By Dominic DalDegan | November 22, 2022

For the last two years, the White Sox have made acquiring bullpen arms a priority over position players. In doing so, the team has targeted free agents past their prime such as Josh Harrison and Adam Eaton hoping to fill out second base and right field. To no surprise, the White Sox did not pick up team options on either player.

It is time for the White Sox to look toward more long term solutions to fill out their roster holes. There is some uncertainty about how much ownership will be willing to spend due to not generating any playoff revenue last year. Fortunately, outfielder A.J. Pollock declined his player option, giving the White Sox more money to spend.

Pollock after striking out | Photo taken by me | Sony A7III | Tamron 70-300

Here are some free agents the White Sox should target. It would go a long way in renewing my belief in the organization if they were to sign a couple of these players. 

Let’s get into it. 

Cody Bellinger – Outfielder

Cody Bellinger has fallen from grace in a big way, being non-tendered by the Dodgers last week. After 2019 in which he had an OPS of 1.035, Bellinger’s numbers have completely fallen off, slashing only .210/.265/.389 in 2022. This range of potential outcomes is what makes Bellinger a high risk-high reward proposition for any team who chooses to take him on.

The one consistency about Bellinger’s game is his defense. Even if he does not return to his 2019 or even 2020 form offensively, the gold glove outfielder can at least help in the outfield and on the base paths with his plus speed.

Another desirable trait of Bellinger’s is his lengthy playoff experience being a former Dodger. Bellinger delivered a game-winning home run in game 7 of the NLCS, sending Los Angeles to the World Series before winning it all.

What’s intriguing is that he is going to be relatively affordable for somebody who is a former MVP going into his age-27 season.  Bellinger’s agent Scott Boras has indicated that they are looking for a one-year contract in an attempt to raise Bellinger’s value for the following season. An opportunity to sign somebody of Bellinger’s potential to a one-year, noncommittal deal may be just what the White Sox need. 

Xander Bogaerts – Shortstop

This free agency class has an influx of extremely talented shortstops, with Xander Bogaerts being one of them. Not known for his defense, what sets Bogaerts apart is his consistency at the plate. Finishing with an OPS above .800 for five consecutive seasons, Red Sox fans have gotten used to Bogaerts hitting frozen rope doubles off the green monster. A career .292 hitter, Bogaerts also possesses elite bat-to-ball skills, using the opposite field whenever he is pitched outside.

Heading into his age-31 season, perhaps Bogaerts would slide over to second base. The idea of getting so much offensive production at a position that usually does not generate a lot of power is certainly enticing. It is worth noting though that Bogaerts had a better fielding percentage than Tim Anderson last season. If we can improve the team by adding somebody at the caliber of Bogaerts, Anderson should be open to moving over to second base.

Best of all is his ability to stay on the field. Bogaerts has managed to stay healthy his entire career avoiding any long-term injuries. Playing in 150 games last year, the White Sox would get their money’s worth. 

Brandon Nimmo – Outfielder

Possessing solid plate discipline, Nimmo boasts a career .385 on base percentage. In 2022, he only offered at 21.2% pitches thrown out of the strike zone which is well over league average. The White Sox, who were near the bottom of the league in pitches seen per game, can use his patience in the box. 

Nimmo would do well at Guaranteed Rate Field compared to Citi Field. As a left-handed hitter who generates his power pull-side, he can take advantage of Guaranteed Rate Field’s shorter walls and shorter distance to right-center field. Nimmo would be knocking on the door of twenty home runs if he were to join the White Sox.

Nimmo would shore up the defense in the outfield as he committed zero errors in 2022. Using his plus arm and solid fundamentals, he ranked in the 90th percentile of all center fielders in outs above average. The White Sox, who only have one true outfielder in Luis Robert, can use Nimmo’s steady defensive output. 

Accumulating an all-star level 5.1 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in 2022, Nimmo offers solid defense and a well-rounded approach at the plate.

Sean Manaea – Starting Pitcher

White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz made it clear in a zoom press conference last Thursday that the White Sox need another starting pitcher. Out of all the starting pitching candidates, Sean Manaea makes the most sense for the Sox.

Although he had a subpar 2022, Manaea still had some positive peripherals to hang his cap on. Manaea, who has possessed solid command throughout his career, walked only 50 batters. Manaea’s velocity largely stayed the same, as his sinker was performing slightly better than it was in 2021 and was still sitting 91-92. Where he really struggled last year was his changeup. Opposing hitters were slugging a whopping .528 against his changeup compared to 2021 where the pitch was only met with a .327 slugging percentage. Regaining the effectiveness of his changeup seems doable compared to completely reinventing himself. Maybe a couple of tweaks by Ethan Katz can get Manaea back to his dominant self. 

Even after a 2022 season where he finished with an ERA of 4.96, Manaea has still put up a respectable 4.06 ERA for his career. The White Sox can seriously use a left-handed starting pitcher considering they only have right-handers in the rotation.

Adam Frazier – Second Baseman & Raimel Tapia – Left Fielder

These two players offer very similar skills at different positions. They even have the exact same career slugging percentage at .392.

Frazier and Tapia would give the White Sox a lot of what they need despite having capped ceilings. Both players are left-handed and do not strike out much. The only difference between the two is that Frazier has elite defense and gets on base while Tapia offers more speed. Frazier is preferred, but either would be solid pickups if the Sox were to add more key pieces around them. 

While it is typical for the White Sox to sign the latter of these players, why shouldn’t the front office be more ambitious and sign a premium free agent during their contention window? The White Sox can afford them as they are well under the luxury tax. Aaron Judge is probably out of the picture. But everyone else? 

The White Sox should do everything they can to improve the product on the field in 2023.