White Sox half do free agency, Cubs all in

Image Courtesy of Bing

In a bizarre free agency period for MLB, the Cubs did what they needed to, but I get

the distinct feeling the White Sox missed a real opportunity to supplement their young talent at a fairly reasonable price. I'll start with the Cubs.

Open that window a little wider

Basically the Cubs needed to come up with two starters and revamp their bullpen with the departure of Wade Davis. Mission accomplished. Yu Darvish was the premier free agent in this free agent class. Adding him should offset, and possibly even improve on what Jake Arrieta gave the Cubs last season. Tyler Chatwood should also be an upgrade over John Lackey. Mike Montgomery remains as an option should a need arise.

Brandon Marrow figures to replace Wade Davis as the Cubs closer. I think the Cubs did okay on that exchange. Davis gets high marks for his performance last season, as well as for all his intangibles. He did, however, stumble a bit as the season wore on. Hopefully it wasn't because of health issues. Marrow seems to have the stuff and mind set to be a closer after a great season as the Dodgers setup man.

The addition of Steve Cishek, coupled with the resigning of left-hander Brian Duensing and the possible revival of Justin Wilson should leave the Cubs pen in good shape. Good work, Jed and Theo.

Why stop?

I was pleasantly surprised by the White Sox signing of free agent catcher, Wellington Castillo. For years it seems like, no matter who the Sox had behind the plate, it didn't work. Since the Sox picked up Castillo, I hoped they would go ahead and wade a little deeper into free agency. This is the most depressed free agent market I've seen in years. Maybe owners have colluded or maybe they've just taken a bunch of smart pills, but for whatever reason, good players have been available at costs that seem like bargains. At least by baseball's standards.

Sox don't go Moose hunting

I really wanted the Sox to get in on Mike Mousakas. I know he would cost a draft pick, but I think he would have been worth it. I'm not sold on Jake Burger or Matt Davidson and figure Moose would be good for another four seasons. That should overlap with the perceived White Sox window for winning. Current Sox third baseman, Yolmer Sanchez, is a useful player, but is more or a second baseman/utility guy. His arm seems a little light for third. 

Missed opportunities

A left-handed hitter who could spell Jose Abreu at first and DH would have been nice. Logan “6.5 million for one season” Morrison comes to mind. Lucas Duda also comes to mind. A outfielder also wouldn't hurt. Melky Cabrera anyone?

How about a starting pitcher? James Shields looks to be the  Sox opening day starter. Oooh. Lance Lynn would have helped. The Sox could still go crazy and get Alex Cobb. Somehow, I doubt that happens.

Wasn't the Statue of Liberty right-handed?

I do like what the White Sox are doing about their bullpen. It's like what's on the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your castoffs, your injured, your guys who used to throw hard.” The Sox rebuilt their bullpen on the fly a couple of times last season. The development of the Sox pen together with the progress of the Sox young players makes this team on of the more interesting teams in baseball to watch.

Wait till next year

I know some fans think the Sox should just go with their young players rather than dip into free agency and possibly be mediocre. To that I say the Sox already have their young nucleus. In years gone by, the Sox have had a few good players and no depth. This was the offseason to pickup free agents out of the bargain bin. I suspect another marker correction is coming.

You might also enjoy my cartoons.