To the Contrary

Do a search on the internet, and the White Sox are—or should be—interested in any number of players, e.g., Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Trevor Rogers. At the risk of upsetting White Sox Nation, I think GM Chris Getz should consider doing addition through subtraction instead. Start with trade-deadline acquisition Luis Castillo. If the soon-to-be 34-year old righty has anything left in the tank, kudos to Sox pitching coach Zach Bove if he can tap it. But don’t hold your breath. In nine games and 31 innings under Bove’s tutelage, Castilo went 1-2 with an 8.42 ERA. I say pay Castillo the $24.15 million he’s due and move on. Hello, David Sandlin, Noah Schultz and/or Drew Thorpe. Outfielder/dh Andrew Benintendi, on the other hand, looks to have more left. The veteran hit only .240 last year but still drove in 78 runs in 421 at-bats. That said, he’ll be 33 next July, and the Sox have a slew of talent in the wings. Hello, Caleb Bonemer, Brooks Baldwin, Ryan Galanie and a whole bunch of others, including Roch Cholowsky. Benintendi will be due $15.1 million next season. If he starts off hot, keep him. Otherwise, move him, release him, once somebody looks ready to take his spot. Cutting ties with Castillo and Benintendi may not be splashy, but I say it’s the right thing to do.