The White Sox will be at a crossroads this offseason with a decision to make about improving their roster or continuing with the rebuild just to make sure the team is ready to compete in 2021. With 2020 looking less and less as a contending season, the Sox will have some choices to make to improve the production from the right field spot. This is the second edition of the series that will look at stop gap options for the team in 2020. What I mean by stop gap is that these players hold down the position while top prospect Micker Adolfo develops and then obviously relinquish that role once Adolfo is ready. It will also give them a chance at bench role in the future. With that being said, here are the players.
Charlie Tilson
Tilson is never going to be a starting major league player as he is bound to be a bench player for his MLB career. He has a lot of speed and is an excellent defender, but his bat is suspect. He was once a Top 30 prospect for the Cardinals before the Sox acquired him in 2016. That being said, to be a stop gap option, it might not be a bad idea to see what he actually can do on a regular basis and what value he could bring in the future.
Leury Garcia
Garcia has been great for the Sox in 2019, but him being a starting player in the future is unlikely. He will probably be a great bench player in the future especially with his versatility and his speed. Bringing Garcia back might actually be a logical choice, but he really is nothing more than a stop gap option. With his production in 2019, it might be wise to let him play right field until Micker Adolfo is ready to take the spot.
Daniel Palka
Palka is not major league quality. Why he is even on this list is questionable. However, that being said his power is an upside as that could really help the team with the offensive struggles the club has had in 2019. However, he is an atrocious fielder and is completely overmatched against MLB pitching. He might not even be with the team in 2020 and is very unlikely to be considered for a starting role.
Jon Jay
This might not be a bad idea to bring Jay back. Jay is a veteran player who has postseason experience and might be a competent option to have as a stop gap. He is a left handed bat and a solid defensive player, plus he's been hitting well since he has come off from an injury. The Sox are likely to seriously consider bringing him back for one more year to be the bridge to Adolfo.
Ryan Cordell
Cordell has had spurts of really good play and others that have been really bad. That being said, Cordell is nothing more than a 4/5 outfielder for any MLB squad. He does have speed and is defensively sound, but the bat has not produced like the Sox wanted him to. However, it isn't unlikely to see him get a shot to prove he can start in Spring Training, but he most likely will start the season on the bench.
Most likely to be the starter: Jay. It came down to Garcia and Jay for me, but I feel like in a rebuild any veteran experience is valued and providing a left handed bat in the lineup helps a lot too. Plus he is a competent player to have in right field as a stop gap option and could be a trade candidate too.
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