The White Sox offseason has been meh
The Chicago White Sox offseason had one big move that will make Southsiders happy. And it wasn’t made by the team’s brass. Tony La Russa stepped down as the club’s manager following the season. The White hired first-time manager Pedro Grifol to take his place. The White Sox offseason has been mostly dull since that hiring. One analyst recently gave the team a poor grade for their offseason up to mid-December.
The White Sox roster doesn’t appear much better than the one that disappointed in 2022 and missed the playoffs. The team still has its young core, but some key pieces were lost for next season. Jose Abreu leaving for the Houston Astros is a hole in the lineup the White Sox will need to fill.
Jim Bowden with The Athletic handed out grades so far this offseason for all 30 MLB teams. Bowden gave the White Sox offseason a “D” grade for their moves up to this point in December:
“The White Sox entered the offseason looking to upgrade their outfield with a left-handed hitter, improve at second base and add a starting pitcher. So far, they’ve only accomplished the latter, by signing Mike Clevinger, but it felt like an overpay for a pitcher who has yet to regain his pre-Tommy John surgery form. Clevinger was inconsistent last season for San Diego (4.33 ERA, 4.97 FIP), with velocity and command issues that would come and go from appearance to appearance. I thought he’d get a contract with a lower base salary and performance incentives. The best part of Chicago’s offseason was the hiring of manager Pedro Grifol, who was an excellent choice.”
This White Sox offseason has been a bummer
The White Sox need to be aggressive while they have an exciting group of players that includes Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, and Eloy Jimenez. That core has the potential to be an AL Central dynasty. Losing Abreu wasn’t that big of a deal because he struggles in cold weather. And it gets chilly in Chicago come postseason time. He’s an expensive bat not to play well at the beginning and end of a season.
However, they haven’t spent the money to bring in more talent that would better their 2022 result. As Bowden notes, Clevinger is something of a risk. The White Sox still need bats to move runners, which doomed them last season.
As of now, there’s no reason for White Sox fans to be more hopeful for the 2023 season. Other than hoping the manager change nets them more wins. But spending cash to improve the roster will do more than a coaching a change. That’s something Chicago Fans who thought the Bears would be better, minus Matt Nagy, have learned this season.