Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox placed shortstop Tim Anderson on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, according to James Fegan of The Athletic.

Anderson suffered the injury Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, and prior to Monday's game against the Seattle Mariners, he was open to playing it safe with regard to his hamstring ailment, per Vinnie Duber of NBC Chicago:

"It's a long season. We're still early on. So I think the biggest goal is be healthy when I do get back in. I'd rather sit right now and get healthy and be there for the rest of the way. Just playing it smart and being smart with my decision, make sure I'm making the right moves and getting the right treatment that I need.

"I'm ready to go, but my leg ain't. So I've got to play the waiting game."

The 27-year-old has emerged as one of MLB's most exciting players, hitting .200 (.600 OPS) with one home run, one RBI and three runs scored in four games this season.

Anderson led the majors with a .335 batting average in 2019 to go along with 18 home runs, 56 RBI, 18 stolen bases and a .865 OPS. In 2020, he led MLB with 45 runs, hitting .332 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI in 49 games. His .886 OPS was a career-high.

Last season, Chicago made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 largely because of his efforts, but the White Sox will be forced to go on without him for the time being.

Leury Garcia filled in for Anderson at shortstop last year, and he figures to do so again this time around, as he started there each of the past two games.

The 30-year-old hit .271 with a .758 OPS, three home runs and eight RBI in 63 plate appearances last year. His last full season came in 2019, when he hit a career-high .279 with eight homers, 40 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

Anderson also leaves a gap at the top of Chicago's powerful batting order. Garcia, Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada and Nick Madrigal each had a hand in filling that spot for him last year.

Madrigal may be the best bet to do so this year after posting a team-high .374 on-base percentage in 2020.

Anderson's absence looms even larger than usual right now due to the fact that slugger Eloy Jimenez could miss the entire season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Among other things, spring training is bulletin board material season in Major League Baseball. It seems that nobody understands this better than Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson.

Though he initially hesitated to take the bait from Danny Parkins of 670 The Score on Friday, Anderson relented and literally said "f--k it" as he agreed that his White Sox are the best team in the American League:

.@TimAnderson7's interview with @DannyParkins was awesome.

They discussed parenting and Anderson's relationship with Tony La Russa before we got the classic "F*** it, we're the best team in the American League" line.

Listen to full interview on Rewind: https://t.co/HNdx27sA5f pic.twitter.com/4grsqk4VaW

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) February 26, 2021

Bold? Undoubtedly.

Foolish? Not so much.

Because even though Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs project the White Sox to finish with 80-something wins in 2021, to the naked eye they look like a well-rounded team that could chase after 95 or even 100 wins.

   

The 2020 White Sox, Recapped

• Tied for the fourth-best record in the AL at 35-25
• Tied for the AL lead with plus-60 run differential
• Made the playoffs for the first time since 2008
• Lost Wild Card Series vs. Oakland Athletics, 2-1

   

Their Offense Is Terrifying

If there's at least one justification for Anderson's sky-high rating, it's the upside of the offense that he's a part of.

The White Sox were an offensive powerhouse in 2020, leading the AL with 96 home runs and finishing second behind the New York Yankees with 5.1 runs per game.

Driving the bus were Anderson, AL MVP Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez, who collectively hit .312/.354/.570 with 43 homers. For the sabermetrically inclined, their combined wRC+ was a well-above-average 150.

Anderson, 27, and Jimenez, 24, are in their primes, and Abreu's trajectory suggests he'll continue to be an excellent run producer in 2021 despite having turned 34 in January. And even if the three of them do regress, the White Sox can hope progress by others will make up for it.

Yoan Moncada, for example, had a hard time recovering from the coronavirus last season and recorded a 96 wRC+. But if he's healthy, there's a good chance he'll revert to his 2019 form. He had a 140 wRC+ and 25 homers that year, not to mention stellar peripherals.

There's also Luis Robert, whose rookie year was a tale of two seasons. If he takes away the right lessons—i.e., when pitchers adjust, adjust back—he could look less like someone who had a 21 wRC+ in September and more like someone who had a 157 wRC+ beforehand.

The White Sox also stand to reap numbers from prospects Nick Madrigal and Andrew Vaughn. The former hit .340 in 29 games last year despite having only one healthy shoulder. The latter is a highly regarded slugger whose eyes are on Chicago's designated hitter job.

Because catcher Yasmani Grandal and newcomer/old fried Adam Eaton are none too shabby in their own rights, the White Sox could play the bulk of the season with an above-average hitter in all nine spots in their lineup.

So, never mind just as good. There's a possibility the White Sox offense will be even better than it was a year ago.

   

Don't Underrate Their Defense or Rotation

Because the White Sox were so dangerous at the plate, it was perhaps easy to miss that their regulars were also very good in the field.

Chicago ranked third in the AL with 23 defensive runs saved and first with 10 outs above average. And while Robert stood out with his Gold Glove Award work in center field, both the infield and outfield finished in the black in outs above average.

There's little reason to think the defense will be worse, which is certainly good news for the club's pitching staff. And on that front, the White Sox boast arguably the best threesome of starters of any AL club.

With newcomer Lance Lynn joining incumbent aces Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel, the rotation is now headed by a veteran trio that accounted for a 2.99 ERA over 219.2 innings last year. Giolito, in particular, is an elite strikeout artist who also has the highest WAR projection of any pitcher for 2021 according to ZiPS.

There's a bit more uncertainty in the back half of the rotation, but at least it's an interesting brand of uncertainty.

Despite his heretofore iffy results, Dylan Cease may yet ride his high-velocity, high-spin fastball to greatness. Top prospect Michael Kopech is a high-octane hurler as well, and he's raring to go after missing 2019 because of Tommy John surgery and opting out of 2020.

In 2020, White Sox starters finished with a sturdy 3.85 ERA even though the bag was decidedly mixed after Giolito and Keuchel. If all goes according to plan, the bag will be much less mixed, and the ERA will be much lower.

   

And Definitely Don't Underrate Their Bullpen

With respect to Eaton and Lynn, the biggest addition the White Sox made this offseason was closer Liam Hendriks, whom they signed for $54 million over four years.

Hendriks was a mere middle reliever for the first eight seasons of his career. That changed in 2019 and 2020, across which he racked up a 1.79 ERA and 137 more strikeouts than walks in 110.1 innings for the A's. Per rWAR, he's been the most valuable reliever in the majors over the last two years.

Underneath Hendriks on that list are two of his new bullpenmates: Aaron Bummer (second) and Evan Marshall (14th). Between them, they boast a 2.22 ERA since the start of '19.

And yet arguably the most exciting relief arm belongs to Garrett Crochet.

Like they did with Chris Sale a decade earlier, the White Sox put Crochet in their pen mere weeks after choosing him in the 2020 draft. It soon became apparent why they were comfortable doing so, as Crochet topped 100 mph with nearly half his 94 pitches. And now, the plan is to use Crochet as a multi-inning fireman in the mold of Josh Hader.

Especially since Bummer (strained biceps) and Crochet (strained flexor) were bit by the injury bug in 2020, health will determine the effectiveness of the bullpen. But in the best-case scenario, this dynamic foursome could make the relief corps one of the best in the business.

If there are reasons to doubt the White Sox, they pertain to new manager Tony La Russa and the quality of the American League Central around them.

He may be a Hall of Famer, but La Russa last managed in 2011 and is generally an odd fit. The AL Central, meanwhile, has been the weakest of the league's three divisions in recent years. On a related note, the White Sox's Game 1 win in last year's Wild Card Series is the AL Central's only playoff win since 2017.

But at least until teams start playing games that count, sizing up clubs on paper is the best anyone can do. And since the White Sox are lacking for nothing on that front, Anderson's take doesn't come recommended with any measure of salt.

   

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has never been accused of lacking confidence, it just may be coming out earlier than ever this year with his team firmly among baseball's World Series contenders. 

Speaking to The Parkins and Spiegel Show on 670 The Score, Anderson made an emphatic declaration of just how good this year's Sox team is. 

Tim Anderson: "I got to be a little bit more careful with my words. ... We have a chance to be the best team in the AL."@DannyParkins: "Tim, don't become a politician on me. ... Just say what you feel."

Anderson: "(Bleep) it, we're the best team in the American League."

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) February 26, 2021

"F--k it," Anderson said. "We're the best team in the American League."

The comment would come off as bold in most other seasons. Not in 2021 when Chicago has added Lance Lynn, Liam Hendriks and Adam Eaton alongside emerging stars like Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada and reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu.

After falling in a three-game wild-card series to the Oakland Athletics last postseason, the White Sox (+380) enter the year with the second-best odds to win the AL behind the New York Yankees at +230 (bet $100 to win $230) on DraftKings. The Sox are also +850 to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (+350), Yankees (+550) and San Diego Padres (+800).

In Anderson's mind, those odds may be a bit too low. The 2019 batting champion believes Chicago is the team to beat. On paper, it's certainly tough to argue. 

Any Sox fan who agrees can go ahead and buy a T-shirt with Anderson's words on them. The Score began selling them almost as soon as Anderson's interview ended. 

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Reigning American League MVP Jose Abreu is arriving late to Chicago White Sox spring training after testing positive for COVID-19. 

Per Gabe Lacques of USA Today, the White Sox announced Abreu will remain in isolation "for the next several days" and is asymptomatic. 

"He believes he contracted a mild case of the disease in January, which is reinforced by the presence of COVID antibodies in additional testing," the team said. "Other than being frustrated, Jose feels great and, like the rest of us, is looking forward to when he rejoins the club in the not too distant future." 

All 30 MLB teams reported to spring training last week, with most clubs holding their first full-squad workouts on Monday. The league and MLB Players Association announced on Feb. 19 a total of 13 positive COVID-19 tests out of 4,336 samples taken from Tier 1 and 2 personnel. 

Abreu became the first White Sox player to be named AL MVP since Frank Thomas in 1994. The 34-year-old hit .317/.370/.617 with 19 homers and 60 RBI in 2020. 

The White Sox will play their first spring training game on Feb. 28 against the Milwaukee Brewers. 

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has some competition when it comes to elite athletes with music careers.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada told reporters Tuesday that he'll use the Latin pop song he recorded over the offseason as his new walk-up music. 

The track, "Desastre Personal," is certainly a lively pick, but a packed baseball stadium cheering along to Moncada's song as he strolls to the plate for a White Sox team expected to contend for a World Series this year ups the ante a bit. 

Moncada's single is available on streaming services, but the music video is worth a watch if only to see the infielder's dance moves. 

Without question, more baseball players should write their own walk-up songs. Moncada is just ahead of the game. 

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has the support of star player Tim Anderson after a one-on-one meeting ahead of spring training.

"Just to see what page he's on is definitely awesome," Anderson told reporters Monday. "Just have conversations with him, very motivating. The drive to want to win, he has that. I'm behind him 110 percent. That's the ultimate goal, is to win and to win a World Series here. I'm behind him."

Anderson had previously said he wasn't happy with the team's hiring of the 76-year-old La Russa, who has an old-school approach to the game and has criticized players for breaking the unwritten rules of the sport.

The shortstop has since changed his mind after arriving early to speak to the new manager.

Anderson also had a "good talk" with La Russa on the phone in November, saying "we start at zero" with the opportunity to develop a new relationship, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

The 27-year-old is known for his energy on the field, which sometimes includes bat flips or what some consider excessive celebration. He is also one of the best players in the majors at his position, winning a battle title in 2019 while finishing seventh in American League MVP voting in 2020.

He ended last year with a .322 batting average, 10 home runs and a career-high .886 OPS in 49 games during the pandemic-shortened season.

Meanwhile, La Russa is returning to the clubhouse for the first time since retiring after the 2011 season. The three-time World Series champion will hope to get the most out of the club and reach Chicago's lofty expectations in 2021.   

A positive relationship between the manager and one of the team's best players is a good place to start.

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday it's championship or bust for the AL Central club during the 2021 MLB season.

"As we sit here today, the goal is to win a World Series championship, and so if we fall short of that, it would be a disappointment," Hahn told reporters. "... I think having championship aspirations is to be expected and, to a man, what people want."

Chicago ended an 11-year playoff drought by posting a 35-25 record last season to earn a wild-card berth. They were eliminated by the Oakland Athletics in the opening round of the postseason, though.

The next step in their ascent would seemingly be winning a playoff series or two, but Hahn is aiming even higher after he made some high-profile offseason additions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cft3eBVv0s

Adam Eaton was signed to provide an on-base presence ahead of sluggers Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez. Eaton struggled during the shortened 2020 campaign, but he'll be a major asset if he can approach the .394 OBP he posted with the Washington Nationals in 2018 in his return to the South Siders.

The 32-year-old outfielder posted a .362 OBP in three years with Chicago from 2014 through 2016.

Hahn also made a trade with the Texas Rangers to acquire starting pitcher Lance Lynn and signed Liam Hendriks to take over as the club's closer.

Chicago now features one of MLB's deepest rotations with Lynn joining Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Carlos Rodon and Dylan Cease. Hendriks, who's posted a sub-2.00 ERA the past two seasons, should provide stability after the team blew 12 saves last year, tied for the sixth-most in baseball.

All told, the White Sox should be viewed as a serious threat to take the AL pennant alongside the likes of the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins in 2021.

A World Series title would be the club's fourth and first since 2005.

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa said his DUI arrest was an "inexcusable mistake" as he heads into his first spring training with the club. 

"I made no excuses, it was an inexcusable mistake," La Russa told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "It has cost as much embarrassment personally as possible. Anyone to think that this wasn't something that had a very negative impact.

"... I mean part of the embarrassment and negative feelings is the impact on the organization and the fans and the people that hired me. There were already enough questions of me managing, and then this. It has been torturous."

La Russa, 76, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Arizona last February. The case became public in October, leading to widespread criticism regarding the White Sox's hiring of the Hall of Fame manager.

La Russa previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI charge in 2007 when he was managing the St. Louis Cardinals.

In a December conference call, La Russa said he "brought this on [himself]." As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, La Russa completed a 20-hour alcohol counseling course.

The White Sox, who hired La Russa in October despite him not managing since 2011, said "there cannot be a third strike."

However, the franchise has remained loyal to La Russa during the public scrutiny and no punishment from the team has been announced. 

The Chicago White Sox and All-Star closer Liam Hendriks reached an agreement Monday on a three-year, $54 million contract, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Hendriks' deal features $39 million over the first three years, with the reliever set to receive $15 million whether the White Sox exercise the fourth-year option or opt for the buyout:

If the White Sox decline the option, they will be able to pay the $15 million buyout over the course of multiple years. But the incentive certainly is there for the team to pick it up. And by going that big, the White Sox get the best closer in baseball the last two seasons.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 12, 2021

Hendriks began his MLB career as a starter for the Minnesota Twins, and he bounced around for almost a decade before emerging as an elite reliever with the Oakland Athletics over the past two years.

The 31-year-old spent three seasons as a middle reliever for the A's before he was elevated to the closer role following an injury to Blake Treinen in June 2019, and he's been virtually unhittable ever since.

Hendriks has posted a microscopic 1.79 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 39 saves in 99 appearances since the start of the 2019 campaign. He leads all relievers in WAR (5.2) over that span, and his strikeout rate (13.2 per nine innings) also puts him among MLB's elite, per FanGraphs.

By comparison, the Australian right-hander's career ERA stands at 4.10 through 344 games. It was only a modestly better 4.01 during his first three years with the Athletics.

His sustained improvement led to his first All-Star selection in 2019 followed by the American League Reliever of the Year Award in 2020. He also finished ninth in AL Cy Young Award voting last season.

In between three years with the Twins (2011-13) and five years with the A's (2016-20), Hendriks had two stints with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014 and 2015 sandwiched around a brief stop with the Kansas City Royals.

Though he entered the offseason as one of the league's top free agents, he told Brodie Brazil of NBC Sports California he planned to take a mostly laissez-faire approach to the market.

"I told my agent, 'You deal with it all but let us know who's reached out and in what order,'" Hendriks said in November. "Kind of let us know what they're saying. I like to have an idea of what's going on."

The 2020 All-MLB first-team selection decided the White Sox were the best fit for him. Expectations will be far higher following the move than when he arrived in Oakland, but his electric fastball-slider combination and the rising importance of relievers make him a major addition.

Hendriks should slot in as the club's closer to open the 2021 season, with Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall and Codi Heuer bridging the gap to the ninth.

Yoelkis Cespedes, the half brother of New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, is reportedly set to join the Chicago White Sox. 

Per MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, Cespedes will receive a $2 million signing bonus from the White Sox. 

The White Sox continue to invest in young talent after making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.

MLB.com ranked Cespedes as the best international prospect in 2020:

"While in Cuba, Cespedes was known primarily as a plus runner, a solid defender and a line-drive hitter who can spray the ball across the outfield. He's revamped his swing since defection, and now looks almost exactly like his older brother in the batter's box. He's also added at least 15 pounds of muscle and it's resulted in more power and explosive bat speed. Yoelqui is represented by Magnus Sports."

Sanchez previously reported the outfielder was cleared to sign with a team as a free agent starting March 18 after defecting from Cuba in June 2019.

Prior to his defection, the 22-year-old played three seasons with Alazanes de Granma of the Cuban National Series from 2015-18. He made his debut at the age of 17 and posted a .273/.334/.411 slash line in 169 games, per Baseball Reference.  

Major League Baseball fans got a brief glimpse of what Cespedes is capable of during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He played six games for Cuba, hitting .250 with an opposite-field double against China:   

Yoelkis Céspedes has some oppo pop in that bat. https://t.co/CMgeGjjKPK #WBC2017 pic.twitter.com/WoQIfgyBKC

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2017

While not as physically imposing as Yoenis was when he signed with the Oakland Athletics in 2012, Yoelkis boasts a lot of the on-field tools that have made his 34-year-old half brother a two-time All-Star. 

In February, Sanchez offered this scouting report on the younger Cespedes:

"As for Yoelkis, he was known primarily as a plus runner, a solid defender and a line-drive hitter who can spray the ball across the outfield. He has revamped his swing in the last six months and now looks almost exactly like his older brother in the batter's box. The 5-foot-9 outfielder once weighed around 185 pounds, but he is now up to 205 with power. He can still run."

Few teams have been better at acquiring and developing young talent in Major League Baseball than the White Sox. Cespedes joins a nucleus that includes reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Nick Madrigal and Luis Robert. 

The White Sox will be hoping Cespedes is able to translate that potential into performance. He may have to spend some time in the minors to hone his ability against advanced pitching, but his age and raw potential give him the ability to be an impact player for a team with World Series aspirations in 2021.