White Sox send Oscar Colas to Triple-A Charlotte

Remember when the White Sox opened the season with rookie Oscar Colas as their starting right fielder in the middle of an alleged contention window?

Yes, that was a major mistake, and it's the type of misstep that contributes to a general manager's firing. Indeed, former general manager Rick Hahn is fired.

But while Hahn is gone, Colas remains in the organization. However, the 24-year-old Cuban outfielder's future is in doubt after he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte for the second time this season before Monday's game against the Kansas City Royals was postponed.

Colas got off to a brutal start in April. He was sent to Charlotte the first week of May, after batting .211/.265/.276 over the season's first month.

He was brought back to Chicago on July 4. Since then, he's batting .219/.253/.331. His on-base percentage is actually lower in this bigger sample, and while we've seen a slight increase in slugging, no one is excited about four home runs and seven doubles over a two-month period from a player whose power is supposed to be his carrying tool.

The Sox are 19-47 in the 66 games Colas has started this season, and he's weighing down the team with more than just poor offense. 

Colas has been called out multiple times by manager Pedro Grifol for his poor decision-making in the outfield. On Sunday, he threw to third base on a single to right, failing to retire a Detroit runner who was headed to third, and allowing the batter to take an extra 90 feet into second base. On a later play, Colas nearly decapitated second baseman Elvis Andrus on a collision in shallow right, turning what should have been an out into a double.

This comes on the heels of a big mistake in the bottom of the ninth inning last Tuesday in Kansas City, when Colas threw to second base on a play where he needed to throw the ball toward home. The Sox eventually lost that game in walk-off fashion.

A lot of fans are very angry about the demotion of Colas, believing the Sox are bullying a younger player. 

But guess what? Colas isn't a big leaguer. Nobody likes his .571 OPS, but with the team out of the race, you could live with that if the player were correcting his mistakes and showing competence in other facets of the game.

Unfortunately, Colas is a poor hitter, a bad baserunner and an even worse defender. He should not have been the right fielder at the start of the season. He should not be the right fielder now, and he should not be the right fielder at the start of next season either. 

As Sox fans, we've been screaming about the need for more accountability. Well, here's some accountability for a player. Good. Now apply the same standards to the more veteran players on the team, who have been dogging it far too often.

The Sox need to make more decisions like this.

Catcher Carlos Perez is taking Colas' spot on the roster. The Sox also optioned pitcher Edgar Navarro to Triple-A Charlotte and recalled pitcher Deivi Garcia.

Romy Gonzalez(!) has homered in 3 consecutive games for White Sox

The hottest hitter on the White Sox is ... Romy Gonzalez? 

Yes, Gonzalez has homered in three consecutive games. He went 2 for 4 on Tuesday night, helping the Sox to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Gonzalez delivered an RBI double as part of a five-run fourth inning. He then stole third and scored easily when the throw by Angels catcher Chad Wallach squirted down the left-field line. Gonzalez added a solo home run in the sixth inning that capped the scoring in this game.

Over his past 10 games, Gonzalez is 10 for 28, with seven of the hits going for extra bases. He has three homers, three doubles and a triple -- plus 10 of his 12 RBIs for the season.

Before this hot streak, his slash line was .132/.128/.184. Now, after Wednesday's game, he stands at .224/.232/.463. That's still not good, but it makes Gonzalez more likely to retain his roster spot.

That matters right now with regular second baseman Elvis Andrus (hip strain) on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte. When Andrus returns, likely at the end of this week, the Sox will need to clear a roster spot.

Among Gonzalez, Hanser Alberto and Clint Frazier, Gonzalez is the only player with options remaining. But given his recent production, Gonzalez should continue to get starts at second base until he cools off -- even when Andrus rejoins the roster.

That means the veteran Alberto could be designated for assignment. However, Alberto is a favorite of manager Pedro Grifol, so we might see Alberto go on the injured list with some sort of minor ailment -- my money is on a "shoulder strain."  

The Sox are 23-34 with Tuesday's win.

Lucas Giolito's outing wasted by pathetic White Sox offense

Lucas Giolito

Here's the good news for the White Sox: Lucas Giolito is pitching much better than he did last season.

The 28-year-old right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field. For Giolito, it was his fourth quality start in his past five games, and his fifth consecutive start of six innings or more.

Too bad the Sox wasted it.

The Twins scored five runs in the top of the 12th inning to snap a 2-2 tie, and finished off a 7-3 victory. With the win, Minnesota (18-14) salvages the final game of the three-game series and snaps a three-game winning streak for the Sox (10-22).

This was a missed opportunity for the Sox, on multiple levels. Sox batters went a pathetic 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position in this game. The only hit came in the bottom of the 12th, while they were trailing 7-2. It was a meaningless RBI single by Eloy Jimenez that scored ghost runner Billy Hamilton.

Hamilton, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Andrew Vaughn in the eighth inning, twice made it to third base with zero outs -- in the eighth inning and in the 10th. Had he scored in the eighth, the Sox probably win. Had he scored in the 10th, the Sox definitely win.

Alas, nobody could muster so much as a sacrifice fly with the game on the line.

In the eighth inning, Hamilton stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. However, both Jimenez and Tim Anderson hit grounders to the left side of the infield that Hamilton could not score on. Luis Robert Jr. was intentionally walked, and Hanser Alberto grounded out.

Hamilton started the 10th inning on second base as the ghost runner. Jimenez was intentionally walked to start the inning, and both men advanced on a wild pitch.

Anderson was at the plate with second and third and no outs, but he swung through a 3-2 slider that looked hittable for strike three. Robert Jr. was intentionally walked again to load the bases for Alberto, who swung and missed at a 1-2 pitch that hit him in the arm. Strike three. If he had just not swung, that's a game-winning HBP. Then Elvis Andrus struck out to end the threat.

Anderson, Alberto and Andrus all were guilty of swinging through or fouling off hanging sliders in that inning. It was ludicrous that nobody put a ball in play.

The Twins finally broke through for five runs in the 12th off the combination of Alex Colome and Sammy Peralta. The ghost runner scored from second when Anderson booted a grounder to shortstop, capping a terrible day for the Sox's best all-around player.

Pity Giolito, who left after seven innings with a 2-1 lead. The Sox bullpen couldn't hold it, as Reynaldo Lopez game up a game-tying home run to Byron Buxton in the eighth. Lopez has now allowed six homers in only 13.1 innings pitched this season. It's time to reconsider his role. He cannot be allowed to pitch in high leverage against the other team's best hitters (such as Buxton) until he figures out how to keep the ball in the park.

The Sox started this series nine games back of the Twins. They cut that lead to seven after winning the first two games, and there's no question they should have won Thursday to pull within six games. Instead, they kicked this game away, and they are eight back. 

Of course, team management is saying they can get back in the race. There's enough time left to do that in the season, sure, but missed opportunities like Thursday do not inspire confidence.

Burger to IL

Third baseman Jake Burger has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique. Lenyn Sosa was recalled to take his place on the roster. 

Sosa started at second base Thursday and shifted to third late in the game. He went 0 for 4 with two Ks, to drop his season average to .140. You may recall that Sosa was just sent to Triple-A on Tuesday. There was a good reason for that -- he's not ready to play in the big leagues.

Instead, injuries and a lack of depth have forced him into a role that he's not prepared to fill. General manager Rick Hahn has once again built a one-ply roster. The 10-22 record is not an accident.

Elvis Andrus signs 1-year deal with White Sox

Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus is back with the White Sox on a one-year deal worth $3 million, according to reports.

The 34-year-old is a veteran of 1,947 games and 14 seasons, but he's never played a position other than shortstop or designated hitter. For the 2023 Sox, he is expected to be the starting second baseman.

Andrus joined the Sox on Aug. 19, 2022, after being released by the Oakland Athletics and after Tim Anderson suffered a season-ending hand injury. 

In 43 games with Chicago, Andrus played better than he had in years, batting .271/.309/.464 with nine home runs, 28 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. In fact, Andrus hit more homers last season with the Sox than he did in 106 games with Oakland (8). He also stole more bases than he did with the A's (7).

It's also notable that Andrus was an asset defensively, and an excellent base runner. Those two attributes are rare on the current Sox roster, and that made his competence in those areas stand out even more.

There are two key questions surrounding this signing. First, was Andrus' late-season surge in 2022 a dead-cat bounce from a guy looking for his next contract, or was it a sign that he still has some useful baseball left? Second, can he make the transition to second base after years and years of playing shortstop?

Clearly, other teams were not sold on Andrus as a starting shortstop. To be fair, the free agent market was saturated this offseason with high-level shortstops -- Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson -- and that made it difficult for Andrus to find a job.

His best path to a regular spot in a lineup was to come back to the Sox as a second baseman, a position that is a sore spot on the South Side. Does anybody out there believe the internal candidates -- Romy Gonzalez, Lenyn Sosa or Leury Garcia -- can play above replacement level, or even at replacement level? I'm skeptical. 

Andrus raises the floor at second base, and he also provides injury insurance for Anderson, who is usually good for at least one stint on the injured list per season. We know Andrus can still handle shortstop, and we know Andrus is likely to stay healthy -- he's appeared in 145 or more games in 12 of his 14 seasons in the majors.

Can Andrus handle second base defensively? I'm going to say he can, because the working theory is always, "If you can play shortstop, you can play anywhere else." 

At this point, there's not much of a downside here. Do I wish the Sox would have found a better option for second base earlier in the offseason? Yes, no question. But given that there were apparently no trades to be made, bringing back Andrus is better than doing nothing. After all, what sense does it make to go with such unproven internal options in the middle of what is supposed to be a "contention window"?

Here's a look at how the Sox lineup could look on Opening Day, if everyone makes it through spring training healthy:

1. Anderson, SS
2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
3. Luis Robert, CF
4. Eloy Jimenez, DH
5. Yasmani Grandal, C
6. Andrew Vaughn, 1B
7. Yoan Moncada, 3B
8. Oscar Colas, RF
9. Andrus, 2B
   

Minnesota Twins without a shortstop so far this offseason

Catching up on some of the free agent signings from recent days:

• Dansby Swanson, Cubs, 7 years, $177 million
• Justin Turner, Boston Red Sox, 2 years, $21.7 million
• Michael Brantley, Houston Astros, 1 year, $12 million
• J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1 year, $10 million
• Joey Gallo, Minnesota Twins, 1 year, $11 million

Swanson was the last high-priced free agent to come off the board. As you can see from the list above, some of the late-career veterans are starting to sign short-term contracts. Brantley decided to stay where he's been in Houston. Turner went from Los Angeles to Boston, while Martinez when from Boston to Los Angeles. The two essentially swapped places.

My main takeaway on Swanson: The Twins are left without a shortstop to this point in the offseason. They sought to retain Carlos Correa, but they were outbid by the San Francisco Giants. Swanson seemed to be their fallback, but he chose to come to the North Side of Chicago.

Now, Minnesota is in a fix. The best free agent shortstop left on the market is ... probably Elvis Andrus, who had a resurgence with the White Sox at the end of 2022, but it's far from certain that the 34-year-old veteran can sustain that level of play moving forward.

The Twins ended up with Gallo to plug an outfield spot, while the Sox signed Andrew Benintendi on a five-year deal. That's a little surprising. At the start of the offseason, no one would have been shocked if Gallo had landed on the South Side on a short-term deal. The Twins seemed more likely to make a multiyear splash on somebody, either an outfielder or a shortstop.

I must say, I did not want Gallo on the Sox. He's a boom-or-bust player, and while I fully acknowledge that he could hit 40 homers for the Twins and make me eat my words, the Sox already have a little too much boom-or-bust in their everyday lineup.

The Sox were better off signing an outfielder who sets a higher floor at his position, and Benintendi is that guy. Gallo simply is not. 

Who are the top remaining free agents? Well, I wouldn't say there's anyone left you would call "top of market." Besides Andrus, Jean Segura and Brandon Drury are still out there as infielders. Michael Conforto is available for anyone still interested in an outfielder. Jurickson Profar would be an option for a team seeking an all-purpose type. Nathan Eovaldi is probably the best starting pitcher still out there. Need a closer? I'm not sure Craig Kimbrel will ever regain his "future Hall of Fame" form, but he's available.

Some updates on the White Sox roster

Tim Anderson

The Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, which means the 2022-23 offseason can finally begin.

Let's go over some of the roster moves the White Sox have made thus far.

Shortstop Tim Anderson, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, had his $12.5 million contract option exercised.

However, it looks like his double play partner will be someone new. The Sox declined a $5.5 million club option on second baseman Josh Harrison, instead opting to pay him a $1.5 million buyout for a savings of $4 million.

The Sox cleared additional space on their 40-man roster by outrighting relief pitcher Kyle Crick and outfielder Adam Haseley. Look for those two players to have their jerseys on the clearance rack at the garage sale if the Sox ever host a SoxFest again.

First baseman Jose Abreu, shortstop Elvis Andrus, and pitchers Johnny Cueto and Vince Velasquez have elected free agency.

That leaves the Sox roster at 35 players, although they will have to reinstate infielder Danny Mendick and pitchers Garrett Crochet and Jonathan Stiever from the 60-day disabled list at some point. That would take the roster to 38 players, so there's still room.

The most notable of these moves is the decision to cut ties with Harrison, who played 119 games and batted .256/.317/.370 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 2022. The veteran basically met expectations. Maybe Harrison wasn't part of the solution, but he wasn't a problem either. He essentially earned his salary.

Had the Sox picked up that option, they probably could have gotten similar production next season. But perhaps they are looking to cut costs, figuring they can get the same numbers for less money from other internal options. Those options include Mendick, Romy Gonzalez and ... gulp ... Leury Garcia.

OK, actually Garcia makes $5.5 million, so he's making the same money as Harrison would have. But the two are somewhat redundant on the roster, so it makes little sense to carry them both.

Perhaps the Sox intend to fill second base via trade, since the free agent market at the position is thin. We'll find out in the coming months.

Lance Lynn, Elvis Andrus help White Sox win opener in Seattle

The White Sox offense still has trouble generating runs consistently, but it does seem as though veteran right-hander Lance Lynn has regained his form.

Entering Monday's series opener at Seattle, Lynn had allowed only five earned runs over 24.2 innings over his past four starts -- two wins and two no-decisions. Over that same span, he struck out 29 batters while walking only two.

Against the Mariners, Lynn (5-5) came up with his best outing of the season. He went seven innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits in a 3-2 Sox victory.

Lynn struck out 11 and walked only one, while generating 25 swings-and-misses on 89 pitches -- 63 of them for strikes. There were some pretty nasty shadows on the field with the game starting at 3:40 p.m. Pacific time, and that made conditions rough for batters.

Nevertheless, we have to say Lynn's stuff was sharp given that he retired the last 17 men he faced, and very little contact was made against him.

The Sox scored their three runs early off Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (10-13). In the second inning, AJ Pollock hit his 11th home run of the season. Elvis Andrus also hit his 11th homer (and third since joining the Sox) -- a two-run shot in the top of the third.

Andrus added a double and went 2 for 4. For whatever reason, he swings the bat really well in Seattle. At T-Mobile Park this season, dating back to his time with Oakland, he's 10 for 24 with five of his 11 home runs.

The Sox bullpen closed it out, although in dramatic fashion. Kendall Graveman worked around a two-out single to post a scoreless eighth. Liam Hendriks gave up a run on a walk and two singles in the ninth. The Mariners had the tying run at third and the winning run at second when Hendriks fanned Adam Frazier on three pitches to record his 30th save of the season.

Hendriks becomes the sixth Sox closer to record 30 or more saves in back-to-back seasons. The others are Bobby Thigpen, Roberto Hernandez, Keith Foulke, Bobby Jenks and David Robertson.

The Sox are 68-67.

White Sox reportedly signing Elvis Andrus in attempt to fill shortstop hole

Elvis Andrus

There is nothing official yet, but I trust ESPN's Jeff Passan when he says the White Sox are signing free-agent shortstop Elvis Andrus.

The Sox are in trouble at that position. Tim Anderson is out for at least another month after having surgery on his left hand. Danny Mendick, who filled in capably in late May and early June when Anderson was out with a groin strain, is done for the season with a torn ACL. And Leury Garcia is also on the injured list with a back strain.

That leaves Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa to play shortstop. Gonzalez is a Quad-A player. Sosa is a 22-year-old prospect who needs more reps at Triple-A. He's talented, but not ready for the majors.

Enter Andrus, who will turn 34 next Friday. The Oakland Athletics just released him because he was approaching the amount of plate appearances that would automatically cause his $15 million option for 2023 to vest. Oakland is rebuilding, and would rather play younger players, so it's in the interest of the both the A's and Andrus to part ways.

By no means is Andrus the cure for what ails the Sox, but he'll provide league-average play at shortstop -- an upgrade over both Gonzalez and Sosa -- and an upgrade over Garcia if and when he returns.

Andrus is batting .237/.301/.373 with eight home runs and 24 doubles this season. No, that .674 OPS doesn't thrill anyone, but again, it's about competence. And at the very least, Andrus is a good defender who will solidify the left side of the infield in the short run.

According to Passan's report, Andrus will join the Sox in time for an important three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians that starts Friday.

The Sox are limping into Cleveland, having been destroyed 21-5 by the Houston Astros on Thursday. After taking the first two games of the four-game set against the league-best Astros, the Sox lost the final two games of that series to fall to 61-58.

They are 2.5 games out of first heading into the weekend.

Ian Desmond signs with Texas Rangers, will move from shortstop to left field

Ian Desmond

The last remaining free agent who turned down a qualifying offer earlier this offseason finally has a job.

Former Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond agreed to a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers worth $8 million over the weekend.

Settling for this deal probably is not one of the finer moments of Desmond's career. He will be making only slightly more than half the salary he would have been making had he accepted Washington's $15.8 million qualifying offer. In addition, the Rangers already have a shortstop -- Elvis Andrus -- so that means Desmond will be moved to left field.

For Texas, it's a good deal -- other than the fact that they have to surrender a draft pick to the Nationals for just one year of Desmond. But, the Rangers have a hole in left field with Josh Hamilton (left knee injury) expected to be out until at least May. That means Desmond will have at least a month's worth of games to show he can handle the position.

It's not unreasonable to think Desmond is a candidate for a bounce-back offensive season. He's coming off a down year in Washington, one that saw him hit .233/.290/.384 with 19 home runs, 27 doubles and 62 RBIs.

However, from 2012-14, Desmond posted a combined slash line of .275/.326/.462 while averaging 23 home runs, 32 doubles and 81 RBIs. He won National League Silver Slugger awards at shortstop in each of those three seasons.

If he approaches those numbers in 2016, this is a nice bargain for the Rangers.

Meanwhile, Desmond will try to rebuild his value after he "bet on himself," passing up the seven-year, $107 million offer the Nationals made to him two years ago.

As fans, we never feel sorry for millionaire ballplayers, nor should we, but Desmond should probably fire the agent who told him to pass on that deal -- if he hasn't already.