Levine: White Sox Should Have Cash For One More Big Addition
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The dollars appear to be available for the Chicago White Sox in their search to add one more power bat to their lineup.
As believed shortly after they traded for infielders Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, the White Sox front office isn't finished with its offseason work yet. One more good offensive player might tip the scales back toward making the White Sox a playoff contender in 2016 after an offensively challenged team finished 76-86 in 2015.
Three high-profile, attractive free-agent outfielders are left on the board, still looking for the right deal and city to play in next season and beyond. Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Gordon and Justin Upton have all been seeking the same pot of gold that Jason Heyward received from the Chicago Cubs a couple weeks ago. Heyward was compensated to the tune of an eight-year, $184-million contract due to the fact he's 26 and an all-around player, and that deal has altered the market for these other solid players.
The 30-year-old Cespedes is believed to be looking for a six-year deal with a price tag of $100 million-plus. Gordon, 31, is represented by Excel Sports Management, the same agency that represents Heyward. That in itself could create a difficult group of circumstances, when the agency must tell Gordon that a $20-million-per-season deal may not be offered.
At 28, Upton has the best overall numbers but has a huge swing-and-miss factor working against him, as he's averaged nearly 164 strikeouts a year over the past three seasons.
In Frazier and Lawrie, the White Sox have already added two high-strikeouts hitters to their lineup. Chicago must try and concentrate on acquiring a high on-base percentage player. Upton's solid in that regard, with a .352 on-base clip for his career.
Gordon's career on-base percentage is .348, while Cespedes' is .319.
Run production is another matter. Cespedes averages 102 RBIs per 162 games played, while Gordon checks at 75 RBIs and Upton at 84 RBIs over 162 games.
Gordon and Cespedes are each Gold Glove left fielders. Upton may have more range but isn't rated as highly in defensive metrics or in the eye test.
History shows White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is no shrinking violet when it comes to making an above-market bid on a free agent. He allowed his front office to outbid five teams for Jose Abreu in late 2013 on a six-year, $68-million deal. Reinsdorf also set a new market high in 1996 in signing Albert Belle to a then-record deal of five years and $55 million.
Not one to make bad-money decisions for his partners, Reinsdorf can be creative in seeking the final pieces to the 2016 roster puzzle.
Chicago has about $29 million coming off of the books after the 2016 season with left-hander John Danks ($16 million) and designated hitter Adam LaRoche ($13 million) in the final years of their deals. That could allow for some creative bookkeeping if the team chooses to commit to another long-term deal with one of these outfielders. Backloading a contract would make a long commitment to Cespedes, Upton or Gordon a functional part of the payroll for the next five or so seasons.
The smart and pragmatic way the front office has signed its key pitchers to controllable long-term contracts makes signing a $20-million-a-year player still plausible for the White Sox. Chicago has $110 million already obligated to the 25-man roster for 2016. After spending $120 million in 2015, the payroll wouldn't be that much higher this season with a little creative accounting and backloading approach.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
