The White Sox say their tanking days are about over.
Say goodbye to 100-loss seasons or threats thereof and say hello, in the third year of their rebuild, to turning a corner.
It probably won’t be a sharp enough turn to place them in the .500 lane, and maybe not even close to it – unless they sign free agent Manny Machado or Bryce Harper and make a trade for an upgrade in their starting rotation or everyday lineup – but a bullpen bolstered by offseason deals, progress from young talents such as Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and Lucas Giolito along with the arrival of prized left field prospect Eloy Jimenez in April figures to make them better.
That’s the plan, anyway. After two roster-thin rebuild seasons produced 67-95 and 62-100 records under manager Rick Renteria, it’s time to push back against a losing culture, perform better and take an important step toward 2020, when the Sox should be ready to flirt with contending.
By then, top pitching prospect Michael Kopech will have recovered from Tommy John surgery, top minor league pitching prospect Dylan Cease will have accumulated more major league experience than Kopech has, Jimenez could be coming off a Rookie of the Year caliber season and Moncada, the former No. 1 prospect and centerpiece of the Chris Sale trade, will have turned a corner of his own after offensive and defensive difficulties his first full season.
That’s a lot of maybes, but that’s the vision. All the while, a sizable group of highly ranked minor league outfield prospects including Luis Robert, Micker Adolfo, Luis Basabe, Blake Rutherford and Luis Gonzalez will inch closer to the major league roster or be used as trade bait for more proven talent. And there’s more in the pipeline beyond that group.
But first, there is 2019, which begins in earnest Wednesday when pitchers and catchers officially pitch and catch for the first time at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
Looming over the proceedings will be the Machado questions – who will he sign with, when will he sign and will it be with the Sox, who still have the only known offer for the 26-year-old star on the table. Having Machado on the left side of the infield and middle of Renteria’s Cactus League lineups wouldn’t transform them into a winner but it would officially remove the Sox from the ranks of baseball’s tankers. It would cast 2020 and beyond in a much more competitive light.
Without Machado, Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA rankings project the Sox with the fifth-worst record in baseball at 70-92, an eight-win improvement from 2018. Last year, PECOTA overrated the Sox with a 73-win forecast, an insult at the time to unsuspecting fans.
Renteria is aiming higher, optimistically saying 80 wins is reachable with an improved bullpen.
“But we have to play clean baseball,” he said.
And see it reflected on the scoreboard.
“You want to make sure [young players] don’t lose confidence, especially since we’ve had so many losses over the last few years,’’ Renteria said. “You want them to understand, ‘you guys are winners.’ ‘’
The Sox do understand how to handle defeat, Renteria said.
“We’ve got to know what it is that is failing, what we’re not doing that we need to do to come out with the victories,” he said.
Like putting a ball in play with a runner on third and less than two outs, executing a 1-1 pitch in a high leverage situation or hitting a cutoff man, things that aren’t measured in PECOTA projections.
Whatever it takes, it’s time the Sox figure out how to win more than 60-something games. In one of baseball’s weakest divisions, that shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Five things to know as the White Sox open spring training:
DATELINE
Wednesday: Pitchers and catchers first workout at White Sox facility in Glendale, Ariz.
Feb. 18: First full-squad workout.
Feb. 23: Cactus League Openers. Split squad vs. Dodgers at Camelback Ranch, at Athletics in Mesa.
March 28: Season opener at Kansas City, 3:15 p.m.
April 4: Home opener vs. Mariners, 1:10 p.m.
HERE AND GONE
Arrivals: Right-handed relievers Alex Colome and Kelvin Herrera, starting right-hander Ivan Nova, left-hander and potential fifth starter Manny Banuelos, first baseman Yonder Alonso, outfielder Jon Jay, catcher James McCann.
Departures: Avisail Garcia, James Shields, Danny Farquhar, Kevan Smith, Omar Narvaez, Hector Santiago, Matt Davidson, Miguel Gonzalez, trainer Herm Schneider, broadcaster Ken Harrelson.
ELOY’S COMIN’
Eloy Jimenez’ much anticipated and overdue arrival to the major leagues will happen when his service-time reins are loosened, probably soon after April 12. Jimenez, the No. 3-ranked prospect in baseball, looked more than ready for prime time last season – although the Sox said he needed to polish his defense – but holding him back till April gives the club an extra year of contract control. As a teaser, fans will see a lot of Jimenez (.337/.384/.584, 22 HR, 75 RBI in 108 games between AA and AAA last season) in spring training – barring injury bugaboos which limited him last spring.
MANNY WATCH
Nobody wants to hear it, but Manny Machado’s free agency could drag on even more, perhaps well into spring training. The Sox’ seven-year offer, reportedly in the $175-210 million range with possible opt-outs and incentives, has been on the table for weeks. Machado wants a much bigger deal, and very well might prefer another team, but the Sox, with no need to bid against themselves and having a limit on how they will go, are sitting tight. Manager Rick Renteria, for one, would like to see it resolved one way or another.
“Is there an X factor involved in my thinking with potentially him coming in? Sure,’’ Renteria said. “[But] I have to wrap my arms around everybody who is going to be here with us and put a plan together for those guys.’’
WHO’S ON THIRD
The Sox have discussed working Yoan Moncada at third base this spring, but doing so hinges on the configuration of their infield. With Machado, he stays at second base. Without, Moncada getting work at the corner could be one of the storylines of camp. Moncada faces a pivotal season after falling short of lofty expectations in his first full year.
