Chicago White Sox: Recapping the offseason and what’s left to do

Nomar Mazara will be the everyday right fielder.

One of the more surprising moves that the team made was the trade for Nomar Mazara. The 24-year-old slashed .268/.318/.469 with 19 home runs and 66 RBI in 116 games for the Texas Rangers last year. He figures to be plugged in at right field immediately and is under team control through the 2021 season. Through four MLB seasons, the book on Mazara indicates he’s a league-average player – 0.7 WAR and 96 OPS+ in 2019 – but he is still entering his prime.

Perhaps the best move this offseason has been the signing on Edwin Encarnacion. The 36-year-old came up through the Cincinnati Reds’ organization but didn’t tap into his power until his age 29 season when he launched 42 bombs with the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent last season split between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, and he missed a bunch of time to injury. Still, he posted a 2.7 WAR with a .875 OPS to go along with a combined 34 home runs.

And similar to the last offseason, White Sox General Manager, Rick Hahn, extended one of his best, young prospects in Luis Robert. The 22-year-old is ranked as the third-best prospect in baseball and is now locked up at least through his age 29 season, which includes two club options in both 2026 and 2027. Just like it was for Eloy Jimenez, the move is smart, and Hahn is exceptionally proactive at getting these kinds of deals done to lock up young talent well into their prime before they can garner massive deals in free agency.

And right now, the White Sox lineup is projected to be:

• Yoan Moncada – 3B
• Tim Anderson – Shortstop
• Jose Abreu – 1B
• Yasmani Grandal – C
• Edwin Encarnacion – DH
• Eloy Jimenez – LF
• Nomar Mazara – RF
• Luis Robert – CF
• Leury Garcia – 2B