The Chicago White Sox made the first big splash of MLB Free Agency on Thursday afternoon, signing former Dodgers and Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal.
Chicago's next move may not be far off.
One day after Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the White Sox were in the “leading group” to land right-handed starter Zack Wheeler, they are now expected to pursue Wheeler in earnest after reaching an agreement with Grandal.
Andy Martino of SNY reports that sources have indicated the White Sox will go hard after Wheeler:
After signing catcher Yasmani Grandal on Wednesday, the White Sox are expected to pursue free agent pitcher Zack Wheeler, according to major league sources.
Martino also notes that Wheeler has been on the radar of teams like the Yankees, though the Bronx Bombers are more intent on signing the marquee attraction in Gerrit Cole. Meanwhile, Morosi said that the Angels, Padres and Twins are the other front-runners to land Wheeler.
The White Sox may have a slight leg up especially on the Angels and Padres, who are expected to pursue the likes of Cole and Stephen Strasburg and could be phased out of Wheeler's market. The Twins, however, are in dire need of starting pitching and certainly have the payroll to offer Wheeler a lucrative deal.
Still, White Sox president Ken Williams suggested the team now has the kind of young core that merits the team's ability to spend large:
Ken Williams on the White Sox' long-term strategy: “This was all planned. Going back five years ago when we started this and started thinking about this. We get ourselves in position with our young core and we could augment it with guys like this.”
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 21, 2019
Expect the White Sox to vie for Wheeler's services to the very end.
Chicago needs pitching help, and Wheeler presents a young and intriguing option that would supplement the growth of young arms like Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease.
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