Other than staff-ace Chris Sale, just about every member of
the Chicago White Sox organization can improve on what they did last season.
Following a 99-loss season, the front office has added several new additions to
help rebuild the roster into a perennial contender. For that to work, there are
certain players that need to perform up to their capabilities in order to make
the White Sox a successful franchise in 2014 and beyond.
Jose Abreu
The White Sox signed Cuban defector Jose Abreu to a
six-year; $68 million deal in the offseason to be the anchor of their rebuilding
process. The first baseman is projected to hit in the middle of the order, and
should provide the White Sox with some much needed power. During his last few
seasons in Cuba, Abreu put up huge numbers, but it remains to be seen how the
slugger will perform at the major league level. Most scouts believe that Abreu
has the ability to hit 30-plus home runs, but some scouts do not think that he
will hit for a high enough average to be an all-star caliber player. At just over
$11 million a season, the White Sox certainly hope that Abreu will prove his
doubters wrong. As you will see, Abreu is the only new addition that I have on
my list and that is for one reason, money. If the Abreu signing turns out to be
a flop, the $68 million that he is owed could cripple the organization for the
remainder of his contract.
John Danks
Following the 2011 season, the White Sox signed John Danks
to a five-year, $65 million extension. With the new deal, the left-hander was
expected to be the team’s number two or three starter through the 2016 season.
Unfortunately, the deal has been a severe disappointment to date. After struggling
mightily in 2012, Danks underwent shoulder surgery in August and missed the
remainder of the season. After rehabbing all offseason, Danks was unable to
return until late-May. When he did return, Danks was not his old self while
posting a 4.75 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 138.1 innings. Although the numbers look
underwhelming, Danks was mildly impressive upon his immediate return. In ten
starts prior to the all-star break, Danks owned a 4.31 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in
62.2 innings. Probably the most encouraging sign was that Danks only walked
eight batters during that span, good for a 5.63 strikeout-to-ratio (more than
doubling his career average of 2.38 SO/BB). Obviously, Danks fluttered down the
stretch, but hopefully that was due in large part to his shoulder not be strong
enough to handle the increased workload. Coming into camp this season, Danks
has stated that his shoulder feels as healthy as it ever has and he is
expecting to return to his 2008-2011 form. With three years and about $43
million remaining on his deal, the White Sox need Danks to stay on the mound
and reach his potential. If that happens, then the White Sox will either have
an above-average starter for the next three years, or they might be able to
trade Danks for a group of prospects and save some of the money owed.
Gordon Beckham
After bursting onto the scene as a rookie in 2009, second baseman
Gordon Beckham has failed to live up to the hype since then. From 2010 to 2013,
Beckham has topped out as a .267 hitter with 16 home runs, hardly the numbers
one would expect from the 8th overall selection in the 2008 MLB
draft. Prior to last season, I thought Beckham was on the verge of a
breakthrough season, but that ended when he suffered a fractured hamate bone in
his right hand. As a result, Beckham only played in 101 games and failed to get
into a rhythm offensively. Now that he should be fully recovered from the
injury, 2014 is a huge season for Beckham who is entering the final arbitration
stages of his contract. The White Sox currently have Beckham under their control
through the 2015 season, so the clock is ticking for him to prove that he can
be the second baseman for years to come. If Beckham can reach his potential
this season, the White Sox will have a tough decision to make on whether or not
to sign the former first-round pick to an extension before he hits free agency.
Catcher Position
This is a cop-out, but it is impossible to pinpoint one
catcher on this roster that needs to reach expectations this season. As spring
training begins, Tyler Flowers, Josh Phegley, and Adrian Nieto will compete for
the two backstop spots on the roster. Flowers was expected to be a serviceable option
when the White Sox elected to let A.J. Pierzynski leave via free agency, but
2013 showed that was a huge mistake. Flowers endured a brutal 2013 campaign by
hitting .195 with 10 home runs and just 24 RBIs. As a result, Josh Phegley was
recalled from Triple-A, but failed to provide any increase in production.
Phegley batted just .206 with 4 home runs and 22 RBIs in 204 at-bats. If you
can do the math, the catching position in 2013 was a complete disaster. With no
apparent in-house candidate, the White Sox were expected to acquire a catcher
during the offseason via free agency or trade, but that did not happen.
Instead, the White Sox used their third overall selection of the Rule 5 player
draft on Adrian Nieto. Nieto was a former fifth-round pick in the 2008 draft,
and enjoyed his best season in 2013 with a .285 average, 11 home runs and 53
RBIs. Despite only be 23 years old, the problem is that Nieto has not played
above high-A ball. Since Nieto was a Rule 5 pick, the White Sox must retain him
on their 25-man roster when camp breaks, or they lose him. Although Nieto may
have talent, it will be tough for him to earn a starting spot in2014, let alone
a roster spot.
Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn is the final player on my list, yet he is the only
one that has no direct impact on the future. After three miserable seasons,
Dunn is entering the final year of a horrendous four-year, $56 million
contract. The sole reason that Dunn needs to perform well is so he can be
traded prior to the July 31st MLB trade deadline. The White Sox know
that this deal was a bust, and they will be looking to trade Dunn if the opportunity
presents itself. In a perfect world, Dunn will get hot enough to entice a few
teams to acquire his services. At this point, the White Sox should be looking
to get whatever they can for the “Big Donkey”. With any luck, Dunn’s numbers
during the first three months of the season will force a team to either give up
a decent prospect, and/or take on the rest of his contract. As long as Adam
Dunn is not in a White Sox uniform by August 1st, I will consider
his season a success.
-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07
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