Inside The Clubhouse: How can the White Sox stand by Tony La Russa?

The Chicago White Sox hiring of Tony La Russa wasn’t well-received, even before new of his DUI broke. With more details out, how can they stand by him?

The Chicago White Sox have a self-created Tony La Russa problem.

When the White Sox hired La Russa as manager, it was met with immediate backlash. Why hire a 76-year-old who hasn’t managed since 2011 when the opening, viewed by many as the most attractive, could have lured any candidate? Why not interview AJ Hinch or Alex Cora?

Then ESPN reported that La Russa had been charged following a February arrest for driving under the influence, one day before being hired by the White Sox and that the team was aware of the incident before hiring him. Bob Nightengale of USA Today, citing a high-ranking White Sox official, reported that “La Russa is not in danger of losing his job, or (facing) any discipline by the club.”

La Russa, of course, is entitled to due process. But the right move would be to place him on administrative leave until the case is settled, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said, and part ways if La Russa is convicted.

Making such a move would mean finding another replacement for Rick Renteria, who was fired after finishing second in the American League Manager of the Year voting. The candidate pool is limited now that all managerial vacancies have been filled and would leave owner Jerry Reinsdorf searching for his third manager in as many months — this time while likely needing a much more expansive process than the one that landed on La Russa.

The Brewers’ top priority this winter — upgrade the offense

The Milwaukee Brewers are calling other teams searching for offensive upgrades, sources said, and have indicated a willingness to deal from their pitching surplus.

The Brewers’ offensive woes are well documented. Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura struggled. Omar Narváez and Luis Urías, who general manager David Stearns acquired to replace Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas as part of a payroll decrease, failed to live up to expectations. The result was the unit ranking 26th in runs (247) and 24th in OPS (.702) while ranking second-worst in baseball in strikeouts (582).

Stearns has been creative addressing holes on his roster in previous years and this offseason figures to be no different. But there are some in the organization who believe that first and third bases should be the priority, with one team official saying: “Look at the players good teams have at the corners of the infield. We aren’t even close.”

Justin Smoak, who entered 2020 as the Brewers’ first baseman, lasted 33 games before being designated for assignment. Urias was the primary third baseman and hit .239/.308/.294 with zero home runs and 11 RBI. Right now, their only internal options at first and third bases are former All-Star Daniel Vogelbach, Jace Peterson and Urías.

Financial constraints seemingly will take the Brewers out of the market for the top free agents, meaning it could prove difficult for Stearns to make the necessary upgrades. The team envisions Yelich and Hiura bouncing back. The return of Lorenzo Cain, who opted out after the 2020 season started, should help. But if the Brewers go bargain shopping once again, the offense could end up looking a lot like it did in 2020.

The Brewers are listening on Josh Hader

The Brewers “intend to listen” to offers for All-Star reliever Josh Hader, according to sources.

Naturally, the Brewers will want a lucrative return for a player they consider the best left-handed reliever in baseball. Hader, 27, ranks in the top two percent in baseball in strikeout rate (39.7 percent) in the top four percent in hard hit rate (26.5 percent). While his fastball velocity has dropped (95.5 mph in 2019; 94.5 mph in 2020), he was dominant for most of the season except for two outings against the Cubs and Pirates that accounted for six of his eight runs allowed.

It makes sense for the Brewers to consider moving Hader. He is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $5.1 million in arbitration and that number will continue to rise until he’s a free agent in 2024. Trading Hader now would maximize his value and allow the Brewers to use the extra money to upgrade their lineup.

The Yankees, Dodgers, Padres and Mets are among the teams to show previous interest in Hader, sources said. But with most teams looking to lower payroll and hoard cheap, controllable assets, the market for Hader could be more limited than in years past.

The Blue Jays are interested in George Springer

The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to make a splash this offseason. They made the first move in free agency, signing Robbie Ray to a one-year deal worth $8 million, and remain active on the market, with general manager Ross Atkins telling reporters: “If we were to move earlier, the impact would be significant. And that doesn’t take us out of significant impact later.”

The Blue Jays are interested in George Springer, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported, and are said to “love” the free-agent outfielder.

It is unlikely that Springer, 31, will land a deal as long as Bryce Harper (13 years) or Manny Machado (10 years). MLB Trade Rumors projected Springer will land a five-year, $125 million contract. And as one executive said, “He’s the kind of player I’d have no issue giving $20+ million (per year). His makeup is off the charts.”

It’s why the Blue Jays have identified Springer as an ideal fit in their search to upgrade the offense and improve their up-the-middle defense. And their interest in Springer and early aggressiveness on the free-agent market indicates that they believe they can build off their success in 2020.

Around the horn:

• Free-agent right-handed pitcher Chase Anderson is drawing interest from several teams, according to sources.
• Free-agent pitcher Martin Perez is drawing interest from multiple teams, but no deal is imminent, sources said. Perez could land a deal in the same vicinity as Robbie Ray’s one-year, $8 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Veteran pitcher Eric Jokisch, who last pitched with the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks, is considering a return to MLB. He just finished his second season in Korea and won the KBO ERA title this year. He is said to be “drawing a bunch of interest.” The market for American-Born players who went to the KBO has increased in recent years, with Josh Lindblom and Merrill Kelly, among others, landing multi-year deals.