White Sox: 30 things to think about
Sep 15, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie (12) throws out Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) on a bunt in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
7. Conor Gillaspie and third base — He was inconsistent in the field in ’14, but I thought he hit fairly well for average. I think he continues to improve at the plate (though he won’t hit for a lot of power), and hopefully he can make doubters forget about some of his field woes.
8. AL Central will be “beast mode” — The AL Central could be, no … I am saying it will be the toughest division in all of baseball, one through five. The overall records might not show it, but don’t be surprised to see two teams from the division in the postseason again this year.
9. Will the White Sox keep Alexei Ramirez all season? — If at some point this season the White Sox decide one of their shortstop prospects are ready, and they either feel they are out of the race (doubtful) or can improve elsewhere, will the White Sox trade their veteran All-Star shortstop in the process? Just a thought.
10. The progression of Jose Abreu — How much will the reigning AL Rookie of the Year improve from year one to year two in the majors? He has more help surrounding him in ’15 than he did his rookie season as well. Also, he has to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump with teams having an entire season worth of film on him.
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11. Robin Ventura as manager — I believe if the White Sox don’t have vastly improved success this season, compared to their two previous seasons, Ventura could be the fall guy in this matter. Also in year four of being the White Sox skipper, it is time to see if Ventura is really the right guy for the job.
12. Improved bullpen — The bullpen of the White Sox must be better than they were last season, and with the likes of David Robertson as the closer and Zach Duke as a reliever, there is no reason to worry about the late innings like we’ve become accustomed to the past couple seasons.