5 Reasons To Watch The Chicago White Sox This Season
By Todd Welter
This is going to be a tough year for the Chicago White Sox no matter what manager Pedro Grifol tries to tell you.
The Sox lost 101 games last year and did not do much to upgrade the roster.
“I like what Chris Getz has done this offseason” yeah man it’s crazy how he took a 61-win team that lost many of its best players and didn’t replace any of them. That really took some doing.
— Patrick Nolan (@SoxMach_pnoles) March 5, 2024
When Paul DeJong is the biggest free-agent signing and trading for Nicky Lopez and Michael Soroka are the biggest moves of the offseason, that is not going to be enough to turn things around quickly.
That does not mean you have to completely ignore the White Sox.
Well, yes it does considering the owner wants more than a billion dollars in taxpayer money to build a new stadium because Bridgeport supposedly cannot help him financially support a team he barely puts money into. Remember, the White Sox are now the only team except the Oakland Athletics to not sign a player to a deal over $100 million. You know the standard doing rate for elite players (in some cases, just good ones).
If you are still a diehard who has stuck with this team going back to the "Kids Can Play" era, then there are still a few reasons to still watch this team.
Luis Robert Jr.'s pursuit of a 40/40 season.
Despite the team's weird attempt to replicate the Kansas City Royals this season, the Sox do have an MVP contender on the roster.
Robert Jr.'s 2023 season should have netted him the AL MVP had the Sox not lost 101 games and Shohei Ohtani not played for the Los Angeles Angels. The man hit 38 home runs with a .264/.315/.542 slash line and was a five fWAR player.
Fangraphs projects he will have another great season with a .267/.318/.492 slash line, 33 home runs, and will finish as four fWAR player.
Luis also wants to be more of a threat on the basepath. He stole 20 bags last season, but he has the speed to swipe even more.
40/40 season 🔜 https://t.co/IE8naT4Z7n
— Mike (@ChiSoxFanMike) March 5, 2024
Ideally, the White Sox should have traded him in the offseason for a haul of prospects to further accelerate the rebuild. He is signed through 2027 and is only 26. Plus, the Sox need at least one player worth the price of admission. Watching Robert Jr. pursue 40/40 is worth tuning in.