The 2017 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[Chi_archie]

Can't believe how many years dusty baker has survived as a manager

[stevenash]

Man, Red Sox just got held up without a gun. Those were not strikes that were called strikes on Pedroia with the bags loaded.

In other news, I'm hearing Girardi is gone as manager from the Yanks.
His contract is up and they have no interest in renewing it.
To which I say "Good"

[BigSpoon]

Man, Red Sox just got held up without a gun. Those were not strikes that were called strikes on Pedroia with the bags loaded.

In other news, I'm hearing Girardi is gone as manager from the Yanks.
His contract is up and they have no interest in renewing it.
To which I say "Good"

John Farrell might get canned from the Red Sox soon as well.

[koz-man]

The Astros hold on for the one-run victory to win their first playoff series since 2005 and advance to the ALCS. They scored in the first inning of all four games as Red Sox starters combined for just 11.1 innings and 16 runs allowed.

[yisman]

Dusty Baker wanted to give the Cubs a chance to win so he pulled Scherzer

[Andy117]

Man, Red Sox just got held up without a gun. Those were not strikes that were called strikes on Pedroia with the bags loaded.

In other news, I'm hearing Girardi is gone as manager from the Yanks.
His contract is up and they have no interest in renewing it.
To which I say "Good"

They win Game 5 and he's getting a new contract.

[Cross]

Cubs starting pitching w 0.50 ERA in playoffs, not too shabby!

[EmpireMaker]

Dodgers move on benefiting from very solid pitching from Darvish.

[Otters27]

Cubs starting pitching w 0.50 ERA in playoffs, not too shabby!

Just if they did not blow that 3-1 game. Cubs should finish off the Nats

[BarkingToad]

They win Game 5 and he's getting a new contract.

That game will decide if he stays or go.

[Chi_archie]

Cubs starting pitching w 0.50 ERA in playoffs, not too shabby!

very impressive

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Cubs are an absolute lead pipe lock to win the world series

[koz-man]

Same guys, different order.
With his Nationals hitting just .121 in the NLDS and on the brink of elimination, Dusty Baker puts Bryce Harper back in his customary 3-hole. Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon also move.

Full lineup: Turner SS, Werth LF, Harper RF, Zimmerman 1B, Murphy 2B, Rendon 3B, Wieters C, Taylor CF, Roark P.

[BigSpoon]

No playoff baseball to watch tonight with game 4 of Cubs-Nats being postponed due to rain.

[Chi_archie]

No playoff baseball to watch tonight with game 4 of Cubs-Nats being postponed due to rain.

Im gonna be antsy for a bit

[EmpireMaker]

As explained here, Matt Swartz and MLB Trade Rumors have developed an accurate model to project arbitration salaries. This is the seventh year we’ve done these projections, and I’m proud to present the results for 2018. The number in parentheses next to each player is his estimated Major League service time (Years.Days) through 2017 (172 days constitutes a full year of Major League service, per the collective bargaining agreement).
The Super Two cutoff is not yet known, so we’re using a conservative number of 2.120. The players closer to this number may not ultimately be arbitration eligible. We also don’t have official service time information, so our estimates may have inaccuracies.
Angels (12)

• Eric Young Jr. (5.163) – $1.1MM
• Martin Maldonado (5.156) – $2.8MM
• Garrett Richards (5.148) – $7.0MM
• Blake Wood (5.131) – $2.2MM
• Shane Robinson (5.002) – $600K
• Matt Shoemaker (3.166) – $4.4MM
• Tyler Skaggs (3.135) – $1.9MM
• Blake Parker (3.036) – $1.7MM
• C.J. Cron (3.010) – $2.8MM
• Cam Bedrosian (2.153) – $1.2MM
• Andrew Heaney (2.150) – $800K
• J.C. Ramirez (2.139) – $2.6MM

Astros (10)

• Marwin Gonzalez (5.133) – $7.7MM (Astros have $5.125MM club option).
• Dallas Keuchel (5.089) – $12.6MM
• Evan Gattis (5.000) – $6.6MM
• Mike Fiers (4.085) – $5.7MM
• Collin McHugh (4.085) – $4.8MM
• George Springer (3.166) – $8.9MM
• Brad Peacock (3.165) – $2.9MM
• Jake Marisnick (3.145) – $2.0MM
• Ken Giles (3.113) – $5.0MM
• Lance McCullers (2.140) – $2.6MM

Athletics (8)

• Chris Hatcher (4.146) – $2.2MM
• Khris Davis (4.104) – $11.1MM
• Liam Hendriks (4.038) – $1.9MM
• Marcus Semien (3.118) – $3.2MM
• Josh Phegley (3.114) – $1.1MM
• Blake Treinen (3.065) – $2.3MM
• Jake Smolinski (3.016) – $700K
• Kendall Graveman (3.014) – $2.6MM

Blue Jays (10)

• Josh Donaldson (5.158) – $20.7MM
• Aaron Loup (5.040) – $1.8MM
• Tom Koehler (4.090) – $6.0MM
• Ezequiel Carrera (4.039) – $1.9MM
• Marcus Stroman (3.148) – $7.2MM
• Kevin Pillar (3.113) – $4.0MM
• Ryan Goins (3.106) – $1.8MM
• Aaron Sanchez (3.069) – $1.9MM
• Devon Travis (3.000) – $1.7MM
• Roberto Osuna (3.000) – $5.6MM

Braves (8)

• Matt Adams (5.033) – $4.6MM
• Arodys Vizcaino (4.168) – $3.7MM
• Ian Krol (3.149) – $1.3MM
• Danny Santana (3.111) – $1.1MM
• Sam Freeman (3.067) – $1.2MM
• Jace Peterson (3.024) – $1.1MM
• Danny Winkler (3.000) – $800K
• Mike Foltynewicz (2.163) – $2.7MM

Brewers (9)

• Jared Hughes (5.162) – $2.2MM
• Carlos Torres (5.114) – $3.3MM
• Jeremy Jeffress (4.104) – $2.6MM
• Stephen Vogt (4.084) – $3.9MM
• Chase Anderson (3.146) – $5.4MM
• Jonathan Villar (3.113) – $3.0MM
• Jimmy Nelson (3.107) – $4.7MM
• Hernan Perez (3.079) – $2.2MM
• Corey Knebel (2.151) – $$4.1MM

Cardinals (4)

• Trevor Rosenthal (5.058) – $7.9MM
• Michael Wacha (4.062) – $5.9MM
• Tyler Lyons (3.070) – $1.3MM
• Randal Grichuk (3.034) – $2.8MM

Cubs (8)

• Justin Wilson (5.035) – $4.3MM
• Hector Rondon (5.000) – $6.2MM
• Justin Grimm (4.162) – $2.4MM
• Leonys Martin (4.161) – $4.9MM
• Kyle Hendricks (3.081) – $4.9MM
• Tommy La Stella (3.072) – $1.0MM
• Kris Bryant (2.171) – $8.9MM
• Addison Russell (2.167) – $2.3MM

Diamondbacks (14)

• Patrick Corbin (5.105) – $8.3MM
• Randall Delgado (5.100) – $2.5MM
• A.J. Pollock (5.052) – $8.5MM
• Shelby Miller (4.166) – $4.9MM
• J.J. Hoover (4.153) – $1.6MM
• Chris Owings (4.027) – $3.8MM
• Chris Herrmann (4.001) – $1.4MM
• T.J. McFarland (3.165) – $1.0MM
• Taijuan Walker (3.142) – $5.0MM
• David Peralta (3.120) – $3.8MM
• Nick Ahmed (3.054) – $1.1MM
• Jake Lamb (3.053) – $4.7MM
• Andrew Chafin (3.020) – $1.2MM
• Robbie Ray (3.007) – $4.2MM

Dodgers (9)

• Yasmani Grandal (5.115) – $7.7MM
• Luis Avilan (4.146) – $2.3MM
• Alex Wood (4.123) – $6.4MM
• Tony Cingrani (4.088) – $2.2MM
• Josh Fields (3.162) – $2.2MM
• Pedro Baez (3.059) – $1.5MM
• Enrique Hernandez (3.054) – $1.3MM
• Joc Pederson (3.022) – $2.0MM
• Yimi Garcia (3.004) – $700K

Giants (6)

• Will Smith (4.155) – $2.5MM
• Cory Gearrin (4.136) – $1.6MM
• Sam Dyson (3.142) – $4.6MM
• Joe Panik (3.100) – $3.5MM
• Tim Federowicz (3.022) – $1.3MM
• Hunter Strickland (2.163) – $1.7MM

Indians (7)

• Lonnie Chisenhall (5.158) – $5.8MM
• Zach McAllister (5.077) – $2.4MM
• Cody Allen (5.076) – $10.8MM
• Dan Otero (4.124) – $1.4MM
• Danny Salazar (3.162) – $5.2MM
• Trevor Bauer (3.158) – $7.7MM
• Abraham Almonte (3.052) – $1.1MM

Mariners (7)

• David Phelps (5.156) – $5.8MM
• Drew Smyly (5.154) – $6.85MM
• Erasmo Ramirez (4.158) – $4.7MM
• Nick Vincent (4.067) – $2.7MM
• Mike Zunino (3.161) – $3.2MM
• James Paxton (3.151) – $5.6MM
• Shae Simmons (3.111) – $700K

Marlins (6)

• Marcell Ozuna (4.124) – $10.9MM
• Derek Dietrich (3.151) – $3.2MM
• Dan Straily (3.126) – $4.6MM
• Justin Bour (3.064) – $3.5MM
• Miguel Rojas (3.043) – $1.1MM
• J.T. Realmuto (3.038) – $4.2MM

Mets (11)

• Nori Aoki (5.148) – $6.3MM
• Tommy Milone (5.113) – $2.2MM
• Matt Harvey (5.072) – $5.9MM
• A.J. Ramos (5.030) – $9.2MM
• Jeurys Familia (5.024) – $7.4MM
• Zack Wheeler (4.098) – $1.9MM
• Travis d’Arnaud (4.044) – $3.4MM
• Wilmer Flores (4.003) – $3.7MM
• Jacob deGrom (3.139) – $9.2MM
• Noah Syndergaard (2.149) – $1.9MM
• Hansel Robles (2.127) – $1.0MM

Nationals (3)

• Anthony Rendon (4.130) – $11.5MM
• Tanner Roark (4.055) – $7.5MM
• Michael Taylor (3.010) – $2.3MM

Orioles (7)

• Zach Britton (5.158) – $12.2MM
• Brad Brach (5.063) – $5.2MM
• Manny Machado (5.056) – $17.3MM
• Jonathan Schoop (4.027) – $9.1MM
• Kevin Gausman (3.151) – $6.8MM
• Caleb Joseph (3.145) – $1.4MM
• Tim Beckham (3.134) – $3.1MM

Padres (9)

• Hector Sanchez (5.018) – $1.1MM
• Brad Hand (4.092) – $3.8MM
• Carter Capps (4.077) – $1.3MM
• Christian Friedrich (4.046) – $1.79MM
• Jarred Cosart (3.113) – $1.3MM
• Robbie Erlin (3.078) – $700K
• Kirby Yates (3.022) – $1.1MM
• Cory Spangenberg (3.017) – $2.0MM
• Matt Szczur (2.134) – $800K

Phillies (5)

• Freddy Galvis (5.021) – $7.4MM
• Cesar Hernandez (3.154) – $4.7MM
• Cameron Rupp (3.089) – $2.1MM
• Luis Garcia (3.007) – $1.4MM
• Maikel Franco (2.170) – $3.6MM

Pirates (4)

• Jordy Mercer (5.095) – $6.5MM
• George Kontos (4.171) – $2.7MM
• Gerrit Cole (4.111) – $7.5MM
• Felipe Rivero (2.162) – $3.1MM

Rangers (7)

• Jake Diekman (5.050) – $2.8MM
• Martin Perez (5.038) – $7.8MM (Rangers have $6MM club option with a $2.45MM buyout)
• A.J. Griffin (5.034) – $3.0MM
• Jurickson Profar (3.161) – $1.1MM
• Keone Kela (2.168) – $1.2MM
• Nick Martinez (2.149) – $2.0MM
• Ryan Rua (2.126) – $900K

Rays (13)

• Shawn Tolleson (5.109) – $1.0MM
• Adeiny Hechavarria (5.060) – $5.0MM
• Dan Jennings (4.171) – $2.5MM
• Brad Boxberger (4.109) – $1.9MM
• Corey Dickerson (4.101) – $6.4MM
• Brad Miller (4.094) – $4.4MM
• Xavier Cedeno (4.060) – $1.4MM
• Jake Odorizzi (4.042) – $6.5MM
• Jesus Sucre (3.137) – $1.3MM
• Chase Whitley (3.123) – $1.0MM
• Alex Colome (3.118) – $5.5MM
• Steven Souza (3.072) – $3.6MM
• Matt Duffy (3.059) – $900K

Red Sox (15)

• Robbie Ross (5.099) – $2.0MM
• Joe Kelly (5.029) – $3.6MM
• Drew Pomeranz (5.013) – $9.1MM
• Josh Rutledge (4.090) – $700K
• Tyler Thornburg (4.057) – $2.1MM
• Brock Holt (4.052) – $2.0MM
• Xander Bogaerts (4.042) – $7.6MM
• Jackie Bradley (3.150) – $5.9MM
• Sandy Leon (3.149) – $2.1MM
• Steven Wright (3.089) – $1.2MM
• Mookie Betts (3.070) – $8.2MM
• Brandon Workman (3.036) – $900K
• Christian Vazquez (3.031) – $1.5MM
• Carson Smith (3.028) – $1.1MM
• Eduardo Rodriguez (2.130) – $2.7MM

Reds (6)

• Scooter Gennett (4.071) – $6.1MM
• Billy Hamilton (4.028) – $5.0MM
• Anthony DeSclafani (3.062) – $1.1MM
• Eugenio Suarez (3.061) – $4.4MM
• Michael Lorenzen (2.159) – $1.4MM
• Raisel Iglesias (2.154) – $2.8MM if he chooses to opt into arbitration. Otherwise, contract calls for $4.5MM in 2018, $5MM in 2019, and $5MM in 2020.

Rockies (5)

• DJ LeMahieu (5.128) – $8.8MM
• Charlie Blackmon (5.102) – $13.4MM
• Chad Bettis (3.096) – $1.5MM
• Chris Rusin (3.092) – $1.4MM
• Zach Rosscup (3.021) – $600K

Royals (4)

• Kelvin Herrera (5.157) – $8.3MM
• Brandon Maurer (4.089) – $3.8MM
• Mike Morin (3.089) – $700K
• Nate Karns (3.033) – $1.4MM

Tigers (10)

• Andrew Romine (5.049) – $1.9MM
• Jose Iglesias (5.036) – $5.6MM
• Alex Presley (4.056) – $1.1MM
• Alex Wilson (4.038) – $2.1MM
• Nick Castellanos (4.029) – $7.6MM
• Bruce Rondon (3.097) – $1.2MM
• Shane Greene (3.075) – $1.7MM
• James McCann (3.028) – $2.3MM
• Bryan Holaday (3.025) – $700K
• Blaine Hardy (2.132) – $800K

Twins (7)

• Chris Gimenez (5.163) – $1.0MM
• Eduardo Escobar (5.128) – $4.9MM
• Kyle Gibson (4.051) – $5.3MM
• Ehire Adrianza (3.131) – $1.0MM
• Ryan Pressly (3.118) – $1.6MM
• Robbie Grossman (3.060) – $2.4MM
• Trevor May (3.051) – $600K

White Sox (9)

• Al Alburquerque (5.030) – $1.1MM
• Avisail Garcia (4.167) – $6.7MM
• Zach Putnam (4.135) – $1.4MM
• Jake Petricka (4.044) – $1.1MM
• Jose Abreu (4.000) – $17.9MM
• Danny Farquhar (3.136) – $1.5MM
• Leury Garcia (3.025) – $1.2MM
• Carlos Rodon (2.168) – $2.0MM
• Yolmer Sanchez (2.134) – $2.1MM

Yankees (9)

• Adam Warren (5.036) – $3.1MM
• Didi Gregorius (4.159) – $9.0MM
• Dellin Betances (4.078) – $4.4MM
• Sonny Gray (4.061) – $6.6MM
• Austin Romine (4.045) – $1.2MM
• Aaron Hicks (4.041) – $2.9MM
• Erik Kratz (4.026) – $600K
• Tommy Kahnle (3.015) – $1.3MM
• Chasen Shreve (2.155) – $900K

[koz-man]

Stephen Strasburg is feeling under the weather so the Nationals will hold him back for a potential Game 5. Dusty Baker says "a lot" of his team isn't feeling well. Tanner Roark will face Jake Arrieta in Game 4 on Wednesday, as originally planned.

[BigSpoon]

Stephen Strasburg is feeling under the weather so the Nationals will hold him back for a potential Game 5. Dusty Baker says "a lot" of his team isn't feeling well. Tanner Roark will face Jake Arrieta in Game 4 on Wednesday, as originally planned.

Now the Nats just announced that Strasburg will start in Game 4.

[BigSpoon]

John Farrell is out as Red Sox manager.

[Cross]

Dusty gonna get fired in a few days.

[ApricotSinner32]

Dusty gonna get fired in a few days.

[yisman]

strasburg thing made no sense


dusty going back to his old lineup with rendon 6th also made no sense

[Cross]

Strasburg was unhittable, what didn't make sense?

[EmpireMaker]

Earlier tonight, we took a look at the Tigers’ managerial search, breaking down the list of candidates that are slated to interview and those that have been more casually linked to the vacancy in Detroit. The Phillies, too, have an opening in the dugout after surprisingly removing Pete Mackanin from that role and transitioning him to a front office role. Philadelphia had extended Mackanin just four months earlier, making the decision all the more unexpected.
As with the Tigers (and eventually with all of the managerial searches of the offseason), we’ll track the majority of the managerial chatter in a single place over the course of the search and update accordingly as the hunt progresses. Here’s the most up-to-date chatter on the Phils…
Will Interview/Have Interviewed

• The Phillies already have one strong internal candidate in Jorge Velandia, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Currently a special assistant to GM Matt Klentak, Velandia interviewed for the opening on Wednesday and is a “strong candidate,” according to Salisbury, though other interviews are sure to be conducted with external candidates. Nonetheless, Salisbury writes that the 42-year-old Velandia is well versed in player development and has embraced the analytical side of the game. His work with Klentak and the rest of the front office should bode well for communication. He’s spent time on the Phillies’ big league coaching staff in the past and has also spent six seasons as a manager in the Venezuelan Winter League.
• Current Phillies third base coach Juan Samuel has also interviewed for the opening, as Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Daily News recently reported. Samuel, 56, has been on the Phillies’ coaching staff since 2011 after coming over from the Orioles, where he worked with Andy MacPhail, who was then the Orioles’ president and now holds that same role with the Phillies. Samuel spoke to Brookover about his own openness to incorporating more data-driven decisions into on-field decisions. “If you have something available to you that gives you an advantage over other clubs, you should definitely use it,” he said.
• Both Salisbury and Brookover list Triple-A manager Dusty Wathan as another internal candidate that is expected to interview. It’s not known yet whether the 44-year-old has interviewed, but he’s spent the past 10 seasons managing at various levels throughout the Phillies’ system, so he obviously has plenty of familiarity with the Phillies’ homegrown players and a number of the front office execs that have been with the club for an extended period of time.

Preliminary Candidates (Interview Status Unknown)

• Like the Tigers, the Phillies are interested in speaking to Rockies bench coach Mike Redmond, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman. There’s been no definitive word of an interview, but the former Marlins manager has been building his dugout resume since calling it quits as a player back in 2010. At 46, he’d give the Phillies a considerably younger voice than they’ve had under recent skippers like Mackanin, Ryne Sandberg and Charlie Manuel.

Not in the Mix/No Longer in Consideration

• Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com reported recently that the Phillies won’t consider bench coach Larry Bowa or former GM Ruben Amaro Jr. for the post. Klentak has stated a desire for a “new voice” and a “new style” in the dugout, Lawrence notes, which wouldn’t be accomplished with the 71-year-old Bowa. As for Amaro, while he’d been previously connected to the role and is reportedly on the Tigers’ radar, Lawrence definitively characterized the chances of Amaro being on the team’s radar as nonexistent.

[koz-man]

Brett Gardner was 0-for-8 in the first 2 games of this series, but 6-for-13 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored in the last 3. Didi Gregorius was 0-for-9 in the first 2 games of the series, but 4-for-8 in the last 3, including 2 HR in Game 5. Gregorius homered twice on inside pitches.

[Chi_archie]

YAnks got hot at right time

[BigSpoon]

YAnks got hot at right time

MLB playoffs are cruel. Cleveland had a great regular season, all for naught. Kluber was poor in both of his starts.

[mr. leisure]

MLB playoffs are cruel. Cleveland had a great regular season, all for naught. Kluber was poor in both of his starts.

I was wondering if they should make NLDS 7 game series .

[Otters27]

This is Hendricks chance tonight to become a legend. Also Bryant and Company needs to step it up with the bats

[yisman]

keuchel/tanaka tomorrow, game 1.

[Chi_archie]

what a crazy game

[Cross]

Fly the W Peavy.

[EmpireMaker]

The 2016 Winter Meetings marked the beginning of a new White Sox strategy: a total rebuild. Gone are Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Swarzak, Dan Jennings, Melky Cabrera, and Miguel Gonzalez. The 2017 team played to their low expectations, but the club’s record was an afterthought as the White Sox continued acquiring top-shelf young talent throughout the season. In terms of trades, most of the heavy lifting has been done as we head into the offseason.
Guaranteed Contracts

• James Shields, SP: White Sox responsible for $10MM in 2018 salary as well as $2MM buyout on 2019 option.
• Nate Jones, RP: $5.2MM through 2018. Includes club options for 2019-21.
• Tim Anderson, SS: $24.15MM through 2022. Includes club options for 2023-24.

Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

• Al Alburquerque (5.030) – $1.1MM projected salary
• Avisail Garcia (4.167) – $6.7MM
• Zach Putnam (4.135) – $1.4MM
• Jake Petricka (4.044) – $1.1MM
• Jose Abreu (4.000) – $17.9MM
• Danny Farquhar (3.136) – $1.5MM
• Leury Garcia (3.025) – $1.2MM
• Carlos Rodon (2.168) – $2.0MM
• Yolmer Sanchez (2.134) – $2.1MM
• Non-tender candidates: Alburquerque, Putnam, Petricka, Farquhar

Free Agents

• Geovany Soto, Mike Pelfrey, David Holmberg, Chris Volstad

[Chicago White Sox Depth Chart; Chicago White Sox Payroll Information]
GM Rick Hahn has executed his plan perfectly so far. The White Sox were able to give fans a glimpse of the future as Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez made their team debuts this summer. They’ve got six of the game’s top 100 prospects waiting in the wings with Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Luis Robert, Blake Rutherford, Dylan Cease, and Alec Hansen. Zack Collins, Dane Dunning, and Carson Fulmer follow on their top prospect list. And don’t forget about Tim Anderson and Carlos Rodon, who have already experienced big league success even if they struggled in 2017. As the rebuild enters its second offseason, what’s left to do on the transaction side?
The White Sox still have two marketable veterans: Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. Both were bright spots on a 2017 club that lost 95 games. Abreu, 31 in January, experienced a power resurgence on his way to becoming one of the five best-hitting first basemen in the game this year. The White Sox control him through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player, and MLBTR projects a salary close to $18MM just for 2018. His price tag could be in the $40MM range for 2018-19.

Abreu’s rising salary is not a problem for the Sox, who have next to nothing on the books. If the White Sox entertain trades for Abreu, his salary could take smaller payroll teams out of the mix. Still, he arguably could be the best hitter on the market aside from J.D. Martinez and will require a much smaller financial commitment than Martinez or fellow first baseman Eric Hosmer. Abreu also brings reliability that is unmatched by 2017 breakouts like Logan Morrison or Yonder Alonso.
Hahn will likely treat Abreu as he did Jose Quintana last winter: set a price, listen to offers, and hold him if those offers fall short. Penciling Abreu into the third spot in the order for the 2018 White Sox would likely please fans. An extension would be pushing too far, however, as Abreu is unlikely to provide surplus value in his age-33 season and beyond.
Right fielder Avisail Garcia is also controlled for two more seasons through arbitration. He presents a different calculus following a surprising season in which he hit .330/.380/.506. Garcia, 27 in June, should be in the prime of his career. He’s also less proven than Abreu, having shown a subpar bat until 2017.

We project Garcia to earn $6.7MM in 2018, so he could be a bargain even though no one expects him to manage a .392 batting average on balls in play again. South Side Sox notes that Garcia’s expected weighted on-base average (found using Statcast data) suggests his new level is that of a well above-average player. Extending Garcia before he proves himself further could result in a discount for the White Sox, if the player is willing. If the numbers don’t add up for Hahn, Garcia becomes a trade candidate.
Trade chips aside, the White Sox must field a Major League team in 2018. While the 2017 season was surprisingly fun in spite of the team’s record, fans will expect progress in the standings with a more respectable product on the field as the rebuild enters its second phase.
The bullpen is an obvious area for Hahn to address this winter. Due to the trades of Robertson, Kahnle, Swarzak, Jennings, and Tyler Clippard, as well as injuries to Nate Jones and Zach Putnam, manager Rick Renteria had to survive with perhaps MLB’s least recognizable bullpen. 27-year-old Juan Minaya, a waiver claim from last year, was an up-and-down guy for the Sox until late June, and by mid-August he became the team’s closer. 30-year-old Gregory Infante signed a minor league deal in January and worked his way into high-leverage innings by season’s end. Most likely, Chicago’s bullpen will continue to present great opportunities to the game’s reclamation projects, especially after helping Swarzak and Kahnle turn around their careers. There’s room for mid-range additions as well, given the team’s sparse payroll commitments. While Hahn won’t be looking at Wade Davis or Greg Holland, the White Sox may add a few veterans in the $3-6MM per year range in addition to a likely significant number of minor league pacts.
The rotation is more settled. Veteran James Shields will retain a spot in the last year of his contract. Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito are in. Carlos Rodon will claim a spot, but his timetable is wide open currently as he recovers from shoulder surgery. As MLB.com’s Scott Merkin explained in September, Carson Fulmer is a contender for a spot and Michael Kopech will likely make his way up midseason. There seems to be room for at least one veteran addition, perhaps with last year’s $6MM deal with Derek Holland serving as a model. Free agent reclamation projects include Clay Buchholz, Jeremy Hellickson, Francisco Liriano, Wade Miley, Hector Santiago, and Chris Tillman.
The White Sox may also consider minor additions on the position player side. After going with Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith behind the dish this year, the Sox could make a low-key veteran catcher addition from a list of many options. Leury Garcia showed well as the starting center fielder when he wasn’t battling injuries. Adam Engel and Charlie Tilson will be in the center field mix as well. Nicky Delmonico had a strong 166-plate appearance debut and should see time at left field and designated hitter. Yolmer Sanchez could be penciled in at third base with Moncada getting the nod at second and Anderson at shortstop. While they aren’t expected to contend for big names, the White Sox would benefit from adding both outfield and infield depth for 2018.
As Steve Adams outlined last month, the White Sox should consider taking advantage of their low payroll commitment to further boost their prospect stash. After arbitration raises, the team projects to have around $45MM committed to the 2018 payroll. Steve named bad contract examples such as Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis, Yasmany Tomas, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Wei-Yin Chen. The White Sox could agree to take on a contract like that in order to pry young players away from the club that is currently saddled with said contract. In the process, the Sox would also be supplementing their own 2018 team.
With most of the building blocks of the future already in the organization, the next phase of the White Sox rebuild will hinge on player development. The 2017-18 offseason figures to be much less eventful than the previous one for White Sox fans. Rick Hahn’s work is far from over, but the next White Sox playoff team is starting to come into view.

[BarkingToad]

These type of winner take all games are becoming the new norm for Cubs.

[Otters27]

Cubs should have taken Hendricks out right away. Baker should have taken Scherzer out