The Chicago White Sox are making up for last winter’s missed opportunities.
After losing the sweepstakes for the services of star free agent Manny Machado a year ago, the White Sox haven’t been shy about opening up their checkbook during the 2019 MLB free agency period.
On Thursday, Chicago inked catcher Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal that takes the top available catcher off the market, and on Friday, they re-signed slugger Jose Abreu to a three-year, $50 million deal.
Abreu, 32, has played his entire six-year MLB career with the White Sox, winning Rookie of the Year in 2014 and earning All-Star honors three times. The slugger drove in an AL-leading 123 runs last season, breaking the 30-homer mark for the fourth time.
GM Rick Hahn and his Chicago team don’t appear to be done yet, either.
“I think our focus should just be on making this team better,” Hahn said Thursday after announcing the Grandal contract, the richest in franchise history. “We know we have more work to do. I can say it sends this type of message out there, and it’s, frankly, going to ring hollow if we don’t reinforce that with further acquisitions.”
The White Sox are reportedly in the mix for Zack Wheeler, the Mets hurler who ranks among the top free-agent pitchers this winter. Hahn is supposedly looking to add two arms to his rotation, and Wheeler, who came on strong in the second half of the 2019 season, would be a significant boost for the hopeful contenders.
Chicago finished a distant third in the AL Central, 28.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins and 20.5 back of the Cleveland Indians.