5 Chicago White Sox players who won’t be on the roster next season
After the Chicago White Sox won 93 games and the AL Central division back in 2021, it felt like they'd be at the top of what appeared to be a weak division for years to come. Unfortunately, not all things go to plan.
An 81-81 season in 2022 was followed by a disastrous 2023. The White Sox have fired their GM Rick Hahn among several front office moves, and will field a team that looks entirely different in 2024.
Chicago has some pieces to build around like Luis Robert Jr. and Dylan Cease. Even if the right move might be to trade one or both of them in exchange for prospects to rebuild the franchise around, it feels highly unlikely that new GM Chris Getz actually trades one of those stars. With that being said, there're several others who are on the team right now who won't be in 2024.
1) Yasmani Grandal will not be on the White Sox roster next season
James McCann broke out for the White Sox as their primary catcher in 2019, hitting 18 home runs and making the All-Star team. Despite that great season, the White Sox opted to sign the best catcher available, Yasmani Grandal, to a lucrative four-year deal.
Grandal didn't do much in the shortened 2020 season, but showed fans why the team chose to sign him in 2021 with a really strong year. Grandal hit 23 home runs and had a .939 OPS on the year. He missed substantial time due to injuries and was limited to just 93 games, but was a big reason the team wound up winning 93 games. The White Sox were 55-38 when he played and were 38-31 when he didn't. Quite the contrast.
Unfortunately, Grandal's injury issues continued in 2022 as he played in just 99 games, but the bigger issue was his production plummeted. He had a .570 OPS that season, and while he's been healthier in 2023, he has a .654 OPS in 115 games. Grandal's defense has faltered, and his bat has been subpar.
The White Sox catcher is in the midst of the final year of his deal, and the team just traded for a pair of catching prospects at the deadline in Korey Lee and Edgar Quero who figure to both be MLB-ready at some point in 2024.
Grandal is 34, has played 100 games in a season once for the White Sox in four years, and the team has replacements already in the organization. I think both sides will want a fresh start.