White Sox Enter Offseason With Around $105 Million In 2016 Payroll Obligation
(CBS) After declining to pick up a $10 million option on shortstop Alexei Ramirez, the White Sox have around $108 million committed in 2016 player payroll to members of their 40-man roster as the start of MLB free agency looms Friday at 11:01 p.m. CT. Cut that down to an active 25-man roster in which we assume the highest-paid players are on the everyday big league roster while fringe players return to the minors, and the White Sox would have a payroll of around $103 million on 2016 Opening Day if they (theoretically) didn't make any additions in free agency.
Below is a look at how the White Sox sit entering the offseason. Contract figures are from Cot's, via Baseball Prospectus. Players who aren't yet arbitration-eligible have had their 2016 salary listed at $600,000 (for simple math purposes), which is near the minimum salary (and ensuing slight increases) that players make before arbitration. Players were included if they're currently a member of the 40-man roster.
Note: There's no exact science here, but this gives you a rough estimate of how the White Sox enter the offseason. A notable player or two could leave via trade, and fringe players could be parted with if there's an influx of more young talent from the minor leagues.
John Danks: $15.8 million
Melky Cabrera: $14 million
Adam LaRoche: $13 million
Jose Abreu: $11.7 million
David Robertson: $11 million
Chris Sale: $9.2 million
Jose Quintana: $5.4 million
Zach Duke: $5 million
*Tyler Flowers: $3.5 million
Adam Eaton: $2.8 million
*Avisail Garcia: $2.3 million
*Jacob Turner: $1.0 million
*Nate Jones: $0.9 million
*Zach Putnam: $0.8 million
*Dan Jennings: $0.7 million
Mike Olt: $0.6 million
Jack Petricka: $0.6 million
J.B. Shuck: $0.6 million
Carlos Sanchez: $0.6 million
Micah Johnson: $0.6 million
Chris Beck: $0.6 million
Rob Brantly: $0.6 million
Scott Carroll: $0.6 million
Matt Davidson: $0.6 million
Leury Garcia: $0.6 million
Erik Johnson: $0.6 million
Frankie Montas: $0.6 million
Carlos Rodon: $0.6 million
Tyler Saladino: $0.6 million
Kevan Smith: $0.6 million
Trayce Thompson: $0.6 million
Daniel Webb: $0.6 million
Michael Ynoa: $0.6 million
* — Arbitration estimation, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.
The White Sox have four players who have filed for free agency.