2015 Chicago White Sox: Sale Driven

[jon abbey]

Another big move by the White Sox tonight, signing Melky Cabrera to a three year deal. I like all of the big-name additions they've made this offseason (Melky, Samardzija, Robertson, LaRoche, Duke), but with the obvious massive exceptions of Sale and Abreu, they still seem really thin everywhere else, am I missing other solid players? Their depth chart is here, pre-Melky:

http://mlb.mlb.com/team/depth_chart/index.jsp?c_id=cws

 

[MakMan44]

Eaton is pretty great when he's healthy and Quintana has been excellent.  

 

[jon abbey]

Yeah, and I guess Ramirez is still pretty solid at SS. Maybe this wave of signings makes more sense than I initially thought, might as well go for it while you have the Sale/Abreu backbone, I guess. 

 

[E5 Yaz]

The AL Central might well be a four-team race.
 
Jon abbey is right; it's a thin roster. But luck -- in this case, avoiding injuries -- always plays a part in a team's ultimate success, so the White Sox could indeed hang with Detroit and Cleveland.
 
KC, meanwhile, might now be forced to trade a reliever in a deal for an outfielder

 

[derekson]

The interesting thing about the White Sox coming into this offseason was that they had a few stars and a bunch of big holes, so there were plenty of spots to easily upgrade, and Hahn seems to have done a pretty good job of filling several of those holes. This team looks like a legitimate contender in the AL Central now. They might not contend in the West or East but there's really no team that's obviously better than them in the ALC now. They're still a bit weak at 2B and C (maybe 3B as well depending on whether Gillaspie can repeat his 2014 and if he can be effectively platooned). Otherwise it looks like a pretty damned solid lineup, and the pitching staff seems pretty good too after adding Samardzija and Robertson.

 

[jon abbey]

They have Abreu and Sale under contract through 2019 and almost no bad big deals on the books (Danks has 2/31 left coming into this season, that's it), so maybe it makes sense to start to build up, although they're going to have to fill some holes from within at some point. 

 

[jon abbey]

They're still a bit weak at 2B and C (maybe 3B as well depending on whether Gillaspie can repeat his 2014 and if he can be effectively platooned). Otherwise it looks like a pretty damned solid lineup

 
I know hitting is down everywhere, but really? Garcia and Eaton have almost no track record, less than 1300 ML PAs combined, both under a .750 OPS and neither has been able to stay on the field. That is 5 of 9 lineup positions including the three you mention that I'd say have some degree of question marks, with the other four being Abreu, Melky, Ramirez and LaRoche. 

 

[Hee Sox Choi]

Adam Eaton is a legit leadoff threat.  In over 1300 ABs in the minors, he had a .448 OBP (not a misprint).  He hit .348.  180/215 bb/k rate.  Steamer projects a .343 OBP and he plays solid enough D in CF.  He was hurt in 2013 for AZ.  I would not put him down as a question mark.  
 
Conor Gillaspie should be league average if you just let him play 3b vs. Rs.  They need to platoon him with a lefty-crusher.
 
I like Avisail Garcia too.  Steamer projects a 106 wRC+.
 
2B is pretty weak, I agree.  But there's still time to add someone - Jed Lowrie, Rickie Weeks, Stephen Drew!, Asdrubal Cabrera, Everth Cabrera, bring back Beckham or maybe trade for one.  
C is weak too but it's pretty saucy around the league. 
 
So, I don't see five big question marks, I think it's only 2.  Eaton and Gillaspie are solid and maybe you don't believe in Avisail (I do).  There's still time to upgrade 2b and C for them and then I think they'll have a pretty nice team.  I can't believe the front office rebuilt this team so quickly.  They were a shitfest just two years ago.  
 
EDIT: added some more 2b options

 

[lxt]

The team is looking good. The rotation has a solid one - two with Sale & Samardzija. Robertson locks down the backend with Petricka doing setup & Webb coming along to provide support. The lineup has Adams & Melky hitting in front of Abreu which gives him more runners to knock in. LaRoche adds some protection behind Abreu and Ramirez will do what he always does. If they can strengthen 2B and add another arm in the pen they may have what's needed to capture the CD and make a deep run into the playoffs. A one year rental of Upton in LF could make them WS contenders.