Oct. 05--The White Sox invested millions of dollars and bundles of hope in a reconstructed roster this season, but with a 6-0 loss to the Tigers on Sunday, they won just three more games than the 2014 team did.
While acknowledging many within the organization need to make improvements, general manager Rick Hahn took the blame last week for the 76-86 season.
"Fundamentally, the players didn't achieve at the level that I individually expected them to," Hahn said. "I put that on me. I don't put that on anybody else. There are areas where I need to improve and get us to the point where we're making the right personnel decisions and guys are living up to the expectations."
Here's a look at what went right, what went wrong and what could change.
Positives: The development of rookie left-hander Carlos Rodon was a highlight. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft lived up to expectations, especially late in the year, when he posted a 1.81 ERA over his final eight starts.
Left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana were very good more often than not. Sale had some struggles in the first month and in the second half, but he still established the single-season franchise record by totaling 274 strikeouts. Quintana was as reliable as ever, but unfortunately for him, so was the lack of run support he received.
The bullpen stepped in the right direction after continual failures in 2014. Closer David Robertson may say this was the worst season of his career, but his 34 saves in 41 opportunities and 3.41 ERA beat the Sox's hodgepodge of closers last year.
After his 2014 American League Rookie of the Year campaign, Jose Abreu avoided a sophomore slump to become the second player in major-league history, along with Albert Pujols, to total 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs in his first two seasons in the big leagues.
Late in the season, rookie Trayce Thompson emerged as a viable outfield candidate for 2016.
Negatives: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija joined the team he grew up cheering and was the feel-good story of the offseason, but there was no fairy-tale ending. Samardzija, while occasionally excellent, finished with a 4.96 ERA, including a 6.29 ERA after the All-Star break, when the Sox decided to keep him rather than trade him. He's expected to head to free agency.
Designated hitter Adam LaRoche never found a groove in his transition from playing first base in the National League. A season he deemed the most frustrating of his career ended with a .207 batting average, 12 home runs, 44 RBIs and 133 strikeouts in 127 games. Those numbers are among the worst of his career.
LaRoche was just one piece of an offense that underperformed in the first half. Adam Eaton, Melky Cabrera and Alexei Ramirez crawled to slow starts, putting the Sox in an early hole.
Ramirez was also shaky on defense to open the year, and coupled with mistakes by second baseman Micah Johnson and third baseman Conor Gillaspie, it made for some ugly moments. The defense and baserunning issues put a lot of early heat on manager Robin Ventura and the coaches from outside observers, something that hasn't quieted with the announcement Ventura will return in 2016.
Offseason needs: Finding a new bench coach and assistant hitting coach will be the front office's first order of business. But they have many more areas to address on the field, and Hahn made it clear offense was a priority for a team that ranked in the bottom five in the majors in runs scored, homers and on-base percentage.
Third base is a position that has plagued the Sox, and it could be a good place to upgrade if they don't want to continue their late-season experiments with Tyler Saladino and Mike Olt.
Catcher Geovany Soto will be a free agent, and they could look to add an alternative to Tyler Flowers.
Shortstop and a rotation spot remain up in the air as Ramirez has an option or a buyout on his contract and Samardzija could very well look for a multiyear deal elsewhere.
Key questions: Who fills Samardzija's spot in the rotation? Is Erik Johnson the answer or will the Sox bring in an outside option?
Where will the offensive help come from? Will the Sox use any of their pitchers as the centerpiece for a big trade?
Will LaRoche bounce back? How will the outfield shake out with Thompson's emergence and Avisail Garcia's inconsistent development?
How long does Ventura have to guide the team to success before he's on the hot seat after three straight losing seasons?
ckane@tribpub.com
