Saturday Review: White Sox Front Office Unable to Control Narrative
White Sox front office can’t seem to get out of their own way in their attempts to explain why fans are upset over missing out on superstar free agents.
The past week has been brutal for many White Sox fans. With the franchise not only missing out on signing Manny Machado, but also Bryce Harper, fans haven’t been shy to voice their criticism of the front office and how they handled pursuing each player.
There have been countless articles written from many different writers about the White Sox pursuits of Machado and even lack of pursuing Bryce Harper. From passionate writers here at Southside Showdown to other outlets such as The Athletic, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, there hasn’t been a shortage of media coverage on the Sox failed attempts to add quality talent.
With the criticism pouring in from Sox fans via social media, Sox vice president Ken Williams offered his two cents on why fans shouldn’t think the front office was being cheap. Unfortunately for Williams and the Sox front office, it only made things that much worse and didn’t help to ease any pain amongst many Sox fans. It also didn’t help things go better with media coverage either.
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune wrote a column in response to Williams comments on the Sox not signing Machado or Harper and how many fans reacted negatively. For Sullivan, he agreed with many Sox fans and their complaints about the team’s front office.
Sullivan details how the Sox didn’t shy away from rumors linking them to each player when the Winter Meetings began last December. This began to get many fans to hope that possibly their favorite team could be serious players in signing Machado or Harper. Unfortunately, Sox fans weren’t rewarded with a signing of a superstar free agent.
When it comes to the game that matters, Bulls and White Sox just don’t get it-Chicago Sun-Times
Rick Morrissey also chimed in with a column of his own for the Chicago Sun-Times in regards to the Sox latest miss on signing Machado or Harper. However, he also included the Bulls as they’re also owned by Jerry Reinsdorf. The Bulls and Sox are both rebuilding, but the Bulls have been doing their best to avoid tanking recently by actually winning games.
Next. White Sox front office continues to anger fans. dark
For the Sox, Morrissey pointed out how their refusal to offer Machado guaranteed money allowed the San Diego Padres to swoop in and sign him. Morrissey wrote that while he didn’t think Reinsdorf is comfortable with tanking, the Sox aren’t able to do what it takes to pull off a rebuild and get one of the best young players in baseball in Machado.