Twitter can sometimes be a source of contention, but our readers are the best! They were asked to come up with mailbag questions that correspond with ranking’s week. They didn’t take that opportunity for granted. Below are the questions that we were submitted and our responses to the best of our knowledge. As always, thanks for reading and supporting FutureSox.
I wanted to start us off with a family friendly question and it appears that I’ve found one. I think this answer is no because we probably would’ve heard about this but we can’t be totally sure. Alec Hansen was listed on our just missed list as a guy outside of the top 30. Hansen is a long shot to make the majors at this point, but he was slated to return to Double-A Birmingham with an attempt to salvage his career out of the Barons bullpen.
We’ve written extensively about the Norge Vera signing here at FutureSox and he’s expected to be a factor on these lists going forward. The White Sox have an agreement to sign the 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander and he’s even been at the club facility in the Dominican Republic. During the pandemic, Major League Baseball decided to push the 2020 international signing period originally scheduled to take place on July 2 into early next year. The Vera signing will become official on Jan. 15, 2021, and the bonus will be for a reported $1.5 million. We chose not to include him in our midseason rankings because he’s technically not a member of the White Sox organization at this point.
While we’re incredibly sorry for disappointing FelixP60, this is a great opportunity to explain the criteria that we use to rank the prospects that we choose. As an industry, publications that rank prospects generally use the same rules. Players are considered to have prospect status until they’ve compiled 50 innings pitched, 130 at-bats or spend 45 days on an active roster not including September. At press time, Danny Mendick was no longer eligible for this list because he had surpassed the 130 at-bat threshold and Zack Collins has spent more than 45 days on the active roster. MIchael Kopech has thrown 14.1 big league innings and therefore still qualifies as a prospect for every publication. As always though, thanks for reading!
It’s probably unlikely that we’ll see Jared Kelley on preseason top 100 lists, but he should make his way onto lists in the future. Kelley was universally regarded as a top 20 overall prospect in the 2020 draft, but he won’t get to show scouts anything due to not having a minor league season this year. There’s a chance that he could be very impressive during fall instructional league action and force his way onto some lists, however. Kelley will likely be in the rotation in full season A ball as a 19-year-old in 2021. If he pitches well, he should be in consideration for top 100 lists at numerous publications. It’s probably more likely in midseason 2021 than preseason 2021 though.
Nine players currently on our top 30 list have played in the majors for the White Sox this season. Luis Robert, Nick Madrigal, Matt Foster and Codi Heuer have played significant roles on a first-place ball club so far. Zack Burdi and Bernardo Flores are currently in the bullpen and Dane Dunning will be counted on going forward. Jimmy Lambert and Luis Gonzalez have made appearances as well.
It’s unlikely that we’ll see Andrew Vaughn, Jonathan Stiever or Garrett Crochet in the big leagues in 2020, but Blake Rutherford or Micker Adolfo could be possibilities. Both outfielders are currently on the 40-man roster and the team has made similar moves when in a bind so far in 2020. The most likely addition for the club could be right-handed pitcher Tyler Johnson. Johnson was a fifth-round selection out of South Carolina in 2017 and he’ll be Rule 5 eligible in December. He could factor into the bullpen mix down the stretch.
Predicting the future is extremely tenuous, but I love this question. I’m a big fan of the organization’s strategy of late in stacking high upside prep arms in early rounds of the amateur draft. Garrett Crochet has a ton of upside as a starting pitcher and I’d understand being really invested in Dane Dunning as well at this point. For me though, this answer is clearly Michael Kopech. He’ll begin next season as a 25-year-old and he’s expected to return to the White Sox. Once he returns, he’ll be a huge part of their future. Kopech has some obvious volatility and starting pitchers are always difficult to project, but Kopech has No. 1 starter potential and I still believe he can reach his lofty ceiling.
Since you didn’t list them, I’d say that Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist have the most upside, but I have a feeling that you’d include them in this group. I think the guys to watch going forward are the really young position players in the system.
Bryce Bush is the first name that comes to mind because he’s been in the system for longer than the others, but there are some names below him as well. Outfielder Benyamin Bailey was a revelation in the Dominican Summer League and was ready to make his stateside debut in Arizona this year. DJ Gladney, Bryan Ramos and James Beard will be fun to watch on the positional side in either A ball or rookie ball next year, too. One under the radar name for me that could move quickly as a teenager is right-handed pitcher Cristian Mena. The 16-year-old could pitch in Arizona as early as next year.
With our current top 10 looking as it is, I believe that both of these players would slot in toward the back end of it. Oscar Colas would be tricky because his body has gone through significant change and we’d need to read reports from scouts and evaluators. For me personally, I’d slot Colas at No. 8 right after Dane Dunning. Norge Vera fits in similarly to Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist and the order is debatable. The White Sox are very excited about what Vera could become as a mid-rotation starter. I’d probably slot Norge Vera in at No. 11 right after Matthew Thompson and before Andrew Dalquist. This is obviously extremely fluid though and I hope it’s an actual debate that we have next March.
Jose Rodriguez is a bit of an unheralded guy who just kept hitting in the minor leagues and caught the attention of scouts and evaluators. In the AZL as an 18-year-old, the infielder hit .293/.328/.505 with a 121 wRC+. Rodriguez homered nine times in 44 games with the Arizona League White Sox in 2019. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder signed for $50,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 and hit immediately in the DSL. He displays a quick right-handed swing and shows above average power potential to the pull side. He’s played a lot of shortstop, but his arm and range probably leaves him at second base long-term.
Rodriguez has the upside of an offensive minded utility type, but he’ll be given the opportunity to do more. The infielder was expected to start the year with Low-A Kannapolis in his first taste of full season ball. He’s likely 3-4 years away from making a big league appearance if everything goes accordingly.
Andrew Vaughn is one of the best first base prospects in baseball and one of the 25 best prospects in the sport. He’ll almost assuredly be with the White Sox at some point in 2021. I’m not sure that he’ll start with the club due to service time considerations, but he should be spending the bulk of the season getting his feet wet in Chicago. With Edwin Encarnacion’s option for next season unlikely to be exercised, Vaughn should be on the precipice of the major leagues despite having no minor league games in 2020.
Norge Vera isn’t currently on this list because he’s not officially signed, but I think he’ll be a top 10 prospect in the system at this time next year. Jake Burger isn’t necessarily a surprising answer, but if he’s healthy and playing affiliated games, he could move back into the top 10 range as well. As far as the guys who are a bit further away, Bryce Bush and Benyamin Bailey are the most likely to me. Bush has an important year in A ball. He’s been working hard under the tutelage of the player development staff. He has to find a way to stay healthy, but the plus bat speed and power potential is real and he could be in for a jump after playing in games consistently.
At this rate, it appears highly unlikely that the 2021 minor league season would be canceled completely, but we’ll cross that bridge once we get to it. Burger likely doesn’t have a ton of value and won’t until he can play in affiliated games. He’s Rule 5 eligible this December and the White Sox will likely be forced to protect him. The hope is that he can play some baseball games next year, get some work in multiple positions and become more valuable in the process.
Blake Rutherford has some value, but it’s different for every team. He’s looked pretty good in Schaumburg and the club has been impressed with his batted ball data. Rutherford needs to hit the ball in the air more often because he’ll likely be relegated to an outfield corner. He currently occupies a spot on the 40-man roster so he could be a candidate to be moved at any time. He does have minor league options left.
Right field is a constant position of consternation for White Sox fans. I wish I had better news to report. Luis Gonzalez, Blake Rutherford and Micker Adolfo are the closest prospects to the majors, but none of them should be depended on to be the starting right fielder on a potential division winner in 2021. This position likely will be filled from outside the organization.
It’s an important time for some of these type of prospects. The lost development this year could be a significant factor in their futures.
Gonzalez was added to the 40-man roster and the White Sox think that he earned the opportunity for some major league times this year. They could earn a reserve spot with the 2021 White Sox, but is more likely to be the center fielder in Charlotte next year.
Luis Basabe is no longer in the White Sox organization. He’s trying to solidify a spot with the San Francisco Giants.
Gavin Sheets wasn’t invited to the alternate site in Schaumburg and it’s unclear what that means for his future. He was expected to play first base in Triple-A this year. His power potential would have fit nicely in that ballpark and league. All of these guys are clearly trade candidates at this point with different variances of values on each guy for each competing club.
I really don’t believe so. The White Sox are committed to Garrett Crochet becoming a starting pitcher and they think he can be a really good one. He likely starts 2021 in High-A and could move quickly within the system. There’s a chance that Crochet could debut in 2021 and pitch out of the bullpen, but that won’t be his desired role long-term. The 11th overall pick from this year’s draft will benefit from starting and compiling a decent innings load in the minor leagues.
This question was in regards to the White Sox lacking pitching depth for the major league team in 2020 and I’m choosing to address it here. Garrett Crochet threw less than 15 innings in college this season and has never pitched in a minor league game. He’s not ready to throw in the major leagues. They might be able to ramp him up, let the stuff accelerate and get away with using him out of the bullpen right now. But that’s not what is best for the player or the organization at the moment. Crochet would need to be added to the 40-man roster and stay there. The expectation is that Garrett will be a starter in the minors next year. It’s not likely that carrying him on the 40-man roster prematurely is something the franchise wants to do.
Andrew Vaughn was primarily a first baseman at the University of California. Most scouts and evaluators expected him to stay there.
Vaughn is fine at first base, but he was definitely drafted for his hitting ability. In Summer Camp with the White Sox, Vaughn was taking reps at third base and he’s done so in Schaumburg as well. It wasn’t as much a tryout as it was just the organization being short on the corners and needing someone to stand over there.
FutureSox reported this past week that Vaughn has also begun getting some work in the outfield at the alternate site. Some fans and observers took this to mean that Vaughn would be joining the big league club, replacing the struggling Nomar Mazara. That doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. I expect Vaughn to have a long and productive career with the Pale Hose, but I think it’ll be at first base with occasional days spent at designated hitter.
Earlier this week it was solidified that 2020 is indeed Marco Paddy SZN! Paddy is the head scout in charge of international operations for the White Sox and he’s very highly regarded within the baseball industry. Along with Ken Williams and crew, Paddy is responsible for signing Jose Abreu and Luis Robert. Abreu was the American League Player of the Month for August and he’s an AL MVP candidate. Robert has taken the league by storm and was named the AL Rookie of the Month for August. He’s staking his claim for the Rookie of the Year Award. Paddy also signed Fernando Tatis Jr. While the organization traded him to the San Diego Padres, he’s the current front runner for the National League MVP award. Paddy is really good at his job despite the overall results on the international market for the White Sox.
Jerry Reinsdorf deserves credit for forking over the cash to sign Robert and Abreu, but the organization’s overall strategy in the international market comes with some warranted skepticism. The White Sox don’t consistently spend in the international marketplace and the biggest bonus they’ve ever given a 16-year-old from Latin America is $1.5 million. In many cases, these players are recruited and signed as early as 13 or 14 years old and this has been a point of contention for the chairman.
The White Sox traded $1.25 million in international space last year instead of spending it. Using a finite resource in that manner is truly puzzling to those who are paying attention. They don’t typically spend at the very top of the free agent market so being perturbed by their reluctance to spend heavily on the international market as well is a completely valid point of contention.
The White Sox have some solid signings lined up for the upcoming period, but it again will likely consist of older Cuban players more so than real difference-making, sometimes franchise-changing teenage additions. An international draft is on the precipice when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The White Sox are one organization that should benefit from that sort of change.
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If Vaughn could play some RF for a couple years it would be huge. It would open up a spot for McCann to re-sign.
Yes, Vaughn being passable defensively in RF solves a lot of issues for the Sox. Make it happen.