Another interesting situation is who will be on the bench. Right now we have all RH hitters given the lineup has multiple guys in need of platoon partners. Doyle for sure looks like he’ll be Peters’ partner for the next three years assuming he can get his performance up. He’s also an elite defender and very fast (90th percentile sprint speed per Statcast and was even higher when healthy), so he offers some late game value as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.

After that, it’s really hard to say. Quero in theory should be the obvious long term platoon partner for Teel at catcher. However, it doesn’t seem like the organization loves what he’s brings behind the dish. I sort of expect Quero to be the third string catcher to start next season behind Bart. And if he doesn’t show massive improvement next year, I definitely could see them pursuing a better defensive backstop to pair with Teel.

Acuna is another young, controllable bench option, but one that is currently negative fWAR on the season. Yes, he’s been hitting a bit better as of late with an improved line drive rate and more power, but the bulk of the improvement is fueled by a normalizing BABIP (.419 since Jun 1st). He does provide late game value with elite speed and some versatility, but the ability to play CF is no longer very important and even the pinch running is a little less critical with Doyle in place. I candidly don’t think he’s shown enough to hold down a spot long term.

Looking at the current infield construction, we’d actually be better suited to have a LH reserve infielder. While both are more than startable against RHP, Vargas (154 wRC+ vs. LHP | 120 vs. RHP) and Meidroth (169 wRC+ vs. LHP | 100 vs. RHP) are far superior against LHP. Neither guy gets a lot of breaks, but when they do it would be ideal for it to be against a RHP. To me, that makes Brooks Baldwin a perfect bench option for us. He had a 129 wRC+ against RHP in the second half of last year and I believe would be a 2 to 3 win player if given everyday playing time. That won’t happen with us short of injury, but I prefer him as a bench piece over Acuna hands down.

That would leave one bench spot left and honestly it’s hard to say what do with it. In the very short term you need a platoon partner for Benintendi, but I could see Bonemer being called up pretty early next year and pushing Andrew out. Your best bet is still probably RH corner outfielder with some pop. I think the hope is long term Antonacci & Braden don’t require platoon partners, but it couldn’t hurt to have a guy who lets you sit one of them against tough lefties. There is no one in the system who really fits this role (sorry Junior Perez fans), so bringing back Grichuk or signing someone like him in free agency makes a ton of sense. It’s a massive bummer they dumped Pereira at the deadline as he was perfect for this role if healthy and hitting lefties well (126 wRC+)

16 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Another interesting situation is who will be on the bench. Right now we have all RH hitters given the lineup has multiple guys in need of platoon partners. Doyle for sure looks like he’ll be Peters’ partner for the next three years assuming he can get his performance up. He’s also an elite defender and very fast (90th percentile sprint speed per Statcast and was even higher when healthy), so he offers some late game value as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.

After that, it’s really hard to say. Quero in theory should be the obvious long term platoon partner for Teel at catcher. However, it doesn’t seem like the organization loves what he’s brings behind the dish. I sort of expect Quero to be the third string catcher to start next season behind Bart. And if he doesn’t show massive improvement next year, I definitely could see them pursuing a better defensive backstop to pair with Teel.

Acuna is another young, controllable bench option, but one that is currently negative fWAR on the season. Yes, he’s been hitting a bit better as of late with an improved line drive rate and more power, but the bulk of the improvement is fueled by a normalizing BABIP (.419 since Jun 1st). He does provide late game value with elite speed and some versatility, but the ability to play CF is no longer very important and even the pinch running is a little less critical with Doyle in place. I candidly don’t think he’s shown enough to hold down a spot long term.

Looking at the current infield construction, we’d actually be better suited to have a LH reserve infielder. While both are more than startable against RHP, Vargas (154 wRC+ vs. LHP | 120 vs. RHP) and Meidroth (169 wRC+ vs. LHP | 100 vs. RHP) are far superior against LHP. Neither guy gets a lot of breaks, but when they do it would be ideal for it to be against a RHP. To me, that makes Brooks Baldwin a perfect bench option for us. He had a 129 wRC+ against RHP in the second half of last year and I believe would be a 2 to 3 win player if given everyday playing time. That won’t happen with us short of injury, but I prefer him as a bench piece over Acuna hands down.

That would leave one bench spot left and honestly it’s hard to say what do with it. In the very short term you need a platoon partner for Benintendi, but I could see Bonemer being called up pretty early next year and pushing Andrew out. Your best bet is still probably RH corner outfielder with some pop. I think the hope is long term Antonacci & Braden don’t require platoon partners, but it couldn’t hurt to have a guy who lets you sit one of them against tough lefties. There is no one in the system who really fits this role (sorry Junior Perez fans), so bringing back Grichuk or signing someone like him in free agency makes a ton of sense. It’s a massive bummer they dumped Pereira at the deadline as he was perfect for this role if healthy and hitting lefties well (126 wRC+)

I like/respect the analysis but I don't know if it's worth the energy to go this deep on what the future bench might look like. I think it's more likely that 0 of Acuña/Peters/Doyle are on the White Sox roster in 2029 than all 3 of them (going off your "next three years" comment). Even though his bat has bounced back, I'm still not sure I'm comfortable going into next season with Peters penciled in as the everyday CF

I am fine with the starting line-up and hope Getz keeps these guys together for a few years.

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

It's what the Brewers and Rays constantly do.

Ofc they might have the same issue with Murakami, not sure they can afford to lose their two best offensive players in one calendar year.

Obviously depends on the offers.

And how much JR is willing to spend in FA.

Teruaki Sato has a lot more positional versatility (3B RF) than Mune, but at least 10-12 teams known to be pursuing him, including the majority of the big spending franchises.

Full court press of both Mune and Vargas on extensions feels like the much higher probability of paying off.

The Sox shouldn’t be operating like the Rays and Brewers moving forward. They have nothing on the payroll after 2027 and Ishbia is looking. At the bare minimum, Vargas should be here through the duration of his team control. Trading him as the team is ascending would be mind boggling.

4 hours ago, PaleAleSox said:

I think you extend Vargas and Mune right now and let the rest sort itself out over the next couple of years.

Bingo. That and shoring up our rotation are the top three priorities in the offseason.

3 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Carlson also provides the most WAR value on the middle infield.

If we don’t trade Carlson, I wonder if a move to centerfield could be in the cards for him 🤔

Bonemer’s value is at 3B. Playing him in left is a waste of his value. Someone is getting traded before Caleb Bonemer is your left fielder. You can’t keep everyone

2 hours ago, GreenSox said:

Sox could use some oomph from the OF. Can… Colson?

NO

12 minutes ago, hi8is said:

If we don’t trade Carlson, I wonder if a move to centerfield could be in the cards for him 🤔

Another waste of value of your players. Guys, you can’t keep everyone.

11 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

I like/respect the analysis but I don't know if it's worth the energy to go this deep on what the future bench might look like. I think it's more likely that 0 of Acuña/Peters/Doyle are on the White Sox roster in 2029 than all 3 of them (going off your "next three years" comment). Even though his bat has bounced back, I'm still not sure I'm comfortable going into next season with Peters penciled in as the everyday CF

I’d be shocked if they looked to upgrade from Peters this offseason. I think they specifically went out and got Doyle as a hedge. Long term it’s possible they go for a bigger bat out there, but I don’t see it happening right away. I think most resources, both payroll and prospects, will go towards pitching first.

As for the bench, you’re probably right, but I love Brooks Baldwin and don’t think he should be ignored when thinking about the future of our positional core. I think he can be a 10th man of sorts and him developing into such a player would make it easier to trade one of the main infielders for a SP.

Keep the young starting position players we have until another player demonstrates that they are better. Doyle is an example of a player Getz acquired after panicking about Peters slump....but he may not be as good as Peters, even in a platoon role.

The Sox have several young position players that are learning the game at the same time. This is a special team, one that we have never seen on the South side before.

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

We have three more years of control with Vargas. Even if you can’t extend him, you hold onto him as long as the team remains competitive. If Prosek is the real deal with the bat, he could be ready to replace Vargas at 3B (if that’s where he’s still at) come 2030.

You can do that if you have the resources to sign top FAs (of course then you could extend Vargas) and/or you have a top tier farm. Otherwise, the Sox are just asking for 2 years good, 5 years bad cycle (or worse).

2 hours ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

With all due respect, this is absolutely insane.

With all due respect, it's most of the last 20 years that. have been insane. This time, let's try staying consistently competitive.

2 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Moving Colson from a place where he should be at least a 3-5 fWAR player to corner/DH/1B just devalues his skill set...and he's still pretty much the emotional leader of that infield when he's playing confidently, just has that swagger a young team needs.

I agree, but someone has to move or get traded, etc. I guess trade is better than a devaluation.
They can improve on margins positionally, but they really need a couple of starters (and some good pitching prospects). I presume they will sign a starter this offseason (and not the usual 5th starter type). 25 per with a lot deferred was a bargain for Cease last year.

4 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Antonacci is too important to the Sox lineup (and scrappy/grindy side of the offense) to bench.

Arguably one of their best hitters with runners on base, and improving by the month defensively in left.

That's why I said super sub.

They're going to have to trade some of them for pitching. It's great having all this infield depth and talent, but the pitching depth is garbage. We're going to have to part with some good players or prospects for starting pitching.

46 minutes ago, GreenSox said:

I agree, but someone has to move or get traded, etc. I guess trade is better than a devaluation.
They can improve on margins positionally, but they really need a couple of starters (and some good pitching prospects). I presume they will sign a starter this offseason (and not the usual 5th starter type). 25 per with a lot deferred was a bargain for Cease last year.

The payroll should have plenty of room to grow next year. We have like $70M committed for five guys (Castillo, Murakami, Benitendi, Hicks, & Kay) plus three arb guys in Vargas, Doyle, & Brazoban. Everyone else is pre-arb for at least one more season.

Not a ton of needs either. Adding a high-end SP is a must. A leverage reliever would be nice, especially if Newcomb departs. Other than that, you’re mostly looking at bench pieces and maybe a swing man…which are low cost things.

This offseason is the time to spend big on a SP. And if they can’t turn Schultz or one of the other young arms into a quality starter, they will likely have to trade for one at some point too. That’s where the positional depth comes into play.

1 hour ago, GreenSox said:

With all due respect, it's most of the last 20 years that. have been insane. This time, let's try staying consistently competitive.

That’s because the last 20 years were all under Reinsdorf’s reign of terror. It’s a different equation now with Ishbia being the light at the end of the tunnel. Trading arguably the second best hitter on the team when the team is in the middle of a competitive window is not something they should do and I don’t believe they will do.

Gonna have to deal some for some controllable arms

9 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

That’s because the last 20 years were all under Reinsdorf’s reign of terror. It’s a different equation now with Ishbia being the light at the end of the tunnel. Trading arguably the second best hitter on the team when the team is in the middle of a competitive window is not something they should do and I don’t believe they will do.

Agreed. Vargas doesn't become a FA until 2030, at which time any long-term deal would almost certainly bring us into the Ishbia ownership era since he secures the option to buy the team in 2034 (vs. it being Jerry's option to sell from 2029-33).

46 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

That’s because the last 20 years were all under Reinsdorf’s reign of terror. It’s a different equation now with Ishbia being the light at the end of the tunnel. Trading arguably the second best hitter on the team when the team is in the middle of a competitive window is not something they should do and I don’t believe they will do.

He should be on the trade block as soon as Roch is ready to make the team. Hopefully carrying the amount of value he currently has, or more. Or, Colson. Those are the choices

I think some folks are looking too long term and some too short term. They're not going to have the makeup of their entire team, including bench, after this offseason. You'll likely see a platoon of Peters and maybe Doyle. I think after next season, they'll make a decision on Colson, Bonemer, Carlson. Mune is the only lock to get an extension.

They'll likely trade some of the middle infield depth for SP. Seattle, for right now, looks like a good trade partner. Pittsburgh could be too, but they may want to hold onto the SP if they don't plan on ever getting any hitters outside of Bryan Reynolds.

I expect one impactful move in the offseason outside of a resigned Mune. Two max.

23 minutes ago, nitetrain8601 said:

I think some folks are looking too long term and some too short term. They're not going to have the makeup of their entire team, including bench, after this offseason. You'll likely see a platoon of Peters and maybe Doyle. I think after next season, they'll make a decision on Colson, Bonemer, Carlson. Mune is the only lock to get an extension.

They'll likely trade some of the middle infield depth for SP. Seattle, for right now, looks like a good trade partner. Pittsburgh could be too, but they may want to hold onto the SP if they don't plan on ever getting any hitters outside of Bryan Reynolds.

I expect one impactful move in the offseason outside of a resigned Mune. Two max.

Given the uncertain labor situation and JR still in charge I wouldn't bet money on your prediction.

Let them compete and I’d still add a free agent high end talent - such as the Japanese free agent center fielder. Dont be complacent - iron sharpens iron.

1 hour ago, nitetrain8601 said:

I think some folks are looking too long term and some too short term. They're not going to have the makeup of their entire team, including bench, after this offseason. You'll likely see a platoon of Peters and maybe Doyle. I think after next season, they'll make a decision on Colson, Bonemer, Carlson. Mune is the only lock to get an extension.

They'll likely trade some of the middle infield depth for SP. Seattle, for right now, looks like a good trade partner. Pittsburgh could be too, but they may want to hold onto the SP if they don't plan on ever getting any hitters outside of Bryan Reynolds.

I expect one impactful move in the offseason outside of a resigned Mune. Two max.

I like the way you are thinking - Skubal to a 5yr deal and then trade for Skenes (who will bounce back big time next year).

In all seriousness, I think you are right and we will see some offseason moves including a splash move. JR won’t be on back end of these deals and I expect the duration post CBA will make out at 5 (or 6 if it is an internal resign). Both of those, combined with JR having one last hurrah - have me thinking big these next few seasons (and why not start it this season with a postseason 💦)