GLENDALE, Ariz. — Welcome to spring training, where the sun almost always shines and optimism radiates even during the bleakest times.
For the White Sox, it’s time to open the windows and let the sun shine in after three years of rebuilding, seven years of losing and 11 without a postseason.
Enough of that, the Sox say. This is a season, with a talented core of young players such as third baseman Yoan Moncada, shortstop Tim Anderson, left fielder Eloy Jimenez, rookie center fielder Luis Robert, pitchers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech and Aaron Bummer meshing with veteran first baseman Jose Abreu, catcher Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion and pitchers Dallas Keuchel, Alex Colome, Steve Cishek and Gio Gonzalez. It’s a mix they believe makes them contenders for the postseason.
While the Cubs’ postseason window to the north, after four straight appearances from 2015-2018 including a World Series title might be closing, the Sox’ window appears to be open, and thanks to young, cost-controlled talent, could stay that way for a few years to come.
The young talent assembled via trades for Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana – Moncada, Kopech, Jimenez, Cease, Giolito, Lopez – is in place for multiple seasons while working at affordable costs, as are Anderson, Robert, left-hander Carlos Rodon and right fielder Nomar Mazara.
Payroll flexibility is king in roster construction and sustainability. While committing $73 million in free agency to Grandal over four years, $55.5 million to Keuchel over three, $50 million to Abreu over three and $12 million to Encarnacion for one, the Sox have it. They currently are not saddled with a single bad contract.
Grandal’s four-year deal is the richest in club history, comfortably under nine figures. The Sox’ 2020 payroll figures to fall above $120 million, which would put them slightly below league average and ranking 18th among 30 teams, per payroll tracker Spotrac.
Looking ahead to 2021, the Sox have about $105 million on the books, with money to spend.
Having signed young players to team friendly deals before they reach free agency will keep the Sox’ window for contention open well beyond this season. Anderson, the AL batting champion, signed a six-year, $25 million contract in 2017 with club options of $12.5 million and $14 million that keeps him under control through 2024. His 2020 salary is $4 million.
Jimenez signed a six-year, $43 million deal a year ago with club options of $16.5 million and $18.5 million that keeps him under wraps through 2016.
Robert, yet to play a major league game, signed a similar six-year, $50 million contract last month with two $20 million options that keeps him under control through 2027. He and Jimenez will make $1.5 million in base pay this season.
Moncada and Giolito have four seasons (three arbitration years) before they’re eligible for free agency, Kopech and Cease have five and Rodon and Mazara have two.
Therein lies the beauty of the Sox rebuild entering spring training 2020. It is far from an all-or-nothing one-year gamble, as planned when they embarked on the teardown that began with the Sale trade. The Sox will have enough financial flexibility to add payroll next season, which very well could be the prime year of talent and experience, veterans and improving 20-somethings, coming together.
If there is a chink in the armor of the rebuild, it’s the lacking talent flow from a top-heavy farm system behind top 40 (per MLB Pipeline) prospects Robert (No. 3), Kopech (No. 20), second baseman Nick Madrigal (No. 40) and first baseman Andrew Vaughn (No. 16).
But there might be enough pitching strength in numbers behind them with Dane Dunning, Jonathan Stiever, Matthew Thompson, Andrew Dalquist, Zack Burdi, Jimmy Lambert and Tyler Johnson et al, all organizational top 30 prospects, to soften such concerns.
Let the sun shine in.
