Fansided

Chicago White Sox one smart move away from playoff contention

By Ernest Shepard

Aug 18, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago White Sox logo behind home plate before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago White Sox logo behind home plate before a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 13, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Justin Upton (10) high fives the dugout after scoring a run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Justin Upton (10) high fives the dugout after scoring a run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Justin Upton

Adding Justin Upton might be considered a long shot. He is a good fit to play right field for the White Sox. Good power, good speed and plus defense are all Upton’s calling cards. The difficulty lies in his asking price, which hovers close to $20 million per season.

Considering the seven-year, $184 million deal the Chicago Cubs gave outfielder Jason Heyward, Upton could be looking at a four or five year deal in the $19-20 million range.

Going into the history of White Sox player contracts, only one, the acquired contract of pitcher Jake Peavy was above the $20 million threshold.

The White Sox has long been known as a franchise that does not pay a heavy premium on free agents. They prefer to chase after cost-efficient moves. One of the reasons why the deals for Frazier and Lawrie took place was because the contracts are manageable, with both players under control for two seasons. Spending big money on one player is not what the south-siders do. And even if that is the direction that Major League Baseball is going these days, do not expect the White Sox to start conducting business this way. With all of that said, they might take a chance here if they can get Upton to agree to defer money.

Next: Alex Gordon

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