The White Sox have been in this weird mid-world of “win now” and “not good enough” for, well, basically ever. Year-in, year-out they seem to add a high profile bat or arm or two that, at the time of the signing or trade, is portrayed as the final piece of a puzzle. Each year, however, the Sox seem mired in the same general mediocrity. It has to be frustrating to Sox fans.
That frustration may not be around much longer. It will be replaced by a different brand of frustration. The frustration of seeing a team’s biggest stars being dealt. Possibly several of them in the same offseason.
That’s certainly the implication White Sox GM Rick Hahn gave at the general managers meetings. Via CSNChicago.com, we learn that the time of “half measures” and “stopgaps” is over:
That’s a polite, leverag-preserving way of saying “everything must go.” With “everything” likely including Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Adam Eaton, and Melky Cabrera. Maybe even more. All of those players would have value on a thin free agent market and all of them could fetch prospects which could help replenish a farm system which, last spring, was ranked in the bottom ten in baseball.
Get ready for a turbulent offseason, White Sox fans. Your team is likely to look way different come spring training.