The White Sox did the right thing in giving Eloy Jimenez a contract extension, even though he had never taken an MLB at-bat yet. The contract bought out his arbitration years and keeps him under control until his age 29 season. It’s a minimal risk, high reward and it got him into the Opening Day lineup.
Rick Hahn has a history of making these types of deals with home grown talent. Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton, and Tim Anderson are some past examples. With that in mind, Sox fans should expect more of these extensions in the future for their young key pieces. So who are the most likely candidates to receive an early pay day?
Reynaldo Lopez
Many people out there believe that Lopez is the best starter in the rotation. Yes, even ahead of Carlos Rodon. He certainly had a very solid first full year in 2018 with a 3.91 ERA and a 2.2 WAR in 188.2 IP. If he shows more consistency this season and is able to bring his walk rate down, he would be a prime candidate for an extension. The importance of locking up arms in today’s game is crucial for teams that expect to win.
Yoan Moncada
This is a tougher one to imagine happening but not out of the question by any means. In a very small sample size of 2 games in 2019, Moncada looks like a completely different player as he is 4-8 with a walk, home run, and 0 K’s. The stats are nice, but it’s the way he looks at the plate that makes me excited for his future. He is getting more aggressive earlier in counts but at the same time isn’t just swinging at everything. If he takes off this season like many local outlets have predicted, then the White Sox would more than likely try to lock him up long term. But would he want to? He already got paid 31.5M from Boston, so he doesn’t necessarily need to sign an earlier extension for more money. If he does take off and becomes an all-star in the coming years, he may elect to wait until free agency so he can get a massive payday instead of a minimal one from the Sox should he sign early.
Nick Madrigal
This is my personal bet for who will be the next player to receive an early extension from the Sox. The organization is incredibly high on this kid and he apparently has what it takes to absolutely fly through the farm system. He will start 2019 with the Winston-Salem Dash in High-A, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was just there for a few weeks before he’s in Double-A Birmingham (essentially the same path Dane Dunning had last season). If he splits the season between Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, I wouldn’t be surprised if he signs an extension before taking a Major League at-bat and is the Sox starting second baseman on Opening Day 2020. I love Yolmer, but on a contending team he’s a utility man off the bench at best. Madrigal can be the true lead off man for the White Sox for the next 6 years (or longer if he does sign an extension similar to Eloy).
Say what you want about Rick Hahn’s misses in free agency. When it comes to locking up home grown talent to team-friendly contracts, he’s one of the best in the business. It’s only a matter of when the next one will be, and who will receive it.
