White Sox fans are anticipating next wave of prospects being promoted but will need to stay patient as another losing season could occur in 2018.
With the offseason nearly complete, it makes sense to pose a serious question. Considering the White Sox direction, how will they approach the next phase of their rebuild? Given this would only be the second step and a developmental stage at that, could we begin to see a significant amount of young talent at Guaranteed Rate Field this summer?
Before the latter is answered, it is crucial to discuss what needs to be done. First, any of the top young prospects we have already seen must continue to progress at the big league level. That may be a bit confusing, due to the fact that growth can mean struggling as well. In order to know what you have in a young player, he first needs to scuffle a bit against MLB competition.
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While progress is critical, patience is key as well. There is no way to expect a youngster to go all the way throughout his career without having bumps in the road. If an organization gives up on a player too early, it can lead to disastrous results for both he and the team. Or worse, he could end up succeeding somewhere else.
Secondly, and maybe more important is figuring out the correct time to promote the minor leaguers to Chicago. You do not want to bring them up before they are ready, mostly because it can hurt their confidence if they become big leaguers and struggle. Many of these guys have never had serious difficulties playing baseball before, and you want to make sure they are prepared to handle it on the big stage.
Finally, once the next wave does arrive it will be time to take a “wait and see” approach in regards to evaluating each prospect. This may be much longer than what the fans desire, however, if we want the best results there is no other alternative. Accelerating the process without merit is not for the best, even though it makes fans excited in the offseason.
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All in all, this season will have its’ fair share of excitement, however much of it will come in the form of promotions to the big leagues. Keep in mind that while Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia do have trade value, it is possible for several bullpen pieces to be shipped out over the summer as well. Expect the pitchers to demand a better return if all things go as planned, mostly due to the fact that late-inning arms are so valuable in July. Get ready for plenty of ups and downs in 2018, some of which will excite and disappoint you simultaneously. Hopefully more of the former, Sox fans.