MLB Preview 2015: Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox 2014 Record: 73-89
Team Overview:
The White Sox made a statement that they are here to compete with major moves that hope to revamp the roster. Only time will tell if the talent at the top can carry the weight at the bottom. In this lineup that can be a true statement as Jose Abreu represents the talent. He is one of the best hitters in the league and the Sox acted quick to surround the 28 year old with hitters. Center fielder Melky Cabrera will bat in front of Abreu, and first baseman Adam Laroche will hit behind him. Laroche brings a power bat to the lineup that Abreu has not had, as Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn were well past their prime last year, and Dunn was traded in July. That should be a strong core for the White Sox and Adam Eaton, when healthy last season was a formidable lead off hitter. The question in which I have is where can the team produce elsewhere? The team seems to have a three-man battle for second base and also signee Emlio Bonafacio to back up at short and be a potential fourth outfielder. They probably should have traded Short stop Alexei Ramirez with so many infield options but he will be tied into the starting role and the team will count on the 33 year old to produce at the plate, because the three young second baseman, Gordon Beckham, Carlos Sanchez, and Micah Johnson all are better fielders than hitters at this stage of their career. Johnson could emerge as a potential lead off hitter and base stealer but given his little experience he will be eased into even the possibility of starting everyday. Beckham could join thirdbaseman Connor Gilaspie in a platoon that could also free up time in the infield, but as mentioned Beckhams bat isn’t a strong suit in the first place. The lineup has some sorting out to do, but to say the least Abreu has more around him this year than he did in his rookie year.
The rotation is where the White Sox need to win baseball games. Chris Sale, Jeff Samardizija and Jose Quintana on paper are three of the best pitchers in the league and are capable of being dominant in 2015. Sale is one of the top pitchers in the MLB night in and night out and is a strong 2015 Cy Young candidate. Samardzjia could be an ace on many teams as well, but will fit in as a dominant 1-2 punch. Quintana doesn’t get the recognition of the two stars but he is a great option as a number three pitcher. He is also only at age 26 and may be a potential break out candidate. The rest of the rotation, however, gets dicey. John Danks and Hector Noesi will probably round out the rotation and neither shows promise of having a good season. The team has few other options and we will see how many wins they can steal with the bats of Laroche and Abreu when the big three isn’t on the hill. I would think the bullpen may be able to bail them out but it isn’t one of the better pens on paper either. They added Dave Robertson in free agency but that looks like a small band-aid for a decent sized cut and they will hope to move some of their excess infielders for a reliever.
What to Watch For?
What to watch for is what could put this pitching staff over the top and that would be rookie Carlos Rodon. Rodon went to NC State for 3 years and was the third overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft. He breezed through A ball and jumped to AAA by the end of 2014 and looked good. There are rumors that the White Sox will be willing to let the 22 year old compete for the big leagues opening day roster and if he can do that and perform throughout the season this rotation will be lethal, and a major hole in depth will be filled.
One last thing to watch for is that the White Sox should be active all season. You can see the roster isn’t complete and there are pieces in the infield that can be moved in package deals. This team isn’t far from being a contender and the management won’t hesitate to win now while Jose Abreu and Chris Sale are still in their primes.
Where Do They Rank?
The White Sox really are not that far from being contenders. That being said this division is one of the tougher ones in baseball. I mean I currently have a team who went to the World Series ranked fourth. I think if Sale can stay healthy and Rodon can enter the rotation they can easily push to compete with the entire division. For a team that won 73 games last season a 9 win increase would be something most teams would love to have, although 82 wins isn’t winning the division this year. I would expect that they can get to 82 this year and if Rodon is in the rotation this year, which many believe, than they will be 3rd best team in the division.
