White Sox: 5 Reasons to Not Lose Faith in Rebuild
With the White Sox missing out on superstar free agents, some fans have begun to lose faith in the organization and their rebuilding efforts.
2019 got off to a rough start for the White Sox and their fans. The front office didn’t shy away from rumors linking them to being interested in signing Manny Machado and it ultimately cost them. Unfortunately for most fans, the Sox allowing the San Diego Padres to swoop in and sign the superstar free agent left a bad taste in their mouths.
Many White Sox fans have been vocal about their displeasure with the front office and could be losing faith in the current rebuild on the south side. Despite the progress made by some Sox prospects over the past year, many fans are ignoring what this rebuild can ultimately produce in the coming years all because of the Sox not signing a top free agent.
There will be other times where the White Sox front office can sign free agents. However, there might not be another time where two 26-year-old superstar free agents are available to sign and would fit in the plans for a Sox rebuild. For fans that believe the Sox front office lied to them about signing Machado or Bryce Harper, there are better days ahead for this franchise.
This upcoming season will possibly be another losing year for the Sox, but there is still hope for their current rebuild. There aren’t many reasons for any Sox fan to lose faith in the organization’s rebuild, but if they are close to losing hope, here are some reasons to remain hopeful for the future.
Continued Major League Development
There will be developments made at the major league level for a few of the Sox younger players this season. Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada could perhaps make the biggest leap in their professional careers this upcoming season. Other players that can possibly develop more this season include Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and even Carlos Rodon.
While many of the aforementioned players didn’t have necessarily strong seasons in 2018, some made tremendous improvements to get better. Whether it was Anderson cutting down his errors at shortstop, or Moncada having a solid final month of the season, some players are closer to reaching their potential in 2019 than they were at the start of last season.
For other players such as Rodon and Giolito, they can still make a positive impact for the Sox in 2019. If Rodon can remain healthy throughout this upcoming season, he has a chance to finally realize the potential many saw in him when he was the third overall draft pick in 2014. Giolito was the worst starting pitcher in MLB last season but with a renewed focus entering 2019, he could perhaps thrive as the Sox third best starting pitcher.
Pitching Depth
When the Sox began their rebuilding efforts after the 2016 season, they were able to accumulate a lot of pitching depth through their first two trades with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals. The trade with Boston provided the Sox with Michael Kopech along with Moncada and Luis Alexander Basabe in exchange for Chris Sale.
By trading Adam Eaton to the Nationals, the Sox received three pitchers in return which included Giolito, Lopez and Dane Dunning. The Sox would add more pitching depth to their farm system with the trade of Jose Quintana to the Cubs in 2017 and received Dylan Cease along with Eloy Jimenez in return.
The Sox also did a good job in drafting pitchers over the past few years such as Jimmy Lambert, Alec Hansen, Zack Burdi, and Ian Hamilton. This has given the Sox strong pitching depth in the minors which could potentially help them become more competitive in the coming years. The Sox likely won’t have to trade players for pitching help which won’t weaken another strong area of theirs with their outfield prospect depth.
Having a lot of pitching depth will go a long way for the Sox. They don’t have to rush Cease to the majors this season and they can also take their time with Dunning’s development especially after his latest health scare. Some of the aforementioned pitchers might not pan out, but the Sox having depth is better than the organization needing to trade for pitching in the future or attempt to sign a free agent pitcher.
Top 3 Draft Pick
With another losing season in 2018, the Sox secured yet another high draft pick for the upcoming MLB First-Year Player Draft in June. This will be the second time the Sox have had the third overall draft pick in the last five years. The Sox having another top three draft pick should help them continue to add depth to their already loaded farm system.
This draft could yield the Sox an impact player on offense with some quality players already being selected by the team in most mock drafts. One player to keep an eye on is catcher Adley Rutschman of Oregon State University. Rutschman was a teammate of Sox 2018 draft pick (4th overall) Nick Madrigal last season when the Beavers won the College World Series.
He could be the first overall draft pick this year according to some mock drafts. Currently, Rutschman is having a strong season for the Beavers. He’s hitting .343 with a .540 on-base percentage, .800 slugging percentage and has five home runs through 35 at-bats. Rutschman very well could be selected with the first overall pick.
If Rutschman is drafted before the Sox make their selection with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, they could look to draft a first baseman. Andrew Vaughn could be available for the Sox and most mock drafts have them taking the junior first baseman from the University of California with the third overall pick.
Through just 10 games, Vaughn owns an impressive .529/.680/1.176 slash line with a 1.856 OPS and seven home runs. If drafted by the Sox, Vaughn could very well become a replacement for Abreu at first base in the future. Vaughn won the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore last year and his hitting approach has been deemed as advanced.
Fringe Prospects That Could Shine
The success for a team rebuilding does not always come from top prospects. Many times, there are prospects that aren’t highly rated that eventually become stars. With the Sox depth of talent in the minors, they also have fringe prospects that could very well become key contributors at the major league level.
Players such as Luis Gonzalez, Seby Zavala, and Steele Walker are just a few prospects that aren’t highly-ranked but could become decent players in the Majors someday. As with all prospects, there’s no guarantee any of them make it to the Majors. However, the Sox have a decent crop of fringe prospects that could strengthen their depth on the major league team in a few years.
Out of all the aforementioned players, Zavala is close to making his major league debut as soon as this season. He will need to have a successful season with Triple-A Charlotte, however, but with the Sox needing catchers going into the 2020 season, Zavala has a chance to get a lot of playing time as a major league catcher next year.
The Sox having depth throughout their farm system, especially with pitching as previously discussed, will help their rebuild sustain success over the coming years. A heavy reliance on needing top prospects to pan out wouldn’t help the Sox achieve their goal of sustained success. By having some fringe prospects that could also become contributors in the future, the Sox are in a good position to build a sustainable contender.
The Next Wave of Prospects
Sox fans have been waiting in anticipation for the arrival of Jimenez. Similar to Michael Kopech‘s debut last season, when Jimenez does make his major league debut, Guaranteed Rate Field will surely be electric again this season.
After Jimenez, there will be other prospects that will move closer to making their major league debuts later this season and in 2020. Luis Robert could be one of those players to debut next season. Albeit, he will need a completely healthy season in 2019 and remain injury-free next year in Spring Training.
Another player that can possibly rise throughout the Sox farm system is Madrigal. The Sox fifth-ranked prospect could finish this year in Double-A Birmingham or even Charlotte. Madrigal is expected to make his major league debut in 2020 and depending on how quickly he gets promoted through the Sox farm system, penciling him in on the Opening Day roster next year might not be that far-fetched.
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Many of the aforementioned prospects will be coming to Chicago over the next few years. Sure, the Sox missed out on adding a superstar free agent this offseason. But that shouldn’t mean fans should overlook the number of talented players still in the Sox farm system. There’s no need for any Sox fan to give up on this current rebuild. Patience is still needed but eventually, this franchise will again be competing for the postseason.