After a disappointing 2014 season that resulted in a 73-89
record for the Chicago White Sox, many fans were eager to see what changes
would be made in the offseason. Having
said that, the flurry of moves made by general manager Rick Hahn were not expected
even by the most optimistic White Sox fans. The White Sox had several holes
entering the offseason, and Hahn was able fill as many as he possibly could,
considering the organization’s budget and resources. The White Sox added a
proven, power-hitting left handed bat in Adam LaRoche, the top closer in free
agency in David Robertson, an ideal two-hole hitter in Melky Cabrera, a
legitimate number two right-handed starter in Jeff Samardzija, and a quality
left-handed reliever in Zach Duke. Those five impact transactions added to an
already improved roster in 2014, have many White Sox fans dreaming about the
postseason again. But, should they be that optimistic heading into 2015?
To reach the playoffs in 2015, the White Sox would likely
need a 15-20 win improvement to either win the American League Central
Division, or secure one of the two wild card spots. While the White Sox seem
destined to be drastically improved in 2015, I’m not yet convinced that they
are prepared to make that big of a leap in the win column. Yes, Rick Hahn and
company have filled many of the team’s needs this offseason, but there are
still several question marks that have me concerned.
1. This team does not
have a starting second baseman. Prospects Micah Johnson, Carlos Sanchez and
veteran Gordon Beckham are expected to compete for the job this spring, but
none are clear favorites at this point. While the second baseman will likely
bat 8th or 9th in this year’s lineup, the White Sox still
need someone to provide some sort of offense at the position.
2. The back-end of
the starting rotation is worrisome. Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija, and Jose
Quintana give the White Sox one of the more formidable threesomes in the
American League, but they need more than that to reach the playoffs. Veterans
John Danks and Hector Noesi both had ERAs over 4.70 in 2014, but they did
provide some stability by eating up valuable innings. If either Danks or Noesi can’t get the job
done, then top-prospect Carlos Rodon may be called upon to provide the depth
needed to reach the postseason. In my opinion, the White Sox need their fourth
and fifth starters to post ERAs closer to the 4.00-4.20 range if they want to
be serious contenders. At this point, I’m not convinced that either Danks or
Noesi are capable of doing that.
3. The White Sox
failed to upgrade at catcher and third base. Conor Gillaspie has been a
fine player since joining the White Sox prior to the 2013 season, but he
doesn’t put up the type of numbers you’d expect for a starting third baseman.
Gillaspie does provide a decent batting average and on-base percentage, but his
lack of power is a real concern at a corner infield position. Tyler Flowers is
considered an above-average defensive catcher by his teammates for his ability
to call a good game, but is inconsistencies at the plate can’t be ignored.
Flowers got hot at certain points in the season to finish with decent numbers,
but he has been an offensive liability and “automatic out” more times than not
during his career to date.
4. The bullpen seems
improved, but will that be good enough? Adding David Robertson should do
wonders for the White Sox bullpen as he has been one of the most consistent
relievers over the last five seasons. Zach Duke is coming off of a career year
with the Milwaukee Brewers, but can he sustain that success considering it was
his first quality season as a reliever? Both Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka made
great strides in their rookie seasons pitching in late-inning situations, so
hopefully they will continue to progress now that they will be pitching in
less-pressure situations. But, outside of that, I’m not overly excited about
the bullpen. The White Sox will need another quality arm or two to reach the
playoffs, and it remains to be seen if that player exists on the current roster.
It is possible that one or more could emerge out of intriguing group of young
arms that includes Daniel Webb, Francellis Montas, Javy Guerra, or even Carlos
Rodon, but I’m not sold on the bullpen until that happens.
5. My final concern
surrounds the durability of Adam Eaton and the development of Avisail Garcia.
It is hard to pick a team to reach the playoffs when they have question marks
with their leadoff hitter and a player expected to hitter in the heart of the
order (likely fifth), and that’s where the White Sox stand right now. Adam
Eaton was a terrific player and provided some spark to the offense when he was
completely healthy, but his reckless style of play forced him to miss nearly 40
games last season. The White Sox need to have Eaton in the lineup more often than
that to have a consistent and balanced offense throughout the season. Avisail
Garcia’s suffered a fluke injury last season that resulted in him only playing
46 games, thus delaying his development. Although Garcia has shown some promise
in limited play, I have no idea what to expect from him if he plays 150-plus
games. If both Eaton and Garcia play 150-plus games and reach their full
potential, then the White Sox offense should be good enough to compete with the
top teams in the American League.
Overall, the White Sox seem to be vastly improved heading
into 2015, but I’m not sure they are ready to make the 15-2 jump in the win
column that would be required to make the playoffs. As it stands right now, I
would place the White Sox in the 83-85 wins range, which would likely leave
them outside of the playoff picture. However, if certain players can take a
step forward and eliminate the remaining holes and question marks this team
has, it would not shock me to see the White Sox approach or even exceed 90
wins. We’ll see how it all plays out, but either way, I’m excited to see this
team take the field and compete in 2015.
-Eric Tichelbaut
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