The 5 – Remaining Free Agents the White Sox Should Consider

Obviously, I would love it if the White Sox were shopping at the top of the market and I was coming here to discuss Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, or Matt Chapman. That’s just not the case, and as much as I disagree with that, it’s still reality. With that said, we know the Sox still have many holes on this roster and with a slow moving off-season, there are definitely still guys to consider.

Aaron Hicks

If you only watched Aaron Hicks with the Yankees last year, you’d probably think that he’s washed. However, his time with the Orioles seemed to prove otherwise. In 65 games, he had an OPS of .806 and got on base 38% of the time. Will that production continue? Probably not. But it’s reasonable to think that his .333 OBP over the course of 2021-2023 could continue. Playing a reasonably good RF, being able to fill in out in CF, and walking 13% of the time is not the sexiest acquisition in right field, but it would be much better than what we’ve had.

Donovan Solano

Solano turned 36 in December, so he’s not the youngest guy available. And while he’s considered a utility man, he’s only played 21 innings at SS over the past 3 years. But let’s hold on for a second, because the guy does hit. His WRC+ has been 100 or above for the past five seasons and over the past 3, it averages out to 108. Feels like a sign. Seriously though, Solano being a 2B/3B utility man could be really valuable. Especially to give Yoan Moncada some days off when he’s banged up. The fact that his SS days are behind him is not that problematic as Nicky Lopez is capable of playing there if needed.

Shintaro Fujinami

With Joe Kelly and Reynaldo Lopez no longer in the pen and Garrett Crochet sitting around 96 MPH and possibly being converted to a starter, the White Sox are low on flamethrowers. Gregory Santos of course fits the bill, but unless someone ratchets up their velocity, there isn’t really anyone else. The upside of Shintaro is that he consistently throws in the upper 90s. The downside is that he doesn’t seem to know where it’s gonna go. Fangraphs did a great write up on him, which included this:

That’s not good, but that’s also why a guy who can burn a hole in a catcher’s mitt is available and probably fairly cheap. If a team can help him get his command together, it’s a great pick up. The White Sox can afford to take that chance.

Spencer Turnbull

Last year was his first year back from Tommy John surgery. It was mired with bad performances, a neck injury, a foot injury, being optioned to the minors, and then those options being rescinded. With all the back and forth over the options, I feel like it may tough to get him to agree to a minor league contract. However, if nobody is knocking down his door to bring him in on a big league contract, the White Sox are not a bad spot for a SP to sign a minor league deal. Between the Dylan Cease rumors, Michael Soroka‘s injury history, and general uncertainty of what to expect from Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, and Chris Flexen, there will be innings for a Starting Pitcher. And if it turns out it was only injuries holding him back in 2023, it could be a great get.

Liam Hendriks or Alex Reyes

Both of these guys are out for a good portion of the year. I talk a bit about how I’d set up the Hendriks contract in this video:

For Reyes, you may be able to get him on a minor league deal, but regardless, he’s likely available.

The idea is that they’d rehab with the White Sox and then when ready later this season, they would be able to join the team and get some reps. Looking at the current roster, the innings will likely be pretty low leverage and the Sox would get a chance to see what they have. If the Sox are serious about turning this around and being a team in 2025, this could be a way to build up the pitching staff.

-Chorizy-E

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