GLENDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 07: Liam Hendriks #31 of the Chicago White Sox pitches during a “u201cB”u201d game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 7, 2021 at Camelback Ranch in Glendale Arizona. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
The Chicago White Sox are in some new territory in 2021, considered one of the favorites to win the World Series this fall, and they have brought in some new weapons to try to do that.
The Sox, coming off their first playoff appearance since 2008, will hope to do even better this season, and here are some of the new players that will be looking to achieve that goal:
Outfielder Adam Eaton
After four seasons with the Washington Nationals, Eaton is back on the South Side, where he is expected to play plenty of right field this season. He appeared in 41 games for the Nats last season, with 17 RBI’s and a .226 batting average.
Outfielder Billy Hamilton
Hamilton has bounced around quite a bit over the last two seasons, spending last year with the Mets and Cubs as a reserve outfielder. Hamilton will be looked at as a late-inning defensive replacement and a pinch-running threat for the Sox, giving Tony La Russa another option off his bench.
Relief Pitcher Liam Hendriks
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Hendriks emerged as a dynamic closing threat in the last two seasons, racking up 39 saves in the last two years with the Oakland A’s, and now he’ll come to the South Side aiming to lock down the ninth inning for one of baseball’s most dynamic bullpens.
Infielder Jake Lamb
The White Sox were looking for a utility infielder for the 2021 season, and Lamb could potentially fit the bill after a strong finish to the season with the A’s last year. He batted .267 down the stretch with Oakland, looking more like the player he was early in his career with the Diamondbacks than the player he had been over the last two seasons.
Starting Pitcher Lance Lynn
Acquired in a trade with the Rangers, Lynn will hope to help solidify the middle portion of the White Sox rotation, a weak point in 2020. He posted a 6-3 record and a 3.32 ERA in 13 starts with the Rangers last season, and finished in the top-six of American League Cy Young voting.
Infielder Andrew Vaughn
Vaughn has been a highly-touted prospect ever since he joined the White Sox organization in 2019, and he is hoping to live up to that hype in Chicago. In three levels of minor league ball in 2019, he hit .278 with six home runs and 36 RBI’s in 245 plate appearances, posted a strong .384 on-base percentage during that time.
