The Chicago White Sox are a team that is near the bottom of the American League. They developed a nice core but they are always injured or inconsistent. They also didn't supplement it when it was time for them to start taking a big step.
Instead, they made a bunch of cheap moves that didn't end up panning out. One cheap move they made was one that a lot of fans were happy about because it was better than nothing. That was the deal they made with Elvis Andrus during the off-season.
Andrus was good as a little Tim Anderson replacement at the end of 2022 but they should have been looking elsewhere to upgrade for 2023. Now, the cheapness is showing with how Andrus has played so far this year.
On Saturday, the White Sox put Andrus on the 10-Day injured list with a strained left oblique and reinstated Romy Gonzalez who was on the injured list before him.
The White Sox aren't a smart organization when it comes to their needs.
Prior to his injury, Andrus was awful this year. So far, he is slashing .201/.280/.254 for an OPS of .534. He has one home run, 13 RBIs, and 11 runs scored. All of those numbers halfway through May are terrible. It is no surprise that his WAR is currently sitting at -0.4.
When Andrus comes back, he and the team are both going to be looking for some improvement. It isn't impossible because we know he has been a great player in his career but nobody is banking on it at this point.
The White Sox have been terrible and Andrus' underperforming has been a big reason why. It is unclear if they straight-up regret bringing him in though.
It is a mistake to be relying on a guy like that but would Romy Gonzalez or Lenyn Sosa be doing any better?
Well, at least the ceiling is higher for a younger man like Gonzalez or Sosa so you just never know. It would be nice to see the White Sox start acting smarter as an organization.