The 2021 season showed that the Chicago White Sox are a stellar team but have their flaws. One flaw is that they are a right-handed heavy team. Of the nine players that received the majority of playing time during the 2021 season, five of them are right-handed hitters. Three of them are switch hitters, and only one of them is left-handed.
Another flaw is that they failed to do the little things such as shifting, stealing bases, and hitting fly balls. The White Sox had the third-highest ground ball rate in major league baseball and were the only team in the top 10 to advance to the postseason.
Heading into 2022, there are a few openings for the White Sox on the field, primarily second base and right field, that if addressed, can help the White Sox eliminate those issues and propel the White Sox into serious World Series contention.
The White Sox declined the club option on Cesar Hernandez and will see players like Leury Garcia, Carlos Rodon, Ryan Tepera, Billy Hamilton, Brian Goodwin, Evan Marshall, Jace Fry, and Jimmy Cordero head to the free-agent market.
The Chicago White Sox could make a big trade during the 2021-22 offseason.
Although many fans are hopeful the White Sox will make an expensive splash in free agency to address these issues, it is more likely the White Sox will choose to make their acquisitions via trade this offseason.
Rather than spending $100+ million on a player long-term, multiple players will likely be available this offseason on team-friendly deals that allow the White Sox to maintain control for longer than the 2022 season.
The White Sox no longer have a deep farm system, so there is a chance that the organization will have to part with some players that fans and the organization would have liked to see work their way up to the majors since these players don’t have a clear shot at being an everyday player.