The lockout is over, so the Chicago White Sox can resume building their 2022 roster.
Before the work stoppage — which put a freeze on moves involving major-league free agents and players on the 40-man roster — general manager Rick Hahn made clear the Sox would be set to spring into action at the appropriate moment.
“No matter the time of year, we try to function in a way that we’re prepared to move quickly when an opportunity presents itself,” Hahn said Dec. 1, hours before the lockout began. “We have an idea, whether it’s on the trade or free-agent front, what we feel is appropriate from a cost standpoint, and when those opportunities arise, we’re prepared to move. If it happens to be that things are on pause for a little bit, when we come back, we’ll be ready to go.”
According to the team website, the Sox will open the regular season April 8 against the Tigers in Detroit, while their home opener is scheduled for April 12 against the Seattle Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field. Now that transactions can pick back up, here are three questions facing the White Sox.
1. Who will start at second base?
The Sox were busy in July, acquiring second baseman César Hernández from Cleveland and trading 2018 first-round pick Nick Madrigal to the Cubs as part of a deal for reliever Craig Kimbrel.
Hernández didn’t produce at the level the team had hoped, and the Sox declined his club option for 2022. He signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals.
Leury García, who started at second in the first two games of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros, is back after signing a three-year, $16.5 million deal. But his ability to play multiple positions is one of his strengths, so the Sox might not want to lock him in at one spot.
Hernández and García ranked second and third in Fangraphs WAR over 2020-21 on MLB.com’s list of free-agent second basemen. Marcus Semien, the top player in that group, signed a seven-year deal with the Texas Rangers.
Asked on Dec. 1 about options at the position, Hahn said: “Internally, you see the list that we have on the roster, which would be a combination of Leury, Romy Gonzalez and Danny Mendick. Each of those players have some flexibility and versatility to them, which is part of their value.
“The season doesn’t begin on Dec. 1, so we don’t have to name a starting second baseman today. And it will continue to be an area where, if we’re able to get better and use the flexibility of each of those three players currently on the roster in a better way, we’ll chase it down.”
2. What’s next for Craig Kimbrel and the bullpen?
The Sox made one of the biggest moves at the July trade deadline by acquiring Kimbrel, who was an All-Star closer with the Cubs. Primarily used in an eighth-inning role with the Sox, Kimbrel wasn’t as consistent.
Still, the Sox exercised Kimbrel’s $16 million club option for 2022. At the general managers meetings in November, Hahn said the Sox had to figure out the next steps. A trade is among the possibilities, a point Hahn reiterated Dec. 1.
“Certainly there’s a spot for him on this club going forward, but it’s going to require us modifying potentially how that bullpen is deployed,” Hahn said. “Alternatively, I know his name has been out there for a fair amount in trade rumors, so if there’s a possible fit out there, obviously it’s our responsibility to pursue it. And we do feel we have a fairly strong pen as it is built around the other guys right now, so we’ll just have to see how that unfolds over the coming months.”
The Sox already have made some modifications to the bullpen. They signed reliever Kendall Graveman to a three-year, $24 million deal. They also plan to move Michael Kopech back into the rotation.
AL Reliever of the Year Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Garrett Crochet and José Ruiz join Kimbrel as returning relievers from the 2021 roster. It will be interesting to see how the Sox plan to utilize Reynaldo López, whose 20 appearances last season included nine starts.
“We like the bullpen today,” Hahn said. “We think it’s a strength. We thought it was an area that, on paper at least, going into last season was going to be strong. And over the course of the summer, there were elements of it that we liked and elements that we felt we needed to improve, including adding someone with a profile like Kendall’s to it.
“It’s an area that you can never have enough. So we’re going to continue to look to add to the pitching staff, both in the bullpen and potentially the rotation as well over the coming months.”
The rotation features 2021 AL Cy Young Award finalist Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel and Kopech. Carlos Rodón is a free agent.
3. Who will emerge as the right fielder?
Hahn said the Sox would “remain flexible” with their approach to right field when asked about the position at the GM meetings.
Adam Engel started in right in the first two games of the ALDS, with García getting the nod for Games 3 and 4.
Andrew Vaughn, a natural first baseman, spent the bulk of his rookie season in left field (95 games, 86 starts). He also made 14 starts in right. Gavin Sheets, another natural first baseman, also played some right field (13 games, 11 starts) after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte.
“We believe in the futures of Vaughn and Sheets and we had Adam Engel — who, knock on wood, will be healthier over the course of the 2022 season — who are all viable options in right field,” Hahn said Nov. 9 before the Sox re-signed García later in the month. “If we find a way where we’re potentially stronger in that spot, then we still have the DH spot for potentially Vaughn and Sheets to get (at-bats).”
The top remaining free agents at the position include Nick Castellanos and Michael Conforto.