Chicago White Sox: While We Waited Part 6 – The Rebuild

Looking back

Over the last six years, the White Sox saw a bunch of players come and go like a revolving door. Some were fantastic and could have been something special under different circumstances, but they needed to be traded to start the rebuild. Some were solid in playing the bridge role and will be missed by fans. Some stunk it up and quite frankly were an embarrassment.

One player worth highlighting again is Todd Frazier. He was the first to be brought in not only because of his stats but because of his leadership and experience. He only had five games of playoff experience, and they were not pretty, but the type of leadership Frazier provided was deeper than just playoff experience. He was a leader in the clubhouse who was there for not only up-and-comers but all of his teammates.

Off the field, Frazier was the face that every reporter turned to. He was one of the faces of the franchise after the trade. On the field, Frazier was brought on to hit home runs and that he did. He hit 40 in 2016 and had 16 in 2017 before he was traded to the Yankees in July.

He only spent a year and a half on the south side, but the Frazier era was an important time for the front office to realize they want to be moving forward. He was supposed to be the last big piece the team needed to contend. When it was clear they were not going to, the rebuilding began.

Signing him was a signal that they were ready to win but trading him symbolized the end of that dream. The Sale trade truly signified the end but all the trades happened within a year so it is close enough to connect them.