The Chicago White Sox have made trades to turn their farm system into one of the best in Major League Baseball. Here are their top prospects that you may be hearing about very soon.
The final out of the World Series was recorded less than 24 hours ago, but already oddsmakers are turning their gaze toward the team that will hoist the trophy in 2018.
Naturally, the Houston Astros, who captured their first ever title on Wednesday night, are the team to beat next season, with 5-to-1 odds of becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since the New York Yankees accomplished that feat in 2000.
For Chicago fans, the Cubs and White Sox are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Cubs, despite some looming changes thanks to free agency, have the fifth-best odds in baseball, checking in at 11-to-1 odds of winning their second title in three years, according to Bovada. Those odds tie them with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, but leave them behind the Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Nationals.
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nArguably the best pitching free agent on the market, Arrieta is going to command a big salary when he becomes available. The 2015 Cy Young winner doesn’t have the innings on his arm that most other pitchers of his age do, and he has made it clear that he won’t accept much, if any, of a discount from the Cubs, so it seems unlikely that he will return.
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nThe Cubs were forced to make moves to replace Miguel Montero before the trade deadline, and Avila proved to be a valuable piece, playing strong defense and bringing surprising pop from the catcher’s spot. The team may prefer to use Taylor Davis or Victor Caratini as a back-up to Willson Contreras this season, but it’s possible that they could sign a veteran instead.
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nThe Cubs’ bullpen had some serious issues in 2017, but Davis was far from the problem, as he converted all but one save attempt and was a lockdown reliever for the team. With the struggles of the team’s bullpen in the postseason, it’s possible that Theo Epstein and company could open their checkbooks for Davis, but it seems unlikely given their track record of not shelling out big bucks for bullpen arms.
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nDuensing had a strong season for the Cubs after a rocky start to the campaign, and he’ll be looking to get some extra coin in free agency. It’s unclear at this point if he’ll remain with the team, or if another club will offer him a significant raise, but the Cubs should be interested if he stays within their price range.
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nWith Kyle Schwarber struggling at the plate and Albert Almora struggling to hit against right-handed pitching this season, Jay became a valuable tool for Joe Maddon, batting lead-off and playing center field frequently. The team may opt to go for a more reliable lead-off option for next season, but Jay can’t be ruled out as a possible returning outfielder.
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nAfter a lengthy career, Lackey is likely done as a big league pitcher, but there’s always an outside shot that he could return on a cheap deal. That being said, if he does ride off into the sunset, the Cubs are likely going to be looking to replace two-fifths of their rotation for next season, and it won’t be an interesting task.
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nThe other catcher the Cubs brought in before the playoffs, Rivera was a solid option after being claimed on waivers from the Mets. He could be an attractive buy-low option if the Cubs want to have a veteran backstop behind Contreras.
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nUehara certainly will not command as high a salary next season if he decides to continue pitching for the Cubs after injuries derailed him late in the year. Uehara may choose to retire or play overseas instead, but it seems a reunion with Chicago is unlikely.
For the White Sox, their road is even tougher, as they have 50-to-1 odds of winning the title. It’s still better than the odds of eight other teams, including the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres, who share the worst odds in baseball with an 100-to-1 shot of winning it all.
For fans looking forward to how their teams will do, there are just over 100 days until teams report to spring training in Arizona and Florida.
