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The MLB player that is easily the easiest to root for is A.J. Pierzynski.

Wait? What? Dan Shaughnessy from the Boston Globe noted that he was voted 2012’s Most Hated Player in Baseball by fellow players in a Men’s Journal poll?

Well then. Who are the players that are the easiest to root for in MLB if Pierzynski isn’t the guy? Let’s find out.

To be sure, MLB is full of generous players with a true passion for the game and for others who may not be as fortunate in life as they have been, so this is not an all-inclusive list. It is comprised of players that I find to be the most relatable and the ones that, regardless of whom they’re playing, I look forward to watching.

Some of them are stars, while others aren’t. Some are very active in giving back to the community, while others are just classy.

Here are the 10 players that are the easiest to root for in MLB, ranked by wins above replacement.

Note: All stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are accurate as of game time on Friday, May 9.

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As the Chicago White Sox get set for their final 18 Cactus League games, several players have stood out. Some have seen their stock rise, while others have had their stock fall in advance of what is going to be a transitional season.

And make no mistake, the 2014 campaign will be one of discovery for the White Sox.

Now much of that discovery will be centered on how some newly acquired players fit into manager Robin Ventura’s system, while some will regard how prepared a handful of prospects are to take the next step in their development.

It must be noted here that guys like Adam Eaton and Alejandro De Aza will not be included in this discussion. See, even though Eaton has a 1.230 OPS and De Aza is slugging .471, they are already on the 25-man roster. Stocks don’t get much higher than that, do they?

No, they don’t, so we will look at players vying for a spot on the White Sox’s Opening Day roster or prospects who are all but assured to begin the season at Double-A or Triple-A. 

Regardless, the first three weeks of spring training have been revelatory. Let’s take a look.

Stock on the Rise

Charlie Leesman and Donnie Veal

Charlie Leesman and Donnie Veal are battling for the final spot in the bullpen, and both are pitching quite well to this point.

In four appearances covering 5.1 innings, Leesman has struck out five batters, walked one and has given up four hits. He did need 44 pitches to make it through two innings against the Kansas City Royals during his third appearance, but he has looked sharp otherwise

Veal, on the other hand, has been dominant.

In four innings, the left-hander has allowed one walk and has a 0.250 WHIP. He’s only recorded two strikeouts so far but has looked quite sharp with his location and delivery. And after last season’s mercurial performance, consistency will be the key for Veal.

One thing to consider here is that Leesman has a 9.5 opposition quality (OQ) while Veal’s OQ is a rather meager 7.6, according to Baseball-Reference. And on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being MLB-caliber hitting, that gives Leesman a slight edge. It will be interesting to see how the rest of spring training plays out for these two.

Jake Petricka

Since surrendering a two-run home run during his first appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jake Petricka has been untouchable. In his last three outings, he has four strikeouts and has thrown 19 straight pitches for strikes, according to the splits available at WhiteSox.com.

Sure Petricka’s OQ is only 7.7, but he has dominated those hitters and struck out the side against the Seattle Mariners last week. He will likely open the season at Triple-A Charlotte, but if he continues to impress, he may be the first reliever called up if someone underperforms or hits the disabled list.

Carlos Sanchez

Carlos Sanchez has been nothing short of fantastic this spring. At the plate, he is hitting .545 and has a 1.182 OPS with two stolen bases and four runs driven in. In the field, he has been fluid at second base and has spent some time at shortstop. That type of versatility will play well into his future at the major league level.

The timing couldn’t be better for Sanchez. On the heels of a disappointing campaign in 2013, he “boosted his status and expectations once again following a strong Winter League effort in Venezuela,” according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. Couple that showing with his performance to this point, and the sky is the limit for the middle infielder.

Micah Johnson

On March 6, against the Royals, Micah Johnson went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Four days later, he ran for Beckham in the sixth inning, hit a single in his only at-bat and scored two runs. It is that type of production that has many excited about his future.

Johnson simply makes the most out of whatever is presented. To top it all off, he has a 9.3 OQ, which means he is doing this damage against the players that matter. On the spring, he is hitting .556 with five hits in nine at-bats.

Stock Falling

Matt Davidson

Matt Davidson has been a disappointment. Truth be told, that is an understatement. In 19 plate appearances, the 22-year-old had two hits (both of them doubles) and one walk, while striking out three times.

To be sure, it wasn’t as though he was supposed to come in and be the best player in camp, but his swing has looked long and almost anything off-speed seems to mystify him. How poor he has looked is quite surprising.

He will need a few at-bats in Triple-A before getting the permanent call to man the hot corner. That was probably the expectation coming into spring training, though.

Marcus Semien

After batting .308 with an .802 OPS for the White Sox in 19 games last season, a few things were expected out of Marcus Semien this spring. Granted, making the 25-man roster was not one of them, but it was hoped that he would be able to build off the momentum he created last year. So far, he has done everything but.

In 13 at-bats, Semien has done next to nothing (.231/.333/.231) and has looked out of sorts at the plate. His struggles coupled with Davidson’s poor play leave Conor Gillaspie “the only real certainty to be ready for third” when the bell rings this season, per the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan.

Felipe Paulino

Felipe Paulino wasn’t brought in to turn the starting rotation into a World Series-caliber unit. He will, however, be asked to do more than trot out to the mound every five days. Unfortunately, things are not going well for the right-hander so far this spring.

In two starts covering 4.2 innings, Paulino has allowed seven earned runs, 12 hits and has a 3.000 WHIP. He is averaging a solid 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings and has a 9.4 OQ, but he’s getting hit quite hard.

The way things are going, Paulino’s not even guaranteed a roster spot, according to Sullivan. His showing thus far had been quite problematic, and his stock has fallen considerably.

There are concerns outside these three, of course.

At the plate, Jose Abreu (.154/.214/.462) is off to a slow start and all three catchers—Tyler Flowers, Josh Phegley and Adrian Nieto—are hitting below .215. On the mound, Mitchell Boggs has looked pedestrian at times and Matt Lindstrom is battling an oblique injury which has kept the competition for the closer’s role largely on hold.

It’s early, though. The roster is far from set.

There is still plenty of time for guys like Paulino, Flowers and Phegley to assuage our concerns.

Then again…maybe not.

Game stats are courtesy of box scores available at MLB.com. Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference and are accurate as of Sunday, March 9.

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Even though there aren’t many roster spots up for grabs, Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura has quite the to-do list. And we’re not just talking about shoring up a porous defense or working on improving the White Sox’s base running with fundamental drills.

It runs much deeper than that.

Ventura’s work begins at the back end of the bullpen. Specifically, Ventura needs to find the team’s next closer. It is a competition that Colleen Kane from the Chicago Tribune termed “one of the most pressing competitions this spring.”

That may be an understatement, actually, because replacing Addison Reed will be quite difficult. He is one of the best young closers in the game and has the steely-eyed demeanor that is required to withstand the mental demands of the role.

And on a team that figures to be involved in more than a few close ballgames, having someone who is able to get the final three outs is going to be a critical component to any success the team finds. The good news is that the White Sox have three relievers—Nate Jones, Matt Lindstrom and Daniel Webb—with the stuff for the job.

Now the front-runner would appear to be Jones, but he has a career .311/.382/.494 slash line against runners in scoring position, according to Baseball-Reference. Webb, meanwhile, is a power arm, but he is young and unproven. Lindstrom saved 23 games for the Houston Astros in 2010 but finished with a 1.650 WHIP and gave up 11.5 hits per nine innings that season.

Each has a strength. Each has a weakness.

This spring—regardless of what inning it is—Ventura has to throw each of them into as many high-leverage situations as possible to see who has the best composure. The worst-case scenario is that Ventura is forced to alter the bullpen’s structure one month into the season because whoever won the job during spring training failed miserably. It is imperative that the decision the coaching staff makes is an educated one.

The hot corner is another position that will require Ventura’s attention. See, unlike last season when Jeff Keppinger was the anointed starter, there is a competition to become the Opening Day third baseman this year. And the outcome of that competition has implications across the roster.

For example, if the newly acquired Matt Davidson makes the club out of spring training, then the utility infielder will assuredly be Keppinger. That will limit the types of late-game substitutions Ventura is capable of making due to Kepp’s lack of speed and defensive limitations. It would also mean that the White Sox risk losing Conor Gillaspie, who is out of minor league options, per CSNChicago.com’s Dan Hayes.

If, however, Davidson begins the season in the minor leagues as I expect him to, another item on Ventura’s to-do list suddenly becomes a little more complex. Namely, how is he going to manage the multiple platoon systems the White Sox will employ this season?

There will be shared at-bats in left, at first base/designated hitter and at third. Setting the lineup each day will come down to more than just whether a right-hander or a left-hander is on the mound.

Other mitigating factors include getting the regulars a day off, making sure that the lineup is balanced and avoiding a station-to-station batting order. To be sure, this is a temporary situation, but if the White Sox hope to show marked improvement in 2014, Ventura is going to have to find a way to make it work this spring.

While the lineup, closer and third base are some of the higher-profile decisions the manager must make during spring training, they’re not the only ones. The final composition of the bullpen is entirely unknown, and even though Felipe Paulino was ostensibly signed to be a starting pitcher, there is no way of being certain he is healthy enough. And if he isn’t, Ventura must choose between guys like Andre Rienzo, Charles Leesman and Eric Surkamp, according to Kane’s article.

So while the 40-man roster appears to be in better shape than it was at this time last year, Ventura’s to-do list is a bit longer.

No pressure, Robin.

All statistics, advanced or otherwise, are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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When the 2014 season opens for the Chicago White Sox, the composition of the 25-man roster will be quite different from the one that ended last season with a 63-99 record, and that’s a good thing for both the White Sox and their fans.

There was, after all, no way that the team could move forward without making some significant changes. They needed to upgrade in so many areas that a complete overhaul was most certainly in order.

From bringing in three young prospects and three new pitchers to hiring a new hitting coach, general manager Rick Hahn has been a busy man, and each of the moves he’s made so far have had positive and negative repercussions for the players directly and indirectly involved.

With that as a rather ambiguous launching point, let’s take a look at some of the White Sox’s winners and losers to this point, with a dishonorable mention to lead us off.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Salary information is taken from Cots Contracts.

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Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn should give his counterpart with the New York Mets a call and offer up Dayan Viciedo for second baseman Daniel Murphy.

It could be an ideal scenario for both the White Sox and the Mets, actually.

First off, all of the pieces for the Mets are seemingly in place. They need to infuse some power into their lineup immediately and have already considered using Murphy as the centerpiece in a trade to make it happen, according to Kristie Ackert from the New York Daily News.

To give you an idea of how badly they need someone who can drive the ball in left field, consider that they ranked 22nd in MLB at the position last season with a .701 OPS, per ESPN.com. And if things stay the way they are, it will be worse this season. Eric Young Jr. is atop the depth chart, and he was a .645 OPS last year.

Now Viciedo would most certainly satisfy the power part of the trade equation as he’s hit 39 home runs and has driven in 134 runs over the past two seasons. He would easily become the best source of power in their outfield and give manager Terry Collins the bat he said he wants in the middle of the order, via CBSNewYork.com.

What the White Sox would be getting in Murphy—who had a 286/.319./415 slash line with 13 home runs, 23 stolen bases and 78 RBI in 2013—is three-fold. They would get a player who hit .302 in 113 games batting second, runs the bases very well and does not go through extended stretches where he forgets how to hit. Yes, he only drew 32 walks in 658 at-bats last season, but nonetheless, he is a significant upgrade at the position.  

Bringing Murphy in may also be the catalyst Hahn uses to finally move Gordon Beckham. Don’t get me wrong, Beckham was not the problem this past season. He has been given ample time to prove that he is the long-term solution at second base, though, and has not shown up to the task.

Sure, expectations for him were high following his rookie season when he hit .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI. That does not alter the reality that a change of scenery could be very good for him. And look no further than the Toronto Blue Jays for a team that has already shown interest in the former first-round pick, per MLB.com.

Now with a hole in the outfield that the White Sox minor league system is not yet capable of filling, Hahn has options to replace Tank. He could leverage Alexei Ramirez, Hector Santiago and/or Addison Reed to find an outfielder who has good speed and plays defense at a higher level than Viciedo can.

As a stand-alone move, Viciedo for Murphy doesn’t make sense. They would end up having too many second basemen and not enough legitimate outfielders. As part of a larger movement, however, it would be a fantastic trade for the White Sox.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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There are so many areas the Chicago White Sox need to improve in, it is almost laughable. Are there any ideal trade scenarios, though?

Well, sure. With as many positional deficiencies as the White Sox have on the 25-man roster, searching for ideal trade targets does not take a lot of imagination.

Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Angels’ Peter Bourjos are the first who come to mind. Minor league outfielders Stephen Piscotty (St. Louis Cardinals) and Alex Dickerson (Pittsburgh Pirates) are two other players who would reshape the White Sox lineup and add an entirely new dynamic to the offense. And there’s always New York Yankees outfielder Zoilo Almonte to consider.

You get it. The list could go on ad infinitum. So instead of looking at who the White Sox could acquire, let’s look at the players currently with the team who have the most trade value.

There are some limitations that have been imposed on the conversation. As Dan Hayes from CSNChicago.com reported, several rival general managers have said that four players—Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu—will not be included in any trade talk. That still leaves a wealth of talent on the roster that is potentially available, though.

Addison Reed

There is always a trade market for established closers, and Addison Reed fits that bill. Coming off his best season as a pro—5-4, 3.79 ERA, 40 SV, 1.107 WHIP—Reed has significant value. He’s got a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s, the attitude the position demands and a slider to match.

Making him even more attractive is that he is under team control until 2018. Now he will get a rather significant pay raise next season when he is eligible for arbitration for the first time, but even then, he will still be a bargain.

Hector Santiago

To be sure, Hector Santiago does not have the same type of trade value as Quintana, Sale or even Erik Johnson. He is still one heck of a young pitcher who is best served in the starting rotation.

Consider that in 11 relief appearances, Santiago had a 3.93 ERA, 1.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.473 WHIP. Conversely, he finished with a 3.51 ERA, 1.97 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.393 WHIP over the course of 23 starts last season. Now he did give up 16 home runs and walked 62 batters as a starter, but he is a left-hander who can throw five pitches—fastball, changeup, curveball, cutter and screwball—and has the potential to grow into a No. 2 starter.

Like Reed, Santiago is under team control until 2018.

Alexei Ramirez

Alexei Ramirez has value as a completion piece. That is to say that teams like the Cincinnati Reds, Cardinals and Pirates could all use a shortstop to fill out their roster who can run the bases, hit at the top of the order and drive the gaps the way Ramirez does.

He does not take enough walks as his .313 OPB in 2013 can attest to, but 39 doubles and 30 stolen bases are difference-making statistics. And while the argument has been made that the right-handed hitter may not be traded because of Abreu’s acquisition, do not shut the door on Ramirez being dealt. If general manager Rick Hahn can find an attractive offer, then he would be wise to take it.

He is owed $19.5 million over the next two seasons and has a $10 million team option with a $1 million buyout in 2016.

It must be noted that none of the above-mentioned players will net the White Sox much as individual pieces. But if Hahn can work out a three-team trade or can find a way to package two of them, he may be able to improve the roster quite a bit. Don’t forget that they have replacements waiting in the wings.

Micah Johnson, Marcus Semien and Chris Bassitt are just a few examples of guys who could step in to fill the shoes of the departed.

Hahn has stated that this may not be the offseason when the White Sox go out and sign a free agent to a large contract to fill out the roster, according to Hayes. I get that. That does not mean that he cannot strike now and secure the services of a young player who can solidify a roster deficiency.

Statistics and contract information are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Any big moves that Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn makes this offseason will need to accomplish two things.

First, they have to make the White Sox better in 2015 and 2016 as well as next year. Second, they must be cost effective to a fault. 

To the first point, Hahn is not going to sign a free agent to fill a roster spot for one or two seasons. If one is brought on board, “it’s going to be with a vision for the next several years thereafter as well,” Hahn said, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin.

And while the GM noted that “it’s possible that there will be enough” money for the team “to be a player in free agency,” he is in no hurry to sacrifice future investments in the draft and on international signings for what he deems to be a “short-term fix.”

So say goodbye to any hopes you may have that any of the premier free agents find their way to the South Side, Sox fans. More than likely, it is just not going to happen. We’ve been surprised in the past, but that was under the watch of a very different general manager.

One of the moves Hahn could actually pull of is acquiring Jonathan Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers. The price in talent will be high, but the White Sox have the pieces to make it work.

For the most part, the Brewers need to improve their pitching staff. As Tom Haudricourt from the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel pointed out, Kyle Lohse, Yovani Gallardo and Wily Peralta occupy the top three spots in their rotation, but the back end has some question marks.

That fact is not lost on Brewers general manager Doug Melvin who noted that while the starting rotation did improve over the course of the 2013 season, they’ve “got to put together a team that can compete for 162 games, not 81 games,” per Haudricourt. Melvin also alluded to the fact that they are looking to upgrade in the bullpen.

That should make a package which includes Nate Jones, Josh Phegley—as a positional replacement—and Hector Santiago very attractive. Again, the White Sox would be giving up quite a bit, but the right-handed hitting catcher is under contract until 2016 with a team option for the 2017 season. Lucroy—who finished last season with a .280/.340/.455 slash line, 18 home runs, 25 doubles, a 3.2 oWAR and a 114 OPS+—would both solidify the lineup and satisfy Hahn’s goal of having a long-term solution in place.

Another big move Hahn could make would be sending Alexei Ramirez to the St. Louis Cardinals for Stephen Piscotty. Make no mistake about it, the Cardinals are in the market for a shortstop, and the White Sox need an outfielder.

Per Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Colorado Rockies are entertaining the idea of making a trade that would send Troy Tulowitzki to Cardinals. It is no secret that the Pete Kozma is not the long-term solution at shortstop for them, but Tulo may not be the best fit for two reasons.

First, his contract has seven years and $134 million left on it. Second, Passan lists a first baseman, starter and a closer among the Rockies’ needs. To be sure, the Cardinals have both the money and the minor leaguers to make the deal, but the cost may be too much.

Again, trading Piscotty—who currently has a .338/.390/.459 slash line for the Arizona Fall League’s Salt River Rafters—for Ramirez benefits both teams. The Cardinals get an offensive shortstop who can drive the gaps and run the bases. The White Sox get a major league ready outfielder who would take over in left.

Sure Piscotty primarily played right field in the minor leagues, but he has the athleticism to play left and frankly, almost anyone is a better defensive option than Dayan Viciedo who finished last season with a .970 fielding percentage. Corresponding moves would have Viciedo taking over at third base, Gordon Beckham making a transition to short and Marcus Semien becoming the everyday second baseman.  It is a winning scenario.

Just two moves, but the White Sox would be a much improved offensive team as a result and still have the core of their starting rotation together.

All statistics are courtesy of baseball-reference.com

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Following one of the worst seasons in Chicago White Sox history, general manager Rick Hahn has his hands full as he prepares for the 2014 season. A return to competitiveness in the AL Central is a tall task, indeed.

Is there a definitive blueprint Hahn can follow to make sure the White Sox enter next year ready for a successful campaign, though? Of course not. If there was, every team would be following it, but Hahn is off to a riotous start.

First off, he signed Jose Dariel Abreu to a six-year, $68 million contract. It is a calculated gamble that could pay tremendous dividends. MLB.com’s Scott Merkin went so far as to call Abreu’s signing “the center of their reshaping process over the next two or three years.”

Abreu is a power bat with tremendous mechanics, according to FanGraphs.com’s Dan Farnsworth, and nearly unlimited potential. His signing was a huge move for Hahn and the White Sox.

Secondly, he brought in a hitting coach who actually appreciates on-base percentage. Unlike his predecessor Jeff Manto—who thought that OBP was an overrated metric—Todd Steverson understands that an offense’s ability to score runs is dictated by the number of runners who reach base safely, via the Chicago Sun Times‘ Daryl Van Schouwen.

To be fair, there is only so much preaching a coach can do. It is ultimately up to the batter to identify if a pitch is outside of the zone and then have the patience to take it. For the organization, though, it is nice to finally have a hitting coach who will focus on the fundamentals of winning baseball.

Those two moves will have a positive impact on the team’s long-term success and are indicative of how the rest of the winter will go. And that’s the point.

See, if there is a blueprint (there’s not) for success this offseason, it is that Hahn needs to continue making prudent decisions. Don’t take this the wrong way, but there is no fixing this team before spring training. There are simply too many holes.

At minimum, they need a catcher, a third baseman and a center fielder. Heck, they need just about everything from a positional standpoint. Success this offseason must not be defined by the players Hahn does or does not acquire, though.

After all, it is fairly safe to say that guys like Robinson Cano, Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Shin-Soo Choo will not be donning White Sox uniforms next season. The contracts they will demand are simply not in the budget. In an ideal world, one or more of them are in the batting order next year, but that is an unrealistic expectation.

And everyone who is clamoring for the White Sox to release or trade Adam Dunn can stop holding their breath. The team will not release him and pay the remainder of his salary. Yes his contract is a burden no team should bear, but he will not be going anywhere.

The moves Hahn makes from here on out figure to be minor. He could make a splash and pick up someone like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who is probably not going to be tendered a contract by the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN.com’s Gordon Edes, but even that may be out of the realm of reason.

To be sure, Hahn could surprise many of us and trade Alexei Ramirez and/or let Alejandro De Aza walk. A more likely scenario has him trading a pitcher or two for some minor league talent, signing a couple of mid-tier free agents to fill out the roster and preparing his young team for the 2014 season.

And that’s just fine.

There is no definitive blueprint for success, but Hahn is certainly pointing his team in the right direction.

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When Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn signed Jose Dariel Abreu, he instantaneously ignited the fan base.

Twitter timelines erupted in support, praise, admonishment and utter anger over Abreu’s signing. Like it or love it, though, Hahn and the White Sox signaled to everyone who is paying attention that they would like their return to relevance to be as quick as possible.

An unfortunate reality exists, however. As MLB.com’s Scott Merkin tweeted after the Abreu signing was announced, the power-hitting first baseman may be the only high-profile move the White Sox make this offseason. That could mean that Sox fans are in for another fun-filled year of Alejandro De Aza and Dayan Viciedo in the outfield. 

One area that Hahn will be able to address without committing to the mammoth contracts Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Robinson Cano will demand is the bullpen. With Hector Santiago’s future role uncertain—and David Purcey’s outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte—the Sox have as many as three open spots in the ‘pen.

Here are five options to round out the White Sox relief corps presented in alphabetical order.

All velocity, location and ratio data is courtesy of BrooksBaseball.net. Unless otherwise noted, all player statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Chicago White Sox have finalized the group of players that will participate in Arizona Fall League (AFL) play after the season ends.

Jared Mitchell and Brandon Jacobs will now be joining Charles Leesman, Chris Bassitt, Micah Johnson, Marcus Semien, Kevin Vance and Stephen McCray on the roster of the Glendale Desert Dogs, per MLB.com’s White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin.

While the AFL is a great chance for all eight to refine their games and legitimize an invitation to spring training next year, five of them will help—or hurt—their standing within the organization the most.

A speed burner, a draft pick on the verge of being a washout and a newly acquired outfielder are among those who will be closely watched by the White Sox when the River Dogs begin the AFL season on October 8 against the Mesa Solar Sox.

Let’s start things off by looking at the three players who will not be featured, and why.

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