2016 Chicago White Sox Preview & Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep
Rick Hahn was promoted to the White Sox general manager position in October of 2012. Since then, Chicago has three-consecutive seasons without a winning record and was ranked 28th, or worse, in runs scored for two of the past three years. Hahn is hoping to make more of an impact on the offense in 2016. He signed two players who set new career-highs in RBI last season: Brett Lawrie and Todd Frazier.
ALSO SEE: TEAM PREVIEWS ARCHIVE
Key additions: Todd Frazier (3B), Brett Lawrie (2B/3B), Alex Avila (C), and Dioner Navarro (C)
Key losses: Jeff Samardzija (SP), Alexei Ramirez (SS), and Tyler Flowers (C)
Projected lineup
1. Adam Eaton - CF
2. Melky Cabrera - LF
3. Jose Abreu - 1B
4. Todd Frazier - 3B
5. Adam LaRoche - DH
6. Brett Lawrie - 2B
7. Avisail Garcia - RF
8. Alex Avila - C
9. Tyler Saladino - SS
As mentioned in the introduction paragraph, Todd Frazier's RBI numbers have risen every season he's been in the majors. Frazier also produces career-highs in home runs every year. Last season, he delivered 89 runs and 35 homers for Cincinnati. If those numbers continue to surge, Chicago will benefit greatly...Brett Lawrie was signed a week before Frazier. While Lawrie might've thought that he was brought in to play third base, as he did in 109 games for Oakland, it seems as though the White Sox will make him their second baseman. Lawrie set career-highs in multiple categories last season: games (149), hits (146), doubles (29), home runs (16), and RBI (60)...Compile those two bats along with Jose Abreu and you have a formidable lineup. After his second season the MLB, Abreu is averaging 33 home runs and 104 RBI per year.
Projected rotation
1. Chris Sale
2. Jose Quintana
3. Carlos Rodon
4. John Danks
5. Mat Latos
Closer: David Robertson
Even though Chris Sale started the season on the DL last year, he went on a hot streak and then fizzled off in the second half of the season. Before the All-Star break, he was 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA. In the 14 games after the Midsummer Classic, Sale was 5-7 and received a 4.33 ERA. He did, however, set a new career-high, as well as a new White Sox franchise record, by recording 274 strikeouts last season. While he finished with the third-most Ks in 2015, behind Clayton Kershaw (301) and Max Scherzer (276), Sale led the league with his 11.82 K/9 rate...Most recently, Mat Latos was added to the roster. Last year was one to forget for Latos. He bounced around to three different teams and ended the year with a 4-10 record and 4.95 ERA. However, in 2012 and 2013 combined, Latos won 28 games and pitched 420 innings.
Sleeper: For as consistent as Jose Quintana can be, he tends to fly under the radar. In three-straight seasons, Quintana won nine games and pitched at least 200 innings. In back-to-back campaigns, he kept the ERA under 3.40 and struck out around 180 batters. Last year, he was the 45th-best fantasy pitcher. With an improved offense, the win total should rise in 2016. That should improve his rank, too.
Top prospects
Tim Anderson, SS - If Tyler Saladino's bat doesn't meet expectations, Anderson could jump to the pros rather quickly. Last year, in AA Birmingham, Anderson batted .312 and stole 49 bases.
Carson Fulmer, SP - When the White Sox draft a pitcher, people take notice. In 2010, Sale was selected in the first round and was a full-time starter by 2012. In 2014, Carlos Rodon was the third-overall pick and started 23 games last year. With those assumptions placed on Fulmer (eighth-overall pick), it might be wise to just let him develop in the minors and not rush him arm this year.
ALSO SEE: TEAM PREVIEWS ARCHIVE
