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Deep Dive: Free agent shortstops

Shortstop is well in hand for the White Sox looking ahead to 2020, but hey, here are four free agent shortstops for you to peruse anyway.
Eric Colclasure|

Armed and dangerous: Despite an injury-riddled season, Didi takes no back seat to anyone in this tiny free-agent class of shortstops. (@DidiG18)

“Deep Dive” focuses on the depth of each position in the Chicago White Sox organization. Each position is broken into a five-part series:

  1. Depth in the rookie levels (Dominican through Great Falls)
  2. Depth in A-ball (Kannapolis and Winston-Salem)
  3. Depth in the higher levels (Birmingham and Charlotte)
  4. Under the Radar-type detail on one of the White Sox players at that position
  5. Free agent options at that position

Shortstop seems to be in good shape for the White Sox in 2020, with Tim Anderson coming off the AL batting championship. Reserves are also in plentiful supply via Leury García, Yolmer Sánchez (if he returns) and Danny Mendick. With some concerns about Anderson's defense, are there any shortstops available here good enough to play the position and force Anderson to move into the outfield? There aren't many shortstops on the market this year, and the best one who would've been slated for this offseason signed an extension (Xander Boegarts). Only one shortstop (Didi Gregorius) seems capable of transplanting Anderson, and he comes with injury concerns. Nobody in this small list has qualifying offers attached to them.

(age as of April 1, 2020)

Jose Iglesias
Cincinnati Reds
B/T: R/R
2019 bWAR: 1.5
Stats: .288/.318/.407, 504 AB, 21 2B, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 6 SB, 20 BB, 70 K
Age: 30

Adeiny Hechevarria
Atlanta Braves
B/T: R/R
2019 bWAR: 0.9
Stats: .241/.299/.443, 203 AB, 12 2B, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 3 SB, 14 BB, 48 K
Other positions played: Second base, Third base
Age: 30

Didi Gregorius
New York Yankees
B/T: L/R
2019 bWAR: 0.6
Stats: .238/.276/.441, 344 AB, 14 2B, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 2 SB, 17 BB, 53 K
Age: 30

Jordy Mercer
Detroit Tigers
B/T: R/R
2019 bWAR: 0.3
Stats: .270/.310/.438, 256 AB, 16 2B, 9 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB, 13 BB, 57 K
Other positions played: Second base, First base, Third base
Age: 33

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Eric Colclasure
ERIC COLCLASURE

I'm the writer formerly known as WSM20051917. Despite my entire family being Cub fans, I grew up listening to Harry Caray and Jimmy Piersall on the radio as I listened to the entire season of the South Side Hit Men of '77. While it's true I have a myriad of other interests (American history, classic literature, classic rock, classic country, blues, jazz, gardening, family, etc.—not all in that order), few things aside from family surpass my interest in all things baseball — especially the White Sox.

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