Da Windy City
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Chicago White Sox: Pass on Mike Moustakas in free agency

By Khari Thompson

(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /
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Could the Chicago White Sox try to nab third baseman Mike Moustakas in free agency? Sure, but why would they?

Major League Baseball’s winter meetings ended a few weeks ago, but the rumor mill is still in full swing. And the Chicago White Sox, despite entering 2018 as a rebuilding squad, remain prominently in the picture.

However, whereas much of the noise had focused on Manny Machado, some are speculating the White Sox might grab a different guy to man the hot corner for 2018 and beyond.

Enter ESPN’s David Schoenfield predicting that the Chicago White Sox may be favorites to land slugging free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas.

"(Moustakas) is younger than (Todd) Frazier but looking at the same limited market for third basemen. With his dead-pull swing, he’s a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium, but he’s also less likely to take a shorter-term deal. Teams that need a third baseman, such as Atlanta or Philadelphia, might prefer to wait for 2018 to join the Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson sweepstakes. In other words: Moustakas could end up anywhere. Maybe the White Sox will sign him to join their youth movement, or maybe he’ll end up back in K.C. with his pal Hosmer."

Interesting.

Obviously, Moustakas might just stay with the Kansas City Royals, but the White Sox wouldn’t be totally without sense.

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For one, as evidenced by their pursuit of Machado, the Pale Hose really need a third baseman. For whatever reason, they just can’t find long-term answers at that position, try as they might. And though Matt Davidson showed promise and Yolmer Sanchez played solid baseball last year, Moustakas is undoubtedly an upgrade there.

Also, Moustakas (29 years old) is hitting his prime, which lines him up decently with this rebuilding process. It wouldn’t be as ideal as getting a 25–year-old Machado for a decade or so, but it’s not bad.

Plus, a .272 average (.251 lifetime), 38 home runs and 85 RBI sound pretty good, right? He’s no on-base guy (.305 career OBP), but he can drive guys in and launch bombs. And the Chicago White Sox (25th in home runs, 24th in RBI in 2017) could certainly use more of that.

Ultimately, the problem comes down, as always, to money, years and, in the White Sox’s case, the rebuilding process.

Would the White Sox be willing to shirk the Chicago Cubs model and sign him a year or two early? Or will they wait until next year to lure a guy like Machado instead of rolling the dice on Moustakas?

Furthermore, he did just come off of an ACL injury in 2016, though he obviously rebounded remarkably. As such, you’d have to hope that he both continues to improve while also avoiding another serious injury as he approaches 30.

Also, Moustakas had a miserable defensive year last year, though he might play better now that he’s healthier.

Would the Chicago White Sox go in for a four-or-five-year deal for somewhere near $80-90 million for Moustakas? I’m thinking no.

And though a slow market could make him available on a shorter, prove-it deal, why would you overpay for one year of him when you might have a shot at a bigger fish (Machado) next year? In that case, just save the money for when you really want and need it.

The idea of landing Moustakas at a lower cost, whether in money or prospects, than Machado sounds…okay. Truthfully, it seems like a very if-Kenny-Williams-were-still-the-general-manager kind of move.

Next: Cubs and White Sox both vying for Machado?

But he’s not the general manager of the Chicago White Sox anymore. Rick Hahn is. And Hahn has laid out his vision for how he wants this rebuild to work.

And even if he did make a move for Machado now as opposed to waiting, I could understand that more than him signing Moustakas.

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