Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol isn't giving up on his team's chances of making the playoffs. Despite the White Sox' slow start and unimpressive 31-43 record, the White Sox are only 5.5 games out of first place in the AL Central. Grifol's optimistic attitude, however, isn't exactly being welcomed by the entire fan base.

On Tuesday, Pedro Grifol said that the White Sox believed that the division is “up for the taking,” via Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Plenty of Chicago fans expressed their displeasure with Grifol's take, upset with the manager's perceived indifference to the team's poor play.

Grifol's assertion that a 5.5-game lead is “attainable” is true. Much larger first-place leads have dissipated in the second half of the MLB season in recent history. The All-Star break is three weeks away and the White Sox have yet to complete 50% of their regular-season schedule.

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Many of the fans who were upset with Grifol's comments don't seem to believe that a division championship would mean much for Chicago's World Series hopes. The AL Central will almost certainly be relegated to playing in the wild-card round of the playoffs, failing to secure a first-round bye. If the White Sox win the division, they might be clear underdogs in a best-of-three series against a wild-card winner like the New York Yankees or Houston Astros.

Even if Chicago survivs the wild-card round, going any further in October could prove to be an extremely difficult task.

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A large portion of the fan base seemingly wants the White Sox to be sellers ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. Doing so would start a rebuilding process and lay the foundation for a winner in a few seasons. Lucas Giolito will be among the most sought-after pitchers this summer.

If Grifol and the White Sox are intent on pursuing a division championship through September, Chicago could be hurting its long-term future. Grifol is in the first year of a multi-year contract with the White Sox.

Every AL Central team has a losing record. The first-place Minnesota Twins are 36-37. The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers are both at least five games under .500.