Chicago White Sox Rumors: Team To Approach Zach Wheeler After Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal Deals

The Chicago White Sox have been really busy this offseason. With plenty of 2020 salary available to spend, the White Sox have already signed two big names to big contracts and may have another in the pipeline.

Jose Abreu first signed the one-year qualifying offer for $17.8 million with Chicago at the deadline to either accept or reject such contracts. He has subsequently inked a new three-year pact with the only MLB team he has ever played for and will earn some $50 million over the life of the deal. The contract, of course, replaces the qualifying offer.

Next up came superstar free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal. The two sides finalized terms on a four-year contract worth $73 million to bring the former Milwaukee Brewer to the Windy City. These two deals have shored up the White Sox line up, especially in terms of power.

Grandal has slugged 20 or more home runs in each of the last four seasons and Abreu led the American League with 123 RBIs in 2019. The first-baseman has also tallied at least 25 home runs and 100 RBIs in five of his first six seasons in MLB.

With both of those deals set, the Chicago White Sox can now turn to another area of need: starting pitching. This winter’s free agent pitching market revolves around two names, Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.

While there are a number of other names, these two will be at the top of the wish list of almost any club in the pitching market. One of the few who are not expected to make a move is the White Sox, who already had too many areas of need to justify a big-time contract to either Cole or Strasburg.

As such, Chicago is reportedly one of the front-runners to land free agent Zach Wheeler, formerly of the New York Mets. According to Andy Martino of SNY, other suitors of Wheeler include the Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins.

While both the Angels and Padres are expected to compete in the Cole-Strasburg sweepstakes, the Twins are not. This means that Zach Wheeler could potentially sign with a new team without neither California club having the chance to make an offer.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has the need and payroll to sign Wheeler. The White Sox will surely face competition to sign the former Met but count on them being in the thick of the pursuit of Zach Wheeler.