3 Players the Rangers Should Poach From the White Sox This Offseason
The Chicago White Sox sent shockwaves through the baseball world Tuesday when they fired both executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn. The move was a long time coming considering that the White Sox are set to miss the playoffs for the 13th time in the last 15 seasons.
Williams and Hahn's terminations mean that Chicago is likely heading for a rebuild this offseason. If the Texas Rangers are smart, they'll use this situation to poach key players that could help them remain World Series threats in 2024.
According to Spotrac, approximately $82.6 million in salary will be coming off the Rangers' books this offseason. That gives general manager Chris Young more than enough room to take some of the White Sox's players off their hands.
Here's a look at three Chicago players that Texas needs to poach this winter.
3 Rangers Offseason Targets on White Sox
1. Eloy Jimenez, DH/OF
I won't be surprised if Eloy Jimenez is the first White Sox player moved this offseason.
Following a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 22, Jimenez told reporters after the game that his Chicago teammates are "not really" stepping up to become leaders amid the club's struggles. That doesn't exactly sound like someone who's happy in the Windy City.
Eloy Jiménez about if the White Sox players are talking about stepping up to be leaders: “Not really.”
— Bloop Curve (@BloopCurve) August 23, 2023
Postgame transmission was wild 🫣
(via @NBCSWhiteSox)pic.twitter.com/404eWholnw
Even with injuries plaguing him once again this season, the 26-year-old veteran still has 14 home runs and 51 RBIs while slashing .277/.321/.451 across 328 at-bats. At his current pace, he'd have about 26 HRs and 96 RBIs in a 162-game campaign.
Although Robbie Grossman has been decent in a designated hitter/outfield role, he's turning 34 in September before becoming a free agent this offseason. Replacing him with Jimenez would not only make the Rangers younger, but better as well.
The added bonus is that Jimenez only carries a $13.8 million base salary in 2024 with team options in both 2025 ($16.5 million) and 2026 ($18.5 million). Keeping him under team control for at least three years would help extend Texas' championship window.
It might cost a couple of decent prospects to land him, but adding Jimenez's presence to the Rangers' 2024 lineup would be a massive win.