2016 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Chicago White Sox

Will Todd Frazier’s poor performance after the 2015 All-Star break continue this season?

With Opening Day on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at members of the AL Central. Let’s start with the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox were a disaster in 2015.

After signing Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche, the Sox won just 76 games and missed the postseason for the seventh consecutive year. This year’s team looks much different, however, and White Sox fans have reasons to believe their team can contend for the division title.

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Projected Lineup:

Note that manager Robin Ventura will likely shuffle the lineup throughout the season.

Projected Rotation:

The White Sox possess one of the better starting rotations in the American League. Sale is one of baseball’s best left-handers and a legitimate 20-win, Cy Young Award candidate. In 2015, he set a franchise record with 274 strikeouts.

Quintana has been rock solid since entering the league in 2012. His career ERA is 3.46, and he made 25 quality starts last season, the seventh most in Major League Baseball.

The Sox’s most intriguing pitcher, however, is Rodon. Rodon was drafted third overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. He started 23 games last season and finished with a 3.75 ERA.

What’s important to know about Rodon is how he finished. In his last eight starts, Rodon went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA.

If healthy, Latos could prove to be a great signing for the White Sox. From 2010-13, Latos went 51-35 with a 3.27 ERA with the Reds and Padres. In 2014, Latos suffered injuries in his elbow and knee, which cut his season to just 16 games.

Last season, Latos was mediocre at best. He started 21 games and posted a ho-hum ERA of 4.95. Given the White Sox’s history of keeping their players healthy, this could turn out to be a great fit for both parties.

As it stands, Danks will begin the season as the White Sox’s fifth starter. Don’t be surprised, however, if Robin Ventura turns to Erik Johnson. Johnson posted an ERA of 3.34 in six starts for the Sox last season.

Projected Bullpen:

Stud: José Abreu (1B)
It’s hard to imagine Abreu not having another successful season in a White Sox uniform. Since entering the league in 2014, Abreu possesses a 162-game average of .303/36 HR/113 RBI. He may battle minor injuries throughout the season, but there’s no reason to believe he will regress.

With Frazier hitting behind him, Abreu is likely to hit a career-high in runs scored. Expert Consensus Rankings show Abreu being selected in the second round.

Bounce Back: Adam LaRoche (DH)
LaRoche was a tough pill to swallow for fantasy owners last season. After hitting .259/26/92 for the Nationals in 2014, LaRoche posted a line of .207/12/44.

Luckily, however, LaRoche will likely be the White Sox’s full-time DH and receive upwards of 400 at-bats. While LaRoche’s best days are likely behind him, it shouldn’t be a surprise if he hits 20+ home runs and increases his batting average.

Sleeper: Carlos Rodon (SP)
Rodon could make a huge impact for the White Sox in 2016. As I mentioned earlier, Rodon finished exceptionally in 2015. He went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA. Rodon did struggle with walks, however. Rodon’s ADP currently sits at 181, but 80 percent of experts rank him better than his ADP.

Bust: Todd Frazier (3B)
Frazier is on ‘bust watch’ for two reasons. One, Frazier was trending down at the end of 2015. In the first half of last season, Frazier posted a stat line of .284/25/57. After the break, Frazier was a different player, hitting just .220/10/32.

Did participating in the Home Run Derby hinder his swing? Maybe.

The second reason has to do with the trend of recent White Sox signings. In 2010, the White Sox signed Adam Dunn to a four-year, $56 million deal after he mashed 38 home runs in back-to-back seasons with the Washington Nationals. In his first season with the Sox, Dunn hit an abysmal .159/11/42. He was actually on pace to post the worst single season batting average in MLB history before being benched by Ozzie Guillen.

Similarly, LaRoche hit just 12 home runs for the Sox, last season, after hitting 26 in 2014. While this is likely a fluke, White Sox fans have the memories fresh in their minds.

Late-Round Flier: Avisail Garcia (RF)
Garcia was a huge disappointment for the White Sox in 2015. The six-foot-four-inch, 240-pound right fielder hit just .259/13/59. He struggled to catch up with fastballs throughout the season and made everyone question whether or not he deserved to be the starter.

Since Rick Hahn failed to make any outfield moves, he remains the starter. There’s no doubt that Garcia has potential. In 2013, he was given 161 at-bats and hit .304/7/29.

Garcia’s starting role is his to lose. If he pans out, Garcia could be the steal of the draft and possibly a 20+ home run hitter. Remember, he’s only 24.

Prospect to Watch: Tim Anderson (SS)
Anderson is the White Sox’s top prospect. The 22-year-old plays shortstop and was drafted 17^th overall by the Sox in the 2013 MLB Draft.

Even though Anderson has never played Triple-A ball, the Sox are mightily thin at shortstop meaning his progression could speed up. Don’t be surprised if Anderson finds himself in the majors around the All-Star break.

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Joe Barca is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @BarkyCat.