The Chicago White Sox cruised to an American League Central title in 2021, but they hit a wall in the division series, falling to the AL West champion Houston Astros. in four games
Chicago has a young core of budding stars, so don't be surprised if the Pale Hose are back in October again next year -- and perhaps advance further than they did this year. Bradford Doolittle takes a look at where the White Sox stand and answers three key questions for the club moving forward to 2022 and beyond.
Chicago White Sox
Notable free agents: Carlos Rodon, Leury Garcia, Ryan Tepera (Note: The White Sox hold club options on RP Craig Kimbrel and 2B Cesar Hernandez for the 2022 season that are likely to be exercised.)
Trade candidates: Jake Burger, Andrew Vaughn
Extension candidates: Michael Kopech, Tim Anderson, Lucas Giolito
1. Is Tony La Russa the right manager to lead this club where it wants to go?
When the White Sox shocked just about everyone by bringing then-76-year-old Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa out of retirement to lead a young, emerging club, he inked a multiyear contract. So. how did that work out?
The most honest assessment is that it was a mixed bag. To be sure, La Russa had some early foibles, such as not have a full understanding of the ghost runner rule for extra innings. The question of whether he related to his young players never really came to the forefront again after the early-season Yermin Mercedes 3-0 swing controversy. The manager was simply an older version of the La Russa we saw in the dugout for decades, perhaps even a little crustier, if only on the margins.
Taking a wide-lens view, one could say that La Russa led a talented club to a division title despite several major injuries, with Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert in particular missing months of action. The base lineup that the White Sox sketched out before the season rarely was able to take the field at the same time during the regular season, and with injured second baseman Nick Madrigal dealt away at the trade deadline, it wasn't there for October, either.
There was some criticism of La Russa's bullpen management, which continued into October with some of his moves against Houston. Some of that was merited, but more of it was just shrill, results-driven nonsense. The White Sox won their division going away and then lost to a team with more postseason experience and at least as much talent. Perhaps La Russa was outmaneuvered by a younger manager in Dusty Baker. Or not, but, again, that's reading more into the results than in the process.
All of this aside, the window of opportunity for any collective of talent is finite, and Chicago is now two years into its time in winning mode without a postseason series win to show for it. La Russa was supposed to be one of the final pieces of the puzzle. And now it's up to the White Sox's brain trust -- Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams and La Russa-backing team owner Jerry Reinsdorf -- to do an honest assessment of La Russa's performance.
Did he add value? Did he hurt the team? Or is the more likely answer that La Russa landed somewhere in the value neutral no-man's-land. Which might be fine. But is it good enough for a roster with championship-caliber talent? Multiyear contract or not, the answer to these questions should dictate whether La Russa comes back.
2. How can the White Sox best array their corner players?
One thing the spate of injuries the White Sox battled through accomplished is that they got to see some new faces from the minors emerge and play some big league ball with real stakes in play. For the most part, it was a smashing success. It started with the white-hot streak that catcher/designated hitter Mercedes went on to start the season, helping Chicago withstand the initial shock of losing Jimenez near the end of spring training. Mercedes faded, however, and finished the season in the minors, even growing so dispirited so as to retire -- for less than 24 hours.
Beyond Mercedes, Andrew Vaughn held up surprisingly well as Jimenez's primary replacement in left field, though he is a slow-footed first baseman by trade and had some real prolonged stretches of promise with the bat. The same was true of fellow corner infielder and former first-round pick Jake Burger, albeit in a smaller sample than that of Vaughn, but he had some nice moments during the middle of the season. Also, Gavin Sheets demonstrated a potent power bat in the weeks after Chicago moved on from early-season right fielder Adam Eaton.
Now that leaves Jimenez, Sheets, Vaughn, Burger, Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu among those vying for time on the 2022 roster at the corner positions, with Moncada playing every day at third base, Abreu more often than not at first and Jimenez holding down the fort in left. So, how can the White Sox best leverage the offensive potential of Sheets, Vaughn and Burger, especially when only Sheets is really an outfielder and Chicago has other players it would like to rotate in and out of the DH slot?
It's a good problem to have, of course, but the depth does open up the possibility of a trade to shore up some other spot on the roster. Where there is surplus, there is opportunity -- and the chance to balance a roster with overlapping skill sets.
3. How heavily can the pitching staff lean on Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel in 2022?
This isn't a question of whether Keuchel and Kimbrel will be on the 2022 White Sox. Barring an unexpected trade, they will be back. Keuchel has one more guaranteed season left on the deal he signed as a free agent before the 2020 season, and as of now, he will be the fourth-highest paid player on the 2022 roster. As for Kimbrel, Chicago has a club option for 2022, but it's really hard to see the White Sox cutting bait with the veteran reliever a few months after they gave up Madrigal and a talented reliever in Codi Heuer to procure Kimbrel's services.
These concerns arise only because of performance.
Keuchel went 9-9 with a 5.28 ERA, the latter the worst mark of his 10-year big league career. And it was well-earned: His FIP was 5.23 and WHIP was 1.53. Yet, the White Sox have to pay Keuchel either way, and they have the rotation depth to bring him back as more of a depth option than to head the rotation.
The top three starters will be back -- Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease -- and other younger players will be in the mix, including Reynaldo Lopez, Michael Kopech and, perhaps, Garrett Crochet. Still, if Keuchel can rediscover his form then not only does it add depth, but it gives Chicago the option of using the younger power arms in relief. Still, for Keuchel, it's really straight forward from a planning perspective.
The role of Kimbrel is more of a dilemma, because he was brought in at such a steep price in talent to team with Liam Hendriks to give La Russa a pair of late-inning hammers. Alas, Kimbrel did not hold up his end of the bargain, posting a 5.09 ERA after leaving the Chicago Cubs and struggling in the postseason, as well.
Now, when you look at the larger picture of Kimbrel's recent work, you have poor seasons for the Cubs in 2019 and 2020 and a poor half season in 2021 for the White Sox. In between, you have what he did for the Cubs this season before the trade: a 0.49 ERA over 39 outings. What are the White Sox supposed to do with all of that information?
Chances are they better build a roster that allows for both versions of Kimbrel to show up.