The Chicago White Sox operating behind the times is one of many reasons why the franchise is about to set a record for single-season futility.
While general manager Chris Getz deserves his fair share of the blame for constructing the worst roster ever in the modern era, he is quietly trying to modernize the front office that owner Jerry Reinsdorf let operate as if it was 1992.
One of those moves is improving the White Sox' international scouting.
The White Sox have lagged in such a critical area to discover premium talent. Jose Abreu and Luis Robert Jr. have been some wins for that department, but they were already older prospects.
Lenyn Sosa is the latest player from the international market the Sox got to the big leagues, and that is not saying much. That is one reason the longtime head of international scouting, Marco Paddy, was let go by the club.
The Sox have quietly hired his replacement, David Keller from the New York Mets. This might not be a flashy hire, but it is a move the club must make if it hopes to turn this franchise's fortunes around.
The is not going to spend bucks in actual free agency. They can spend the money the owner likes to pay in the international free-agent market with the spending caps in that area. Getz has said the team is going to build a new baseball academy in the Dominican Republic.
It is encouraging to see that Getz is not going to stop with a better facility and a new head of international scouting.
The Chicago White Sox named assistant GM David Keller as head to run the international scouting department as reported by @BNightengale.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 22, 2024
The department is in restructuring and is expected to hire a director or similar position before November.
SoxMachine.com's White Sox beat reporter James Fegan writes that Keller is a well-respected scout who has worked for the Miami Marlins as well.
The Marlins have done well in the international scouting world. It also helps to grab a guy who has worked in a dysfunctional franchise such as Miami that can find productive international players like Jazz Chisholm. Hopefully, he got to see Mets baseball head David Stearns work his magic so he can provide some additional help to Getz.
Getz deserves to walk around for all of eternity as the man who put together a team that will break the 1962 New York Mets record for losses in a 162-game season when it should be nearly impossible in today's day and age. He also got fleeced by the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline when it came to getting a good return for his best trade asset in Erick Fedde.
So, the trend of Getz being capable of being the general manager who can successfully pull off an extensive rebuild is not very positive. He is showing flashes that he understands all the problems this franchise has and what the solutions are. Now, time will tell if he made the right decision.