3 Chicago White Sox we're glad will be gone by spring training

The 2024 season was quite a historic one for the Chicago White Sox. Instead of having a historic season for anything positive, the White Sox's 2024 season was historically bad. Chicago finished the season with the worst record in modern day baseball history and it probably should have been much worse.

The White Sox decided to hold onto their best players instead of dealing them in blockbuster trades. Not just their best players by a slim margin either. Chicago held onto Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., the two players that were by far Chicago's most talented. If they instead opted to trade these two stars, they could have and likely would have lost a lot more games.

Still, there are multiple players that Chicago will cut ties with this winter. Which players will the Chicago faithful be happy to see go this offseason?

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3. INF Andrew Vaughn

There's going to be a theme to this list. The theme is going to be players that Chicago could and should trade to bring back some value for the future. None of these deals will make the White Sox better right now, but they're so far from contending right now that it's not even worth it to try.

The first player on the list is infielder Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn was one of the only positive WAR players on the team, posting a .246/.297/.402 slash line with 19 home runs and a 99 OPS+. Vaughn isn't a superstar, but he still holds a bit of value. Right now, the White Sox need to do anything in their power to add value for the future.

Trading Vaughn likely wouldn't net a huge return, but it would net a return. It would also clear up a spot on the roster and on the field for a young player to come up and play instead of sitting in the minor leagues.

It's not a move that many have speculated on and it might not even be a move that Chicago is considering, but it's one that would definitely make sense for the White Sox to look into if they want to squeeze every ounce of value out of Vaughn.

2. OF Luis Robert Jr.

The White Sox were heavily speculated to trade outfielder Luis Robert Jr. at the trade deadline, but they ultimately decided to hold onto him because of the injury-filled down year that he was having. They were also asking for a huge return for the young outfielder, one that nobody in the league was willing to come close to biting on. But you can't blame them for trying.

Still, Robert is expected to be traded this winter. And the White Sox will likely receive a big haul in return. It won't be the Juan Soto esque trade package that they were hoping to get during the 2024 season, but it'll definitely push their farm system in the right direction.

Chicago is rumored to be searching for young position players in return for Robert, so if they're able to grab a top 100 prospect or two along with other solid prospects, their farm system could slowly approach the top of the league in terms of depth and talent.

White Sox fans won't be happy to see him go because he's still incredibly talented, but they'll be very happy with the return that he brings back.

1. LHP Garrett Crochet

I could have just lumped starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in with Robert, but I'll keep them separate. They are better off separate because Robert was held onto last season to see his value increase. The White Sox held onto Crochet because teams were worried about his health down the stretch.

Now, Crochet has a full season with over 30 starts under his belt. He's proved that he can pitch an entire year without his arm falling apart or running out of gas, so his value may be even higher than it was at the trade deadline. When the top free-agent pitchers come off the market, I expect Crochet's trade market to heat up quite a bit for the teams left without pitching.

Crochet isn't likely to be interested in extending his deal with Chicago, so trading him as soon as possible would be the best decision for the White Sox. If they deal him at the perfect time to a team that missed out on signing an ace, the White Sox could receive a massive haul in return. There's a chance they could land Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm alongside a package of prospects.

Moving Crochet is crucial to the White Sox's offseason. Just like Robert, the fans won't be happy to see him leave, but they will love the return that comes to town.