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Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche—who retired after he was asked by the team’s front office to dial back the amount of time his son, Drake, spent in the clubhouse—spoke at length about that decision with Tim Keown of ESPN the Magazine.

And LaRoche doesn’t seem to regret his decision one bit:

I’m not saying this is the way everybody should raise their kid. I’m saying I was given the privilege to raise my kid this way by some awesome teams and managers and GMs. Can every parent do it? No. But can we spend more time with our kids? Sure. I feel like I’ve spent as much time with Drake as you can, and if he were to die tomorrow, I guarantee you I’d be looking back and saying I wish I spent more time with him.

A lot went into LaRoche’s decision to retire. There was a trip to Southeast Asia in Nov. 2015 with a nonprofit organisation called the Exodus Road, where LaRoche and his close friend Blaine Boyer infiltrated brothels to determine the age of the female workers and tried to identify their bosses. There was the fact Drake would be in high school next year, where his attendance will be mandatory and he’ll play on the baseball team.

Until this point, Drake had been allowed to do his schoolwork electronically and, along with his sister, would spend several hours a day at a Sylvan Learning Center completing his studies.

“I am choosing my son over you guys,” LaRoche said to his teammates when he finally came to the decision to retire. “I cannot tell you how much I hate that I’m even having to make this decision, and how much it crushes me to feel like I could be leaving you guys hanging.”

To his credit, LaRoche understood some of the potential issues with having a kid in a clubhouse, but he also didn’t think they were that big of a deal.

“You can say, ‘That’s no place for a kid to be,'” LaRoche said of the culture of the clubhouse, which can be raucous, to put it mildly. “The way I see it, he’s going to be around that regardless, unless you home-school and raise them in a bubble. I can’t think of a better place for him to be when he gets a taste of that than with me.”

He added, “There’s a chance we could have other guys see Drake and think, ‘I’ll bring my kid, too.’ Obviously we can’t turn this into a day care. I get it.”

But Drake, who accompanied his father to the ballpark since 2011 when he was just nine, was “the exception to the rule,” according to LaRoche.

A part of the first baseman wondered if his declining production—he hit .207 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 127 games with the White Sox last season—was a part of the reason executive vice president Ken Williams approached him and asked him to bring his son into the clubhouse less often.

But don’t expect LaRoche to lose any sleep over his career coming to an end on his terms.

“If I had blown out a couple of years ago, or got released, I think I would have gotten over it really quick,” he told Keown. “I love it. It’s a passion. But I think every one of us is put here for a bigger purpose.”   

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Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf released a statement Sunday in what looks to be the end of the ongoing Adam and Drake LaRoche saga.

Reinsdorf said he met with Adam LaRoche and other White Sox personnel and added that employees of the team will be refraining from speaking publicly on the matter again, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune:

LaRoche retired from Major League Baseball earlier in the week, and Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported the 36-year-old was walking away after team president Ken Williams told him he could no longer bring his son, Drake, into the team’s clubhouse.

In a statement to Rosenthal, Williams offered his side, saying he merely wanted Drake LaRoche to spend less time around the team and instead instructed the former Silver Slugger to “dial it back.”

White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale spoke to what he and some of his teammates saw as a lack of proper communication between management and the players, per Fox Sports:

According to LaRoche, Drake’s involvement was a condition of his signing with the White Sox in the first place, which is why Williams’ comments became a problem:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after [Williams] recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or [Reinsdorf].

On Saturday, Sale, for his part, had already moved on.

“We are here to play baseball, and collectively as a group we are doing that,” he said, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. “Hopefully when day one comes, we will be as good anyone. From yesterday forward, we are showing up to play baseball. I don’t think there is anything else to talk about. We have a job to do and moving forward, that’s what we are here for.”

Looking ahead to Opening Day, Chicago is hoping to end its playoff drought, which has stretched to seven years.

While many expect the Kansas City Royals to once again be the class of the American League Central, the White Sox should be a serious contender for the top spot. In Sale, they have one of the game’s best pitchers, and Jose Abreu, one of MLB‘s best sluggers, anchors the starting lineup.

Once the regular season begins and the White Sox are playing in meaningful games, Adam and Drake LaRoche will likely become less and less of a distraction for the team.

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Chicago White Sox Executive Vice President Kenny Williams reportedly received complaints from staff members and other players before asking Adam LaRoche to scale back the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent in the clubhouse.  

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the situation, which led the 36-year-old slugger to retire, came after other people in the organization privately raised concerns about LaRoche’s son, Drake, spending so much time around the team. It’s noted he attended around 120 games last season.

Nobody had any personal issues with Drake, who was at times called the team’s 26th man, but his nearly daily appearances with the club apparently became an issue behind the scenes, according to Nightengale.

The entire ordeal has become a major headache for the White Sox. Chris Bahr of Fox Sports passed along comments Williams made to the outlet’s Ken Rosenthal about trying to get LaRoche to follow a more standard approach when it came to bringing his son to work:

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

LaRoche provided his side of the story Friday with a statement posted on social media. He confirmed his departure from the team came as a result of the disagreement with Williams. But he stated the request eventually reached a stage where he was asked that Drake not come to the clubhouse at all:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after White Sox VP Ken Williams recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or the club’s owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Starting pitcher Chris Sale took a strong stance Friday, stating: “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day and it was the wrong guy. We got bald-faced lied to by someone that we trust. This isn’t us rebelling against rules; this is us rebelling against B.S.,” per ESPN.com.

Ultimately, what happened behind closed doors that led White Sox management to take the issue up with LaRoche still isn’t entirely clear. If there were a large number of players and staff who didn’t approve of the arrangement, it likely felt pressure to push for the change.

One thing’s for sure: It’s now become a full-blown crisis. Not only did Chicago lose a potent power threat from its lineup, but it’s clear from Sale’s comments that not everybody is on the same page, which could polarize the club.

Rectifying those problems before Opening Day next month is a must.

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Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche confirmed Friday a disagreement with the team’s executive vice president, Kenny Williams, concerning the amount of time his 14-year-old son spent in the clubhouse led to his retirement decision.

LaRoche released a statement on his official Twitter account to provide his side of the story. He said he’s always been up-front with teams about the presence of his son Drake and that was the case before he signed with Chicago last year. Something changed heading into this season:

With all of this in mind, we move toward the current situation which arose after [Williams] recently advised me to significantly scale back the time that my son spent in the clubhouse. Later, I was told not to bring him to the ballpark at all. Obviously, I expressed my displeasure toward this decision to alter the agreement we had reached before I signed with the White Sox. Upon doing so, I had to make a decision. Do I choose my teammates and my career? Or do I choose my family? The decision was easy, but in no way was it a reflection of how I feel about my teammates, manager, general manager or the club’s owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

He added: “The White Sox organization is full of people with strong values and solid character. My decision to walk away was simply the result of a fundamental disagreement between myself and Ken Williams.”

Chris Bahr of Fox Sports previously passed along comments Williams made to the outlet’s Ken Rosenthal about the situation. He made no mention of completely barring Drake from the clubhouse but rather stated he wanted the slugger to scale back the visits:

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

Williams’ decision hasn’t been popular among the other White Sox players. Earlier Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted starting pitcher Chris Sale stated they have requested a meeting with chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to discuss the matter.

“We got bold-faced lied to by someone we were supposed to trust,” Sale said. “This isn’t us rebelling against the rules. This is us rebelling against B.S., plain and simple.”

The team’s ace continued: “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day and it was the wrong guy. Plain and simple.”

Clearly the entire situation is spiraling out of control for the White Sox with just a couple of weeks until Opening Day. Not only have they lost a potentially productive member of the starting lineup, but the other players are obviously upset, as well.

Finding a solution everybody can be happy with before the season gets underway is now the top priority. What the front office might have felt was a simple request is now threatening to damage the outlook for Chicago’s entire season as the players demand answers.

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Chicago White Sox veteran Adam LaRoche abruptly retired Tuesday due to the team limiting his 14-year-old son Drake’s access to the clubhouse.

Four-time All-Star pitcher Chris Sale is one notable teammate who’s adamantly come to LaRoche‘s defense. He spoke about the tricky situation on Friday.

“This isn’t us rebelling against rules. This is us rebelling against BS,” Sale said, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Sale also described what happened between LaRoche and White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today snapped an image of the LaRoche jerseys hanging on Sale’s locker:

Sale implied Williams should have been the one to leave the organization rather than LaRoche.

“Even the story that everyone is reading isn’t the issue. We have a much bigger problem on our hands,” Sale said, per John Barchard of 97.5 The Fanatic. Sale added, per WGN Radio’s Kevin Powell, “Somebody walked out of those doors the other day, and it was the wrong guy. Plain and simple.”

According to ESPN.com, sources told ESPN’s Karl Ravech that Chicago players were contemplating a boycott for Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirmed that to be the case and indicated players who met with Williams were incensed by the clubhouse policy for LaRoche‘s son.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, who initially reported on LaRoche‘s retirement, provided insight with specific regard to Sale and Williams’ exchange on Thursday:

The White Sox ultimately showed up to play versus Milwaukee, but there definitely appears to be lingering tension within the organization.

Williams spoke to Rosenthal about the controversy, per FoxSports.com’s Chris Bahr:

I asked Adam, said, ‘Listen, our focus, our interest, our desire this year is to make sure we give ourselves every opportunity to focus on a daily basis on getting better. All I’m asking you to do with regard to bringing your kid to the ballpark is dial it back.’

I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time – and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between.

We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton also spoke in Bahr‘s report, saying, “Adam and Drake are probably the most respected people in baseball I ever played with. Drake would clean cleats, he would help out in drills, pick up baseballs when we needed, he didn’t say boo to anybody and was never a trouble in the clubhouse.”

Per Shaikin, Eaton said on Friday that White Sox players hope to meet with owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the next couple of days.

LaRoche would have made $13 million this season but chose to walk away, confirming his decision on Twitter with “#FamilyFirst” as the hashtag to end his announcement. The 36-year-old was on a two-year contract and still had some baseball left, but he is at an age where retirement is within reason.

If relations are repaired, perhaps LaRoche will reconsider his sudden decision. According to White Sox players Nightengale cited, though, they’re convinced he won’t be coming back.  

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The MLB Players Association may file a grievance on behalf of former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times.

“As you might expect, Adam’s taking a deep breath amid everything that’s gone on,” said MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, per McCullough. “Adam’s got his space to do what he needs to do with his family for the time being.”

LaRoche retired Tuesday after White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams told the 36-year-old his son would have to spend less time around the team in the clubhouse, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.  

Williams explained his stance in an interview with Rosenthal:

I asked Adam, said, ‘Listen, our focus, our interest, our desire this year is to make sure we give ourselves every opportunity to focus on a daily basis on getting better. All I’m asking you to do with regard to bringing your kid to the ballpark is dial it back.’ I don’t think he should be here 100 percent of the time—and he has been here 100 percent, every day, in the clubhouse. I said that I don’t even think he should be here 50 percent of the time. Figure it out, somewhere in between. We all think his kid is a great young man. I just felt it should not be every day, that’s all. You tell me, where in this country can you bring your child to work every day?

However, CSN Chicago’s David Kaplan reported LaRoche originally signed with the White Sox with the condition his 14-year-old son, Drake, would be able to spend time around the team:

He earned $12 million in 2015 and was set to make $13 million in 2016. He could potentially have grounds for a grievance if the team failed to honor a part of his contract regarding his son’s presence.

Whether or not LaRoche takes action against the White Sox, his departure has created a schism in the team. ESPN’s Karl Ravech (via ESPN.com) reported players considered boycotting Wednesday’s spring training game. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, starting pitcher Chris Sale was particularly upset:

Clark didn’t directly criticize Chicago’s handling of the situation but seemed to hint that there was a breakdown in communication, per McCullough: “I have found in all the years that I’ve played, that a level of respect and professionalism between the players and management often serves everyone best. When that comes into question, it raises issues during the course of the season.”

What makes this particularly tough to untangle is that neither side appears to be entirely in the wrong. One can sympathize with LaRoche wanting to spend the most time he can with his son, especially considering how long an MLB season can be. Yet, the team’s viewpoint is understandable as well.

Regardless, the circumstances around LaRoche’s retirement have created a major distraction for the White Sox as they look to end their recent streak of losing seasons.

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Chicago White Sox players considered boycotting Wednesday’s spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers in support of Adam LaRoche, according to Karl Ravech of ESPN, after LaRoche retired following the organization’s request that he bring his 14-year-old son Drake into the clubhouse less.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports confirmed the report and noted that “F-bombs aplenty flew” during the team’s meeting with their general manager. 

According to the report, White Sox manager Robin Ventura was able to convince the players to play in the contest. However, Ravech added, “Sources said there is a division between those in the front office and Ventura and his players regarding clubhouse access.”

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported that ace pitcher Chris Sale was particularly vocal during the meeting and added that he “told Williams unequivocally to get out of the clubhouse and stay out.”

On Tuesday, White Sox vice president Ken Williams spoke with Rosenthal about the situation regarding Drake LaRoche’s access to the clubhouse:

LaRoche signed his retirement papers, as reported by Scott Merkin of MLB.com, but the White Sox have not yet sent them to the league office, which gives him the opportunity to reconsider his decision.

LaRoche, 36, hit .207 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI in 127 games in 2015 as a first baseman and designated hitter. It was a down season for the 11-year veteran, who hit at least 20 home runs and 75 RBI in seven of his first 10 seasons.

LaRoche was due to make $13 million this season, according to Spotrac, after signing a two-year, $25 million deal in 2015. He was apparently willing to forego that money after the White Sox requested he bring his son around the clubhouse less often.

His teammates clearly supported his decision, based on their reported response. The White Sox now must worry about a rift between the players and the front office, an unwanted distraction heading into Opening Day for a team with postseason aspirations.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.  

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Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche wants to retire, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.  

According to Kane, the 36-year-old LaRoche will weigh his MLB future in the coming days but is leaning heavily toward walking away from the game.

“I want to sleep on it again,” LaRoche said, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I didn’t come in yesterday because I wanted to make sure it was the right move and make an emotional decision. I’m confident it is. Out of my respect for these guys and [general manager Rick Hahn] they asked me to give it a day or two to confirm.”

“You have to be respectful of [LaRoche], understand his perspective and where he’s coming from,” Hahn explained, per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “We’ll make adjustments and move on.”

The timing of his decision is somewhat surprising since he’s owed $13 million for the 2016 season. However, he’s coming off one of the worst seasons in his MLB career. In 127 games for the White Sox, LaRoche had a .207/.293/.340 slash line with 12 home runs and 44 runs batted in.

The Washington Post‘s James Wagner also posited LaRoche may be looking forward to life after baseball:

He has been consistent over his 12 years in the league. According to FanGraphs, he finished with a negative WAR just three times, and his 162-game averages (.260 BA, 26 home runs and 89 RBIs) illustrate his impressive work at the plate.

LaRoche also collected a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award with the Washington Nationals in 2012:

If LaRoche makes his retirement final, the White Sox will have to find a new designated hitter. Chicago would have some money to spend by getting back his 2016 salary, but almost all of the top free agents from this offseason have already found homes.

The New York Post‘s Joel Sherman threw out an internal replacement for LaRoche in the lineup:

Hahn said the White Sox “won’t leave any stone unturned if we need to go outside org to get better. We haven’t spent lot of time going thru alternatives,” per Van Schouwen “It opens up possibility that we have more flexibility in coming weeks or months up to deadline,” Hahn said of having $13 million. 

In addition to outfielder Avisail Garcia, catcher Dioner Navarro and infielder Tyler Saladino could be options for manager Robin Ventura early in the season. None of the three would be an optimal choice, though, unless Garcia makes a big jump in 2016.

Since he has newfound space available in the payroll, Hahn might be better off trying to work a deal to acquire a proven hitter to round out his squad.

Stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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If there were any doubt the Chicago White Sox intend to put a winning product on the field in 2015, the Adam LaRoche signing erased it.

LaRoche, one of the top bats on the market, agreed to a two-year, $25 million deal with Chicago on Friday, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. With the move, the White Sox bolstered their lineup and sent a strong message to the rest of the American League: We’re going for it.

If that “it” is a return to the top of the AL Central, the White Sox—who finished 17 games off the pace with a 73-89 record last year—have work to do.

Inking LaRoche helps. The 35-year-old veteran belted 26 home runs to go along with 92 RBI and a career-best .362 OBP with the National League East champion Washington Nationals. 

He should benefit from both a shift to hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field and to the AL, where he’ll likely see significant time at designated hitter. 

Most essentially, LaRoche will join reigning AL Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu, with whom he may split time at first base and DH, to form a fearsome middle of the order.

So the Sox just got better, no question there, and are unambiguously in win-now mode.

“The only message we want to send at the end of the day is when our roster is complete, that people can dream again,” Kenny Williams, executive vice president, told CSNChicago.com‘s Dan Hayes this week.

What more must Chicago do to turn dreams into reality? Let’s take a look.

Bolster the Bullpen

The White Sox’s relief corps, which put up an unsightly 4.38 ERA in 2014, remains a work in progress.

Yes, Chicago signed Zach Duke to a three-year, $15 million deal. The 31-year-old left-hander had a career year in 2014 with the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a 2.45 ERA in 58.2 innings.

The Sox need more help, though, as general manager Rick Hahn told ESPNChicago.com‘s Doug Padilla.

“It was an important get, one we’re all very happy about,” Hahn said of the Duke deal. “But we’re not deluding ourselves that we’re by any means finished addressing our needs both in the bullpen or elsewhere.”

MLB.com‘s Phil Rogers speculates that the White Sox “probably won’t compete” for top free-agent bullpen arms like David Robertson and Andrew Miller. But, he adds, there’s an array of intriguing names with ninth-inning experience—Sergio Romo, Rafael Soriano, Francisco Rodriguez—who the team could target.

“One way or another,” Rogers concludes, “the Sox need a right-handed addition alongside Duke.”

Add a Starter

The top of Chicago’s rotation is set with a pair of dominant southpaws: Chris Sale (2.17 ERA, 0.966 WHIP, 208 SO, 174 IP) and Jose Quintana (3.32 ERA, 1.243 WHIP, 178 SO, 200.1 IP). 

No other regular starter, however, posted an ERA below 4.00. Which means the White Sox should dip into this offseason’s deep pitching market.

As with the bullpen, Chicago isn’t likely to land the big free-agent arms, guys like Jon Lester and Max Scherzer who are sure to command nine figures. 

After those expensive aces, there’s a long list of worthy options. Ervin Santana and Francisco Liriano both have serious upside, though each rejected the qualifying offer and would thus cost a draft pick. 

Plucking James Shields away from the division-rival Kansas City Royals sounds tempting, but he wouldn’t come cheap.

A more realistic option might be 32-year-old right-hander Jason Hammel, who pitched part of last season in the Windy City with the Chicago Cubs and who the Sox find “intriguing,” according to the Chicago Tribune‘s Mark Gonzales.

Dangle Alexei Ramirez

Dealing an All-Star middle infielder might seem like an odd move for a team that’s trying to win now. And the White Sox should definitely tread carefully when it comes to trading shortstop Alexei Ramirez.

But, as MLB.com‘s Rogers notes:

With two years of control left, Ramirez is Hahn’s most attractive piece for trade talks. His value is at a max after he won a Silver Slugger Award and finished as a Gold Glove Award finalist, and a 2012 first-round Draft pick Tim Anderson is coming fast.

In a down year for free-agent shortstops, Ramirez could bring back a nice return that provides multiple upgrades elsewhere, and the Sox have options that could serve as the bridge to Anderson at some point in 2016.

If the White Sox can net MLB-ready talent and plug multiple holes by moving Ramirez, it’s at least worth considering. If they can’t, there’s nothing wrong with keeping him.

He’d look good on any winning team, which is exactly what Chicago is trying to become.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Chicago White Sox have filled their void at first base/designated hitter.

USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reported that the team signed free agent Adam LaRoche to a two-year deal worth $25 million:

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal confirmed the news:

With Paul Konerko retired, many expect 2014 American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu to take over full time as the White Sox’s first baseman. As CBSSports.com’s Tom Fornelli pointed out, LaRoche can help ease some of the pressure on Abreu and give him a day off every once in a while:

Hardball Talk’s Matthew Pouliot didn’t expect LaRoche to sign with a team for which he’s likely to primarily fill the DH role:

I’m surprised LaRoche was ready to settle into primarily a DH role. Maybe his back is a significant issue going forward.

— Matthew Pouliot (@matthewpouliot) November 22, 2014

The 35-year-old is a solid if unspectacular hitter. He has a career slash line of .264/.340/.472 with 243 home runs and 838 runs batted in. He had 26 homers and 92 RBI for the Washington Nationals last season. 

At the very least, LaRoche can be a cheaper and more productive option at DH than Adam Dunn was for Chicago. LaRoche can also fill in at first when necessary and not be a black hole defensively.

This move alone won’t turn the White Sox into a winning team, but it’s a step in the right direction as they look to move up in the AL Central.

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