The last Chicago White Sox rebuild did not meet any of our expectations. Core players fell well short of their potential and the front office never lived up to their end of the bargain.
Former White Sox GM Rick Hahn dished out a lot of empty promises over the years. It wasn’t always Hahn’s fault. After all, he was hamstrung by an owner that didn’t let him spend money or truly fulfill his vision.
But still, Rick Hahn told White Sox fans that the team would bring in marquee free agents when the time was right…and they never did. Rick Hahn told White Sox fans that the organization would have sustained success…and it never came.
Hahn even predicted a World Series championship when he told the media to “ask him after the parade,” but Sox fans are still waiting to see those floats rolling around Bridgeport.
After the White Sox missed out on superstars like Manny Machado in free agency, Hahn assured Sox fans that the team would eventually dish out big free agent contracts.
“The money will be spent,” he infamously said. “It might not be spent this offseason, but it will be spent at some point. This isn’t money sitting around waiting to just accumulate interest. It’s money trying to be deployed to put us in best position to win some championships.”
The last White Sox regime was all talk, but they never put up the money to back up their words.
The new front office, led by current White Sox GM Chris Getz, has been saying all the right things. But on the field, the South Siders continue to struggle in 2025.
Chris Getz is making the same promises as Rick Hahn
The White Sox are going to be the worst team in the American League for the second consecutive season. The front office is still shamelessly preaching patience while teasing a future moment in time when the Sox will be big spenders in free agency.
This time around, White Sox fans know better than to take it at face value. Until he backs it up, Getz is doing the same thing Rick Hahn did.
“It’s really about supporting the long term vision of the organization,” said Getz when asked about future spending on Monday. “We feel like if there’s talent out there that we feel like can really help us, then we’ll go out and do that. In the meantime, it’s been a foundational approach. We are sticking to what it takes to improve all areas of the organization and not just relying on free agent spending.” (via Scott Merkin)
“That time will come without question,” Getz assured.
Getz on future spending: "It’s really about supporting the long term vision of the organization. We feel like if there’s talent out there that we feel like can really help us, then we’ll go out and do that. In the meantime, ...
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 23, 2025
Sound familiar? That’s because it is. Focusing on building a foundation while putting off financial commitments is exactly what Hahn talked about during the White Sox last window of contention.
Here’s a quote from Rick Hahn back in 2020.
“When we started the rebuild, there was an element to this of creating economic flexibility to allow us to deploy our resources in a way that would successfully augment a young core. We’ve always had in our mind the idea of adding impact from outside the organization. Let’s see where we sit come the end of this season, where we feel like we have definitive answers for championship players and where the position needs are and what the alternatives are.”
It always starts with a vague promise of spending. Then it’s a seat at the table for premium free agents discussions that the White Sox never actually convert on. Then it’s a B- or C-tier free agent brought in as a consolation prize and before long, the front office starts reeling about “internal options” that can fill their needs just as easily.
We’ve seen the movie before, and the ending sucks.
My advice for all White Sox fans out there: Don’t believe it until you see it. Always assume the worst. That sounds cynical, but they’ve given us no choice.
Chris Getz is saying the right things. He’s even made a number of really smart and encouraging decisions since taking over like getting Shane Smith in the Rule 5 Draft, trading for Miguel Vargas, and adding intelligent people from outside organizations to the front office (Brian Bannister, Ryan Fuller).
But this time around, the only thing White Sox fans should get truly excited about is winning and big spending. Everything else is empty words.