It's been a tough season for the Chicago White Sox. The club is in the middle of the first season of a rebuild led by GM Chris Getz, and after letting former manager Pedro Grifol go earlier this season, interim manager Grady Sizemore is now the top man in the dugout. Despite that change, the South Siders are still struggling. Unfortunately, the team set a new record following Saturday's loss to the Houston Astros: the earliest elimination from postseason contention in MLB history.
This season has been a miserable one for the White Sox and their fans, as the team is currently on track to lose 123 games. That mark would be the worst record in modern MLB history, surpassing the 2003 Detroit Tigers (who went 43-119 that season). The rebuild is firmly underway, and Getz needs long-term building blocks for the major league roster. Current ace Garrett Crochet and outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could be two of them, but the majority of the lineup hasn't performed up to par. How will Chicago move forward?
Chris Getz, Grady Sizemore need strong finish to season
There is a ton of talent in the minor league system for the South Siders. Eventually, that talent will have to make an impact in the majors. The sooner, the better, especially if the White Sox hope to avoid breaking the record that their AL Central rivals made over 20 years ago. Crochet and Robert Jr. could definitely be long-term difference makers, even cornerstones, if they aren't traded away in the offseason. For now, the duo will do all they can to help Chicago win.
Other potential long-term pieces on the major league roster include catcher Korey Lee, second baseman Brooks Baldwin, first baseman Andrew Vaughn and outfielder Miguel Vargas. All four players are mostly unproven, as Vaughn has the most experience in the majors. Each of them has shown talent in the minors, and now is the time for it to start translating to the majors. How Sizemore helps them to continue developing will likely be a key focus as the team takes the field for the rest of the season.
Pitching-wise, young starters like Drew Thorpe (currently out injured), Ky Bush and Jonathan Cannon also hope to lock in a potential spot in the rotation behind Crochet. Thorpe and Bush were among the White Sox' top prospects, and Cannon was more of an unheralded find.
Finding players that contribute in the minors and can translate that to the major league level is paramount. If Getz hopes to run his former team for a long time, then developing standouts like Crochet and Robert Jr. will be the top priority. For both the rest of the season, and beyond. That's how winning teams are made, and that is something the White Sox hope to become once again.
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