Check your twitter feed this morning. Endless rumors and hashtags about free agents and other hot-stove tid-bits rifled to your phone can only mean one thing: Winter Meetings have begun. Orlando is the epicenter of blockbuster trades, free-agent signings and other back-room brokering sure to flood your phone for the next four days. And although Rick Hahn and the White Sox won’t hold court the same way they did last year, teams will certainly check in with the master of the trade.
The to-do list is short this year for Hahn but his ability to pull off value-driven deals will be pivotal to the White Sox reaching “critical mass,” as Hahn likes to call it. Yet, there could be a surprise ending on Thursday with the Rule 5 draft. Here are the two big items White Sox brass will take aim at.
Pitching
It’s no secret that the White Sox need pitching. Carlos Rodon is shelved after shoulder surgery with an unknown return date and it is still unclear whether Carson Fulmer can survive in the starting rotation. While White Sox fans foam at the mouth waiting for Michael Kopech to reach the show in mid-summer (earliest) the rotation has a few unanswered questions.
The rotation has two spots open. Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and James Sheilds compose three-fifths of the anticipated rotation. Rodon is likely to miss opening day and the Fulmer-experiment is likely to continue early in the season. That leaves one open spot.
Dylan Covey was clearly overmatched in the big leagues last season. In my opinion, Covey will be dropped from the rotation unless he unlocks the wellspring of talent scouts once thought he possessed. He could find himself in a tattered bullpen that is a mere vision of what it once was but given the absence of a true out-pitch, Covey might be a DFA candidate.
And so, the White Sox will search for a starting pitcher with a strong reputation looking for a second a chance. I don’t expect much to happen at Winter Meetings considering the White Sox will take a back seat to many other teams bidding for stronger free agents, and Hahn is savvy enough to wait for the market to set before sending emissaries to lower level targets.
The South Siders are already linked to Sergio Romo – a target I suggested back in early November – and there hasn’t been much discussion surrounding Huston Street and Joe Smith.
Source: Sergio Romo is scheduled to be activated by the Charros de Jalisco baseball team in Mexico this week. A group of teams that includes the Nationals, Rays, Blue Jays and White Sox have already expressed interest in the veteran reliever.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) December 7, 2017
Relievers always play second fiddle to starters and a run on relievers of their ilk could be churning beneath the market’s surface. Smith will have no shortage of callers and might be unrealistic for the White Sox, but Street and Romo could be viable reclamation projects. Considering relievers work on short-term deals and at a fair value, Hahn might find the pair intriguing and worth the price.
Trades
White Sox fans are holding their breath on a trade involving Jose Abreu. The Red Sox continue to pop up in trade rumors and the St. Louis Cardinals recently surfaced as “very interested” as well, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. Yet, a contingent of experts agree that the White Sox would have to receive an “overwhelming” offer to let go of Pito.
The Chicago #Whitesox say they would have to be overwhelmed by offer to trade Jose Abreu, who's a powerful clubhouse influence. Unlikely to be traded
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 10, 2017
Heard same. Listening but not necessarily shopping. https://t.co/NsY54nWieP
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) December 10, 2017
His obvious value on the field pales in comparison to his importance in the clubhouse. Abreu is the face of the franchise and its future success, something the White Sox are consciously cultivating. Ken Rosenthal shared his thoughts about Abreu’s future.
“Barring an unexpected turn, the Chicago White Sox are unlikely to trade first baseman Jose Abreu to the Boston Red Sox or any other club. The White Sox, knowing Abreu’s importance in the clubhouse as an example for their young players, figure to value him more than prospective suitors who see only his on-field performance.”
Avisail Garcia is another story. Not much has been mentioned about Garcia after his first all-star season and one in which he finally flashed the promise many believed he had. He is still young and the league won’t rush to judgement on the slugger this offseason.
Despite calls to sell high on Garcia, the trouble is that the league won’t buy his value after one season. The reality is that Garcia has had more disappointing seasons than successful ones and his hulking physical presence warrants higher power numbers. Is he valuable? Sure. But I don’t see much of a market for Garcia unless someone like the Red Sox or Cardinals reach a level of desperation. And even then, I expect cooler heads to prevail.
The Rule 5 draft is something to watch, though. The White Sox chose not to protect several players recently netted in trades that have played at the upper levels of the minor leagues. Several teams could swoop in and grab a few of those players, diminishing the value of last year’s trades. Faith in Hahn’s vision and tactics will be tested Thursday as teams begin plucking players from peers organization.
