If it wasn't clear after the additions of Zach Duke and Adam LaRoche, it's definitely clear after the latest addition:
The Chicago White Sox are going for it in 2015.
While most of the buzz on the rumor mill Monday night had the White Sox nearing a trade with the Oakland A's for Jeff Samardzija, they ended up completing a different deal first. As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox have a new closer in the person of David Robertson:
According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the now-former New York Yankees closer's contract with the White Sox is worth $46 million.
So though many scoffed at his desire to match Jonathan Papelbon's four-year, $50 million contract—a record for a mere relief pitcher—Robertson only fell $4 million short. Not bad for a guy with ties to draft-pick compensation in a market that only gave Andrew Miller $36 million over four years.
Of course, the White Sox aren't losing a first-round pick, as their No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft is protected. And while there are quips to be made about the White Sox paying a "proven closer" premium for Robertson, the truth is this is hardly the worst overpay in baseball history.
Why? Let's just say I'm with Chuck Garfien of CSN Chicago on this one:
He's not wrong, you know.
According to FanGraphs, Chicago's bullpen was the third-worst in the American League in 2014 with a 4.38 ERA. And of the team's 89 losses, its bullpen accounted for an MLB-high 32 of them.
Without question, Robertson can help.
The 29-year-old right-hander wasn't the most flawless closer last year, as he saved 39 games in 44 chances with a modest 3.08 ERA. But even those numbers resemble an upgrade for a White Sox club that basically didn't have a closer in 2014.
And it bears mentioning that the basic numbers might not do Robertson justice. By FanGraphs WAR, he tied for the 13th-highest WAR among relievers last year. Furthermore, here's Dave Cameron of FanGraphs with a note on how Robertson will fit into the White Sox's bullpen from a WAR perspective in 2015:
The White Sox bullpen was a huge problem. Overall, our forecast had the entire group being worth +0.3 WAR, the second worst collection of relievers in baseball. David Robertson immediately changes that calculation, given that he’s forecast for +1.8 WAR in 65 innings pitched. Adding Robertson to the White Sox group pushes them from something like worst in the league to middle of the pack. He’s that good.
Going from the lowest of the low to the middle of the pack is quite the leap, and I'll wager the White Sox bullpen might take an even bigger jump in 2015.
Consider the other big addition to Chicago's bullpen: Zach Duke. FanGraphs' projections only have the left-hander down for 0.7 WAR in 2015, which is 0.6 less WAR than he posted on his way to a 2.45 ERA in 2014. I'm of the mind that's actually a repeatable performance. With a sinker that gets ground balls, a curveball that misses bats and an ability to get right-handed batters out, Duke is the real deal.
Mind you, Chicago's bullpen outside of Duke and Robertson is shaky. But the White Sox can rest easy knowing they should at least have a shutdown duo working the eighth and ninth innings. That's something that can go a long way in the regular season and even more so in the postseason.
Which brings us to the big question: Now that their bullpen has gotten a major patch job, are the White Sox ready to contend in 2015?
I hesitate to say yes, as right now the White Sox still have a fair number of holes surrounding their new-look bullpen.
They have a serious need for starting pitching depth. And though LaRoche is a solid complement for Jose Abreu in the middle of Chicago's lineup, that FanGraphs has the White Sox projected in the lower third of MLB for position player WAR in 2015 isn't misleading. They're lacking in upside at several positions.
But then again, who says the White Sox are done?
After closing the deal with Robertson on Monday night, all signs point toward the White Sox closing a deal for Samardzija next. After initially reporting that the A's and White Sox were on the verge of a trade, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com later reported that, while not yet official, a deal is "agreed to."
Assuming that trade does eventually go through, the White Sox will be adding Samardzija to a starting rotation that already has Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. Slot Samardzija in between the two of them, and you're looking at a rotation trio with three of the top 15 starters in MLB in 2014 by WAR.
So all told, it's easy to be enthusiastic about the offseason the White Sox are having. In adding LaRoche, they've given Abreu some much-needed support in the lineup. In adding Robertson and Duke, they've upgraded their bullpen from one of the league's worst to potentially one of the league's best. If Samardzija is indeed coming aboard next, that bullpen will be a part of a lethal overall pitching staff.
That sounds like enough to make the White Sox contenders in an AL Central that's looking wide open at the moment. The winter market could make sure it stays that way, as the Detroit Tigers stand to lose Max Scherzer, and the Kansas City Royals stand to lose James Shields.
There are issues elsewhere in the American League, too. The Oakland A's appear to be rebuilding. The Baltimore Orioles have lost two of their best players to free agency. The Boston Red Sox have lots of hitters but still need lots of pitching. The New York Yankees are a mediocre product with a big payroll.
As such, it's hard to say the White Sox have misread the situation. The American League is practically begging them to go for it, and the White Sox are obliging.
"Whether it's a big name or an expensive piece in the rotation, the bullpen or a position player standpoint, I think it would send that type of message," general manager Rick Hahn recently said of sending a win-now message, via Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "We're very cognizant of the fact that it's nice to make headlines in December."
The White Sox are making headlines, all right. And with each new headline, they're only becoming more dangerous.
Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.
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