Dec. 31--White Sox general manager Rick Hahn spent the final weeks of 2015 working on potential acquisitions that could make 2016 a little cheerier on the South Side.
The outfield is among the places the Sox would like to upgrade, and they have been linked to three big-time free agents who could strengthen a group that includes Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera and Avisail Garcia. Here's a look at what Alex Gordon, Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton -- all surprisingly available as the year turns -- might bring to the Sox.
Alex Gordon
2015 stats: 104 games with the Royals, .271 batting average, .377 on-base percentage, .432 slugging percentage, 18 doubles, 13 home runs, 48 RBIs, 49 walks, 92 strikeouts.
Pros: A valued defender with four Gold Gloves, Gordon ranked fourth in FanGraphs' defensive metrics among left fielders who played at least 500 innings. He was good for seven runs saved and a 6.9 Ultimate Zone Rating in left field. He also boasted the highest on-base percentage of the trio and would bring another left-handed bat to the Sox lineup.
It won't be a deciding factor, but it's also a bonus that signing Gordon would mean prying him away from the division rival Royals.
Cons: Because he rejected the Royals' qualifying offer, signing Gordon would require draft-pick compensation. While the Sox have a protected first-round pick with the No. 10 selection, they would have to sacrifice a sandwich-round pick, not ideal for a team trying to build up its farm system.
Aside from that, Gordon will be 32 on opening day, the oldest of the trio, and missed several weeks with a groin injury in 2015. He also brings the least amount of power, an area in which the Sox need a boost after hitting just 136 home runs last season. Gordon hit career highs with 23 homers and a .502 slugging percentage in 2011 but hasn't hit more than 20 or topped .500 since.
Yoenis Cespedes
2015 stats: 159 games with the Tigers and Mets, .291 batting average, .328 on-base percentage, .542 slugging percentage, 42 doubles, 35 home runs, 105 RBIs, 33 walks, 141 strikeouts.
Pros: The 30-year-old Cuban is the only one of this group who wouldn't require draft-pick compensation, a result of Cespedes being traded at midseason from the Tigers to the Mets. That means the Sox would be able to hold on to their compensation pick from Jeff Samardzija's departure.
Cespedes would bring needed power with 106 homers over four major-league seasons. Known for his strong arm and speed, he also was an American League Gold Glove winner in 2015 after notching an 18.8 UZR and 15 runs saved while playing left field.
Cons: His career .319 on-base percentage is the lowest of the three candidates, and his strikeout total in 2015 was a career high while his walks were a career low.
Justin Upton
2015 stats: 150 games with the Padres, .251 batting average, .336 on-base percentage, .454 slugging percentage, 26 doubles, 26 home runs, 81 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, 68 walks, 159 strikeouts.
Pros: The youngest of the group at 28, he is a three-time All-Star who has hit 26 or more home runs in five seasons. He has been remarkably durable throughout his nine-year career, playing at least 133 games every season since 2009. He owns a career .825 OPS and can be dangerous on the basepaths with 115 career stolen bases.
Cons: Upton, who has played in the National League his entire career, also would cost the Sox a compensation draft pick and because of his relative youth might seek a lengthier contract.
He has the highest strikeout rate of any of the three, averaging 164 per season the last three years. He rates the lowest of the trio in FanGraphs' defensive metrics.
ckane@tribpub.com
