White Sox: Hahn Doesn’t Expect to Contend in 2017
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox are in the middle of a rebuild. Because of that general manager Rick Hahn doesn’t expect the team to be competitive right away.
With SoxFest winding down, there was a buzz surrounding the new-look Chicago White Sox. Rick Hahn has definitely reshaped this team and put them in a position to succeed. But that may not be in 2017. Hahn told Bruce Levine he doesn’t expect this team to contend in 2017. Rather, the focus is on building something sustainable for the long term.
"“Our focus is to build something sustainable. In the short term, we may have to pay the price at the big league level. After losing with Sale and Eaton last year, it’s tough to stand up here and say this team is ready to contend in 2017″Rick Hahn, White Sox GM"
It was definitely smart of the White Sox executive to not put pressure on his team and the host of new talent they have. This team also has a new manager, who is looking to change the dynamic and culture of this team. They are off to a good start, but it would be silly to think this team will have any shot of competing in the American League Central. Cleveland is a much stronger team and Detroit improved, as well. But that doesn’t mean this team won’t be there in the future.
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Hahn definitely deserves the bulk of the credit for reshaping this team and putting them in a good position for the future. He definitely understood this team needed a new direction and certainly delivered. It’s never easy to trade two of your best players but the White Sox are definitely a better team for it.
Now, he has to stay the course. There is still plenty of work to be done and it seems like Hahn knows that. He even told Levine that they would not rule out making additional trades before Spring Training and Opening Day. That definitely shows he is willing to stay the course and continue to build through the draft and by trading veterans for prospects. They already assembled six top 100 prospects, and that number should go up if they decide to move Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier and David Robertson.
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I really like what the White Sox are doing. They are being smart and are building for the future. It’s clear they want sustained success, not just be competitive for a year then drop off. If they keep this up, this organization should return to glory in the future. It may not be next season, but give the White Sox a few seasons to grow and they should be a contender in the American League.