Kuzul

Even in victory, the Chicago White Sox (52-74) are utterly frustrating. Don’t take this the wrong way, but the Sox—12-5 over their last 17 games—are doing more harm to their future than good.

The wins they are piling up now are hurting their draft status and will have limited carryover into next year.

First off, the White Sox’s 25-man roster that opens the season in 2014 isn’t going to look anything like the one that is finally delivering clutch hits, buoying up outstanding pitching with a level of defense that is expected at the major league level and satiating fans that have been impatiently waiting for a prolonged stretch of solid baseball.

Alexei Ramirez, for example, could (should) be traded this offseason. There are options to replace him in the minor leagues, and his recent offensive resurgence—.330/.340/.495, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 30 RBI in his last 21 games—could not be better timed. Hahn should maximize the return on Ramirez and trade him to a club like the Cincinnati Reds or St. Louis Cardinals who would benefit from the shortstop’s skill set.

Alejandro De Aza is another example. He is hitting—a .236/.289/.371 slash line in August—and running—thrown out a staggering 21 times on the bases paths this season—himself out of a position. With free agent options and Avisail Garcia in the fold, De Aza’s time with the White Sox is in question.

Who knows what the bullpen will look like next season. With the exception of Addison Reed, Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom, each spot will be up for audition during spring training, and another year of Donnie Veal is kind of frightening, actually.

To be fair, there are players who will have an important role in 2014 that are performing at a very high level.

At the plate, Garcia has been nothing short of outstanding since arriving in the trade that sent Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox. Sure, he has yet to hit a home run in a White Sox uniform, but he is batting .314 and already has three doubles and one triple in only 51 at-bats going into play on Friday. And with the exception of the first game against the Detroit Tigers on August 12 when he forgot how to play right field for a few plays, Garcia has looked quite good defensively.

Andre Rienzo—1-0, 5 GS, 3.56 ERA, 21 K, 14 BB, 30.1 IP—has been excellent in five starts, while Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago have proven that their breakout performances in 2012 were not aberrations. Meanwhile, Chris Sale’s 6.0 WAR is the highest in the AL and second in MLB.

Unfortunately, the positives are too few, and the recent stretch of victories is a hindrance on rebuilding a viable farm system.

If the season ended today, the White Sox would have the third pick in the 2014 first-year player draft. They are in danger of losing that position, though, as there are nine teams within four games of the Sox in the loss column. Another month of winning baseball and they will have the 11th or 12th pick next June.

This is not a call to throw games or trot out a lineup that is sure to be overmatched. Rather it is one fan screaming “What took you guys so long?”

How ironic would it be if the White Sox fell out of the top 10 in next year’s draft because they finally got their act together in August during what has been one of the worst seasons in franchise history?

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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In 1985, Chicago White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen was considered the “best” at his position in the American League.

That is, at least, if you asked Vern McKee, who scouted Guillen and the rest of the White Sox for the Minnesota Twins that September.

Guillen, who won the AL Rookie of the Year, was very good, but McKee’s assessment that he was the “best in league” missed the mark.

To be sure, Guillen was the top defender at his position in the AL during the 1985 season. He led the league in fielding percentage (.980) and committed the fewest errors (12) among shortstops with at least 600 defensive chances, but he wasn’t better than future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, if overall statistics and WAR are considered.

Ripken had a .282/.347/.469 slash line, hit 26 home runs, collected 110 RBI and had a 5.6 WAR for the Baltimore Orioles in 1985. Guillen, on the other hand, slashed out at .273/.291/.358, went yard once, scored 71 runs and had a 2.3 WAR in his rookie year.

The report is courtesy of Diamond Mines of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Gathering information on other teams is common prior to the offseason as clubs look to improve at each position, and the Twins needed to do something about the makeup of their team.

They were in the midst of a fourth-place finish in the old AL West and would go on to score the fourth fewest runs (705) in the league, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Likely, the Twins were looking to replace shortstop Greg Gagne, who went on to finish the 1985 season with a .225 batting average and a .968 fielding percentage.

There is no accounting for the enthusiasm some scouts have for certain players, though, as Guillen—who was acquired by the White Sox in 1984 in a trade with the San Diego Padres—would have made little difference offensively.

He went on to manage the White Sox from 2004-2011, leading them to a World Series title in 2005 before being traded to the Miami Marlins in advance of the 2012 season. With 678 victories, he ranks third behind Jimmy Dykes (899) and Al Lopez (840) for the most wins in franchise history, per MLB.com.

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Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas is a surefire Hall of Famer. Apparently, though, at least one scout had his doubts.

This scouting report, which was submitted in advance of the 1989 MLB draft when Thomas was taken seventh overall by the White Sox, misses the mark a couple of times.

Among other things, it says the former Auburn Tiger projected to be a “.250 hitter, tops,” would “hit 20 HR on [a] bad year if he gets 500 AB” and graded out as a “C” prospect.

He was right about Thomas being “one huge person” and his fielding concerns, however, as Thomas is still “huge” and finished his career with 80 errors and a .991 fielding percentage. 

Report courtesy of Diamond Mines of the National Baseball Hall of Fame 

Larry Maxie, the scout who submitted the report, had an eye for talent, too. Some of the players he signed include former White Sox and New York Yankees starter David Wells and Greg Myers, who caught for 18 seasons.

To his credit, he only saw Thomas play in three games, and it appears that the future All-Star’s defense overshadowed his offensive prowess.

In hindsight, it is hard to fathom that a scout could have been so wrong when evaluating a player that turned out to be one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, but that is what makes the evaluation process so much fun. Sometimes, there’s just no accounting for the type of trajectory a player’s career will take.

And for the record, the fewest home runs Thomas hit in a single season with at least 500 AB was 24 in 1996 while still with the White Sox, but he hit .323 with 46 doubles and finished eighth in MVP voting.

Thomas finished his career with a .301/.419/.555 slash line, 521 home runs, 1,704 RBI, 495 doubles and 4,550 total bases.

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Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn can permanently extinguish the last vestiges of belief that Kenny Williams is still the arbiter of South Side fortunes over the next seven days.

Not only is the White Sox’s 25-man roster awash with veteran talent, but Hahn has second- and third-year players under team control for some time that he could move if the return is high enough.

A couple of well-timed, prospect-driven trades would go a long way for Hahn and the White Sox.

Creativity will be the buzz word, and the conversations are dense.

Addison Reed, Jesse Crain, Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez and Jake Peavy are just a few of the players rumored to be on the verge of leaving the White Sox. Most likely, though, not everyone who is being discussed will be dealt.

This slideshow will play fact or fiction with the speculated landing points for some of the more frequently mentioned White Sox players who will be listed in alphabetical order.

Matt Lindstrom, while widely expected to be traded, is not included because rumors of his departure have largely been unspecific.

Begin Slideshow

The Chicago White Sox have traded left-handed reliever Matt Thornton and cash to the Boston Red Sox for minor league outfielder Brandon Jacobs.

The White Sox announced the move via their official Twitter feed.

Jacobs—the 318th pick of the 2009 draft—is a power-hitting outfielder who has trouble taking pitches outside of the strike zone. He has already struck out 90 times in 297 at-bats while playing for both Single- and Double-A. His defense is not to be questioned, and he is more than capable on the basepaths.

To be sure, Jacobs has all of the tools, but if that sounds familiar, it should.

The White Sox already have four of them—Trayce Thompson, Jared Mitchell, Courtney Hawkins and Keenyn Walker—occupying space down in the minor leagues.

Due to the general struggles of the aforementioned quartet, trading for another player of similar ilk is a bit curious. A left-handed outfielder who projects as a leadoff hitter would seem to have made more sense.

Rick Hahn, for one, liked what he saw, though.

More than likely, Jacobs will report to the Double-A Birmingham Barons when he arrives.

Now to the impact the move has on the White Sox bullpen.

David Purcey—0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 K, 3 BB, 2.0 IP—will stay on the 25-man roster for the remainder of the season, assuming he does not implode, of course.

Hahn should go in a different direction with the second left-hander and bring up Santos Rodriguez, not Donnie Veal like the White Sox announced they are doing.

Rodriguez was exceptional at Double-A before earning a promotion to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights last week. And while he has been battered since being promoted—0-0, 7.88 ERA, 8 K, 7 BB, 8.0 IP—the White Sox need to see what they have as they plan for the 2014 season.

Bringing up a pitcher, like Veal, who has already been with the Sox this year is a mistake.

This is the first in what is sure to be a long line of trades Hahn will make in the coming weeks.

It would appear the first-year general manager recognizes the weaknesses in the minor leagues. Outfield is a definite area of need for the White Sox, and while Jacobs will prove himself one way or the other, it looks like Hahn just got more of the same.

With the way things have been going on the South Side, however, are we too expect anything else?

This post will be updated as more information surfaces.

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For the Chicago White Sox, the return of Gordon Beckham from a rehab stint with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights cannot come soon enough.

Beckham, who has been the Opening Day second baseman for the White Sox for the past four seasons, is nearly recovered from a surgery to remove the hamate bone in his left hand.

And from every indication, he appeared to be ready very soon. Then, word came from the White Sox that Beckham had suffered a setback:

Prior to the soreness the team reported, he had been on a roll.

Following Thursday night’s game for the Knights, Beckham was hitting .318 with five runs scored and a .375 OBP. He has also started one game at shortstop and has been the designated hitter.

While MLB.com’s Ethan Asofsky noted that Robin Ventura downplayed the significance of his time at short, it may be an indication of which direction the White Sox want to head with the 25-man roster when Beckham is activated.

That segues nicely into the next topic: Whose spot will Beckham take?

With pitching at a premium on the South Side, the decision will likely come down to a choice between Casper Wells and Tyler Greene.

An interesting case could be made for both men.

Wells is considered to be an above-average outfielder who can play all three positions, and he hits left-handed pitching very well, per Steve Adams of MLBTradeRumors. With four other outfielders on the roster, though, keeping a fifth one may be a luxury the Sox cannot afford.

Wells is also out of options, and should the White Sox decide that Beckham will take his spot, he would have to be designated for assignment and clear waivers before being optioned.

Greene, on the other hand, is much faster than Wells, has some value as a platoon infielder and can be a pinch runner in late-inning situations.

Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors noted that unlike Wells, however, “the White Sox can control Greene for a while if he proves useful.”

Couple Greene’s contract situation with Beckham’s recent re-acquaintance to the shortstop position, and his demotion to Triple-A will be the most likely decision for general manager Rick Hahn.

Had Jeff Keppinger been able to get off to even a mediocre start, Beckham’s return would not be as highly anticipated. But after beginning the season with a .204 average and one home run, Keppinger has made Beckham’s value to the team palpable.

He will immediately improve the defense, which has been a surprise shortcoming for the White Sox thus far. Turning a double play will become routine, and hitting the cut-off man will not be such an adventure.

Beckham will also provide some unexpected stability to the bottom of the order.

How times have changed.

If someone would have said when the 2013 season began that the White Sox would miss Beckham’s presence as much as they have, I would have scoffed, chuckled or flat-out laughed.

Well, the humble pie is served, and the tune has changed.

And even though Beckham suffered a setback, his arrival cannot come soon enough.

The White Sox need him.

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The Chicago White Sox are not averse to a little turnover on the 25-man roster. It actually seems to be an annual occurrence that the White Sox part ways with at least one veteran who was a long-time fan favorite.

In 2011, it was Mark Buehrle. Last year, A.J. Pierzynski bid the White Sox a fond farewell.

Will longtime captain Paul Konerko be this offseason’s veteran departure?

What about the rest of the active roster?

Let’s look at the wholly unscientific, completely arbitrary and unsubstantiated odds that each player will be on the 25-man roster in 2014.

Contract and productivity factors will be weighed—as well as potential midseason trade possibilities—to determine the probabilities.

Each player will be grouped based on his position, starting with the pitching staff.

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. Contract information provided by Cots Baseball Contracts.

Begin Slideshow

The Chicago White Sox have lineup questions that must be answered before the 2013 season begins. It will be up to second-year manager Robin Ventura to squeeze every ounce of offensive production out of the White Sox batting order.

It will not be an easy task.

See, a lot has changed for the White Sox offense since the end of the 2012 season.

Gone to free agency are veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski and third baseman Kevin Youkilis. They have been replaced by infielder Jeff Keppinger and—for the moment, at least—Tyler Flowers.

While Keppinger may actually bring an offensive skill set that is better fitted to the White Sox, Flowers looks to be a less-than-ideal option at the plate.

Then, there is always the feast-or-famine left-handed-hitting strikeout machine, Adam Dunn.

White Sox team captain Paul Konerko is another reason for concern. How he responds to an offseason procedure to remove bone fragments from his wrist will be critical to how successful the White Sox are from an offensive perspective.

And those are just a few of the offensive storylines White Sox fans have had the privilege of following this offseason. Oy.

So, with a pitching staff that can carry the White Sox into October, here are five potential lineups to start the season.

Begin Slideshow

Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is now dealing with a shallow pool of available free agents. Not so thin, however, that the White Sox cannot find a free-agent steal among them.

As Hahn wades through what free agents are left, there are two areas the White Sox must address.

The first thing the White Sox need is a left-handed hitter. The only two that have any value, though—Adam Kennedy and Kelly Johnson—don’t appear to improve the team.

So, that means a left-handed stick will more than likely come in the way of a trade. Gavin Floyd’s name is still being mentioned as someone who is available and Jason Kubel has emerged as a rumored target for the White Sox.

Now, the other position Hahn has stated needs to be addressed is in the bullpen. With the departure of Brett Myers likely, the Sox are going to need another set-up man.

Good news on that front: there appear to be five strong free-agent relievers who may accept short-term deals with the White Sox for less than they earned in 2012 and become steals in the process.

@MatthewSmithBR

Begin Slideshow

The 2013 Chicago White Sox are going improve upon their record in 2012. Matter of fact, the White Sox will make the playoffs in 2013.

The White Sox are not going to get there because of the recent addition of Jeff Keppinger. Rather, it is their pitching that will take them to the postseason in 2013, starting at the top.

Chris Sale (17-8, 3.05 ERA) stands to build upon his breakout 2012 season. He is taking steps to ensure that his arm is stronger going into the 2013 season after setting career high in starts (29) and innings pitched (192) last year.

First-year manager Robin Ventura and pitching coach Don Cooper seemed to do a very good job ensuring that Sale was not overworked. They gave the left–hander extended periods of rest between starts multiple times last year, which will pay dividends in 2013.

Following Sale at the top of the rotation will be Jake Peavy. Fresh off a two-year, $29 million extension, Peavy (11-12, 3.37) should be able to repeat his dominant 2012 showing.

It appears that the injuries which plagued Peavy are behind him, and he is being counted on to be a leader on and off the mound by the White Sox.

While Sale and Peavy figure to occupy the top two spots in the rotation, John Danks should open the season as the No. 3 starter. Now, Danks is coming off in-season surgery to clean up his left shoulder, but he should be ready for the start of the season.

All told, the White Sox have six—potentially seven if you include Dylan Axelrod—starting pitchers on the 40-man roster.

Even if Gavin Floyd is traded, as is being rumored, the White Sox will be in great shape. Ventura and Cooper simply have to fill in the back end of the rotation and the White Sox instantly have one of the best starting five in the American League.

Like the rotation, the bullpen figures to be an area of strength for the White Sox.

The top five relievers last season—Nate Jones, Addison Reed, Hector Santiago, Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton—combined to win 21 games and none of them had a WHIP above 1.381.

And if Santiago ends up in the starting rotation, Donnie Veal proved himself highly capable in 2012 against left-handed hitters. Veal retired 26 consecutive left-handed hitters at one point before allowing a double to Shin-Soo Choo.

The talent pool in the bullpen figures to get deeper. CSNChicago.com’s Dan Hayes recently reported that general manager Rick Hahn is actively exploring options to replace the sure-to-be departed Brett Myers.

As it stands, the White Sox have a very good pitching staff already in place, and it will only get better with some additions.

Don’t forget, if the pitching did not fade at the end of the year, the White Sox could have made the playoffs. Ventura told the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales that the pitching staff was as culpable as the offense was for the late-season collapse.

The San Francisco Giants proved in the World Series this past October that strong pitching will slay the mighty Detroit Tigers.

Don’t expect the offense to do much more than it did in 2012, which is fine. The lineup is what it is—home-run heavy and pretty slow—but timely pitching can make up for that.

Granted, the 25-man roster has not been finalized and it is only December, but the Sox have a solid pitching core with or without Floyd.

Also, the rookie pitchers who were called upon to do so much in 2012 now have the benefit of having gone through it before.

Another year older and another year wiser, if you will.

Look for the White Sox to avoid a letdown with their pitching staff in 2013 and make the playoffs.

*Stats and rankings courtesy of BaseballReference.com

@MatthewSmithBR

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