Kyle Schwarber and 4 other new free agents Sox could target
The free-agent market got even bigger Wednesday.Teams made the sometimes tough decisions to non-tender certain players — including the White Sox, who parted ways with Carlos Rodón and Nomar Mazara. That added dozens more names to the list of available free agents.With the White Sox shopping to address some specific needs this winter, it’s worth paying attention to the newcomers to the free-agent class. And there are some names that certainly seem to warrant a look for a South Side front office in search of upgrades.Here are five brand new free agents that might interest the White Sox.
The biggest name to be non-tendered Wednesday was Schwarber, the Cubs’ postseason hero from runs in 2015 and 2016. He launched a pair of memorable dingers against the Pirates and Cardinals in 2015, then returned from a season-long injury in time to gather seven hits during the 2016 World Series. That kind of postseason experience is exactly the kind of thing the White Sox are looking to add to a group that has championship expectations in 2021. And a left-handed power bat who can also draw walks would be a nice way to diversify the White Sox lineup.
Schwarber’s numbers were abysmal in 2020; he hit just .188. But a year earlier, he was a power-hitting machine, with 38 home runs and 92 RBIs. That inconsistency is really nothing new, but the White Sox wouldn’t have to make a huge commitment, likely just a one-year deal for less than the roughly $9 million he was projected to earn in arbitration.
Though Schwarber has shown he's plenty capable of playing left field, his fit on the White Sox would be as a designated hitter, with the team unlikely to dislodge Eloy Jiménez in left. The team has top ranked prospect Andrew Vaughn seemingly waiting to slide into that everyday DH role at some point, but his immediate readiness is a mystery. Vaughn hasn’t played above Class A, and he didn’t play in any games in 2020, with the minor league season cancelled this past summer. Though he swings an impressive bat, it’s possible Vaughn is still a little ways off, with the White Sox requiring a stopgap.
While there are some big names on the free-agent market — Nelson Cruz and Marcell Ozuna obviously jump off the screen — they could do a lot worse than Schwarber in seeking a DH for 2021.
Another left-handed power bat, Rosario did plenty of damage in the heavy-hitting Twins lineups of the past few seasons. He hit 32 home runs and drove in 109 runs in 2019, and he had a pretty nice season in 2020, too, with 13 home runs and 32 RBIs in 57 games.
Unlike Schwarber, Rosario doesn’t walk much. But he has the potential to address multiple of the White Sox offseason needs. Rosario has logged most of his time in left field, but he’s played some right field, too, 67 games’ worth in his major league career. The White Sox are on the hunt for a new right fielder after unsurprisingly non-tendering Mazara on Wednesday.
Certainly someone like George Springer, the name at the top of the free-agent market, is a more alluring choice to fill that need in right field. But much like only one team will end up with top free-agent pitcher Trevor Bauer, requiring those in search of starting pitching (like the White Sox) to have a backup plan, only one team will end up with Springer.
After being non-tendered Wednesday, Rosario might be the new second or third option on the free-agent outfield market. But his questionable defensive ability could also make him an option for a White Sox front office searching for a DH.
He’s hit 96 home runs and driven in more than 300 runs over the last four seasons, posting a very good OPS+ of 114. He knows the AL Central — mashing against the Tigers, Royals and Indians in his career — and a defection to the White Sox would simultaneously strengthen the South Siders and weaken the Twins, their main competition for the division crown.
The White Sox don’t exactly need relief help, but their bullpen, a strength in 2020, could stay as strong as it was by allowing guys like Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, Codi Heuer and Matt Foster to stay in their current roles.
The free-agent market has plenty of closers available, including Liam Hendriks, Brad Hand and Alex Colomé, who closed for the White Sox the past two seasons with great results. Bringing back Colomé would seem a good way to maintain the status quo in the White Sox relief corps.
You can add Bradley to the list of intriguing relief options, though, after he was non-tendered by the Reds on Wednesday. Though he hasn’t spent much time as a closer in the big leagues, he’s certainly earned the opportunity to pitch in the ninth-inning, with a 2.95 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 234.2 innings over the past four seasons. His finest year was 2017, when he had a 1.73 ERA in 63 relief appearances for the D-backs. Those numbers jumped up in 2018 and 2019, but he still proved effective. In 2020, he was dealt to the Reds, and he was lights out after the trade, with a razor-thin 1.17 ERA in his six relief outings.
Again, the White Sox aren’t in the market for relief pitching, perhaps, as much as they are starting pitching, a right fielder and a DH. But a good way to ensure the bullpen remains a strength is keeping it in much the same place it was a year ago. Adding a closer to the current crop of arms would accomplish that.
Dahl was an All Star for the Rockies in 2019, impressing in just 100 games that season. He slashed .302/.353/.524 with 15 homers and 61 RBIs. That alone would be enough to intrigue a team on the hunt for a right-field fix (the left-handed hitting Dahl can play all three outfield spots, for what it’s worth).
But injuries have drastically limited his playing time. The 100 games he played in 2019 were a career high for a guy who’s been playing in the majors since 2016. He missed the entirety of the 2017 season and only appeared in 24 games during the shortened 2020 season. Thing is, when he’s been healthy, he’s been good. Take out the handful of poor production he had in 2020, and his career OPS+ is 111.
He’d obviously be further down the wish list than guys fans have been clamoring the White Sox to sign, such as Springer. But should the South Siders end up allocating big dollars elsewhere, such as to bolster the starting rotation or fill the hole at DH, perhaps Dahl is a right-field upgrade worth paying attention to.
With a pair of 30-homer seasons under his belt and 16 during the shortened 2020 season, it’s clear Duvall can mash. The White Sox aren’t short on power, of course, but more of it would obviously be welcome.
Duvall only got into 98 games with the Braves over the last two seasons, though being a part of those NL East winning squads counts for something. In that limited time, he hit 26 homers and posted a combined .852 OPS.
But here’s the most important thing when it comes to the White Sox: Duvall can hit lefties. He’s got a career .801 OPS against left-handers, significantly higher than his career OPS against righties. That opens up the possibility of a platoon. A fellow free agent, Joc Pederson, who hammers righties, has been mentioned in White Sox rumors for each of the past two offseasons, and if the team wanted to bring him aboard now, they’d need someone to play against lefties. Duvall’s sudden availability makes for a possible pairing.
That’s all speculation, of course, but remember that only one team’s going to sign Springer, and there need to be backup plans to backup plans.
