On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox free-agent hopes were dashed as they missed out on two of their pitching targets. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves while Zach Wheeler signed a five-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Although the Sox missed out on their targets, they still have an opportunity and need to sign the top free agent available in Gerrit Cole.
Although the White Sox offered more money to Wheeler, he took less money to sign with Philadelphia for less money due to family considerations. Chicago offer was for five years at 120 million dollars which would have been the largest contract in team history. Missing out on both Wheeler and Hamels hurts because the starting staff still lacks a proven, veteran pitcher.
Cole is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, if not the best. In 2019, he had the lowest ERA in baseball at 2.50 and the most strikeouts with 326. Cole also is one of the most durable and consistent pitchers as he topped over 200 innings in four of the last five seasons and has finished in the top five for Cy Young voting three times since 2015.
The White Sox need an ace like Cole to lead their up-and-coming starting rotation that features Lucas Giolitio, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, and Michael Kopech. Giolito finished sixth in the Cy Young voting for his impressive 2019 season and was named to his first All-Star game. Cease and Kopech are both young, but have the potential to be front of the rotation starters. Lopez has struggled at times over the last two seasons but can be dangerous if he learns how to be consistent. The problem for the White Sox is that they do not have a pitcher who is over the age of 26 and who has pitched over 200 innings.
Chicago is in desperate need of a blockbuster free-agent signing to change the way they are perceived around the league. Following the free agency debacle in 2018, they made progress this offseason signing catcher Yasmani Grandal a few weeks ago. Signing Cole would be that much-needed signing that would change how the White Sox are viewed and show that they are more than ready to compete going forward.
Money should not be an issue for the team as they have their young core locked up through 2024. With a young core of players that features Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, and Andrew Vaughn, Chicago can be a highly marketable and successful team. That means an increase in ticket sales and merchandise which could help offset the costs of signing a pitcher like Cole.
It would also increase the team's presence nationally as with a stack starting rotation and potent lineup, Chicago would see an increase in primetime and nationally televised games. Signing Cole could also change how other potential free agents view the city and the team leading to easier negotiations.
Missing out on Wheeler and Hamels is unfortunate because the White Sox were doing their best to pursue both of them. They should transfer that focus to Cole because although he would be a pricy signing, he would pay off for them. Chicago has a chance to make the most of a bad situation, and go for it all by breaking the bank on the best pitcher on the market.
