White Sox Offseason Needs: Right Field, Stop Gap Edition

This will be a series spanning over three articles over one positional need as this is the second of three. This will be the first series as there are some other positional needs the White Sox will need to fill during the offseason, but this second one will cover the need for right field. This one will look at the stop gap options as there might be some players already on the roster/minor leagues who could fill the role in 2021. This doesn't mean the Sox will go this way, but if they were, here are some of the options.

Adam Engel

Engel had a breakthrough of sorts in 2020. He platooned with Nomar Mazara and that might've been what helped Engel be as good as he was this past season. He played in 36 games with 93 plate appearances, but he took advantage of those opportunities and played well. Engel slashed .295/.333/.477 with three home runs and 11 RBIs, but it's his advanced statistics that speak more volumes as he had a 122 wRC+ and a .347 wOBA. His BABIP was even .348. However, part of that success has a lot to do with hitting left handed pitchers well, something the entire Sox lineup did in 2020. Engel hit .303 with a home run and seven RBIs against southpaws, but what looks even better was his advanced statistics as he had a .343 OBP, .424 slugging percentage, .334 wOBA, and 114 wRC+. Despite being in the lineup to hit lefties, he also hit right handers decently as well. Engel slashed .291/.328/.509 with two home runs and five RBIs, plus had a .354 wOBA, 128 wRC+, and a .378 BABIP. Engel also is a great defender which adds to his value and has great speed. All those numbers might suggest he should've been the starter in 2020, however, while clearly valuable as a bench player, whether he should have a starting role is debatable.

Nomar Mazara

Mazara was acquired because of his upside as general manager Rick Hahn proclaimed him to have "untapped potential" after four seasons where he struggled to establish himself in the majors. However, he did have power as he hit roughly 20 home runs per campaign, a big step from the production the Sox got from any of their right fielders in 2019. Mazara started 2020 on the injured list with a sickness (later to be revealed as strep and not COVID-19), but his season was less than stellar as he slashed .228/.295/.294 with one home run and 15 RBIs in 42 games played (149 plate appearances), plus a .267 wOBA and 68 wRC+. While his left handed bat was supposed to hit right handers well, he didn't (however, he did hit nicely against southpaws ironically). While there are some who said that this season might have been a fluke for Mazara as it wasn't a normal 162 game campaign, the numbers don't help his cause. Mazara had a better "first half", however, he actually hit some what well in his last two weeks of the season and looked good in the postseason. That might've suggested that he was heating up, but that will always be a debate. If he was heating up towards the end of the season, it might be worth keeping him. The Sox do have another year of control left on his contract, but the front office could still non-tender him a contract. It will be interesting to see what they do with Mazara.

Leury Garcia

Garcia has proven the last two seasons that he can hit. It might've taken him a while, but he seems to have finally figured it out. He also provides versatility as he can play middle infield and in the outfield, plus he could be used as a pinch runner/hitter and be the designated hitter from time to time. There's a lot to like about Garcia, though injuries in 2020 made him a big loss to the team. However, he was able to return for the playoffs and that was huge for the Sox. He might be better off being a starting player in the middle infield instead as having him in right field defensively doesn't seem like a good idea. He no doubt can play it, but that's a very demanding position. That being said, in the limited time Garcia played in 2020, his bat might be a good reason to make him the stop gap option. In 16 games (63 plate appearances), Garcia slashed .271/.317/.441 with three home runs and eight RBIs, plus a .326 wOBA and 109 wRC+. That's pretty decent and as a switch hitter, so that suggests that having his bat in the lineup every day might be an option. While he undoubtedly is good depth and great off the bench, Garcia is a nice fallback plan.

Nicky Delmonico

Ok, Delmonico probably is not a serious candidate here. That being said, he needs to show a lot of improvements in camp and have an outstanding spring training to prove that he could be that stop gap option. However, unlikely that is and how much of a long shot he might be, Delmonico at least should be given an opportunity to prove he's the guy. It's also unlikely the Sox go the stop gap route, so that makes his chances very close to zero. In 2020, Delmonico slashed .150/.227/.150 with three RBIs in six games (22 plate appearances). His advanced statistics doesn't help his case either as his wOBA was .184 and his wRC+ and abysmal 11. While he has a chance to earn a bench role as he hits left handed and has pop, his bad numbers and terrible defensive skills, however "versatile" he might be, hurts his chances to even make the club out of camp. It's an extremely long shot for Delmonico to make the team, let alone be the stop gap option.

Most likely to be the starter: Engel/Mazara platoon. Sure, the numbers for Engel are demonstrably better than Mazara, there's a lot to factor into here. Despite Mazara's "untapped potential", he can hit the pits out of the ball and has higher upside than Engel. Engel hits left handers well and Mazara should hit better in a full season against righties and that makes the platoon even more dangerous. Engel hasn't proven that he can be an everyday player yet and in a contention mode, you don't want to see if he can, though he clearly has been a better hitter than he was in the past. Now, it's unlikely they go the stop gap route, but if that's what it comes down to, this is what should be done. However, if they get a player who can play everyday and you have a choice at keeping one of these two for the bench, Engel has to be kept over Mazara. Not even a debate.