The White Sox have been one of the busier teams this offseason, and one could argue that they are the most improved team in baseball. Every major hole in their lineup has been filled. Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Encarnacion, Nomar Mazara, Yasmani Grandal, and Steve Cishek make the White Sox a very balanced team with great depth. However, there is still one small fix that can be made.
Everyone knows that Nick Madrigal will be the full time second baseman once his name is called. That’s going to happen sooner rather than later, but until then the White Sox will most likely have Leury Garcia or Danny Mendick holding down the position until Madrigal’s time comes.
Both Garcia and Mendick are solid players, but if the team wanted a more proven player with higher upside, then they should really consider bringing in Brian Dozier on a cheap 1 year deal.
Dozier is coming off a World Series championship run with the Nationals, so it would be yet another veteran with postseason experience added to the South Side. He could hold down 2nd base until May or whenever the team feels that Madrigal is ready. From there he could be a perfect bench bat and insurance for Moncada, Anderson, and Madrigal should any of them see time on the Injured List.
Dozier has had at least 20 home runs a year since 2014, including a whopping 42 in 2016 for the Twins. The only snag in this scenario is that Dozier may be hesitant to sign with a team that sees him as a bench option/pinch hitter for the majority of 2020.
If Dozier is ready to accept a role like this, then the White Sox would be a perfect fit. Veteran leadership and added depth are never a bad thing. And Dozier would help give the White Sox one of the better benches in the division (with McCann, Engel, and Garcia).
It’s not a flashy move, but one that could end up paying huge dividends over the course of 162 games.
