White Sox take 2 of 3 from Royals

Coming into this weekend's series at Rate Field, the White Sox had lost 10 in a row and 18 out of 19 against the Kansas City Royals. 

Doesn't it seem like the Sox have a lot of these terrible losing streaks left over from the Pedro Grifol era? 

The good news is the Sox put an end to that foolishness by taking two out of three from the Royals over the weekend. The South Siders completed a 4-3 homestand against the first-place Detroit Tigers and Kansas City.

Frankly, I was expecting a 2-5 record this week, so I have no complaints, despite a Sox loss on Sunday. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, June 6

White Sox 7, Royals 2: The Sox used a five-run bottom of the eighth inning to break open a 2-2 tie. Luis Robert Jr.'s two-run bloop single with the bases loaded put the Sox ahead to stay at 4-2.

Kansas City then gifted the Sox three more runs with a wild pitch and two errors. Robert Jr. finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs, although both hits were soft singles. The Sox broadcast booth tried to convince fans that Robert Jr. is "back" after that performance. Alas, he was 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in the final two games of the series.

Davis Martin got a no-decision, but pitched well. He gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked nobody. Catcher Kyle Teel went 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored in his MLB debut.

Saturday, June 7

White Sox 4, Royals 1: A pair of home runs made the difference for the Sox. Tim Elko's fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, put the Sox ahead 2-1. Chase Meidroth's second home run of the year made it 3-1 in the third.

There the score stayed until the bottom of the eighth. Singles by Miguel Vargas and Teel and a sacrifice fly by Edgar Quero produced the fourth Sox run.

Adrian Houser (2-1) tossed six innings of one-run ball to get the win. He struck out six and walked one. Relievers Cam Booser, Steven Wilson and Dan Altavilla each worked a scoreless inning, with Altavilla earning his first save with the Sox. 

Sunday, June 8

Royals 7, White Sox 5: Kansas City's offense broke out with 16 hits, and the Sox were fortunate to limit the damage by turning five double plays.

Nevertheless, the Royals broke up a 2-2 tie with two runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth. The Sox trailed 7-2 heading into their last at-bat, but they came up with three runs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Alas, Elko struck out swinging against Kansas City closer Carlos Estevez to end the game.

Vargas totaled three RBIs for the Sox. He hit his team-leading ninth homer, a two-run shot in the first, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. The South Siders were limited to four hits and struck out 11 times.

The Sox are 22-44. 

Has Kansas City replaced Oakland as the White Sox house of horrors?

For years and years, the White Sox seemingly couldn't win a game in Oakland to save their lives. Now that the Athletics have moved to Sacramento, the Oakland Coliseum is no longer a place for teams to visit.

But it seems to me that Kansas City has replaced Oakland as the house of horrors for the Sox. During the Pedro Grifol era (2023-24), the Sox went 2-11 at Kauffman Stadium -- including 0-7 in 2024.

During those seven games, the White Sox scored eight runs. Total. Averaging just over one run per game generally gets you beat. Then on Monday night, the Sox got shut out, 3-0, in their first game of 2025 in Kansas City.

The continuation of a trend.

Believe it or not, the Sox scored three runs on Tuesday night. Their cup runneth over! And they took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. But then this sequence of events happened:

1. Relief pitcher Cam Booser walked pinch-hitter Mark Canha on five pitches.
2. Drew Waters hit a routine infield fly. Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth missed the ball, and it clanged off his face into right field. Canha held at first, understandably believing the ball would be caught. Sox right fielder Michael A. Taylor had a chance to force Canha at second, but his throw airmailed Sox shortstop Jacob Amaya, and everyone was safe. You read that right: The ball hit Meidroth right in the face.
3. Freddy Fermin attempted to give the Sox an out with a sacrifice bunt. But Booser was slow to cover the bunt up the third-base line. By the time he retrieved the ball, the Sox had no play anywhere. Bases loaded, no outs.
4. Kyle Isbel popped up to third baseman Josh Rojas. The ball did not hit him in the face. He caught it. Even if he hadn't, the infield fly rule was called. One out.
5. With the infield at double-play depth, Jonathan India grounded one back up the middle. Amaya ranged to his left and dove to glove the ball. From the seat of his pants, he made a toss to second to try to get the force, but it was errant. Everyone was safe. Tying run scores. Bases still loaded.
6. Kansas City's all-world shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit a deep fly ball to center field. Luis Robert Jr. let it drop for a walk-off single. Even if he had made the catch, it would have been a game-winning sacrifice fly.

4-3 Royals. The Sox are 10-26. There are 126 games left to play. 

White Sox announce 2025 coaching staff

The White Sox announced their 2025 coaching staff on Monday at the Winter Meetings. 

Returning coaches are marked by asterisks, and there are several of those. Here it is:

• Manager: Will Venable 
• Bench coach: Walker McKinven
• Pitching Coach: Ethan Katz*
• Hitting coach: Marcus Thames*
• Offensive coordinator: Grady Sizemore*
• First base/outfield coach: Jason Bourgeois*
• Third base/infield coach: Justin Jirschele*
• Assistant pitching coach: Matt Wise*
• Assistant hitting coach: Joel McKeithan
• Catching coach: Drew Butera*

We've got 10 names on this list, and seven of them are back from last year's 121-loss campaign. Isn't it interesting that Venable, the new manager, didn't bring anyone with him from the Texas Rangers, where he previously served as bench coach? 

Katz, of course, will be working for his third managerial regime. Thames, Sizemore, Bourgeois, Wise and Butera were all hired by general manager Chris Getz before the 2024 season. Jirschele is an organizational guy who worked his way up the ranks as a minor league manager. He was promoted to third base coach in the middle of the season when Getz fired former manager Pedro Grifol and all of his henchmen.

Basically, this staff was assembled by the front office and not the manager. Is that a problem? Not necessarily, but it's something to keep an eye on.

The other thing that stands out: The Sox have an "offensive coordinator," in addition to a hitting coach and an assistant hitting coach. 

The Sox scored a league-worst 507 runs in 2024. The next lowest output in the American League came from the Tampa Bay Rays, who scored nearly 100 runs more (604). So, theoretically, the Sox could use all the offensive coaching they can get. 

However, there does come a point of *too much* information. Hopefully, this doesn't become a situation where the Sox have too many cooks in the kitchen. Again, it may be nothing. It's just something to keep an eye on.

Will Venable to be named White Sox manager

Say this for White Sox general manager Chris Getz: He said he was going to hire a manager from outside the organization. He said he was going to hire someone who was in uniform for another team.

Getz did exactly that. 

Will Venable, who is currently the associate manager of the Texas Rangers, is expected to be named the 44th manager in Sox history in the coming days.

Venable, 42, played nine seasons in the majors from 2008-16. All but the last of those years were spent with the San Diego Padres. 

After his playing days ended, Venable joined the Cubs in 2017, where he served as a special assistant to Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. Later, he coached first base during his three years on the North Side. From 2020-22, Venable served as the Boston Red Sox bench coach. He joined the Rangers in 2023, where he won a World Series as a member of Bruce Bochy's coaching staff.

It remains to be seen whether Venable is the right man to fix the White Sox mess, but at least it appears that the process was legitimate. Getz was allowed to conduct an outside search and name his guy.

The Sox resisted the temptation to make the internal hire (Grady Sizemore), and they did not hire someone who is "Tony La Russa's guy." (Phil Nevin)

Perhaps I'm guilty of setting the bar a little low here, but the Sox have cleared the low bar I've set for them.

Venable comes to the Sox with no previous managerial experience, which of course has prompted some comparisons to Pedro Grifol, who was an unqualified disaster as Sox manager.

Let's be fair to Venable: He comes to the Sox with stronger credentials than Grifol did. He's a former player, which should give him more credibility in the locker room, and he's worked for some organizations that have had more success than, say, the Kansas City Royals, where Grifol toiled for years in relative obscurity.

Also notable: Even if Venable does everything right, he could still fail in Chicago. The Sox have bad ownership and an inexperienced GM. That's like stepping into the batter's box with two strikes already on you. And, of course, the roster is at rock bottom.

If you're a Sox fan right now, the mindset has to be, "Give the man a chance and hope for the best." What else can you do?

White Sox reach 100 losses ... on Aug. 25

Guaranteed Rate Field (Photo by Jason Bauman)

In their 124-year history, the White Sox have never won back-to-back anything. Not a back-to-back World Series. Not a back-to-back American League pennant. Not a back-to-back division title. Not even a back-to-back wild card berth.

But now the Sox (31-100) have lost 100 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in team history. They clinched that dubious milestone Sunday with a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

What's remarkable about this is August isn't even over yet. We've still got a month of miserable baseball to go. The Sox reached 100 losses in only 131 games, which is the second fastest it's been done in the modern era. The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics were 29-100-1 after 130 games.

So, basically, what we're witnessing now is something no one still alive has ever seen. The Sox are chasing all sorts of history that nobody wants.

The American League record for losses in a season is 119, set by the 2003 Detroit Tigers. The Major League Baseball and National League record for losses in a season is 120, set by the 1962 New York Mets.

The Sox would need to go 12-19 in their remaining 31 games to avoid tying that record held by the Mets. If I'm being honest, I think it is a given they will set this record at this point.

They've only managed 31 wins in the first five months of the season. That's roughly six per month. Why would we think they could double that total and win 12 over the season's final month? It doesn't seem reasonable.

Some will point to the firing of incomprehensibly bad manager Pedro Grifol as a reason for hope. And indeed, Grifol earned his walking papers by posting a 28-89 record with this bunch, and that was on the heels of a 61-101 campaign in 2023.

However, the Sox are only 3-11 under interim manager Grady Sizemore. From a won-loss perspective, that's not an improvement over the Grifol era.

Sure, Sizemore has made some good changes in the way the roster is being deployed. He's finally gotten Gavin Sheets the hell out of right field. Andrew Vaughn and Sheets are sharing first base and designated hitter duties, as they should be.

Dominic Fletcher and Corey Julks are now platooning in right field. Neither is a long-term answer at the position, but at least they are actual outfielders who can play competent defense. In Fletcher's case, he's an exceptional defensive right fielder. Unfortunately, his bat has not come around. That said, Sizemore is deploying him in the correct fashion.

Newly acquired Miguel Vargas was moving from position to position and hitting too high in the lineup under Grifol. Now, Vargas is getting an everyday look at his best position: third base. And he's hitting seventh or eighth in the batting order, which is where he belongs. It's not going well. Vargas is 6 for 62 since joining the Sox, but it isn't because he isn't getting a fair shake from the manager.

The lineup construction has been consistent and reasonable. Nicky Lopez and Lenyn Sosa are being used as a platoon in the leadoff spot. Luis Robert Jr. is batting second, with Andrew Benintendi third, Vaughn fourth and Sheets fifth most days.

Brooks Baldwin, the rookie middle infielder, is batting ninth every day, instead of second or sixth, or whatever other stupid idea Grifol was coming up with day to day. The No. 9 spot is appropriate for Baldwin, who had played only eight Triple-A games before joining the Sox.

All that said, Sizemore isn't working any miracles here. I've seen some fans call for him to get the full-time managerial job for next season. I disagree. I understand that Sizemore is more likable than Grifol. He's easier to root for than Grifol. People, including me, would like to see him succeed.

But the fact is, the proper course of action is for the Sox to conduct a full managerial search this offseason. They must cast a wide net, interviewing both external and internal candidates for the position. Grifol is gone, but the losses are still mounting. To me, that's a clear sign that fresh voices are badly needed.

White Sox (finally) fire manager Pedro Grifol

The White Sox on Thursday fired manager Pedro Grifol. The move is akin to shutting the barn door after the horse has left, but at least the decision was finally made.

Grifol could have been fired last winter after he went 61-101 in his first season as manager. He could have been fired after a horrendous 3-22 start this season. He could have been fired after a franchise record-tying 14-game losing streak that started in late May and spanned into early June. He could have been fired at any point during the recent franchise record 21-game losing streak, which finally came to an end Tuesday with a 5-1 win at Oakland.

The Sox started a new losing streak Wednesday, and Grifol was fired on an off day in advance of Friday's opener of the crosstown series against the Cubs.

Thank goodness. Why does the failure have to get to such catastrophic levels before the Sox make a move? Who knows? 

The case against Grifol is an easy one to make: His won-loss record is terrible. The Sox are 28-89 this season, so Grifol finishes his tenure at an astounding 101 games below .500. He's 89-190. That will pencil out to a .319 winning percentage, in a sport where even bad teams typically win about 40% of their games.

It's hard to pinpoint anything Grifol did well. His in-game strategy was clearly terrible. You don't achieve this sort of losing by making smart decisions. The atmosphere in the clubhouse didn't seem like it was the best. Everyone on the Sox roster seems to be playing to their absolute floor, and we've seen players who have left Chicago suddenly play better on new teams -- Kevin Pillar, Michael Kopech, Tommy Pham, even Eloy Jimenez.

Grifol was also terrible with the press, routinely coming up with laughable quotes. Just last week, in a lame attempt to save his job with cheap flattery, Grifol called Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf "a winner," an "incredible owner" and an "incredible man," who "loves Chicago" and "loves these fans."

The part about Reinsdorf being a "winner" is demonstrably false. The man has owned the Sox for 43 years, and during that time, they've won only three playoff series. All in the same year. The other 42 seasons have not been characterized by winning. If Reinsdorf wants to win so badly, as many of his minions say, then why does he win so little?

Quotes like those are insulting to Chicago fans (we'll include the Bulls fans in this too), who absolutely despise Reinsdorf with every fiber of their being.

Read the room for once, Pedro. Or better yet, just take a hike. Sox fans never want to hear your voice again.

Bench coach Charlie Montoyo, third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez and assistant hitting coach Mike Tosar were also fired Thursday.

Montoyo was hired by former GM Rick Hahn, and Rodriguez and Tosar are longtime friends of Grifol. So, it appears that current Sox GM Chris Getz cleared the clubhouse of all Grifol allies.

He's going with Grady Sizemore as interim manager, who has been on the coaching staff in a vague role all season. The former Cleveland outfielder joined the Sox organization from the Arizona Diamondbacks, on the recommendation of Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield.

Doug Sissone (bench coach), Justin Jirschele (third-base coach) and Mike Gellinger (assistant hitting coach) have been added to the Sox coaching staff for the rest of the season.

Getz indicated that Sizemore's position is, indeed, interim. The Sox will conduct an external search this offseason for a new manager. Or so they say. But there will be plenty of time to talk about that in the weeks ahead. 

2024 White Sox become 7th team to lose 20 games in a row

The White Sox lost their 20th game in a row Sunday, as the Minnesota Twins scored eight runs in the first two innings and went on to beat the South Siders, 13-7.

Perhaps it was fitting that 20 runs were scored in the 20th consecutive loss, and the final out was made by No. 20 on the Sox roster -- newly acquired Miguel Vargas.

Here is the list of teams to accomplish this dubious feat:

• 1961 Philadelphia Phillies -- 23 straight losses
• 1988 Baltimore Orioles -- 21 straight losses
• 2024 White Sox -- 20 straight losses (and counting!)
• 1969 Montreal Expos -- 20 straight losses
• 1943 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1916 Philadelphia Athletics -- 20 straight losses
• 1906 Boston Americans -- 20 straight losses
  

With this defeat, the Sox finish the season series against Minnesota with a record of 1-12. They also went 1-12 against the Kansas City Royals.

Overall against the "weak" American League Central Division, the Sox are 8-34.

The Sox are 60 games below .500 at 27-87. They are the first team to be 60 games below .500 on Aug. 4 since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were 15-75 on Aug. 1 of that season -- and 16-78 on Aug. 4.

Yes, this is the worst team since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

The Sox are 0-16 since the All-Star break. They have been swept in six consecutive series. They are 0-65 when trailing after seven innings, and 0-71 when trailing after eight innings.

Pedro Grifol's managerial record is now 100 games below .500 at 88-188, yet he's traveling with the team to Oakland for this week's series against the Athletics. How many in a row must Grifol lose in order to get fired? 

My sister is the head coach of my nephew's youth baseball team. She's coaching 11- and 12-year-old boys, but I'm pretty sure if she lost 20 games in a row, she'd be pushed aside and replaced by a different coach.

Somehow, that doesn't happen with the White Sox, who are supposed to be playing Major League Baseball, where you're judged on wins and losses.

Alas, there is no accountability here. There is also no hope.

Maybe Pedro Grifol gets fired soon?

The White Sox have lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row after they absorbed a 10-3 thumping at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Sox are now 27-74 (3-22 in July), and somehow, they have to get through the next 51 games without hurling themselves into a rip current in Lake Michigan.

Sox manager Pedro Grifol now has a record of 88-175 in his tenure with the team. That's a .335 winning percentage, and that's about as bad as it gets in the modern era.

I saw a tweet from beat reporter Vinnie Duber on Tuesday that caught my attention, and Duber later wrote this article about Grifol's job status.

During his trade deadline press availability, general manager Chris Getz was asked whether Grifol's job was safe for the rest of the season. Getz responded thusly:

“We just wrapped up the deadline. Just wanted to focus on that. We’ll get through tonight and kind of debrief and look through the players we acquired and move forward from there.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it? The Sox are introducing some younger players into the majors right now, and a reasonable person would expect that trend to continue for the rest of 2024.

Is the environment in the clubhouse conducive to player development? Is there any positive energy left amid this catastrophic, historic losing streak? 

Those are reasonable questions. If the answer to either is "no," then Grifol must go now. The Sox can't afford to wait until the end of the season. This is important development time for some players, and it cannot be wasted. 

Report: A.J. Pierzynski a candidate to manage White Sox in 2025

This is a long article from Bob Nightengale, so you'll have to scroll a little bit. But way down toward the bottom, this paragraph is enough to get the attention of any White Sox fan:

"Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski has quietly emerged as a serious candidate to manage the Chicago White Sox in 2025 if they dismiss manager Pedro Grifol after the season, as expected."

Oh boy.

You know somewhere in the offices at 35th and Shields, they are saying, "Let's hire one of the heroes of 2005 to manage the club and get the fans back on our side!" 

Indeed, Pierzynski is a beloved figure on the South Side. I have a No. 12 jersey hanging in my closet from back in the day, in fact.

The problem is, Sox fans have seen a movie like that before. Go back to Robin Ventura's managerial tenure from 2012 to 2016. Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf brings back a revered player, but doesn't give him much of a team to manage. The revered former player fails and weakens his legacy.

When Ventura's name comes up, we don't just describe him as the greatest third baseman in team history -- which he is. We also describe him as a bad manager. It's unfortunate that we have to add that footnote.

I'd prefer not to see something like that happen to Pierzynski.

I know what you're saying: Hiring former player Ozzie Guillen worked out OK for the Sox, right? That 2005 World Series banner will fly forever. True, but remember, Guillen was on the coaching staff of the 2003 Florida Marlins, also a world champion, right before the Sox hired him. 

Guillen was in the game, having success as a coach. Pierzynski has not been in the game since he retired as a player after the 2016 season. He's a broadcaster and a podcaster -- and a damn good one. He doesn't need to manage the Sox, and there's no indication he's ready for such a job.

With this ownership and this front office, can anyone succeed as Sox manager?

Just say tell them "no," A.J.

Pedro Grifol's presence is proof that Jerry Reinsdorf has given up

Does anyone have a good baseball reason why Pedro Grifol is still employed as White Sox manager? 

The Sox lost again Thursday afternoon, 5-3 to the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. That drops their 2024 record to 20-56. 

This, on the heels of last year's 61-101 campaign. That leaves Grifol with a 81-157 record, which will pencil out to a less-than-robust .340 winning percentage. 

There's a temptation to say it can't get any worse, except it can, and it will -- because Grifol still has a job and will probably remain Sox manager for the remainder of this godawful season.

Bob Nightengale isn't necessarily my favorite national baseball writer, but we've seen through the years that his information on the Sox is pretty good. When it comes to the thinking in the front office on the South Side, you can trust Nightengale.

I've got the print edition of his recent column by my side, and here's what he wrote:

"The White Sox believe it would make no sense to bring in and pay another manager when the team’s fate isn’t going to change no matter who’s in the dugout. Grifol is in the second year of a three-year contract for about $3 million. The White Sox are expected to reassess this winter to determine whether a managerial change is needed."

"The team's fate isn't going to change no matter who's in the dugout."

OK, it is true that the roster is bad, trades are coming, and this team is going to lose more than it wins the rest of the season. That point is not in dispute.

But those of us who watch this team daily are tired of seeing the lethargic, sloppy play under Grifol. Defense was a huge point of emphasis this offseason. Guess what? The Sox rank last in baseball in defensive runs saved. The baserunning and situational hitting remain terrible. These are the things we were told would improve. If anything, they've gotten worse.

There are 86 games left in the season. That means there are 86 chances for the Sox to get better. No, the overall record isn't going to be good at the end of the year, but what sense does it make to squander this time playing under the direction of a "leader" who has proven that he cannot get the best out of his players? What exactly is Grifol going to improve?

What we're witnessing right now is not Major League Baseball, yet the Sox continue to charge the fans Major League prices for tickets. No wonder nobody is going. I haven't been to a game this season, and I have no intention of going. It's a waste of time and money.

And for the record, I've attended 366 Sox games over the past 19 years. So I don't want hear any shit about how "fair-weather" Sox fans supposedly are. I've sat through plenty of losing games and losing seasons, but the breaking point comes when the team stops trying.

Grifol's presence here is proof that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has given up. I'm not even blaming general manager Chris Getz for the lack of change on the bench. I think Getz wants to fire Grifol, but Reinsdorf won't let him because that would require "paying two managers" or whatever.

What fans want is an acknowledgement that team brass sees what we see, and that's an effort that is completely and utterly unacceptable on most days. 

This is a disgrace of a team, yet the Sox are sitting there saying, "No point in changing anything. We suck regardless. Oh well."

If the Sox don't care, why should you or I?

3 straight good outings for Jonathan Cannon

Jonathan Cannon received his first opportunity to pitch in the big leagues in April. It did not go well.

The 23-year-old right-hander made three starts for the White Sox during his initial recall, going 0-1 with a 7.24 ERA. He allowed 11 runs on 20 hits over 13.2 innings pitched.

He was sent back to Triple-A Charlotte, where he made a couple of changes to his grip on his sinker and changeup. The result has been more velocity on his sinker, and more downward action on his change.

Since being recalled to Chicago earlier this month, Cannon has had three straight good outings.

He earned his first career save June 7 against Boston, when he tossed three shutout innings with four strikeouts in a 7-2 win over the Red Sox.

Cannon returned to the starting rotation June 12 at Seattle. He threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing only four hits -- including a solo home run in the seventh -- with seven strikeouts and one walk. That resulted in a no-decision as the Sox lost, 2-1, in 10 innings.

Then came Tuesday, when the former third-round draft pick fired 8.2 shutout innings against the Houston Astros. He allowed seven hits, but only one walk, with four strikeouts. Seventy of his 106 pitches were for strikes, and he picked up his first career win as the Sox prevailed, 2-0.

This game very easily could have been a complete-game shutout. Cannon retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the ninth inning, and he was one out away from finishing it off. Alas, a check-swing single by Jon Singleton and a ground ball with eyes off the bat of Mauricio Dubon put the tying runs on base for Houston with two outs.

At that point, Sox manager Pedro Grifol made a pitching change, with a chorus of boos cascading down upon him. Grifol has been rightfully criticized for many things, but this was the correct move. You don't let Cannon lose the game after how well he pitched, and John Brebbia is paid $5 million per season to get outs in relief.

Indeed, Brebbia retired Victor Caratini on a routine grounder to first base to earn his second save of the season.

Now, it's worth noting that Cannon faced a compromised Houston lineup that was missing its two biggest left-handed bats: Yordan Alvarez (personal reasons) and Kyle Tucker (leg contusion). It's also worth noting that it's only three outings, and all the usual caveats about small sample sizes apply.

But, Cannon is the first Sox pitching prospect to do much of anything with an opportunity so far in this lackluster season. Since his recall, he has an 0.52 ERA, and his season ERA is down to a respectable 3.34.

Is it possible that the changes he's made to his sinker and changeup will make him a viable big-league starter? Or is this just a hot streak from a fringe player?

At least it's something to monitor and talk about with the Sox (20-54) hopelessly buried in the standings.

Minnesota Twins get well at White Sox's expense

On the morning of Monday, April 22 -- only eight days ago -- the Minnesota Twins were reeling with a 7-13 record. They had lost six of their previous seven games.

Then the White Sox showed up in Minneapolis.

Since that time, the Twins have won eight consecutive games, including five over the South Siders. The latest Minnesota win came Monday night, a 3-2 victory in the opener of a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

The score was tied, 2-2, heading into the ninth inning. However, Byron Buxton doubled to lead off the top of the ninth against Sox reliever John Brebbia (0-1) and scored moments later on a single by Max Kepler, providing Minnesota with the winning run.

The Sox had their chance in the bottom of the inning. Danny Mendick walked, and with two outs, he advanced to third on a bloop single by Robbie Grossman. However, Minnesota left-hander Caleb Thielbar secured his second save of the season by striking out Korey Lee on a slow curve.

After three consecutive rough starts, during which he allowed 17 earned runs over 11.2 innings, Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet had a bounce-back outing. He pitched five innings, allowing only a two-run homer to Carlos Santana in the top of the second. He gave up just two hits while striking out seven and walking one. 

Crochet retired the final 11 Minnesota batters he faced, but he was removed after only 77 pitches. There was every reason to believe Crochet had at least one more inning in him, but apparently, he's being "protected" for the long haul of the season.

Not that the Sox offense provided much support anyway. They had two runs four batters into the game. Nicky Lopez singled and scored on a double by Andrew Vaughn. After a Gavin Sheets single put runners on first and third, Eloy Jimenez grounded into a double play, scoring Vaughn.

That was it. In a curious lineup decision, Tommy Pham did not start the game for the Sox. He lined out to right field during a pinch-hitting appearance in the ninth inning.

But hey, at this point, you have to trust Sox manager Pedro Grifol. His career managerial record isn't 67-124 for nothing, right?

The Sox are 6-23 this season. There are still 133 games of this crap remaining.

It's not Gavin Sheets' fault

Gavin Sheets went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs on Wednesday night.

The White Sox still lost, 7-6, in 10 innings to the Cleveland Guardians.

That's because the Sox only went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position. All three of those hits were by Sheets, including a 3-run homer in the top of the third inning that put the Sox ahead 5-0.

But for the second straight night, the Sox blew a five-run lead. On Tuesday, they were able to overcome that and win anyway.

On Wednesday, the game went extra innings. The Sox took a 6-5 lead in the 10th on an RBI double by ... Sheets, of course. 

Sheets got to third with one out on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Pillar, but Andrew Benintendi and Martin Maldonado both struck out.

For some reason, manager Pedro Grifol summoned washed-up veteran Bryan Shaw to try to protect the one-run lead. Naturally, Shaw allowed the ghost runner to score, plus one more, and lost the game. Typical.

The Sox are 2-10. Only 150 more games of this crap to go.

Yoan Moncada injured in White Sox win at Cleveland

Yoan Moncada (right)

During spring training, White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said his goal was to play 150 games during the 2024 season, alongside teammates Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

That's not looking possible right now. Only 11 games into the season, Jimenez and Robert are already on the injured list, and Moncada is almost certainly heading there after suffering an adductor strain during Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

Moncada was ... wait for it ... running to first base in the second inning after hitting a grounder to the left side of the infield. He went down as if he were shot about halfway down the line and rolled around in agony.

After the game, manager Pedro Grifol described Moncada as being in "severe pain" on the field. He added that more would be known tomorrow after the injury is evaluated.

Reports indicate the Sox will call up outfielder Oscar Colas to take Moncada's spot on the roster ahead of Wednesday's series finale in Cleveland.

Two of the top prospects in the Sox farm system are infielders -- shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Bryan Ramos. However, neither is ready for the majors, and the Sox are wisely resisting the temptation to call them up prematurely.

Montgomery, who is at Triple-A Charlotte, and Ramos, who is at Double-A Birmingham, should be allowed to continue their development in the minor leagues. They should be called up when they are ready for the big leagues. They should NOT be called up to solve a crisis in Chicago.

As for the game, the Sox scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but starting pitcher Michael Soroka couldn't hold it. The Guardians tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

That's where the score stayed until the top of the eighth, when Dominic Fletcher delivered a two-run double to put the Sox ahead 7-5.

Michael Kopech took it from there, firing two scoreless innings of relief for his second save of the season. The right-hander retired all six men he faced, four by strikeout, and threw 15 pitches that were 100 mph or faster. It was the kind of performance you'd like to see more often from Kopech.

The Sox are 2-9.

White Sox add John Brebbia to uncertain bullpen mix

Over the weekend, the White Sox agreed to terms with right-handed relief pitcher John Brebbia, according to various reports.

Brebbia, 33, will make $4 million in 2024, with a $6 million mutual option for 2025 that includes a $1.5 million buyout. So, in effect, Brebbia is guaranteed $5.5 million over one season.

The veteran has pitched for the San Francisco Giants in each of the past three seasons. He led the National League in appearances in 2022 with 76, going 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA over 68 innings.

A lat strain limited Brebbia to 40 appearances in 2023, during which he went 3-5 with a 3.99 ERA across 38.1 innings.

If you look at his numbers, you'll notice Brebbia started 11 games in 2022 and 10 games in 2023. That's because the Giants used him as an opener. He's basically a one- or two-inning guy, and he's been used as a setup man throughout a good chunk of his career.

Newly hired White Sox senior pitching adviser Brian Bannister came from the Giants, so he's no doubt familiar with Brebbia. The main qualification for players joining the Sox this offseason seems to be familiarity with team brass, whether that's the manager, the GM or someone else ranking high in the organization.

At this point, hey, Brebbia might be a candidate to close.

Gregory Santos finished last season as the Sox closer, on the rare occasions they needed one, but he got injured at the end of the year, and I haven't heard any updates.

The only other addition to the Sox bullpen this offseason has been situational left-hander Tim Hill, who knows manager Pedro Grifol from his days with the Kansas City Royals.

Right now, here's a best guess at the eight relievers in line for jobs in the Sox bullpen:

1. Santos
2. Brebbia
3. Hill
4. Jimmy Lambert
5. Tanner Banks
6. Matt Foster
7. Jordan Leasure
8. Jesse Scholtens

Other possibilities: Deivi Garcia, Shane Drohan (Rule 5 pick), Lane Ramsey, Sammy Peralta.

Yeah, it's a roll of the dice with spots 5-8. Who really knows?

Will White Sox address right field in meaningful way?

Jermaine Dye 2005 World Series MVP bobblehead

Jermaine Dye was the last legitimate long-term solution to play right field for the White Sox. He was on the South Side of Chicago from 2005 until 2009, so it's been a while since that position has had stability.

Here are the players who have started the most games at that position for the Sox, by year, since 2010:

• 2010: Carlos Quentin
• 2011: Quentin
• 2012: Alex Rios
• 2013: Rios
• 2014: Dayan Viciedo
• 2015: Avisail Garcia
• 2016: Adam Eaton
• 2017: Garcia
• 2018: Garcia
• 2019: Ryan Cordell
• 2020: Nomar Mazara
• 2021: Eaton
• 2022: Gavin Sheets
• 2023: Oscar Colas

Eaton had a good year in right field the first time he was here, in 2016. But he was a shell of his former self when he was brought back in 2021, and he ended up getting designated for assignment the first week of July that year.

Garcia was the Sox's 2017 All-Star representative during his injury-plagued tenure with the team, and even though he was around for parts of six seasons, he never was regarded as a franchise cornerstone.

Since 2018, right field has been a revolving door. Daniel Palka shared the position with Garcia and Cordell for a short time. Mazara was a bust in 2020. Adam Engel was always hanging around on the roster, when healthy, and he saw playing time in right field in 2021 after Eaton fell off the map. Brian Goodwin was with the team in 2021, too.

Once 2022 rolled around, there wasn't a right fielder on the roster, so the Sox put two first basemen out there in Andrew Vaughn and Sheets. That was defensive nightmare, with neither man hitting enough to overcome the shortcomings in the field.

Colas was supposed to be the answer in 2023. Instead, his rookie season was poor. He batted .216/.257/.314 with only five home runs in 75 games. His season WAR finished at -1.5, and he was twice demoted to Triple-A Charlotte.

In fact, Colas finished the season at Charlotte. It was quite an indictment that he wasn't welcome on a 101-loss team that was playing out the string in September. Once again, Sheets was getting playing time in right field instead.

As the offseason began, new GM Chris Getz acknowledged that Colas could use more time at Triple-A.

Getz will find no disagreement here. That said, who is the right fielder for the 2024 season? As we sit here on Jan. 9, Sheets still seems to sit atop the depth chart, with Colas next in line. 

The Sox recently signed Brett Phillips to a minor league contract. Phillips, 29, can no doubt handle the position defensively, but he's bounced around for seven seasons, playing for five different teams, because he cannot hit a lick.

In his career, Phillips is batting .187/.272/.347. 

But hey, he played for the Kansas City Royals from 2018 until 2020, so he knows Sox manager Pedro Grifol! That seems to be a qualification that appeals to the Sox these days. Pedro needs his guys, even if they can't play worth a damn.

I'm not counting Phillips in for the 26-man roster when the season starts. After all, he's on a minor league deal, and he'll have to win a job in spring training. Frankly, I don't see him being better than Colas, and that's saying something, because I'm not a fan of Colas' game.

I assume the Sox aren't going to make the mistake of putting Eloy Jimenez in the outfield again. Sure, he could play right field, but only until he gets hurt again.

Maybe the 2024 right fielder is coming in a trade? If starting pitcher Dylan Cease is dealt, as is rumored, perhaps the centerpiece in such a trade would be a young outfielder to start in right field.

It's just not clear what the answer is here, and it hasn't been clear for years and years. Aren't the Sox sick of having a sinkhole at that position yet? 

Pedro Grifol's latest goofy comments

Goofy

Did you catch the article Daryl Van Schouwen wrote in the Sun-Times last weekend? 

Man, I don't know how I'm going to get through another season of White Sox manager Pedro Grifol's goofy comments in the press.

The article points out that the Sox have about 10 options for their starting rotation in 2024, which is accurate. I don't know about the quality of those options, but I can find 10 names. In fact, I performed that exercise earlier in the week.

Here's what Grifol had to say in the article:

"We broke training camp with six starters [last year], only one for depth. This year, with all those kids finishing up at Triple-A and the trades [at the Aug. 1 deadline and offseason], we’re looking at 11, 12, maybe 14 starters deep who have the capability of pitching in the big leagues this year if we need it.

‘‘As far as the depth for starting pitching, I’m really happy. And we’re not done by any means. I’m OK with where we’re at.’’

OK, he's happy with the pitching depth. But then later in the article, he offers this:

‘‘I put our team down on paper, and our lineup is pretty good. We’re missing TA [Tim Anderson], and a healthy, good TA is hard to come by. But other than that, if we’re healthy, our lineup is pretty good. We just have to continue to address the pitching.’’ 

Wait a minute ... I thought he was happy with the pitching. Or maybe he's just happy with the depth, but is saying it without saying it that they need another steady veteran to fortify things. If so, I won't disagree.

But the part about the lineup being "pretty good," that's pure fantasy. He put the team down on paper, huh? Well, let's do that ourselves. Here's the projected position-by-position lineup as it currently stands, with each player's OPS+ from last year:

• C: Martin Maldonado, 66 OPS+
• 1B: Andrew Vaughn, 101 OPS+
• 2B: Nicky Lopez, 89 OPS+
• SS: Paul DeJong, 66 OPS+
• 3B: Yoan Moncada, 97 OPS+
• LF: Andrew Benintendi, 87 OPS+
• CF: Luis Robert Jr., 128 OPS+
• RF: Gavin Sheets, 63 OPS+
• DH: Eloy Jimenez, 104 OPS+

Keep in mind, 100 is the league average for OPS+. So, when we say Maldonado and DeJong have a 66 OPS+, that means they are 34% BELOW THE LEAGUE AVERAGE! They stink with the bat!

The projected 2024 Sox lineup has a grand total of three batters that clear the bar of being league average. Robert Jr. is comfortably over 100. Vaughn and Jimenez narrowly make that cut, and Moncada narrowly misses it.

So, one good hitter, three average ones and five guys who stink. Is that "pretty good," Pedro? 

The manager is pretty goofy. Heck, the Sox might not be any worse off if they had Goofy as their manager. Do you suppose Goofy could guide the team to a 61-101 record?

White Sox make offseason changes at catcher

Martin Maldonado

When the offseason began, it looked as though the White Sox were poised to play younger players at catcher in 2024.

Both 25-year-old Korey Lee and 27-year-old Carlos Perez had spots on the 40-man roster. Both have some major league experience, and the conventional thinking was at least one of them would be with the team when the season starts in March.

Now, perhaps not.

The Sox are adding 37-year-old catcher Martin Maldonado on a one-year deal, according to reports. The contract is worth $4 million, and reportedly contains a vesting option for the 2025 season.

Earlier in December, the Sox acquired 32-year-old veteran catcher Max Stassi from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash and a player to be named later.

Maldonado comes to the Sox from Houston. He was the starting catcher for the Astros from 2019 to 2023, and he was part of two American League pennant winners (2019, 2022) and one World Series champion.

He has a reputation as a terrific defensive catcher, although his framing statistics fell off a cliff in 2023. He's still a good blocker and thrower, but he's a notoriously weak hitter.

Here are his offensive numbers from the past three seasons:

• 2021: .172/.272/.300, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs
• 2022: .186/.248/.352, 15 home runs, 45 RBIs
• 2023: .191/.258/.348, 15 home runs, 36 RBIs

In short, expect Maldonado to bat ninth, hit the occasional home run and otherwise be terrible with a bat in his hands. The Sox will be counting on him to provide veteran leadership and game-planning to help what figures to be a young pitching staff.

Stassi did not play during the 2023 season because of a hip injury and a family health emergency -- his son was born three months premature in April. 

When he was last seen on a major league field in 2022, Stassi struggled with the Los Angeles Angels. He batted .180/.267/.303 with nine home runs and 30 RBIs in 102 games.

But, in 2020 and 2021, Stassi was serviceable for the Angels. If you combine his numbers over those two seasons, they pencil out to a .250/.333/.452 batting line with 20 homers over 118 games. His defensive metrics all were strong, so that's a useful profile if he can regain that form.

Perez was recently designated for assignment, so we can eliminate him from the 2024 catching mix. Maldonado will certainly be on the team, if healthy, so that leaves Lee and Stassi competing for a roster spot.

Lee got 24 games in with the Sox last year, after coming over from the Astros in the Kendall Graveman trade, but he didn't do much with the opportunity. His defense was OK, but it certainly wasn't enough to overcome a .077/.143/.138 slash line in 70 plate appearances.

Also notable on the organizational depth chart is 24-year-old Adam Hackenburg, who has a good defensive reputation and ascended to Triple-A Charlotte by the end of 2023.

Hackenburg also had his best season at the plate. He batted .271/.366/.388 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs in 101 games split between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham.

The intrigue here comes with whether Maldonado and/or Stassi can improve the Sox's game preparation. The 2023 season began with manager Pedro Grifol and field coordinator Mike Tosar boasting about how the team would be "elite" in that area.

After 101 losses, the season ended with Grifol lamenting how the Sox were actually subpar in that area. Interestingly, he didn't make those remarks until after the previous catching duo (Yasmani Grandal and Seby Zavala) had been shown the exit. 

If Grandal and Zavala were poor in that area, Grifol should have stepped in and addressed it during the season. Perhaps he tried and failed. From the outside, how are we to know? 

But, it is 100% fair to not trust Grifol to deliver on his promise of "elite preparation" after what we saw last year. So, perhaps it falls to Maldonado to clean up the mess. That won't be easy for a player in his first (and maybe his only) year with the organization, but that's the task at hand.

White Sox trade Aaron Bummer to Atlanta Braves for 5 players

It doesn't qualify as a "haul," but it was still surprising to see the White Sox acquire five players in exchange for Aaron Bummer.

The Sox on Thursday sent the left-hander reliever to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitchers Michael Soroka, Jared Shuster and Riley Gowens, and infielders Nicky Lopez and Braden Shewmake.

Why is it not a haul? Well, all five of these players the Sox acquired have some significant flaw in their games. That doesn't mean these guys couldn't help on the South Side. They might.

But let's just all understand that these players were excess on the Atlanta 40-man roster. Soroka and Lopez were non-tender candidates, in fact, so I don't think the Braves look at any of these guys as big losses.

That said, Bummer's usefulness had come to an end with the Sox. With 2024 projected as a retooling season, if not a rebuilding season, what's the wisdom in paying a relief pitcher a $5.5 million salary to protect leads that don't exist?

Here are a few more thoughts about each of the six players in the trade:

Bummer: Most Sox fans are happy to be done with the 30-year-old after he went 5-5 with an ugly 6.79 ERA in 61 appearances in 2023. Bummer issued an absurdly high 5.6 walks per nine innings, and his 1.526 WHIP isn't what you want from a late-inning reliever. 

Still, the statheads point to his 3.58 FIP as a sign that Bummer pitched in hard luck. In their tweet announcing the trade, the Braves said, "His barrel percentage of just 2.7% ranked in the 99th percentile among pitchers in baseball, while his ground ball rate of 60.1% was in the 97th."

Fair enough. It's not hard to envision Bummer performing better in 2024 with a better infield defense behind him. However, Atlanta fans should know that Bummer is a terrible fielding pitcher, so he does himself no favors when he's fumbling around some of that weak contact he induces. And his walks will drive you crazy. 

Soroka: Injuries, injuries and more injuries. Soroka finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2019, when he went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 29 starts with the Braves. However, he's only pitched 46 innings combined in the four years since. Soroka has torn his Achilles' tendon twice, which caused him to not throw a pitch at any level in both 2021 and 2022. He was 2-2 with a 6.40 ERA in seven games (6 starts) with the Braves in 2023. This is a talented pitcher, but who knows whether he'll be on the mound? 

Shuster: The 25-year-old began the 2023 season as the top prospect in the Atlanta system. But the left-hander fell on hard times last season. He went 5-6 with a 5.01 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett, and 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA in 11 starts with the Braves. The strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors was not good -- 30 strikeouts against 26 walks in 52.2 innings. At this point, Shuster is a reclamation project.

Lopez: Sox fans rolled their eyes at the acquisition of the former Kansas City infielder. As most everyone knows, Lopez is a local guy. He graduated from Naperville Central High School. He also played for manager Pedro Grifol with the Royals, and everyone is sick of more Kansas City people coming to Chicago. Lopez is a lousy hitter, as his career .249/.312/.319 slash line in five MLB seasons shows. However, he is a plus defender, especially at second base. He can also play shortstop or third base in a pinch, and do it competently. Unlike a lot of players on the Sox roster, Lopez has at least one high-end skill that can help a team: his glove. From that perspective, he's probably getting more crap than he deserves.

Shewmake: The left-handed-hitting shortstop was Atlanta's first-round pick in the 2019 draft. But other than a brief two-game stint in 2023, he hasn't cracked the majors. Much like Lopez, he can field his position. He's got sure hands at shortstop, but he just isn't a very good hitter. His slash line at Triple-A Gwinnett last season was .234/.299/.407. If you're a glass-half-full person, that .407 slugging percentage isn't half bad for a glove-first player. Shewmake totaled 16 homers and 69 RBIs last season. Most likely, he's a depth player. And if he helps prevent the Sox from prematurely rushing top prospect Colson Montgomery to the majors, then he'll have done his job.

Gowens: Another local product here. Gowens is a Libertyville native who pitched at the University of Illinois. The right-hander worked exclusively as a starter in college, going 9-12 with a 5.69 ERA in 37 starts over three seasons. The Braves selected him in the ninth round of the 2023 draft. He appeared in five games, three of them starts, in the Atlanta system last year. He threw the ball well -- a 1.15 ERA over 15.2 innings. Gowens is likely destined for A ball in 2024. He'll be old for the level at age 24.

What's the best-case outcome for the Sox here? It would be nice if they can get at least one back-end starter out of this deal -- either Soroka gets healthy or Shuster improves. And it would be nice if at least one of Lopez or Shewmake helps solidify the Sox's leaky middle infield defense. 

Really, if two of the five players help the Sox, call the trade a win.