White Sox Have Quietly Positioned Themselves to Have a Special 2020 and a Powerful Decade
By Michael Luciano
In what has quickly become a laughable AL Central, the Chicago White Sox have a legit chance to steal the division title away from the Minnesota Twins and relegate the Cleveland Indians to a sub-.500 state.
The White Sox signed third baseman Yoan Moncada to a five-year contract extension worth $70 million, capping off what was an unreal offseason for the South Siders.
3B Yoan Moncada in agreement with #WhiteSox on five-year extension with a club option, sources tell The Athletic. Dollars not yet known. Would potentially buy out two free-agent years. If option is exercised, Moncada would hit open market after age 30 season.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2020
The White Sox resisted all the Jose Abreu trade temptations, and they have since paired with him fellow veteran sluggers Nomar Mazara and Edwin Encarnacion. The left-field bleachers at Guaranteed Rate Field are going to see a lot of long balls this season.
The real story here, however, is the treasure trove of young players the White Sox have ready to break out, for 2020 and the foreseeable future. Moncada and 2019 AL batting champ Tim Anderson have proven their worth, while Eloy Jimenez showed everyone how effortless his power stroke is. Nick Madrigal, Michael Kopech, and Luis Robert are expected to compete for the 2020 Rookie of the Year award, while the likes of Andrew Vaughn, Dane Dunning, and Luis Alexander Basabe are still coming down the pipe.
The next decade or so could very easily be run by Chicago at this rate.
The White Sox now have Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert all under team control until after the 2025 season. That is 6+ years of 3 of the best young position players in the game. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) March 5, 2020
Even if it takes a year to figure out how the jigsaw puzzle pieces fit together, the White Sox have something successful and sustainable brewing, provided that all of their much-hyped young prospects perform at or near the level expected of them.