The White Sox avoided arbitration with right-hander Dylan Cease and first baseman Andrew Vaughn for $8 million and $3.25 million on one-year deals, respectively.
The Sox also avoided arbitration with off-season acquisitions Nicky Lopez ($4.3 million) and right-hander Michael Soroka ($3 million), right-handers Michael Kopech ($3 million) and Touki Toussaint ($1.3 million) and left-hander Garrett Crochet ($800,000).
The Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players for 2024.
Cease, the Sox’ 2023 Opening Day starter, is on the trade block and may not open the season with the Sox. With another year of arbitration eligibility after 2024, his two years of contract control are appealing to teams considering trading for him.
Vaughn played his first full season at first base, replacing Jose Abreu in 2023, and batted .258/.314/.429 with 21 homers, 30 doubles and 80 RBI.
Lopez, a middle infielder who could be the Sox’ Opening Day second baseman, and Soroka, a 2019 All-Star who is trying to bounce back from two Achilles injuries, came to the Sox with three others in a November trade for Aaron Bummer.
A left-handed hitter and plus fielder, Lopez is a .249/.312/.319 hitter in five seasons with the Royals and Braves.
Kopech posted a 5.43 ERA with an American League worst 91 walks in 2023. Toussaint owned a 4.97 ERA in 19 appearances including 15 starts in 2023, his first season with the Sox and sixth in the majors. He owns a 5.21 ERA.
Crochet, the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has pitched in 12 2⁄3 innings the last two seasons due to injuries. General manager Chris Getz said Crochet’s desire to work toward becoming a starter is being granted, but it won’t be a fast process.
“The plan is to have Garrett have the opportunity to be in that mix,” pitching coach Ethan Katz told the Sun-Times. “Is that mix right out of the gate of spring training? I don’t know. We’ll have to have more conversations.”
Also Thursday, the Sox announced that Jin Wong has been named assistant general manager, replacing Jeremy Haber. Wong’s hire was reported Sunday, with Haber leaving to pursue other interests after 11 years in the organization, including the last nine as an assistant GM.
Wong comes to the Sox from the Royals, where he was vice president of baseball operations and spent the previous 24 seasons, including the last two as vice president/assistant GM under executive vice president and GM J.J. Picollo. He left the Royals on his own accord in October, according to MLB.com.
Among his responsibilities, Wong will oversee many of the duties Haber held, including contract negotiations, salary arbitration, budgeting and payroll management, and compliance with Major League Baseball rules and regulations, including the collective bargaining agreement.
“This is something that we’ve been talking about for the last couple of months,” Getz said. “Jeremy and I, we love to work together. We’ve gotten to know each other’s families so from a personal standpoint, I don’t like the fact he’s not going to be part of the White Sox family anymore but certainly wish him well.”
Wong is the latest with a Royals background to join the hierarchy of the Sox’ management team, joining general manager Chris Getz, manager Pedro Grifol and director of player personnel Gene Watson.
Josh Barfield, hired in September as an assistant GM, was director of player development for the Diamondbacks the last four seasons.
