White Sox general manager Rick Hahn joined the White Sox Talk Podcast crew for a remote taping Thursday night at Reggie’s Rock Club on the South Side.
We covered a lot of ground during an almost 90-minute discussion, which also included a Q&A with White Sox fans in attendance. Here are some of the things we learned from the general manager.
The White Sox ugly start to the second half
“The way we came out in the second half obviously was unacceptable and extraordinarily frustrating for everybody associated with the club. It happens. ... It was unfortunate the way we came out of the break. Losing (Tim Anderson), losing Eloy (Jimenez), losing (Yoan) Moncada now, it’s been a little tough to get that consistent lineup out there. The pitching in the second half has been pretty darn good. It’s just a matter of getting the offense going.”
Lessons from the Manny Machado pursuit
“I look back and obviously there was a ton of frustration not just for myself and others in the organization but throughout White Sox Nation with the final result. So I do look back at some of the comments I made along the way in terms of creating the expectation that we’re going to be at the table and that we’re going to be putting forth a good effort in hopefully landing a guy, and maybe that helped create the disappointment when we didn’t convert in the end. At the same time, I can’t imagine handling it any differently in terms of being honest about our approach and our desire and our efforts. Maybe I could have tap danced a little better and not made it clear that, yes, we’re meeting with these guys, yes, we’re doing this and doing that and belong at the table, but that was authentic.
"Going forward, I can’t promise you that we’re going to land the top, top free agent in any class. There’s guys who have grown up in certain areas, have gone to colleges in certain areas, they’ve married women from certain areas and they want to play in a certain area. You can’t overcome that with cash, you can’t overcome that with opportunity or strictly this team is prepared to win and you want to come win in this city because it’s going to be damn special when we do. So there are certain things that I can’t get around, or anyone with cash can’t get around, but I do fully intend, in my mind at least, that this organization is going to be continued to be viewed as, rightfully, a destination for premium talent.”
MLB
Signing a pitcher to a long-term deal
“Whatever remaining narratives that the White Sox will never do are going to exist until we friggin’ do it, so I get that. That’s fine. ‘The White Sox are never going to sign a top-of-the-market free agent.’ Well, we didn’t this offseason, so that one’s going to live another 12 months at least. Just like with the other ones, all I know is the focus is to put us in the best position to win multiple championships. The things that line up towards doing that are the things we’re going to pursue.
"I don’t expect people to believe that or accept that until it happens, so that’s fine."
Did the White Sox pursue Michael Brantley?
“Guys have preferences about where they go. We’re becoming a better story each year, more of a destination each year. It might not make sense for Michael Brantley — despite us perhaps having conversations with Michael Brantley — for him to join the 2019 White Sox, in his opinion. He’s at the point in his career where he wants to go get himself a ring right now. You get that. You’ve got to respect that. The narrative is changing on us here, so that perhaps becomes a little more viable going forward.
"Rest assured, at the very least there aren’t stones going unturned along the way.”
What can fans expect in 2020?
“For 2020, I think you’re going to see this young core continue to take a step forward. Obviously, that’s going to be augmented by additional internal talent, whether it’s Luis Robert, Nick Madrigal, other players returning to health — Michael Kopech, Dane Dunning, Jimmy Lambert — as well as others within our system who are continuing to move ahead.
"The talent is starting to bubble up into Chicago and is going to continue to further surround what we’ve already put out there, so I think that is going to be exciting in and of itself. We’ve made no secret that we’re going to look to augment this offseason. Obviously, one way to do that is via free agency. We know where the starting rotation sits right now. We feel very good about (Lucas) Giolito going forward, feel very good about Reynaldo Lopez, feel very good about where (Dylan) Cease is going. Expect, at some point next year, Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon to join us.”
At some point with Kopech?
“I just don’t know when he’s going to be on the major league active roster. His rehab has gone wonderfully. He’s perfectly on pace. He’s going to be in spring training without restriction, and he’s going to be over 18 months removed from throwing a pitch in anger to a hitter. So, let’s let the kid develop, and when he’s ready, he’s going to be back.”
Impact of minor league injuries on the trade deadline
“The injuries to the system this year did affect a little of our trade currency going into the deadline. ... The good news is that’s a snapshot, that’s a temporary thing. These guys are going to return to health, many of them we’re not going to want to trade because they’re going to be healthy and doing well, and at the very least they’re going to create some level of currency for us, either with themselves or with other players that will allow us to augment this roster.
"I’d be lying if I said that the injuries had no affect on what we were able to do at this specific deadline. I do think that’s going to be different come the offseason. We were asked for some players who were out for the year already, and as you get a little closer in the offseason and closer to returning to play, I think they will be a part of conversations again. Not saying we’re going to move any of them, but it at least gives you other options for augmenting the club.”
Zack Collins' brief major league stint
“There are a few things mechanically we’ve been talking with Zack about for a while about making some alterations with his swing. Zack was having a pretty decent year in Triple-A doing it his way. It was time to give Zack an opportunity to come to Chicago and continue to do things his way and see how it went.
"At the end, when it was time to send Zack back, we were in Kansas City and I was with the team. It was me, Ricky (Renteria), Todd Steverson and Joe McEwing in the room telling Zack we’re going to send you back. It was a 25-minute conversation. Usually those conversations are 25 seconds. It was a wonderful conversation, mostly led by Zack, about what he had learned, what he needs to work on and what he wants to adjust to.
"When the decision was made to give A.J. Reed those at-bats, it wasn’t, ‘We could give them to Collins.' Absolutely not. Collins needed to go back to Charlotte and work on what he had learned.”
If you want to hear everything Hahn had to say Thursday night, listen to the entire White Sox Talk Podcast here:
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