington Castillo, Kevan Smith). That left 16 different catchers to fill up the rest of the games.

Dioner Navarro was by far the worst of these backstops. The first catcher of the post-Tyler Flowers Era played just 85 games before being shipped off to Toronto. In those 85 games, he was impressively able to post -1.5 fWAR, slashing .210/.267/.339 with a 63 wRC+ along the way. Navarro was just the start of a revolving door of catchers that has seemingly shut for awhile with Yasmani Grandal and James McCann manning the position for the foreseeable future.

As for the rest of the list, there’s some failed prospects and a Beef more juiced up than the ones I get from Portillo’s. Not much to speak of here.

Let us never forget Navarro’s top highlight with the Sox:

First Base: Adam LaRoche (-1.2 fWAR) and Mark Kotsay (-1.2 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Yonder Alonso, Dan Johnson, Andy Wilkins

Honestly, the White Sox have been pretty lucky this decade with First Basemen. Jose Abreu and Paul Konerko were the stabilizers at this position in the decade, which makes this position pretty hard and a little unfair, considering the overlap with Designated Hitter. However, when it comes to some of the worst, Kotsay and LaRoche have the edge.

The White Sox replaced Jim Thome with Mark Kotsay back in 2009-2010, and while he posted respectable numbers in 30 games with the White Sox in 2009, Kotsay followed with a campaign consisting of a .239/.306/.376 slash line and 80 wRC+ in 107 games. He makes this list because he had the misfortunate of being the replacement for Jim Thome.

As for LaRoche, we all know why he’s here. As if the White Sox didn’t learn from the last left-hander they signed from Washington, LaRoche signed a two-year deal for the White Sox in 2015. After posting an abysmal .207/.293/.340 slash line with a 77 wRC+ in 2015, his career came to an end due to his son: clubhouse hero Drake LaRoche.

For real though, LaRoche seems to be a very good guy – just not a good first baseman for the White Sox.

As for the dis-honorable mentions, here’s Andy Wilkins’ only highlight that I know of:

Second Base: Micah Johnson (-0.2 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonafacio, Tyler Greene

I know what you’re thinking: how did Gordon Beckham not win this award? Well, outside of his atrocious offensive value, Beckham actually was good enough in the field to produce the third most fWAR at the position in the decade. Much like first base, a couple players really played most of the games at second in the decade: Yolmer Sanchez and Gordon Beckham.

Micah Johnson, however, was supposed to be “the guy” at second for awhile. Drafted but the White Sox in the ninth round of the 2012 draft, he posted quality numbers in his four season in the minors, even stealing 84 bases across three levels in 2013:

However, when he came to the South Side, it was a completely different story for the young speedster. Johnson never could catch his footing in the majors, posting a .230/.306/.270 slash line with an ugly 65 wRC+ in 36 games on the South Side. Johnson would get some time with the Dodgers and Rays in two other season, but retired from professional baseball in 2018.

He definitely had a glove though.

Also, I found this one funny.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins (0.0 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Jose Rondon, Ray Olmedo

In today’s edition of “Kenny always gets his man,” I present to you 37-year-old Jimmy Rollins, whose 41 games in a White Sox uniform in 2016 were the last games he would ever play as a major leaguer. Rollins is best remembered as the player who held the fort down until Tim Anderson made his debut later in that 2016 season, mostly because Rollins’ .221/.295/.329 slash line and 71 wRC+ just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

At least he had a good opening to the season, giving us hope maybe he had a little left in the tank. But, much like Manny Ramirez and Ken Griffey, Jr. before him, it wasn’t meant to be with the White Sox.

Luckily, much like with second base, shortstop has been pretty solid for the White Sox over the past ten years, with Alexei Ramirez and Tim Anderson serving as consistent presences at shortstop.

Third Base: Jeff Keppinger (-1.7 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Mark Teahen, Mike Olt, Orlando Hudson

The first major signing of the Rick Hahn GM era was not a good one, as Keppinger hit just .253/.283/.317 in his first year of a three-year deal with the White Sox. However, Keppinger didn’t play out the final two years of the contract, as the White Sox released him, marking an end to his career.

Mark Teahen and Orlando Hudson could’ve just as easily appeared in Keppinger’s spot. Teahen was brought in from the Royals and posted a .258/.327/.382 slash line with a 90 wRC+ in just 77 games. He was no better in year two of the deal, slashing 203/.277/.305 before being traded to the Blue Jays to end his career. He was no Gold Glover either, posting -11 DRS at third base in 2010.

As for Orlando Hudson, he was brought on to shore up the hole at third base for the White Sox during their 2012 near postseason run. Instead, Hudson hit .197/.262/.307 in 51 games, and the White Sox did not win the division.

I always liked Keppinger’s stance though.

Outfield: Jordan Danks (0.1 fWAR), Dayan Viciedo (0.6 fWAR), J.B. Shuck (-1.5 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Casper Wells, Jon Jay, Jacob May, Trayce Thompson, Lastings Milledge, Alen Hanson, Kosuke Fukudome

The outfield for the 2010-2019 White Sox was certainly lacking when the likes of Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, or Adam Eaton weren’t on the field. Jordan Danks, much like his brother John, disappointed for the White Sox, receiving almost 400 at-bats while posting a slash line of .227/.303/.326 with a 30% K-rate.

Dayan Viciedo was supposed to be the next big thing for the White Sox. He played his first full season for the Sox in 2012, posting a .255/.300/.444 slash line. However, “Tank” cooled off rather quickly, finishing his White Sox career after 2014 with a slash line of .254/.298/.424 and walking at a rather disappointing 5% rate. He was no better in the OF, posting -16 DRS over the course of his White Sox career. In short, Viciedo never lived up to his hype.

As for J.B. Shuck, I personally loved him. I always though he was an incredibly high effort player. However, when you slash .229/.285/.319 and post the lowest fWAR for a Sox OF in the decade, you’re going to make this list.

As for the dis-honorable mentions, it’s more cases of “Kenny gets his guy” (Fukudome) and failing to live up to the hype (May), while also throwing in a few “WTF” guys in there (Milledge, Jay).

Fun fact: I was at this game.

Starting Pitching: Mike Pelfrey (-0.9 fWAR), Mat Latos (0.0 fWAR), Dylan Axelrod (0.4 fWAR), Derek Holland (-0.8 fWAR), Andre Rienzo (-0.7 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Carson Fulmer (sigh), James Shields, Hector Noesi, Scott Carroll, Dylan Covey, Odrisamer Despaigne

This list turned from alright to downright terrible rather quickly. After Chris Sale and Jose Quintana, no White Sox pitcher accumulated more than 10 fWAR over the rest of the decade. Instead, the last ten years of White Sox baseball have been highlighted by reclamation projects and guys who failed to live up to their contracts (Samardzija, Danks).

As for the Worst of the Worst starting rotation, Pelfrey and Holland were useless during the rebuild, Mat Latos was a failed reclamation project, and Dylan Axelrod and Andre Rienzo were failed prospects from an incredibly weak White Sox farm system. There’s really not that much to say about this crop of White Sox pitching. It’s bad, it’s sad, and I want to leave this in the last decade.

I’m still mad I put Carson Fulmer on this list.

Relief Pitching: Chris Beck (-1.6 fWAR), Chris Volstad (-0.4 fWAR), Tony Pena (-0.2 fWAR), Matt Albers (-0.6 fWAR), Will Ohman (-0.3 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Tyler Danish, David Holmberg, Ramon Troncoso, Zach Stewart, and a bunch of names I don’t even remember seeing on the White Sox but apparently pitched for them

Let’s start with this: in terms of fWAR, Nate Jones was the most valuable White Sox reliever of the decade. He was closely followed by Matt Thornton, and honestly that’s all you really need to know to understand this list.

Gone were the dominant days of a Jenks-Cotts-Hermanson-Politte-Hernandez bullpen. 118 different pitchers accumulated innings in relief for the White Sox this past decade, and only 46 of them found a way to post a positive fWAR value. That’s impressively bad.

There’s not much more to say here but “Ohman”… I’ll see myself out…

Designated Hitter: Adam Dunn (0.1 fWAR)

Dis-Honorable Mentions: Justin Morneau, Manny Ramirez, Matt Davidson, Jerry Sands, Cody Asche, and the entire 2019 Chicago White Sox DH list

Remember this?

Adam Dunn was supposed to be ushering in one of the most promising seasons of White Sox baseball in awhile. 2011 was the “All In” year – Dunn’s first year under contract with the White Sox.

Dunn had just come off of back-to-back 38 home runs seasons with the Nationals and found himself in the American League for the first time in his career. Dunn posted a .159/.292/.277 slash line with just 11 home runs across 122 games. He accumulated -2.9 fWAR in one of the worst seasons for a hitter in major league history.

Dunn followed up his dreadful campaign with a 41 home run performance in 2012, but hit just .204 while teaching the White Sox – and the rest of baseball – a valuable lesson about signing past their prime sluggers to long-term deals. That is, until the White Sox signed Adam LaRoche from the Nationals two years later…..

Justin Morneau also made this list, simply because my goal is to point out every past their prime veteran that the White Sox signed in order to help you appreciate the youth movement the rebuild has brought. Morneau wasn’t even that bad, he just wasn’t great either.

As for the video memory, no words are necessary.

Year of the Decade: 2016

If there was a single year that encapsulated what it meant to be a White Sox fan over the past ten years, it’s 2016.

It started off as a season full of hope. The Sox came roaring out of the gate with a 23-10 record, despite losing team leader Drake LaRoche to begin the offseason. By July, the story wasn’t about a potential playoff appearance for the Sox. Instead, the White Sox made national news for the second time that season for an event hardly anyone could believe at the time.

When the dust had settled, the White Sox were 78-84, and another season full of excitement came crashing down and was left with disappointment. High hopes and disappointing finishes. 2016 was the last decade of White Sox baseball in a nutshell.

This exercise really shows what a rough decade it’s been for White Sox fans. It was one full of disappointing players, disappointing teams, and more jerseys cut than playoff appearances.

The good news is that the tide has clearly turned as we head into 2020. There is a new core leading the White Sox into what looks to be their best decade of baseball in their history. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is left to your interpretation, but the reality is this: brighter times are ahead for the White Sox.

So let’s all give a hearty “He Gone!” to the 2010s, and let’s sit back, relax, and strap it down as we wait for the good times right around the corner.

What are some of your least favorite memories/players from this past decade! Leave a comment!

Featured Photo: Chicago White Sox

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How Close is the 2020 American League Central Race?

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

Entering the fourth season of a rebuild started back in 2016, the White Sox have signaled that it is time to turn the corner towards contention. With the signings of Yasmani Grandal, Edwin Encarnacion, Dallas Keuchel, and Gio Gonzalez, combined with the acquisition of Nomar Mazara, the White Sox will enter the 2020 season as a vastly different – and deeper – team than the ones trotted out from 2017-2019. Yet, a certain AL Central fan base doesn’t seem too concerned about the White Sox yet.

Ignoring the poor assumptions and analysis made in this article about the level of play by both the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox in 2020, the questions that arise from this article are certainly valid: Should the Twins – or Indians, for that matter – be concerned about the White Sox in 2020? Is the AL Central as close of a race as Sox fans think? Let’s examine this question, position by position.

Note: All WAR values shown are fWAR, and these projections come from Fangraphs’ posted Steamer Projections.

Catchers

White Sox: Yasmani Grandal (4.9) and James McCann (0.2)
Indians: Roberto Perez (2.3) and Sandy Leon (0.5)
Twins: Mitch Garver (1.8) and Alex Avila (1.1)

These projections alone show us the danger of assuming – as the Twins article did – that one year of really excellent production is the new norm for a player. Mitch Garver could very well out-perform his projections for the 2020 season. However, he is an incredibly likely candidate for regression after posting a .273/.365/.630 slash line in 2019. James McCann’s second half is proof of this – often times, players tend to regress to historical norms.

While Mitch Garver and Roberto Perez will continue to put up respectable seasons, Yasmani Grandal is no doubt the best catcher out of this bunch. He gives the White Sox a huge advantage in this department heading into 2020 and beyond on both sides of the ball.

First Base

White Sox: Jose Abreu (1.8) and Zack Collins (0.0)
Indians: Carlos Santana (2.6) and Jake Bauers (0.5)
Twins: Marwin Gonzalez (1.3)

Carlos Santana is the best 1B out of this bunch, as Jake Bauers has yet to live up to his prospect hype and Zack Collins’ role on the White Sox is far from a sure thing. Marwin Gonzalez is currently the only 1B shown on the Twins’ depth chart after the departure of C.J. Cron, but it has yet to be determined if he will indeed be the Opening Day 1B.

The Indians have the slight advantage in what looks to be a rather underwhelming crop of 1B in the AL Central. With Royce Lewis, the Twins’ top prospect, rising through the system, it will be interesting to see how the Twins handle their infield situation. They could very well shift Miguel Sano to 1B and stick Marwin Gonzalez at 3B for the time being. Brent Rooker could also become an option here for the Twins after posting a .281/.398/.535 slash line in AAA last season.

Second Base

White Sox: Nick Madrigal (1.6), Leury Garcia (0.3), and Danny Mendick (0.2)
Indians: Cesar Hernandez (2.1) and Mike Freeman (0.0)
Twins: Luis Arraez (2.5)

Cesar Hernandez and Luis Arraez are both very good 2B among what looks to be a very talented bunch in the AL Central. Cesar Hernandez is consistent and reliable, while both Madrigal and Arraez have tremendous upside.

Since Madrigal is not expected to be up until May, Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick – at this moment – will be holding down the fort for the #44 prospect in baseball. The Twins have the slight advantage over the Indians and White Sox currently, but it will be interesting to see how both Arraez and Madrigal play compared to their projections, as both are rather inexperienced players and don’t have a ton of data for Steamer to project them against. If Madrigal lives up to the hype, the White Sox could easily have the advantage here.

Shortstop

White Sox: Tim Anderson (2.0)
Indians: Francisco Lindor (5.9)
Twins: Jorge Polanco (2.8)

The Indians, as expected, have the best SS in the AL Central heading into 2020. However, with the rumors swirling that Lindor could be traded, this could very well change by March, as the conversation will be more determined by who the Indians received in return. Both Tim Anderson and Jorge Polanco’s value is largely determined by their offensive output, and Polanco is projected to outperform the reigning batting champion but overall inconsistent hitter throughout his career. If Anderson can improve his defense and still maintain high offensive production, he might be the best SS in the AL Central after all is said and done. For now, however, Lindor is half of the incredibly solid left side of the infield for the Indians.

Third Base

White Sox: Yoan Moncada (4.0)
Indians: Jose Ramirez (5.2)
Twins: Miguel Sano (3.0)

Once again, the Indians have the advantage here, as Jose Ramirez is one of the top players in baseball to pair with SS Francisco Lindor. He had a dreadful first half of the season in 2019, but followed it up with an incredible second half, posting a 176 wRC+ in the second half to go with a .327/.365/.739 slash line. He likely won’t slug over .700 again anytime soon, but projecting him to be a five-win player is pretty accurate given his recent production.

Much like Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano’s value is heavily determined by his offense, but he has consistently been a two-win player throughout his career. He had a terrible season back in 2018, but returned to form in 2019 and should be a similar player to the one throughout his career.

The one question mark that remains is Yoan Moncada. After posting close to a .400 BABIP in the 2019 season, he is projected for an almost two-win regression in 2020. Given the stark differences between his 2018 and 2019 seasons, to project him to be somewhere in the middle makes sense. However, if there is one player on the White Sox who could make a leap beyond projections, it is Yoan Moncada, and it will be intriguing to see how he improves in 2020. For now, he is the second-best third basemen in the AL Central with the ceiling of a player who could challenge Ramirez as the best in the division.

Left Field

White Sox: Eloy Jimenez (2.6)
Indians: Jordan Luplow (0.7)
Twins: Eddie Rosario (2.4)

The OF is certainly not the Indians’ strength, with Luplow, Mercado, Naquin, Reyes, and DeShields all projected to get some time out there. Mercado is the best defender of the bunch, while Reyes is the best hitter. Eddie Rosario, much like Eloy Jimenez, is a great offensive player with defensive limitations. Jimenez definitely has the higher offensive ceiling of the two players, and if he can improve his defense in LF, will easily outperform his projections. Heading into 2020 and beyond, Jimenez should be the best LF in the division for quite awhile.

Center Field

White Sox: Luis Robert (2.4) and Adam Engel (0.1)
Indians: Oscar Mercado (0.9) and Tyler Naquin (0.8)
Twins: Byron Buxton (3.2)

Byron Buxton has been one of the more inconsistent hitters for the Twins since his call up in 2015, but he has not failed to amaze in the outfield. He has been a top 5 OF in terms of Outs Above Average (OAA) since 2016, allowing him to maintain his spot in the Twins’ lineup despite his offensive shortcomings.

Robert, on the other hand, is expected to be the complete package in the outfield. While he might only be projected for 2.4 fWAR this season, Robert could easily turn himself into a 4-6 win player by the time he hits his prime. For now, Buxton still holds the edge as the best CF of these three teams and will continue to be a force if he can maintain his 2019 level of production. However, Robert is positioned to become the best CF in the AL Central for years to come.

Right Field

White Sox: Nomar Mazara (1.4)
Indians: Franmil Reyes (1.3)
Twins: Max Kepler (3.5)

In 2019, Max Kepler established himself in the Twins’ lineup, vastly improving both his offense and defense while posting a 121 wRC+ and .355 wOBA. He is far and away the best player of this group, as Franmil Reyes is a bat-first player for the Indians.

Nomar Mazara is the biggest question mark among the bunch. There are those around the league who believe a change of scenery might be what Mazara needs to reach his ceiling as a player.

However, if Mazara cannot reach his ceiling, he will still likely hit about 20 home runs and provide slightly below average defense in RF. If there is one offensive position that is still a question mark for the White Sox heading into 2020, it’s RF.

Designated Hitter

White Sox: Edwin Encarnacion (2.0)
Indians: Delino DeShields (0.2) and Bobby Bradley (0.0)
Twins: Nelson Cruz (2.9)

Nelson Cruz and Edwin Encarnacion are the best two of this group, and while Cruz is projected to be worth one more win than Encarnacion currently, it is likely that these two players put out very similar levels of production in 2020. I’m not really sure there’s an advantage here, despite the projections. But, as of now, give the slight edge to the Twins.

Starting Pitching

White Sox: Giolito (3.2), Keuchel (2.4), Lopez (1.5) Cease (1.1), Gonzalez (1.1)
Indians: Bieber (4.6), Clevinger (4.2), Carrasco (3.5), Civale (1.4), Plesac (0.7)
Twins: Berrios (3.0), Odorizzi (2.3), Pineda (1.7), Dobnak (1.3), Thorpe (1.0)

There is a lot left up in the air for the White Sox and Twins, as the Indians have established themselves as the team with the best rotation even after the departure of Corey Kluber. Bieber, Clevinger, and Carrasco are an incredibly solid top three in the rotation that helps to make up for their current offensive shortcomings.

The Twins will be without Michael Pineda while he serves his 80-game suspension for PED use. Until then, there are three open spots in a Twins rotation after striking out thus far in free agency. Look for them to add by signing a player such as Alex Wood, who would fill the same role that Martin Perez did last season. Brusdar Graterol and Devin Smeltzer might also factor into a Twins rotation with more questions than answers currently.

For the White Sox, they will begin the season without Carlos Rodon and Michael Kopech. Kopech is expected back in May, which will create a competition for rotation spots. With Reynaldo Lopez coming off a dismal 2019, this competition is the best thing that could happen for the White Sox. Giolito and Keuchel are an excellent top 2 in the rotation, and if Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech can start to show their top of the rotation potential, the White Sox could match up very well against the Indians in 2020 and beyond. Look for guys like Giolito and Cease to outperform their projections.

Relief Pitching (Top 5)

White Sox: Bummer (0.7), Fry (0.4), Colome (0.3), Herrera (0.3), Marshall (0.2)
Indians: Hand (0.7), Clase (0.5), Allen (0.4), Perez (0.3), Hoyt (0.2)
Twins: Rogers (0.9), Duffey (0.8), Smeltzer (0.7), May (0.5), Graterol (0.4)

Much like with starting pitching, there are a lot of question marks here for all three teams. No one really has a standout bullpen here, but the Indians have the advantage with Brad Hand being the best of this bunch. It really appears that all three teams would do well by adding a few rotation arms where possible. As the Twins fill out their rotation and the White Sox have their rotation competition in May, it will be interesting to see where names like Brusdar Graterol, Devin Smeltzer, Reynaldo Lopez, and Carlos Rodon find themselves mid-season. However, the White Sox are the team that needs to add some lock down bullpen arms the most as they head into the season.

Final Projections

Assuming 47.6 wins is the “league-replacement level” for a team that fields all 0.0 fWAR players:

White Sox: Hitters (23.5) + Pitchers (13.3) + Replacement Level (47.6) = 84.4 Wins
Indians: Hitters (21.2) + Pitchers (17.2) + Replacement Level (47.6) = 86.0 Wins
Twins: Hitters (25.4) + Pitchers (13.7) + Replacement Level (47.6) = 86.7 Wins

These values combine all players are projected to contribute zero or positive fWAR at the major league level for all three teams. So, simply by Steamer projections, the AL Central is shaping up to be a pretty close three team race.

The most important thing to remember is that these projections are just that: projections. They are not meant to serve as the exact value each player/team will post in the 2020 season. Rather, this was an exercise to demonstrate something that has been talked about recently: the AL Central does not have one team that, right now, is capable of running away with the division. The Indians have questions marks in their OF, the Twins have a lot of questions marks in the rotation, and the White Sox are a vastly unproven team that would be looking for immediate value from young prospects.

Any of these three teams could continue to make improvements that either close or widen the gaps between one another. However, it would be foolish to assume that the Twins will be able to repeat their 2019 101-win season. They’ve already had some substantial losses (Schoop, Cron, Perez, Gibson) without making any significant additions.

I’ve said this before in a recent article: the White Sox should not be expected to win the division in 2020. There are still too many questions marks and too much reliance on players to make an immediate impact at the major league level (Robert, Madrigal). However, they should be expected to compete, and if all goes right for the White Sox in 2020, they could easily see themselves in the same position as the 2017 Twins: surprise contenders all the way through the end of the season.

There is still a lot more that can happen this offseason, as it is still only December 26. However, the AL Central, on paper, appears to be much closer than the Indians or Twins might like to assume.

So, I’m not sure if “Twins Fans” should be worried about the White Sox or not. However, what I do know is that Twins Fans should be.

Featured Photo: Chris Tejada/Twitter (@FotoGenocide_)

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“The Money Will Be Spent” and the 2020 White Sox

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

Well, if we haven’t seen/heard/talked about this enough, let’s do it again here. But let’s address everything.

February 20, 2019. The White Sox have missed out on Manny Machado by two years and $50 million. The “Jerry is cheap” cries ring about as loudly as the cries for Hahn’s resignation papers. And then Rick Hahn utters five words, among others, that remain at the forefront of Sox fans’ minds:

“The money will be spent. It might not be spent this offseason, but it will be spent at some point. This isn’t money sitting around waiting to just accumulate interest. It’s money trying to be deployed to put us in best position to win some championships.”

– Rick Hahn

Flash forward to December 15, 2019. Madison Bumgarner signs with the Diamondbacks after Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, and Stephen Strasburg have signed elsewhere. The Zack Wheeler signing didn’t hurt any less for Sox fans. With Yasmani Grandal signed for four years and $73 million back in November, the Sox looked to be heading in the right direction. But with more names falling off the board and none of them being to the White Sox, the cries have been as loud as ever: “When the hell is this money going to be spent?!?”

It’s a valid question, and one that deserves an answer – even if we don’t get the answer as soon as we want to. I think we as Sox fans need to take a step back and not “lose the forest for the trees,” as Rick Hahn has said. So, let’s talk about how the White Sox should spend the money, and more importantly, what we as fans should be expecting for the 2020 White Sox.

One Year Deals

Let’s start with one-year deals. The White Sox have been linked to Edwin Encarnacion this offseason and have already seen guys like Didi Gregorious come off the board on a one year deal. Should the White Sox be spending money for these types of guys?

Personally, I don’t want the White Sox chasing guys on one year deals to improve the offense. So, Edwin Encarnacion is a no from me. He does nothing long-term for the White Sox except shut them out from getting a longer look at young talent – Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes, even Nomar Mazara. The same goes for any non-starting pitcher. Unless the Sox are looking for starting rotation depth – which, of course, they are – they should not be looking at too many one-year deals, as it prevents them from fully evaluating the players within the system.

Long-term deals are the only ones that make a ton of sense for the White Sox. The rest are just filling a hole that’s going to open back up in 2021. One year deals are for teams ready to win now.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Wait a minute Jordan, haven’t we been evaluating players for 3 years now? Isn’t it time to move past that part of the rebuild to winning?” In part, yes. But, in part, no. It all has to do with the next section here: we need to have an honest discussion about the 2020 White Sox and the expectations we have for the team.

The 2020 White Sox

The majority of this article is meant to be about keeping “The Money will be Spent,” in line with our expectations as fans for the 2020 season. #Hahnsight2020 is all fine and good, and 2020 is a nice, round year for us as fans to be banking on for the start of the White Sox’ window of contention. At the beginning of the rebuild, it might’ve even made sense. But does it now?

This question isn’t about squashing expectations or carrying water for the organization. It’s about taking a step back and trying to evaluate the White Sox as anyone else within the game would. Every team has questions that need to be answered both before their season begins and throughout a given season – from rebuilders all the way up to the contenders. The White Sox are no different. Here’s a list of questions I don’t think the Sox have answers to as of December 16, 2019:

  1. What can the White Sox expect from Michael Kopech after Tommy John Surgery?
  2. What type of year will Luis Robert have? What about Nick Madrigal?
  3. What are we to make of Reynaldo Lopez? Is 2018 or 2019 the true ReyLo?
  4. Will Dylan Cease reach his potential as a top of the rotation arm?
  5. Is Ricky Renteria the guy to lead this team when the games actually count?
  6. What additional depth can the White Sox expect from their farm system?
  7. What will Zack Collins bring to the table? Is he simply a trade piece?

That’s a lot of questions the White Sox won’t find answer to until 2020 has come and gone. Additionally, this likely isn’t the full list of questions for the White Sox to answer internally.

Like it or not, 2020 for the White Sox, ONLY if all goes well, will be a division-winning year. I mean, think about it. Madrigal and Robert would have to contribute immediately, and Kopech would have to have no rust on his arm and pitch 150 incredible innings. Additionally, Cease and Lopez would have to be much better right out of the gate – not a terrible ask, but still not a guarantee. All of those things don’t even factor in any of the more veteran guys and the consistent production they would have to bring.

The questions left on this team leave it much farther from a team completely ready to compete than most fans want/think. And, honestly, that’s just how it’s going to be. It isn’t great, it isn’t ideal, but that’s the reality of the situation.

So, what is 2020? It is is a transition year for the White Sox. It’s not necessarily a rebuilding year, because this team should be good enough to win 80-85 games, given some SP additions. But I don’t believe the current timeline for winning and fans’ expectations currently align. Much like the 2019 team was better than the 2018 team, the 2020 team will be better than the 2019 team. But the team the White Sox start with in 2020 will be far from a complete product, with or without free agent/trade additions.

I have said this a lot, but to me, there is a difference between competing and winning. Putting a competitive team on the field means we as fans don’t expect to show up to the ballpark and watch a 10-0 loss. Win or lose, we can expect a pretty good ballgame to be played out in front of us. Winning is showing up to the ballpark expecting the Sox to win the game, not just compete in it.

So, by this theory, the 2020 White Sox will be competitive. But, they should not be expected to be a winning ball club.

2021 Offseason and Beyond

So, does all the money have to be spent this offseason? No, I really don’t think it does – and I don’t think the front office does either. The lack of urgency the front office is showing, I believe, is a reflection of, in their opinion, a subpar market.

With the questions above still looming for the White Sox, the 2020 season will give the front office the clearest picture of the team of the future, simply because everyone will be in the picture. The White Sox don’t have to go out and get “their guy” this offseason if he isn’t there anymore. That guy was likely Zack Wheeler, whose decision ended up being out of the Sox’ hands. The White Sox, much like you and I, probably aren’t all that enamored with the rest of the free agent class this year. So, the White Sox haven’t felt the pressure to go out and overpay to get a guy like Madison Bumgarner because this team isn’t a signing of Madison Bumgarner away from winning the division and making a run at the playoffs.

You can agree or disagree with the logic of this, but we can all agree the White Sox need to make some sort of upgrade to their pitching staff this offseason that is worth the amount they are going to spend relative to how much he moves the needle towards contention. As a result, a lot of fans might consider this to be the most important offseason for the White Sox. However, each offseason gets increasingly more important than the last, as the White Sox get more and more answers about where the holes on their team truly lie. That’s where the 2021 offseason comes into play.

Trevor Bauer, Robbie Ray, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Marcus Stroman, and Jose Quintana are all names that could be – and should be – linked to the White Sox next offseason. If there is a time where you should be angry as a Sox fan if they don’t add, it’s after the 2021 offseason. In my mind, that is the first step into winning baseball. If the Sox head into the 2021 season with still more questions than answers and miss out on a bunch of free agents again, that’s the first time I would really be incredibly upset with the team. Obviously, this team and front office have made mistakes before that have bothered me – no one is saying they haven’t, because realistically, every team has. But 2021 is the very last offseason the White Sox have before winning should be expected.

The 2021 White Sox are the first team I would expect would win the division, and I think that’s about as fair as the expectations can get for this team and how they handle their spending. There’s still one last shot at things in free agency, but 2021 really becomes the end of the line. Every offseason afterwards should be spent filling a hole here or there, not trying to patch up the whole ship. This is where one-year deals and signings like Bumgarner would make a lot more sense.

So, sure, you can be an angry fan. You can complain about everything the Sox do – and don’t do. Besides earning yourself a few mutes on Twitter, nothing’s going to happen, because that is completely your right to be upset. My goal in all of this isn’t to call anyone a “bad fan” or to try and tell anyone how to be a fan. Rather, it’s to help align our views with the reality of the situation.

We are all fans at heart who just want to see the team win. But, with the age of social media and the availability of data, we can become far more educated fans. As a result, we should hold the front office accountable, but we also need to remember we don’t have all the answers and can’t see what is happening in the front office. I know “trusting the process” isn’t easy, but I still consider it to be a lot less stressful than getting angry over everything that happens.

Keep hanging in there, White Sox fans. But hey, let’s all try to be nicer to one another, huh? 😉

Thoughts? Comments? Let me know below or on Twitter! @jlazowski14

Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter (@whitesox)

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News

Mercy! Hawk is 2020 Ford C. Frick Award Winner

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

YOU CAN PUT HIM IN THE HALLLLLLLL, YES!

Around 11 am CT Wednesday, Hawk Harrelson was announced as the 2020 Ford C. Frick Award winner. This award is presented annually to a broadcaster for “major contributions to baseball.”

Here’s a little bit more on the award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame website:

Voters are asked to base their selections on “Commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.” To be considered, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network, or a combination of the two.

– Baseball Hall of Fame Website

Hawk certainly spent some quality time inside broadcast booths throughout his life. After starting out in Boston from 1975-1981, he came over to the White Sox. After announcing games from 1982-1985, he went on to try his hand at being a GM. After a tenure that even he would describe as a failure, he spent two season announcing Yankees games for SportsChannel New York.

Hawk returned to the White Sox in 1990 and never turned back. Back in 2018, he called his final game in the booth, amassing 42 seasons as a broadcaster (33 with the White Sox).

And he certainly racked up some solid awards over the years too.

Image

Here’s Hawk when he got the call:

Love him or hate him, Hawk has been an icon across baseball for that exact reason – you never had to hear a game to hear his name and have an opinion on him. While you could never fully appreciate Hawk without listening to a game, you always knew who he was.

Whether he was comparing Todd Frazier to Kris Bryant or running to the Sox dugout to check on Frazier after an injury, Hawk always had the Sox’ back. This team was his life – and he wanted each White Sox fan to know he was living and dying on every pitch along with them. He helped each of us love the game and the White Sox as much as he did. Every game, every pitch, it all meant something to him. And there was a beauty in that as a fan – a beauty that anyone else will have a very hard time capturing. His passion is his best quality – and you could see every bit of that passion in the video above. This award means the world to him.

I grew up with Hawk just like all of you. I mimicked his calls when I was younger – and hey, we all still do it I’m sure today. Hawk was an absolute legend to the game, and we are all lucky to have the experience of his calls. But get ready for July, because we will get that Hawk experience one more time at the Hall of Fame ceremony. I can’t wait for that.

Trying to explain who Hawk is to a non-White Sox fan or even young baseball fans is not an easy thing to do. How do you describe a man with THAT much character? Thankfully, the voters made it a bit easier on us today.

Who is Hawk?

Well, he’s a Hall of Fame broadcaster. One of the best to ever do it.

Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter (@whitesox)

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The Mourning After: Moving Past Wheeler

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

Alright White Sox fans, we apparently were given too much good news. White Sox Fandom rules dictate that for every good piece of news we get, we must get some bad news. So here it is: Zach Wheeler is a now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, and I have to write my third ever “The Mourning After” article.

Needless to say, when the news broke yesterday, White Sox fans were not happy. I was not happy either. But, as more news came out, we got a better sense of exactly what went into Wheeler’s decision-making, and I hope that calmed everyone down a little (Narrator: “It probably didn’t”).

So, how should we really feel about Zach Wheeler’s decision? And what does this mean for the White Sox throughout the rest of the offseason? Let’s try and break it down a little here.

Mad? Upset? What’s the best way to look at this?

If you take a look at my tweets, you can see the natural progression of my thought process in a very short time yesterday afternoon.

And then the Ken Bomb:

So, the breakdown of my afternoon was much like a lot of you: I overreacted at first, then took the time to think about it. So, my advice: don’t tweet before you think (Note to self: suggest this to Joe Binder for a SO35 t-shirt idea….).

Here’s how I’m thinking about this: players are humans too. It’s really easy to say “Money Talks,” and for the most part, you would be correct in saying so. However, there are factors for players that go beyond money. Shohei Ohtani didn’t want the big stage of New York. Players often take hometown discounts. And, sometimes, where a player lives/where family lives is important. You can’t fault these players for any of these decisions. Think of how you chose your job – heck, I chose mine because it was close to home.

The deal itself was 5/$118M. The White Sox reportedly offered 5/$125M. The White Sox had two things to consider when putting this offer out there:

  1. How much do we value this player?
  2. How much additional money should we devote to this player, based on his value, knowing that he prefers to be on the East coast?

Let’s start with #1. Their valuation of Wheeler was probably about the same as the Phillies’. However, what’s left undetermined are two factors that go into #2 above:

  1. How much additional value would the Sox have had to give Wheeler to convince him to come to Chicago?
  2. Was there ever actually an additional value the Sox could’ve reasonably offered Wheeler to pry him from the East coast?

The second question is the most important one. Listen, once a player is making $120M, a couple extra million doesn’t matter all that much to him. Heck, even an additional $10M might not mean that much to him. We aren’t talking about a difference of $50M for Machado – the difference here was $7M. Anything more would’ve been quite an overpay, and yet it still might not have gotten the job done.

My guess on all this? Wheeler’s agent used the Sox’ offer to get the Phillies’ offer to a point at which Wheeler would be comfortable taking less money to play on the East Coast. Think about it: we didn’t hear about the Phillies until yesterday really. Wheeler had a preferred destination, and the Phillies were able to give him enough money to make it happen. The White Sox just ended up being part of the reason behind it.

So, mad probably isn’t the word I would use about all of this. Upset really isn’t it either. I think I’m just a bit bummed out by it. This isn’t Machado 2.0 in my mind. The White Sox made an offer consistent with what Wheeler should be paid. They didn’t come in and try to pinch pennies, they didn’t get worried about the length of the deal, and they didn’t try and set up a bunch of contract incentives. They went as hard as they could – within reason – after their guy and, from what we know, came up short for reasons outside of their control. You can’t force a player to take a contract. I’m not happy that the Sox missed out on Wheeler. But I’m not mad at the process they took to try and acquire him. I’m bummed out by the result, not the process. I don’t know how you view it, but I’d urge you to stay away from two mindsets on this one:

  1. Jerry is cheap!
  2. No one will ever come to the White Sox

Neither of these really have anything to do with what transpired on Wednesday.

Where do the Sox go from here?

Here’s another good thing that came from all of this: the White Sox are still in a position to make moves to make this team better. This isn’t like the Machado debacle where the Sox were left without a plan in the middle of February. The Sox have shown themselves to be incredibly aggressive to start this offseason, and there are still plenty of available options for the White Sox to improve the team heading into 2020.

There are names still available as free agents. Madison Bumgarner, Dallas Keuchel, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are at the top of that list, and there are still several third-tier names that could help the Sox fill that fifth spot in the rotation – Tanner Roark and Alex Wood could be two of those names. Whether or not you love these options, all of these players are better than who the Sox had in their rotation at times last year. Additionally, look for the White Sox to be active at the Winter Meetings. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the White Sox are looking to fill their needs on the pitching staff via trade. Here, players like Matthew Boyd, Robbie Ray, or Julio Teheran could become available as the White Sox look to build their 2020 staff.

Don’t forget about the offense either. The White Sox have already been closely linked to Nick Castellanos and Marcell Ozuna. There will be more transactions this offseason, and the Wheeler decision is just going to force the White Sox to get a little creative. I would expect the White Sox to be talked about a lot during the Winter Meetings next week.

Remember: The 2020 White Sox are not a finished project

I want to leave you with this: no matter how much hype the Grandal signing inspired around the 2020 White Sox, at no point was this team ever going to be a finished product. Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal will still have to develop at the major league level. Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon will be on innings limits coming back from injuries. No matter if the White Sox would’ve signed Wheeler or not, there were still questions about this White Sox team that wouldn’t be answered until mid-2020. What can we expect from Reynaldo Lopez? Is Kopech still “the guy”? How will Dylan Cease perform in year two? Can Tim Anderson repeat a record season, and if not, what can we expect out of him?

Long story short, competing in 2020 and winning in 2020 are two different things in my opinion. The White Sox can be competitive without winning the division in 2020. Winning 85 games and being in the playoff hunt in September is what fans should be looking for as a “best-case scenario” for the 2020 team. Granted, that means there is one crucial offseason that remains: 2020-2021. Next offseason, it will be crucial that the White Sox hit on their Zack Wheeler-type players, because the holes left on the team will be as clear as they’ve ever been during the rebuild. This season can – and should – result in better, more watchable baseball on the South Side. However, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect.

Each offseason is more important than the last. This offseason has been more important than the 2018-2019 offseason, and the White Sox have shown that by being aggressive with Grandal and Wheeler. The 2020-2021 offseason will still be even more important than this one, as the holes will need to be filled effectively to begin winning in 2021.

Listen, yesterday wasn’t a good day for White Sox Twitter. Things got ugly because we all want this team to win, and we all have different ways we want them to get there. But moving forward, I hope we can all learn to be a little less reactionary – myself included. Missing out on Zack Wheeler didn’t kill the rebuild. It doesn’t mean players will never come to the White Sox – Yasmani Grandal is proof of that. It simply means Rick Hahn and Co. are going to have to remain aggressive the rest of this offseason and get a little creative while doing so.

And us as fans? All we can do is sit back, relax, and strap it down, because this offseason is far from over. Despite what it may feel like, what happened on Wednesday was a sign of good things to come, even if we didn’t like the result.

Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your opinion on this, so let me know in the comments or on Twitter @jlazowski14

Featured Photo: New York Mets/ Twitter (@Mets)

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Interesting Non-Tender Options for White Sox

by Jordan Lazowski
written by Jordan Lazowski

This year, a whopping 40 players were non-tendered at the December 1 deadline. For comparison, there were only 27 players non-tendered in 2018, and only 18 the year before. In the ever-changing landscape that is the MLB offseason, the arbitration market was naturally going to be the next area to evolve. With it has come the idea that there is more value on the open market for any given need (the owners are likely right about this one too – none of the non-tendered players posted over 2.0 fWAR last season).

With that being said, the depth of any team looking to compete often makes or breaks their postseason chances. Each member of the now 26-man roster is incredibly important as teams look to make the postseason in 2020 and beyond. The White Sox are one of these teams, and for all the front-line talent coming through the system, there is currently a worrisome lack of depth on this roster.

Enter the 40 new names that just fell into the market. There were some very surprising non-tenders among the bunch – five of which I’ve outlined here as players the White Sox should absolutely keep their eye on.

DISCLAIMER: None of these names are meant to be substitutes for going out and signing/acquiring high-quality talent; rather, these are players that either can help fill out a roster with the sort of depth needed to make a late October push, or are a Plan B option when Plan A doesn’t work.

Blake Treinen

Blake Treinen is just one year removed from being one of the best relievers in baseball. In 2018, he was 9-2 with a minuscule 0.87 ERA (7 ER in 80.1 IP), a 531(!) ERA+, and 100:21 K:BB ratio. There was something underlying the difference in between his two season, as you can see by his Statcast Metrics:

For some reason, Treinen regressed back towards his 2017 self rather than replicating his 2018 self. He did lose some velocity on his pitches in 2019, but that could just as easily come from mechanics as it did from age, especially with how these overall metrics look. Now, there’s plenty of video available, and there’s no doubt any team that signs Treinen will be helping him study his 2018 season and work to build that fastball spin rate back up. Any team that has devoted itself to studying pitch design is going to love the Blake Treinen Project. As a result, he is likely going to be in high demand. I would love for it to be the White Sox who go out and grab him.

Upside: Treinen recaptures his 2018 success with the help of Don Cooper and Co. and helps create one of the best back-end of the bullpen in baseball with Alex Colome and Aaron Bummer.

Risk: Treinen never recaptures his 2018 success and becomes a low leverage situation pitcher.

Cesar Hernandez

Cesar Hernandez was the latest victim of the infield shake up in Philadelphia. He has been incredibly steady throughout his career, appearing in at least 155 games in three of the last four seasons and in 161 games the past two seasons. He’s been an interesting player over the past two seasons, hitting 15 and 14 home runs in 2018 and 2019, respectively, yet with only a 28.3% Hard-Hit % (for comparison, Yolmer Sanchez’s Hard Hit % was 27.1%).

He likely will be going somewhere he can compete for a starting job, but depending on how his market develops, the White Sox should absolutely be taking a flyer on Hernandez to serve as crucial depth – and to start the season as the White Sox 2B until Nick Madrigal comes up a few weeks into the season. There is still plenty of playing time to be had on this team, but the White Sox would have to sell Hernandez on the team’s potential rather than individual playing time. Heading into his age 30 season, he might not buy into that.

Upside: Hernandez becomes the crucial off-the-bench utility player that Yolmer Sanchez struggled to be offensively, while providing average to above average defense.

Risk: Hernandez’s 9th percentile average exit velocity catches up to him, much like it did to Yolmer Sanchez. He becomes Yolmer Sanchez offensively and Discount Yolmer Sanchez defensively.

Domingo Santana

Domingo Santana was non-tendered by the Mariners after a season in which he hit .253/.329/.441 with 21 home runs. He is just a couple years removed from a 2017 season in which he hit .278/.371/.505 with 30 home runs. So, the power potential is there for Santana. However, he doesn’t come without his downside. He has at least a 30% K-Rate in all except one of his career season (2017, when it was ONLY 29.3%), and he is a butcher – to put it nicely – in the outfield. He is in the first percentile for Outs Above Average and the second percentile for Outfielder Jump. These numbers resulted in an ugly -13 Outs Above Average in 2019. Only Eddie Rosario was worse in 2019. Add that to the fact that Eloy Jimenez posted -11 Outs Above Average in 2019, and Luis Robert better be a gazelle in the outfielder if the White Sox were to put these two players in the corners consistently.

Santana posted a 2 Outs Above Average season in 2018, so he has the potential to be capable. However, he should not be the first option for the White Sox in RF heading into 2020. If plans fall through over the next couple of months, Santana could serve as a productive offensive one year option for the South Siders as they look to fill RF long-term. However, he will likely opt for a team where he can be guaranteed consistent playing time, which he no doubt deserves.

Upside: Domingo Santana re-captures his 2018 season in Milwaukee and gives the White Sox quality defense in the outfield, helping the White Sox forget any shortcomings they had while trying to fill RF via other routes in free agency. Or, if all goes well when signing other free agents, he becomes an effective late-inning bat, should he accept more limited playing time.

Risk: He remains a 30% K-rate hitter while also seeing his power diminish and his defense remain ugly. In short, he becomes pretty useless outside of the occasional power supply.

Taijuan Walker

Taijuan Walker was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks. He has not pitched much in the past two seasons due to a torn UCL and a shoulder injury. He pitched in just one game at the end of the season in 2019 and is projected to enter the 2020 season healthy. When healthy, Walker has been a solid back of the rotation starter: from 2015-2017, he started 82 games, posting a 4.10 ERA, 102 ERA+, and 422:138 (3.05:1) K:BB ratio. He will be just 27 years old next season, so he is far from past his prime. His underlying StatCast metrics aren’t overly promising, but these do date back to 2017 before Spin Rate and Effectively Velocity were highly prioritized parts of pitch design.

The White Sox should not rely on Taijuan Walker to be a starter who can go out and throw 180-200 innings. However, they should consider him as pitching depth. However, it is likely the Walker finds himself on a rebuilding team that is willing to give him 180 innings to help rebuild his value to the rest of the league.

Upside: Much like with Treinen, Walker works with Cooper and Co. to regain some of his pre-2018 success as an effective 5th starter. He gives the White Sox plenty of meaningful innings in a season where Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, and Carlos Rodon will be on some sort of innings limits.

Risk: 2016 Mat Latos. An oft-injured reclamation project that never regains his prior success.

Kevin Gausman

Kevin Gausman was non-tendered by Cincinnati. The 28-year-old right hander split his time between being a starter in Atlanta and a reliever in Cincinnati. Gausman found much more success as a reliever, posting a 4.03/3.17 ERA/FIP and a 114 ERA+ across 15 appearances for the Reds. So, there is some room for improvement as well based on his numbers out of the bullpen.

As he is just entering his age-29 season, Gausman has the potential to provider the Sox with SP depth and middle relief help. He is likely past the point of being an effective starter every fifth day – in fact, he never really was an effective starter back in Baltimore. However, there is no reason he shouldn’t be able to repeat his success out of the bullpen, as Statcast’s expected metrics are in line with his results.

Upside: Gausman repeats his second half success in Cincinnati and gives the White Sox meaningful innings out of the bullpen and the occasional start as injuries/innings limits become factors.

Risk: Gausman flames out and doesn’t provide much help out of the bullpen. He’s definitely a pretty low risk, high reward option.

Honorable Mentions

Travis Shaw (1B/3B), C.J. Cron (1B), Jimmy Nelson (RHP). These three names would provide power potential (Shaw, Cron) or, like Gausman, SP depth (Nelson) to a team that desperately needs both. Nelson and Cron are coming off of injuries that limited their second half production, and Shaw had an absolutely brutal season in Milwaukee. All of these guys would be cheap bounce back options.

None of these players should be considered first-choice options for the White Sox heading into 2020 – all of these players are better served as placeholders rather than daily guys to count on everyday. However, as I mentioned before, the White Sox currently have a worrisome lack of depth. The upside of any of these players provides the White Sox with the depth they would need to effectively sustain the grueling 162-game schedule with the additional restrictions that injuries/innings limits will place on this team.

The big moves only mean so much. For the best teams, it is often these second and third tier moves that mean the most. Remember Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera for the Nationals this year? It’s time for Rick Hahn to start to find these sorts of players for the White Sox as he works to build the most complete roster heading into this contention window.

Agree? Disagree? Who else would you consider? Let me know on Twitter! @jlazowski14

Featured Photo: Philadelphia Phillies/Twitter (@Phillies)

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