Where do the White Sox go from here?
The upcoming trade deadline leads to a number of questions for a team in limbo
When White Sox GM Rick Hahn is inevitably fired or, more likely, reassigned to another role in the organization, these words will continue to be attributed to him long after his smug face fades away:
“Ask me after the parade.”
There was a time, what feels like long ago, when the White Sox were The Next Big Thing. They had a short list of “can’t-miss” prospects in Luis Robert, Jr. and Eloy Jiménez, who, along with the emerging Tim Anderson, Yoán Moncada, and Lucas Giolito, created a formidable core that was supposed to be the goal of this Hahn-designed rebuilding plan all along.
That optimism has since faded, both in the fan base and (seemingly) in the clubhouse. For a myriad of reasons, the White Sox have gone from guaranteed playoff contenders to seeing their playoff odds at a paltry 0.7% this season, despite playing in the worst division in baseball.
Despite national rumors to the contrary, Hahn has steadfastly said that he doesn’t plan to sell yet, and that’s all well and good. Still, when a team can’t even break .500 when they’re supposed to be at their peak, winning championships doesn’t feel like a reasonable goal to entertain at this point.
That pipeline of talent Hahn foresaw is so barren that the White Sox struggle to field starting pitchers for each of their minor league affiliates, particularly on the runway that is Triple-A Charlotte. They also recently needed to sign and immediately use former prospect Touki Toussaint, fresh off the waiver wire, as relief help.
The idea of the White Sox spending money to round out the roster in the offseason led to a record-setting acquisition of the perfectly-unremarkable Andrew Benintendi and remarkably-shitty Mike Clevinger.
So, what’s the gameplan now?
Selling is an admission of defeat, but a logical line follows if Jerry goes the route I suggested a few weeks ago. Put the blame on Hahn, rinse, and run it back with someone you trust.
If Hahn stays, though, what move makes the team immediately better? There isn’t one. Hahn already used his “blame the manager” cards with Ricky Renteria and Tony La Russa, so that’s out, too. Even when healthy, the core is showing its fair share of cracks, with Anderson putting up an OPS+ so low it would only impress as a golf score. Moncada has been equally underwhelming when he has played, so that excuse has started to wear thin, too.
A team with this much uncertainty can no longer be considered legitimate playoff contenders, and it begs the question: Where do the White Sox go from here? What realistic goal exists for a team underperforming at such an extreme for two-plus years?
I’ve given Jerry a suggestion; we’ll see if he takes it.