It has been an offseason of change in the middle infield for the Chicago White Sox.
That has been the norm at second base, where the Sox have had a different starter at the position on opening day each of the last 11 seasons.
But it’s a new scenario at shortstop, at which Tim Anderson was the fixture for eight seasons. The two-time All-Star became a free agent after the Sox declined his $14 million club option for 2024 on Nov. 4.
The Sox took their first steps to address second base and shortstop by acquiring middle infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake on Nov. 16 as part of a six-player deal that sent reliever Aaron Bummer to the Atlanta Braves.
They signed veteran shortstop Paul DeJong to a one-year deal announced Tuesday.
“What attracted me to the White Sox was just being from the Chicago area, growing up in Antioch,” DeJong said during a videoconference call Wednesday. “Having that major-league deal really helped me decide to come here, and having family connections to the city — my great-grandparents grew up in Chicago on the South Side.”
Ahead of next week’s MLB winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., here are three questions regarding the Sox infield.
1. Are the Sox all set up the middle?
Across the board, the Sox are striving to become a more consistent defensive team. That’s especially crucial up the middle.
The Sox committed 12 errors in 2023 at second base — six by Elvis Andrus, two by Lenyn Sosa and Zach Remillard and one each by Anderson and Hanser Alberto — and 20 errors at shortstop — 14 by Anderson and six by Andrus.
DeJong and Lopez should help in that area.
Lopez, who played 49 games at second base, 29 at third and 11 at shortstop in 2023 for the Braves and the Kansas City Royals — is tied for 10th in baseball with 31 outs above average since the start of 2020 according to FanGraphs.
“You look at his defensive ratings or any sort of evaluation, it’s strong,” Getz said of the Naperville Central graduate during a Nov. 17 videoconference call.
Lopez made two errors in 277 chances during 2023 and DeJong had five in 385 chances.
“I’m excited to work with Nicky Lopez up the middle, he’s always been somebody I’ve enjoyed watching play,” DeJong said.
DeJong was a Gold Glove Award finalist at shortstop in 2019 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He ranks sixth among major-league shortstops in defensive runs saved (41) since the start of 2018.
“I really take pride in my defensive abilities,” DeJong said. “The biggest thing is the fundamentals, it’s not trying to be flashy, not trying to force things. For me it’s about making the plays and preparing, doing my work pregame, talking to the other infielders with our communication.”
Internally the Sox still have Remillard (34 games at second, four at shortstop in 2023), Romy Gonzalez (28 at second, two at shortstop before surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder ended his season) and Sosa (44 games at second). Shewmake appeared in two games at shortstop with the Braves.
The top prospect in the Sox organization is a shortstop — 2021 first-round pick Colson Montgomery. The 21-year-old finished the 2023 season at Double A and also participated in the Arizona Fall League.
How soon can Sox fans expect to see him in the big leagues?
“Colson’s a special talent,” Getz said, “and he’ll certainly let us know when he is ready.”
2. What areas will aid Andrew Vaughn’s growth?
After spending the bulk of his first two major-league seasons in the outfield, Vaughn made the move to his natural position of first base in 2023.
He established career highs in doubles (30), home runs (21) and RBIs (80) while playing in 18 more games (152) than his previous best for a season.
His weighted runs created-plus (wRC+) — which estimates a player’s offensive contribution in total runs and adjusts that number to account for external factors such as ballpark and era — was 103, according to FanGraphs. The major-league average is 100.
Vaughn did have 129 strikeouts, the second-most on the team behind Luis Robert Jr.’s 172, and the Sox are focused on patience at the plate.
“He’s a guy that you look at whether it be his underlying metrics or just his surface level production, there’s a lot to like there,” Getz said at the GM meetings Nov. 7. “He’s working his butt off this offseason, getting more athletic, more powerful.
“He’s got pretty strong zone awareness. He has the ability to put together good quality at-bats. He has to get back to being the middle-of-the-lineup type hitter that he can be, and I say that in the sense of being patient with how pitchers are attacking him and taking advantage of pitches that he can drive.”
3. Can Yoán Moncada carry the momentum from his final 2 months of the 2023 season?
Moncada had two stints on the injured list as back issues derailed a chunk of his 2023 season.
The third baseman returned July 25 and put together a solid final two months.
Moncada slashed .280/.323/.430 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in August. His numbers continued in the right direction in September when he slashed .298/.344/.560 with six home runs and 12 RBIs.
The key is to carry that late-season charge into 2024.
“You look at the last two-plus months of his offensive production, it was very impressive,” Getz said Nov. 7. “So it’s really building off that. Health is important. He had a back issue that lingered. That seems to be behind him.
“This is a big season for Yoán. We’ve seen him at his best. It’s a matter of him being consistent with it.”
