Left-hander Carlos Rodon and right fielder Nomar Mazara contributed little to the White Sox’ first playoff team in 12 years, and so to one one’s surprise, neither was tendered a contract for 2021 on Wednesday.
Both are now free agents. Rodon projected to earn about $4.5 million through the arbitration process had they been tendered contracts and Mazara projected to make around $5.9 million. Wednesday was the deadline for tendering contracts.
The third overall pick in the 2014 draft, Rodon’s six-year career with the Sox has been slammed by elbow and shoulder injuries. The 27-year-old was limited to 11 games in the last two seasons, plus an ineffective relief appearance in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Athletics in October.
Mazara, 25, acquired in a trade with the Rangers for outfield prospect Steele Walker last offseason, was a disappointment, producing a .228/.295./294 hitting line with one homer and below average defense. He had averaged 20 home runs his previous four seasons with the Rangers, got off to a slow start with the Sox when he was sidelined with what he said was strep throat at the start of the season and was given more chances to succeed than he probably deserved by manager Rick Renteria, who kept putting him in the lineup almost every day even though Adam Engel outperformed him.
Rodon’s best season was his second one in 2016 when he posted a 4.04 ERA over 165 innings covering 28 starts, but his ERA grew in each successive season. After working his way back from shoulder surgery, he was named the Opening Day starter in 2019 but would make only six more starts that season before succumbing to Tommy John surgery in May. Shoulder problems resurfaced this season.
His performance notwithstanding, Rodon’s hard-breaking slider and pedigree could make him attractive to some, and a fresh start with a change of scenery might be the best situation for him, although general manager Rick Hahn didn’t close the door on a possible return for both non-tendered players.
“A great deal of consideration and analysis goes into our decisions to forego the arbitration process and instead engage with players and their representatives as free agents,” Hahn said via the club’s statement announcing the decisions. “We plan to stay in contact with both Nomar and Carlos and evaluate their possible fit with our club as we move forward through the offseason.”
In other words, in an uncertain market bringing them back at a lower price than what they would have earned via arbitration isn’t out of the question, but it seems a stretch for a team in win-now mode.
The Sox came to terms with one arbitration eligible player, left-hander Jace Fry, who posted a career-low 3.66 ERA over 18 relief appearances last season, his fourth with the Sox. Fry signed for $862,500, slightly below the $1 million he projected at.
The remaining unsigned players on the 40-man roster have been tendered contracts for next season. The Sox arbitration eligible players include right-handers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Evan Marshall and Engel.
All but Lopez were viewed as certain to be tendered, but for the reasonable projected $2 million price giving new pitching coach Ethan Katz a shot at untapping Lopez’ considerable potential seemed the logical thing to do. If Lopez doesn’t crack a starting rotation that figures to be handpicked among a group of Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Dylan Cease, Dane Dunning, a free agent and possibly Michael Kopech, his power arm could be a valuable piece in the bullpen.
With the moves, the Sox 40-man roster is at 38.
