White Sox looking good for 2021 but still have questions to answer
Having completed a season packed with one unknown after another, the White Sox move into an offseason that is going to feature even more uncertainty.
Looking to take the next step in 2021 after ending a 11-year playoff drought, the Sox are in relatively good shape.
Last winter, general manager Rick Hahn had the money to make multiple moves. Not only did he bring back American League MVP favorite Jose Abreu on a three-year, $50 million contract, Hahn added two more notable free agents - catcher Yasmani Grandal (four years, $73 million) and starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (three years, $55.5 million).
This winter, after heavy financial losses in 2020 caused by COVID-19, it's extremely doubtful the White Sox or any other major-league team is going to spend big.
As we wait and see how that shakes out, it's a good time to examine the biggest questions heading into an offseason that started right after the Sox dropped Game 3 to Oakland Thursday in the first round of the playoffs.
Starting rotation:
Lucas Giolito showed how good he is in Game 1, making a run at his second no-hitter of the short season.
Keuchel is a solid No. 2 starter, but it's up in the air after that.
Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning are definite options. Both young right-handers should become less erratic with more innings and both have plenty of upside.
Two more in-house names to watch are Garrett Crochet and Michael Kopech.
Crochet, the White Sox's first-round draft pick in June (No. 11 overall), debuted three months later with no minor-league experience and was off the charts good.
But after arriving from Schaumburg on Sept. 20 and pitching 6 scoreless innings of relief with 8 strikeouts and no walks in the regular season, Crochet had to leave Game 3 of the playoffs with left forearm tightness. The 21-year-old pitcher struck out both A's hitters he faced and threw 9 pitches.
That is a precursor to an elbow injury, but the Sox are optimistic at this stage.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," manager Rick Renteria said. "We asked him how he was doing and he said he was fine."
Crochet was a starter in college at Tennessee and he is expected to move into that role with the White Sox, likely next season if healthy.
Kopech is another electric young arm, but he opted out this year and sat out all of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery. That's an extended layoff, but the Sox are hoping Kopech will be back next season.
"We still view him as a premium piece on a very good team for a long time," Hahn said.
Catcher:
James McCann was an all-star for the White Sox in 2019, but Hahn decided to add Grandal last winter.
That gave the Sox two all-year catchers this season, and McCann's playing time was predictably reduced. He still managed to hit .289/.360/.536 with 7 home runs and 15 RBI in 31 games.
McCann is now a free agent and is sure to draw plenty of interest, even if teams are operating with much tighter budgets.
"I look back on my time here very fondly," McCann said of his two-year run with the White Sox. "Having success here and really coming into my own as a player, I'll always look back on my time here in Chicago regardless of what happens in the future."
If McCann departs, Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes and Seby Zavala are backup catcher options.
Designated hitter:
Edwin Encarnacion was a liability at DH this season, slashing .157/.250/.377 with 10 homers and 19 RBI in 45 games.
Signed to a one-year contract in December, the 37-year-old Encarnacion has a $12 million club option for 2021 that the White Sox certainly won't pick up.
Andrew Vaughn is positioned to take over at designated hitter next season after spending the last two months at the Sox's training facility in Schaumburg.
Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft, is a natural first baseman.
"He just has a strong understanding of what it takes to put together a professional at-bat," said Chris Getz, the White Sox's player development director. "His body is always under control for quality decision making. And he can punish the baseball to all fields, which are ingredients for major-league success."
Right field:
Nomar Mazara was acquired in a trade from Texas after the 2019 season to hit home runs and play right, but he didn't show much this year.
Sidelined for the first two weeks with strep throat, Mazara never looked comfortable while hitting only 1 homer in 149 plate appearances and batting .228/.295/.294.
Under contractual control for one more season, Mazara likely gets another look in 2021, possibly platooning with Adam Engel.