White Sox: Ownership Needs to be Willing to Spend in Free Agency
It’s time for ownership to open up their checkbooks and spend money on free agents. One way for the White Sox to prove to fans their serious about winning is being aggressive during free agency.
The Chicago White Sox have really never been aggressive during free agency. Historically, they have had to deal with payroll constraints which has made it difficult for them to sign high-level free agents. Well, that needs to change. This team has struggled the past four seasons and fans are definitely getting fed up with the lack of results.
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Last year, the team was in on a few of the top outfielders, only to see them sign with other teams. But that really shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. The White Sox just don’t spend money. It’s all been their mode of operation. Ken Williams would rather spend money on guys who are past their prime, than bring in proven commodities. It was really out of character for this team to go out and sign Jose Abreu in 2013.
Certainly, that was a sign ownership had finally saw the value in free agency. If you want to be successful you need to be able to develop players and sign good players. However, this organization has never done that. They have developed players, but they are incapable of drawing the top talent during free agency. If they could do that, this team would be in a much better situation.
Sure, you may think, well who wants to play in Chicago because it’s cold? That doesn’t have anything to do with it. It gets cold in New York but the Yankees are somehow able to get just about anyone they want. That’s because their owner is willing to write a check to help improve his team. Jerry Reinsdorf is very cheap and isn’t willing to do that. At times, it feels like he is satisfied with a mediocre ball club. Mediocrity isn’t going to bring home another World Series title to this team. And Reinsdorf’s cheap ways don’t benefit anyone.
All that will get them is another losing season. They can barely draw 20,000 fans to their stadium. And that’s because they can’t beat anyone. The White Sox are constantly at the bottom of their division and some may be happier taking in a Kane County Cougars game, rather than pay to watch a bad team.
I’m not saying they have to give out $200 million contracts, but it would be nice to see them sign a top free agent every once in awhile. Whenever you hear the Sox are in on top free agent, you just kind of shake your head. Because you know that’s not the case. It’s just their way of trying to convince, us, the fans, that they are trying to bring guys in, but they just keep striking out.
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Well, the truth is, they don’t draw free agents because Reinsdorf is cheap. He is happy just having a team and making some money. But he’s not really serious about being a winner. If he was, he’d put his money where his mouth is.