3 Chicago White Sox off-season misses that hurt them
After the first month of the season, the Chicago White Sox has a sub .500 record. This may come as a shock to most fans who watched as the White Sox cruised to an American League Central Division title in 2021.
The talent on the roster cannot be questioned. The infield features four former All-Star in Jose Abreu, Josh Harrison, Tim Anderson, and Yasmani Grandal. Abreu also has an MVP and multiple Silver Slugger Awards to his name.
Meanwhile, the outfield has a former All-Star in AJ Pollock, a former Gold Glove Winner in Luis Robert, and the 2020 Silver Slugger Award winner in Eloy Jimenez.
Unfortunately, after getting clobbered in the ALDS, the White Sox had some needs to address during the offseason. These included second base, right field, and pitching depth. Some were filled better than others.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn resigned Leury Garcia and brought in Josh Harrison to play second base. Hahn then bolstered the bullpen by adding Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly. He also brought in Vince Velasquez to serve as a spot starter and long reliever.
Hahn then swapped one underperforming former first-round catcher for another when he traded Zack Collins for Reese McGuire. Finally, he addressed right field by trading Craig Kimbrel for AJ Pollock.
The Chicago White Sox made some mistakes during the offseason that hurt now.
Still, many criticized Hahn for his lack of impactful moves. This free agency class was littered with big names that could have helped the White Sox. In typical White Sox fashion, no big contracts were handed out.
Once again, injuries have put stress on the team’s depth chart. Some of the White Sox flaws are still being exposed which shines a light on Rick Hahn’s offseason.
This is the nature of the business as a front office executive. There is still plenty of time left in the season. Five months to be exact.
But in a world of overreactions, it looks like some of the White Sox’s failed conversions are coming back to bite them. Some of the White Sox moves that look bad now may look great come August.
Hindsight is 20/20 but at this point of the season, these were the White Sox’s three biggest mistakes.
Letting Carlos Rodon Walk
The Chicago White Sox could really use Carlos Rodon in their rotation right now.
There were plenty of red flags surrounding Carlos Rodon. An injury-riddled past and unproven track record are among two of the biggest concerns.
Rodon had a breakout season in 2021. He posted a 2.37 ERA recorded a career-high 185 strikeouts, was selected to his first All-Star team, and threw a no-hitter.
Quality left-handed starters are a hot commodity. After having a career-year Rodon was in line for a big payday. It was understandable that he may have been out of the White Sox price range. But Rick Hahn did not even extend him a qualifying offer.
Rodon ended up taking his talents to the San Fransico Giants. The White Sox replacements for Rodon included a patchwork job of Vince Velasquez and Johnny Cueto to take over the fifth starter duties.
Rodon has been incredible for the Giants. He is 3-0 with a microscopic 1.17 ERA, he also has 38 strikeouts in just four starts, highlighted by a 12 strikeout performance against the Miami Marlins.
Seeing how banged up the White Sox rotation was to start the season, Rodon would be a nice luxury to have. Time will tell if his left shoulder will hold up for a full season. But if it does, not doing more to bring back Rodon will be one of the White Sox’s biggest whiffs of the offseason.
Failing To Swing A Trade For Sean Manea
The Chicago White Sox could have really used a starter like Sean Manaea.
Starting pitching depth is a reoccurring issue. While Vince Velasquez put together a solid start against the Los Angeles Angels in his last outing, he cannot be trusted long term. In 2020 he posted a hefty 5.56 ERA which imploded to 6.30 the following season.
As a spot starter/long reliever, he is a viable option. As a starter every fifth day, he is not. In April, he has been very inconsistent for the White Sox.
Meanwhile, Dallas Keuchel is not pitching well at all. The former Cy Young winner has picked up right where he left off last season serving up runs at an alarming rate. Keuchel has an 8.40 ERA in four starts. When he takes the mound it feels like the team has no shot of winning that day.
Johnny Cueto seems like a nice addition on paper but his contributions to the team have yet to be seen. With Lance Lynn’s injury, starting pitching depth is imperative for the White Sox.
Sean Manea seemed like the perfect fit with the White Sox. Manaea has been an effective starter since entering the big leagues in 2016. In 737 innings he owns a career ERA of 3.86.
With only one year remaining on his contract, Manaea would have served as a one-year rental. The 30-year-old has also posted a 24.8% strikeout rate, 5.2% walk rate, and 43.8% ground ball rate.
The key to a pitcher’s success at Guaranteed Rate Field is the ability to keep the ball on the ground. Manea is also coming off a productive season that saw him accumulate 194 strikeouts, a 1.23 WHIP, and a 3.91 ERA.
Unfortunately, the White Sox have a thin farm system, which makes their decision to make make a greater push to resign Rodon all the more interesting.
Playing It Cheap At Second Baseman
The Chicago White Sox need more from their second baseman going forward.
Infielders that could have filled the White Sox hole at second base this offseason included Marcus Semien, Trevor Story, and Javier Baez.
Semien is a former All-Star who also has a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award to his name. Story is a two-time All-Star and two-time Slive Silver Slugger. Baez is a two-time All-Star, a Gold Glove winner, and a World Series champion.
The worst part about missing out on Baez is that he signed with the White Sox division rival, the Detroit Tigers. He is off to a hot start this season, batting .292 including a walk-off base hit against the White Sox on Opening Day.
Instead, the White Sox played it cheap. Hahn opted to go with Leury Garcia and Josh Harrison. While Harrison was once an excellent player, he is now 34 years old and past his prime. That has been reflected by his .182 batting average. Garcia has also been terrible so far this season, batting .118 to go along with a .367 OPS.
Baez, Semien, and Story are all game-changing players that would completely change the dynamic of the White Sox lineup. They would also help make up for the loss of Eloy Jimenez and take on some of the offensive burdens. We can only hope that none of this matters when they reach the postseason in October.
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