The Chicago White Sox are losing games to start the season at a historic pace. The sad part is there is no reward for all this losing if the Sox keep on this pace.
That is because while the Sox spend like a small market club, they are still considered a large market team, and those teams are not eligible for the MLB Draft Lottery in consecutive seasons.
Here's your reminder that the White Sox can't pick any earlier than 10th in the 2025 draft like the Nationals this year. https://t.co/tY1dttBsdl
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) April 23, 2024
The White Sox lost 101 games last season and that got them the No. 5 pick in the first round of this year's draft. The Sox were not even trying to tank last year. Since they are not the benefactors of revenue sharing, the season where they are starting a rebuild will net them a draft pick no higher than No. 10.
White Sox baseball everyone, where they cannot even get losing done correctly.
While there was no guarantee of the Sox getting the No. 1 overall pick next year, it would have been nice to have those 21.7% odds of winning the draft lottery that the leader of Tankathon receives. Plus, the MLB Draft is no sure thing, but it would have been nice for the Sox to have their pick of the best amateur talent after enduring a terrible season.
It is another reason the Sox should have spent more money in free agency to at least guarantee being competitive. To be fair, the White Sox earned such a bad reputation that maybe no premier free agent would come even if the club paid a huge markup. Not that the White Sox would anyway as they are one of only two teams left to not sign a player to a contract over $100 million--the going rate for All-Star talent on the free-agent market.
You can scrap any hopes of all this losing that we will endure this season leading to the White Sox having a chance to draft Ethan Holliday. He is the youngest son of former All-Star Matt Holliday and the younger brother of this year's top minor league prospect, Jackson Holliday. He is also considered the best prep prospect in the 2025 draft and some feel he might be better than his brother.
If the Sox wanted to go the college route, well there is no chance of landing Clemson outfielder Cam Cannarella who Baseball America has as the top college prospect next year.
It is not to say the White Sox cannot find a good prospect at No. 10. It just would have been nice to think the Sox had a chance to get one of the best draft prospects in baseball after being one of the worst teams in the game.