Catching up on White Sox roster moves: Encarnacion, Garcia, Gonzalez, etc.

Leury Garcia

The White Sox made several roster moves over the weekend. Let's get caught up:

• Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion's $12 million club option was declined.
• Utility player Leury Garcia's $3.5 million club option was picked up.
• Left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez had his $7 million club option declined.
• Infielder Yolmer Sanchez was placed on waivers and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles.
• Right-handed pitcher Michael Kopech was reinstated from the restricted list.
• Right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lambert was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list.

The series of moves leaves the Sox's 40-man roster at 36 players.

There aren't many surprises on this list. The 37-year-old Encarnacion might retire after a struggling year -- if he wants to play in 2021, he might need to sign a minor-league deal and try to make a roster out of spring training.

Gonzalez was a combination of hurt and bad in 2020, and with Kopech and Lambert returning to the active roster, they join a back-of-the-rotation logjam that includes Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning -- and possibly Reynaldo Lopez, if he's tendered a contract. That makes Gonzalez expendable. 

Garcia's option being picked up is the only move here that some may disagree with. We discussed it earlier on this blog: We cited Garcia's option and Alex Colome's impending free agency as being among the tougher roster calls the Sox had/have on their plate this offseason.

Turns out, Sox brass feels Garcia's ability to play multiple positions -- in both the infield and the outfield -- switch-hit and pinch-run makes him worth the $3.5 million.

Garcia has shown he can play that role, but the question mark with him is not his performance. It is his health. Garcia was limited to 16 games and 59 at-bats in 2020 because he tore ligaments in his left thumb with an ill-advised slide into first base. This is a player who is good for at least one trip to the injured list every year.

Because of that, you could make the case (and I have) that the Sox would have been better off buying out Garcia for $250,000, saving that money and allowing Adam Engel and Danny Mendick to be the key bench players at a cheaper price. I would not have objected at all had the Sox gone that route, provided that $3.5 million was invested wisely in roster improvements elsewhere.

However, here's the argument for keeping Garcia: Shortstop Tim Anderson also is good for one trip to the injured list pretty much every year. It's not uncommon to see Anderson miss a couple of weeks here and there for a strained groin or a turned ankle, and when that happens, Garcia is a guy you want around to play shortstop.

I like Mendick's defense at second base and third base. His hands are good, and he turns the double play acceptably well when he's at second base. However, he doesn't have the athleticism Garcia has, which limits his range at shortstop, and Garcia also possesses a stronger arm.

If and when Anderson needs to sit out, Garcia is a better choice at shortstop than Mendick. Garcia costs more, sure, but the Sox have apparently decided that price is worth it.