CBS Sports Suggests White Sox Should Sign This Former All Star

The Chicago White Sox are not going to compete in 2017. If the team holds on to Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu and David Robertson there's a chance they can reach their 78-84 mark of last season. However it seems incredibly unlikely that those four players end the season with the Sox. Chicago isn't necessarily "tanking", yet fans shouldn't expect to see the White Sox in the playoffs in 2017. While the team won't be competitive, it doesn't mean they won't be active in free agency. The White Sox have already signed Derek Holland to a major league contract while signing Cody Asche, Geovany Soto and Everth Cabrera to minor league contracts. The White Sox still need a field a team in 2017. Players like Asche and Soto fill holes left by prior trades. Roster Resource has both Asche and Soto as projected starters for the club. Holland, on the other hand, represents a bounce-back type free agent. He has succeeded in the past, but has struggled due to injuries recently. If he can prove that he still has some gas left in the tank, not only will he be a worthwhile acquisition for the White Sox, but he could become a trade piece at the Trade Deadline. The White Sox will more likely than not sign at least one more MLB free agent. Fan Rag Sports Jon Heyman reported earlier this offseason that the team was interested in a power bat. Chicago should be targeting players who have succeeded in the past, and could be traded at the deadline. That way the White Sox could add more prospects towards their future playoff run. While the free agent will perform in 2017, the end goal is adding a talented prospect who could perform greater in the future.

Recently Mike Axisa of CBS Sports wrote an article detailing the best landing spots for the remaining free agent sluggers. Some fits included Pedro Alvarez to the Rangers, Chris Carter to the Rockies and Mark Reynolds to the Rays.

As for the Chicago White Sox, Axisa suggested that the team should sign Brandon Moss. Axisa wrote:

Yes, the White Sox are rebuilding. They also have a massive opening at designated hitter and a need for corner outfield depth too. Brandon Moss can solve both roster problems, and as an added bonus, he could serve as trade bait at midseason. A year ago Moss hit 28 home runs with a .225/.300/.484 (105 OPS+) batting overall, including .223/.303/.525 (120 OPS+) against righties. The ChiSox have nothing to gain by playing Cody Asche, their current projected starter, at DH. Moss might at least slug his way into some trade value.

Moss has been in the MLB for the past 10 years, playing for the Red Sox, Pirates, Phillies, Athletics, Indians and Cardinals. In his 898 career games, Moss has hit .241 with 138 home runs and 423 RBIs. He was named to the 2014 All Star Game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEH4O6E31jQ Moss would likely be the team's starting right fielder going into 2017. He would offer the team a spark of power in the middle of the lineup. A 3-4-5 of Frazier, Abreu and Moss would be one of the most dangerous in the MLB. While Moss' signing would likely give some fans playoff hopes, there is a very small chance he makes it the whole season with the Sox. He offers not only a power bat, but positional versatility. A team in the middle of their playoff push could certainly make a move for a first baseman/outfielder with power. Moss would provide veteran leadership for however long he is on the White Sox. The former Cardinal would be able to mentor some of the team's younger stars. That experience could help in the development of Chicago's top prospects. It is not yet known if Moss would be interested in signing with the White Sox. But he has seen a lack of interest on the free agent market. He could look to sign a one year deal with a team option. That would allow him to prove that he still has gas left in the tank, making teams more willing to trade/sign him. The Chicago White Sox have been focused on trading their top stars for future prospects. But adding Brandon Moss gives the team yet another vital trade piece. As the team builds for the future, Brandon Moss could be the perfect signing for the White Sox. His 2017 production and veteran leadership would be sweet, but the trade package the South Siders receive for the former All Star would be even sweeter.   Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14