GLENDALE, Ariz. — The White Sox’ lineup for 2024 doesn’t pack a lot of punch from top to bottom. There are pockets, including a Luis Robert-Yoan Moncada-Eloy Jimenez conglomerate that, when healthy, could be something good.
Problem is, what was in large part supposed to be the core of an offense assembled in the recent rebuild has been unable to stay healthy all at once.
Jimenez hit 31 homers his rookie year in 2019. Moncada hit .315/.367/.548 with a .915 OPS and 25 homers that year, his best. Robert’s rookie year was 2020, and he became an All-Star last season after being limited to 68 and 98 games his previous two seasons because of injuries.
Jimenez signed a six-year, $43 million contract in 2019, Robert a six-year, $50 million deal in 2020, and Moncada is in the final year of a five-year, $70 million deal paying him $25 million this season. Largely because of injuries to all three and an appendectomy for Jimenez last season, the bang for this trio’s buck has been lacking.
They know it, the organization knows it and fans know it. Once darlings of the rebuild, Moncada’s and Jimenez’s fan clubs have leveled off or shrunk.
On the first full-squad workout day at Camelback Ranch, however, there was talk — as expected in spring training — of Robert, Moncada and Jimenez putting a good season together, finally.
The Sox’ only position-player star, Robert noticed Moncada being motivated already at the end of last season when he finished an injury-plagued campaign with steady production. And Jimenez, who this winter predicted 40 home runs for himself, if healthy, is going to join Robert in carrying the lineup this season, Robert said.
“We both are going to carry this team,” he remarked through a translator, “and do everything together for this team.”
Moncada joining in would be, well, nice.
“That’s going to be one of the keys for us,” Robert said. “Unfortunately, that has hurt us the last couple of years. We haven’t been able to play with our full lineup.”
If they’re healthy, the results will be there, Robert promised.
“That’s definitely a big key for us,” he said.
And a big if. Robert playing 145 games last season felt like 185. Jimenez said the trio’s goal is to play 150 each.
“Obviously, these guys are incredibly talented, right?” manager Pedro Grifol said after the first full-squad workout. “And they’re a big part of our lineup. So it’s important for these guys to stay healthy. But listening to our trainers today talking about the physicals and our strength and conditioning, about their physicality and how they reported to camp, I’m really pleased with not just how they look, but how physical they are. They obviously put some good work in this offseason.”
Perhaps it was “losing as many games as we did last year,” Robert said, that motivated them. Perhaps it’s Moncada being in a contract year, or in Jimenez’s case, having a $16.5 million club option for next season.
In any case, “we learned from last year, and we are going to perform at a better level,” Robert promised.
The Sox ranked near the bottom in numerous offensive categories last season, so they had better. Robert, Moncada and Jimenez in particular. Along with Andrew Vaughn, that’s where the punch is stirred.
“We are in the middle of the lineup,” Jimenez said. “And every time we are together, we can help more than being on the bench, watching the game. So, for me, that’s the biggest challenge, being together day by day.”
