White Sox: 2010s were a decade to forget for this organization
The Chicago White Sox were not very good for a majority of the 2010s. We reflect on what made it tough but look ahead to the future.
The Chicago White Sox were mostly bad for the entire 2010s decade. They were only over .500 in 2012 and never saw the MLB postseason over the ten-year span. They saw themselves try to be competitive but a lot of it failed. There were points early on where they seemed to be trying hard to salvage the core from the team that won the World Series in 2005. Guys like Paul Konerko, Mark Buehrle, and A.J. Pierzynski were still with the team at the beginning of the decade but it was the beginning of the end of their careers.
They were not successful at any point over the stretch of the decade. In fact, things got so disappointing in 2016 that they decided to take on a full rebuild. It was something that was sort of new for Sox fans because they normally just tried to sign some veteran help that doesn’t move the needle much before that rebuild happened. They traded away all of their great talent away for prospects and cash. They also started to focus on international signing and draft picks in addition to some of the prospects they have acquired.
The Chris Sale trade defines the decade for the Chicago White Sox. He was the best player to play for the team over the ten-year span. He was one of the top three pitchers in the American League for almost his entire White Sox tenure. They got Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech out of the trade so they are hoping the trade stands as a good one for both them and the Boston Red Sox. Since then they have started building what they hope will be a successful rebuild they have really come a long way.
A lot of losing came with the rebuild, however. Lots of 90+ loss seasons came as they let the young guys grow in the minors. That was their choice as an organization but it is all starting to come together. That doesn’t mean it was pleasant for fans to be a part of. It was a painful three year stretch of baseball but they are well on their way now. Hopefully, the 2020s are much better than the 2010s were.