Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Keynan Middleton recently made headlines by calling out the White Sox culture as a team. Los Angeles Dodgers SP Lance Lynn, who was dealt to LA from Chicago ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline, defended Middleton's comments, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.

“I was there a lot longer than Key was,” Lynn said. “He’s not wrong.”

It goes without saying, but Lynn's comments are eye-opening.

For those who may have missed it, Middleton didn't hold back in his criticism of the White Sox. After being traded from Chicago to the New York Yankees prior to the 2023 deadline, he got brutally honest on the team amid their struggles over the past two seasons.

“We came in with no rules,” Middleton said, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “I don't know how you police the culture if there are no rules or guidelines to follow because everyone is doing their own thing. Like, how do you say anything about it because there are no rules?”

White Sox 2022, 2023 struggles

Chicago performed well in 2021 and many experts around MLB felt the White Sox had a chance to make a World Series run in 2022. Instead, Chicago faltered and missed the playoffs entirely during the said campaign.

Things only got worse in 2023 as the White Sox were forced to sell ahead of the trade deadline amid an abysmal all-around campaign.

The White Sox had the talent to compete over the past two seasons. Everyone tried to figure out why Chicago wasn't performing up to expectations, and it should be noted that the club's plethora of injuries surely played a role. Still, it appears there's more to the story.

As Chicago rebuilds their team, they must place an emphasis on improving the culture. Otherwise, it won't matter how much talent they bring in.