With lockout over, it's back to business for White Sox, Cubs
Let the mad scramble resume.
Right before the owners locked out the players after the Collective Bargaining Agreement expired in early December, the White Sox and Cubs were active adding talent.
The Sox signed veteran relief pitcher Kendall Graveman to a three-year, $24 million contract on Nov. 30 and brought back versatile veteran Leury Garcia on a three-year, $16.5 million deal the following day.
On Dec. 1, the Cubs narrowly beat the lockout deadline and signed starting pitcher Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million contract.
The Cubs added more help in the rotation in early November, claiming Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds and picking up his $10 million option. They also signed veteran catcher Yan Gomes to a two-year $13 million contract.
Both Chicago teams addressed needs — especially the Cubs with the starting rotation — but there is more work to be done.
As they shoot for their third straight trip to the playoffs, the White Sox need help in right field and at second base.
Three free agents, Nick Castellanos, Jorge Soler and Michael Conforto, are still on the market if general manager Rick Hahn decides to fill the hole from the outside.
If he doesn't, Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn are obvious candidates in right after each showed promise as rookies last season.
At second base, the free-agent pickings are pretty slim after Marcus Semien signed with the Rangers and Chris Taylor returned to the Dodgers before the lockout.
Garcia, Romy Gonzalez and Danny Mendick are in-house candidates to replace Cesar Hernandez, who was a bust after being acquired in a trade from Cleveland last July.
As for the Cubs, Stroman was asked about their direction after signing his free-agent deal.
“I think they're definitely not in a full rebuild,” the 30-year-old righty said. “I think them going out and getting me kind of speaks to that point. I think they definitely want to win now. I'm coming in here to win.”
After baseball's labor war ended Thursday, Stroman took to social media to recruit baseball's top free agent — shortstop Carlos Correa.
“Come through and let's have Wrigley jumping my dog,” Stroman said to Correa on Twitter.
Landing Correa would cost the Cubs over $300 million, so Stroman might be disappointed.
But after trading stars like Yu Darvish, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs definitely appear to be in add mode.
“We need to improve, so I think we'll certainly be active,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said before the lockout. “But I think we need to be active in a way that we feel we're getting the right value for the dollars we're spending and we're also making sure that we're not hindering ourselves going forward with expenditures for right now.”
MLB is going to play a 162-game season, even with the delayed start.
The White Sox are now scheduled to open against the Tigers in Detroit on April 8. Their home opener is April 12 vs. the Mariners.
The Cubs open the season on April 7 with a home night game vs. the Brewers.