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White Sox Offseason Chat
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Tim Dierkes
8:55
Welcome to our first-ever White Sox chat!  I'm so excited to be doing this.  We are a small operation here at MLB Trade Rumors, no corporate overlords or any of that.  If you'd like to support our efforts, please consider an ad-free subscription here: https://mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=whitesoxchat-10-27-22
8:56
The other thing I want to endorse, and I have no stake in this or anything, is Jeff Pearlman's new Bo Jackson book.  I figured it's relevant since this is a White Sox chat.  I've only reached the Auburn stage of the book but it's hard to put this thing down.  Gotta love Bo.
The chat queue is already loaded with questions, so let's dive in!
Mike Stickann
8:56
Did you actually watch the White Sox this year?  I watched all 162 games.  Bringing this team back with a new manager and minimal changes will accomplish nothing.  You mention Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert specifically.  Tim Anderson is a horrible defender and a terrible baserunner.  Eloy Jimenez is the worst outfielder in baseball, given the eye test even worse than Andrew Vaughn.  His only value is at DH.  Lastly, Luis Robert cannot be counted on to stay healthy and he is already a corner outfielder defensively rather than a centerfielder.  The aforementioned three, plus Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito with one year left of control, Kendall Graveman, Aaron Bummer, and Liam Hendriks are all trade chips.  Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, and Joe Kelly are untradeable.  This team has to get more athletic, faster, smarter, and better defensively.  So my question is, what are these players worth in the MLB marketplace? But judging by your assessments of the team, you don't know the answer to this question.
Tim Dierkes
8:57
Mike...take a deep breath.  I'd be angry too if I watched all 162 White Sox games.
8:58
You'll see that I don't necessarily disagree with some of your points.  But the purpose of this post is to come up with reasonable things the White Sox might do, and a fire sale of some sort is not one of them.
8:59
I think guys like Graveman and Bummer have modest trade value.  You'd mostly move one to clear salary.
9:00
Lynn and Giolito have solid trade value, especially Giolito.  It would be a sell low.  Mike, you seem to be advocating for a whole lot of selling low.  Basically all the players you mentioned either had a bad year, were injured, or both.
It's worth giving a Giolito trade more consideration than I did in my post.  The Sox know they're going to lose him after this year, and it's conceivable they want to shake things up and move him.  And maybe they think he won't bounce back next year - that'd be another reason to trade him.
9:01
It'd also decimate an already fairly-thin rotation, so I'm not sure what the plan would be there.
Guest
9:01
Morning Tim. I do feel the right manager will make a difference on the Sox so my question is............have you heard any solid rumblings of who that may be? I'd like to see Ron Washington but, as always, I get the feeling that the Reinsdorf/Williams/Hahn connection will go on the cheap with someone that has never managed.
Tim Dierkes
9:02
I'm not a huge manager guy.  It's not something I follow closely and I don't think it has the impact many people do.  Ozzie Guillen, Ron Washington, Pedro Grifol, and Joe Espada being in the mix - that was the last I noticed of it.
Steve
9:02
How real are the Ozzie Guillen whispers? I think the team is badly in need of a culture change and I think hiring another manager several years out of the game will be more of the same.
Tim Dierkes
9:02
He is supposed to be interviewed this week I believe: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/sources-white-sox-intervie...
9:03
From a baseball writer/fan standpoint, I'd love to see the White Sox re-hire Ozzie.  He would quite possibly be the funniest and best quote in the game.  That would be the entire reason I'd want to see it.
9:04
Mark Buehrle said it best about Ozzie: "I love when drama happens. I love seeing how it’s going to play out."
That's me, too!  Now, in terms of Ozzie actually being a good manager...
9:05
One point is that Ozzie's relationship with Kenny Williams was always kind of love/hate, and that would continue.  Another is that Ozzie very much mailed it in in 2011, mostly because he was cranky about not having a contract extension.
I love Jim Margalus' work on the White Sox, so read this from when Ozzie departed: https://www.southsidesox.com/2011/9/27/2452211/ozzie-guillen-shows-him...
9:06
Also, I think Ozzie thumbed his nose up at sabermetrics/advanced stats with the White Sox, and that was 11 years ago.  Those things have advanced significantly since then, and hostility toward stat people is the last thing the White Sox need in trying to win games.
Ang T
9:06
Any chance Robin Ventura is contacted for CWS manager opening?
Tim Dierkes
9:07
So far he hasn't been, and it doesn't sound like he will.  I do think it's crazy how insular the White Sox remain, and that they'd even entertain bringing Ozzie back after Reinsdorf's La Russa disaster.
ChiTeam
9:07
Is the window closing?
Tim Dierkes
9:08
I mean, each year that passes means one less year on all those long-term contracts.  On someone like Moncada, that can be a good thing.  Tim Anderson can be controlled through 2024, though I see from some of the chat comments that some White Sox fans want him traded.
9:09
Giolito is going into his last year.  Eloy, potentially through 2026.  Robert, '27.  Cease, three more years of control.
In terms of an Eloy/Robert small position player core, they've got that locked down for a full four more years if they want it.
9:10
I think it's a very legitimate question whether you can build a team around those two, given how often they're on the IL.  Plus, one of them is a DH.
Tim
9:10
While nimmo seems like the most obvious fit, is benintendi a realistic option? What do you expect he commands in free agency?
Tim Dierkes
9:11
I think Nimmo costs $100MM+, and I don't see the White Sox doing a franchise-record deal for him.  We debated Benintendi a bit yesterday as prep for our Top 50 Free Agent list (coming in the Nov 7-10 range).
Despite the lack of power this year we're leaning toward four years for Benny, possibly in the $50MM+ range.  Whether that's a good or bad contract, I could see the White Sox doing it.
Bobby pigpen
9:11
Would the Yankees be interested in Tim Anderson & would they give up one of their young SS prospects for him ? Also could Liam Hendrix be part of a bigger deal ?
Tim Dierkes
9:12
Fair to say they'd be interested, but no, I don't think they'd give up one of their top SS prospects for two years of him.  Same answer on Hendriks.
Eric C
9:12
I know his name hasn't been bandied about for the White Sox managerial job, but wouldn't Sandy Alimar, Jr. be an astute choice for the role?
Tim Dierkes
9:12
Absolutely
Luis Robert's Fauxhawk
9:12
Any chance I stay healthy and get to 30/30 in 2023?
Tim Dierkes
9:13
Who can say?  I know Rick Hahn talked about getting better an injury prevention.  That's a must for this team to contend.  Until Luis Robert actually plays in like 130 games, I'm hesitant to say that he can or will.
9:14
How's this for going out on a limb...in at least one of the next three seasons, Luis Robert will play 130+ games.
Joey Doughnuts
9:14
What do you think a Cody Bellinger deal for the Sox could look like? He seems like he would be a fit for them to take a gamble on. Probably short term 1-2 year deal.
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