All business: Encarnación is all about mashing. Think he’d fit in a weak White Sox offense? (@desusnice)
While the decision-makers at 35th and Shields are likely working feverishly to fill vacant spots in the starting rotation, another offensive upgrade is ready to be fitted in black and white.
Nomar Mazara was added to the outfield mix recently, and while the acquisition didn’t aptly whet the appetite of White Sox fans, it’s an upgrade nonetheless. White Sox right fielders accumulated a -1.3 fWAR last year with Leury García rounding out as the only positive contributor. The only thing worse than the club’s production in right field in 2019 was their production at designated hitter however.
The White Sox as a collective finished 17th in baseball, including dead last in the American League in fWAR (-3.5 fWAR) at the DH position. Two National League clubs performed better (albeit in a much smaller sample)! In 773 plate appearances, White Sox batters slashed .197/.275/.342 with a 64 wRC+ and .266 wOBA in the designated hitter role. Players presiding in this precarious position hit just 25 homers on the year as well. It’s not the most glamorous spot on the roster by any means, but putrid production stinks, no matter how it’s shaken.
During his media scrums in the initial stages of this important offseason, GM Rick Hahn bemoaned the production in right field and designated hitter. The architect of the 2020 roster made it a point of emphasis to state that those areas would be priorities this offseason, along with numerous additions to the pitching staff. The thirst for pitching hasn’t been quite quenched yet, but the club went away from its publicized target list with the signing of switch-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal. Grandal’s addition was welcomed and warranted, but it didn’t solve the stated trouble spots.
White Sox one of three teams who met with DH Edwin Encarnación’s agents
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) December 12, 2019
Multiple transactions weren’t officially filed while the front office vacationed in San Diego for baseball’s annual winter meetings, but that doesn’t mean work wasn’t being done. Veteran hardball scribe Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported on Thursday that the team’s brass met with the representatives for designated hitter Edwin Encarnación. EE is a free agent after spending last year with the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He would be an interesting roster fit if added, but provides a definitive upgrade at the dish.
Encarnación was a ninth-round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 2000 draft and made his debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005. The 6´1´´, 230-pound, then-third baseman carved out a career after moving north of the border to play with the Blue Jays. The 36-year-old slugger has hit more than 30 homers in every season since 2012 and has compiled 414 during his career. Edwin possesses immense raw power but also has posted walk rates around 12% throughout his big league tenure.
In 2019, the Dominican hit .244/.344/.531 in 486 plate appearances for the Mariners and Yankees. Encarnacion’s season was cut short with a fractured wrist, but he still came to the plate 486 times. He posted a .363 wOBA with a 129 wRC+ and once again eclipsed the 30 home run-mark. He posted a 2.5 fWAR, largely attributed to his success vs LHP: a .969 OPS with a 152 wRC+ vs southpaws. The power presence is substantial from both sides but in 2019, Encarnación posted a staggering ISO% of .349.
Roster Gymnastics
As the roster currently stands, the 26-man rule makes it easier to utilize a third catcher in the big leagues. Grandal will join José Abreu, James McCann and Zack Collins in Chicago’s DH mix. If Edwin Encarnacion were added, he would likely be the primary designated hitter and play most days. His bat would be essential in the lineup against left-handed pitching. According to Baseball Savant, Encarnacion places in the 69th percentile in exit velocity and hard-hit percentage. He’s also elite in xWOBA (78th percentile) and xSLG (83rd percentile).
It’s not likely that a club has ever truly had too many hitters or too much offense. Versatility is important, however, and while Encarnación can absolutely mash, the White Sox would be left with a multiplicity of the same type of performer to deal with. It seems likely that at the current juncture, McCann would either be catching or used in the DH spot against all lefties. McCann posted a 132 wRC+ vs southpaws during his All-Star campaign last year. Collins is in the mix as well and while he’s not a roster lock, he would likely serve as the DH vs righties if the season were to start tomorrow.
As the club’s first round pick in 2016, Collins likely gets a look in the big leagues in 2020. The 24-year-old, left-handed slugger posted a 140 wRC+ with the super ball in Triple-A Charlotte last year. He has big-time power potential and plate discipline (14% walk rate in Chicago) and could do some damage immediately vs. right handers.
Grandal has a long history of hitting all pitchers adequately. In 2019, the switch-hitting catcher posted a 138 wRC+ vs LHP to go along with a 114 wRC+ vs RHP. Grandal signed a $73 million contract with the White Sox this offseason, and his ability to hit and also play first base ensures him of a full season of plate appearances. Abreu is entering his seventh season with the club and his offensive profile is similar to that of Encarnación.
Encarnación gets on base more often, and Abreu hits for a higher average at this point. Both players possess premium power and they both destroyed lefties in 2019 (Abreu posted a 168 wRC+ vs left handers last year). It’s imperative that Abreu be in the lineup against all southpaws going forward. José was a league-average performer (99 wRC+) vs righties, though, and tough decisions on who gets into the lineup might have to be made if Encarnación were to be added to the mix.
When tough righties take the mound, Abreu should probably take a seat and wait for pinch-hitting opportunities. He wasn’t signed for $50 million last month to be a platoon player, though. There could be real lineup construction issues with Encarnación needing a spot for games where McCann ends up catching. But those are probably good problems for a team as offensively-challenged as the White Sox, though.
Dingers are fun, and Edwin Encarnación hits lots of them. As a subscriber to the methodology of the phrase, “Ball Go Far, Team Go Far,” EE would enhance the White Sox’s chances in 2020. Lineup construction can be worried about at a later date.
South Side Hit Pen 
Don’t hate this, but a 36 year-old who is yet another DH/1B doesn’t make me as excitable as, say, a good started pitcher or two would. I guess the Sox will just have to get all three.
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Agree on two fronts. First if you have good pitching you don’t need to score six runs a game. Second, haven’t we had enough of “home run or nothing” guys? If someone can guarantee me that a lineup of mashers will hit a pair of three run home runs every single game, I’ll buy into that philosophy.
But you can’t…and home run hitters often go into slumps where they aren’t hitting home runs. When that happens you damn well better have other ways to score.
The key word here friends is BALANCE. Guys who can hit home runs, other guys who can get on base, other guys with bat control who can advance runners or drive them in.
BALANCE, which is something the Sox really haven’t had since 2005. (How’d that season work out?)
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No Encarnacion, por favor. If we were one piece away from competing for the World Series, I could see it. As it stands, with this roster, next year is about winning but not winning it all. We should sign guys that both fit the current strengths of this roster and not guys that give fans a sugar rush but age badly or mindlessly block player development.
I would like to see the Sox sign Castellanos to a RF/DH platoon with Mazara/Collins. We have enough position flexibility with Engel (4th outfielder) and Garcia (IF/OF) to make it worth getting fat on the platoon splits on Castellanos/Mazar/Collins/Engel. With McCann and Grandal not being worked into the ground, these players could be set-up for a lot of success in 2020. And with prospect outfielders not being rushed, we have some pretty good depth for trade options at the MLB level and the minors.
My wish list would be complete with Ryu and maybe a low-cost lefty like Gonzalez. Ryu can ultimately be used as a #5 starter, skipping him occasionally to keep him fresh. I expect growth (Lopez & Cease) and return from injury (Kopech & Rodon) to push Gonzalez into a swing man role anyway. From that role he can spell Kopech to keep his innings managed, too.
Castellanos, Ryu, & Gonzalez would round out the roster nicely, provide trade flexibility in the future, and fit well on a competitive team that needs to learn who is for real and who is not, under the pressure of winning. We would not be carrying bad contracts into our contention window and will still have money to add to the roster next off-season.
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I don’t want to hear that we missed out on a pitcher by 10 or 15 million and then be stuck with EE and Nomar as the final pieces for 2020.
They have been buying high mileage or salvaged titled cars on C’list for so long, my fear is that sticker shock has set in and they are not really even shopping at the Lexus dealership any more ( if they ever were)
Please Rick, prove me wrong!
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Do not understand this ” not great, but still an upgrade” philosophy. Great, you go from a F to a C, but s team of C players do not make it to the playoff. A players do.
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