No team has gotten less from its third basemen this year than the White Sox, who are reportedly in agreement with free-agent infielder Nick Senzel on a major league contract. Senzel, a client of the Boras Corporation, was released by the Nationals last week. However, even with Moncada on the injured list, the Sox are still a reasonable fit for Senzel. Chicago will need to make room on the active and 40-man rosters once the move is finalized, which might not happen until after the All-Star Break.
Along with first baseman Andrew Vaughn, the Sox have looked to Nicky Lopez, Paul DeJong, and Lenyn Sosa as their main alternatives. With 16 home runs under his belt, DeJong will almost probably be sold if the Sox can generate any kind of trade interest over the next two weeks. Lopez and Sosa have both been batters that are much below average.
Moncada and DeJong will soon be free agents. (The latter contains a $25 million club option that is undoubtedly not being used.) In his last year of arbitration, Lopez would be eligible for a raise on his $4.3M contract, making him a potential non-tender candidate. Next season, Chicago’s infield may be very different.
Although Senzel is unlikely to become a significant player on his own, Chicago is taking a little risk by considering the former No. 2 overall choice. Over his more than five MLB seasons, the former top prospect has fallen short of expectations on both sides of the ball. He has made slightly more than 1,600 big league plate appearances and is a career.235/.302/.368 hitter. The majority of that was done at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, one of the best home-hitting grounds in the league.
Maybe injuries have some part in Senzel’s output being lessened. During his stint with the Reds, he has struggled with knee and toe injuries and has never reached more than 420 plate appearances in a season. Cincinnati attempted to increase his defensive flexibility by bouncing him around the diamond, but their efforts were not very successful.
Senzel signed a $2 million free agent contract with the Nationals last winter after being non-tendered by the Reds. Returning to his usual third base position, Washington hoped that a more consistent defensive configuration would allow him to realize some of his offensive potential. That is not the way events transpired. Over 64 games, Senzel had below-average defensive ratings while hitting.209,.303, and.359. Trey Lipscomb, a rookie, will now play third base for Washington as they go on.
The bulk of Senzel’s contract is owed to the Nationals. For whatever time he plays in the major leagues, the White Sox will only pay him the prorated amount of the $740K minimum (which comes out of Washington’s commitments). Earlier in the season, Senzel exceeded the five-year service milestone. Thus, without his permission, he can no longer be transferred to the minor leagues. If he performs well enough to maintain a position on the squad through the end of the season, he will be qualified for arbitration in 2025.
Be the first to comment