White Sox Should Push for Contention Next Season
White Sox have one more shot at contention with current core of players. This upcoming offseason should be about retooling roster to win next season, not rebuilding.
The Chicago White Sox will finally choose its direction for next season with the upcoming offseason. Although many Sox fans would like for the team to rebuild this offseason, the Sox should perhaps push for contention in 2017.
The Sox have a solid core of players in Chris Sale. Jose Quintana, Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu. There’s no reason for the team to blow up the roster this offseason. The team has certainly made poor decisions in surrounding this group of players with serviceable complements. However, this is the offseason things can change for the better if Jerry Reinsdorf is willing to spend money.
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With the offseason featuring a weak free agent class, the Sox will have to be creative in its pursuit of building a contender for next season. A positive for the Sox is they finally have a competent manager in the dugout. Rick Renteria will certainly be an upgrade over Robin Ventura. So doesn’t it make sense to provide Renteria with a team that can contend?
Renteria has just one year of managerial experience in MLB and it was with a rebuilding Cubs team in 2014. However, Reneria guided the team to 73 wins before he was fired at the end of that season. Renteria should be given the opportunity to manage a contending team next season, and the Sox can certainly provide that.
General Manager Rick Hahn has made some nice trades in the past that has netted the Sox good returns. One of his best trades involved getting Eaton in a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks and Angels in 2013. Hahn will certainly need to be creative again this offseason if the Sox want to contend in 2017. Hopefully, this doesn’t involve mortgaging much of the team’s future.
The Sox had a successful draft this year, but they might have to forfeit its first round pick next year if they want to sign a premier free agent. It wouldn’t be an ideal choice for a franchise that doesn’t have a very strong farm system, but do they have any other choice?
With the Cubs winning its fist World Series in 108 years on Wednesday night, the Sox certainly need re-energize its fanbase. One way to do that is signing a premier free agent such as Yoenis Cespedes. Cespedes could be a game changer for the Sox and this franchise definitely needs that. The decision not to aggressively sign Cespedes last offseason was foolish, but they have the chance to make up for it this year.
Next: What Should White Sox Do This Offseason?
The Sox will also need to sign solid bench players to provide depth for a team that was sorely lacking it last season. The time to build a contender is now, and Reinsdorf can’t be cheap any longer. Sox fans are tired of watching losing baseball, and would like nothing more for this team to be competitive next season. It would be fantastic if the Sox could return to the World Series in 2017. Wouldn’t be even better if it was against the Cubs?