Tim Anderson vs. the World

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said some stuff in a recent interview with NBC Sports Chicago's Chuck Garfien.

If you're plugged into Sox baseball, you've probably seen it all over the place already, so I won't rehash it. You can read and listen to the comments here. 

Here's my take on the need for more "positivity" from the fans and media:

It’s hard for me to buy a “let’s start fresh and be positive” sales pitch when I know the endemic problems in the Sox organization still exist. Players don’t get that because they come and go. As fans, we’ve been here for decades, and we’ve seen the Sox fail in predictable ways over and over.

To be honest, I don't think my attitude about the team, or thoughts on how the season is going to go, have any bearing on the outcome. Players play. Coaches coach. Reporters write. Fans cheer, or don't cheer.

I've been both right and wrong about baseball 1,000 times before. I think the Sox will be mediocre again this season, but what difference does my opinion make? Sometimes I feel that Anderson is a little too concerned with outside noise.

The Sox just need to win. Put up 95 victories, and everything will be fine, right?  

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
   

Mike Clevinger investigation casts pall over White Sox spring training

Mike Clevinger

The day when pitchers and catchers report to spring training is supposed to be one of the happiest days on the calendar for baseball fans.

But not for a lot of White Sox fans. Not this year. The 2023 season is starting with a dark cloud over Sox camp in Glendale, Ariz. Most of the questions on Wednesday's first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers centered on MLB's investigation into domestic abuse allegations made against pitcher Mike Clevinger.

In fact, 25 minutes of general manager Rick Hahn's 35-minute-long press availability was devoted to answering questions about Clevinger.

Not that Hahn said much, or even could say much. The Sox are (rightfully) being questioned about their processes when performing background checks on free agents. Clevinger has been under investigation since last season, when he was a member of the San Diego Padres, but that somehow escaped Hahn's attention before he added Clevinger to the roster.

Hahn said Wednesday that the Sox have no other option but to let the process play out. On that point, I would say he is correct.

According to the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, the commissioner’s office holds sole authority to discipline players for violating the policy, unless it transfers the authority over to the team. 

That policy is collectively bargained. It must be adhered to, and at this time, the commissioner's office has not placed Clevinger on administrative leave, nor has it transferred authority over to the Sox.

Thus, Clevinger reported to Sox camp Wednesday and took questions from the media. During that session, he denied any wrongdoing -- as expected -- and, on the advice of his attorneys, didn't say much about the allegations or the investigation. 

Bottom line: The Sox can't hand out any discipline here, because they would be in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. They could just cut Clevinger, but if they did, they would still be on the hook for paying him his $12 million salary, and they would open themselves up to a grievance or a lawsuit from Clevinger.

The Sox are basically stuck because they signed a free agent they never should have signed, and they are taking all of us on an express elevator to hell with them. It's Day 1, and everyone's already pissed off.

My modest suggestion for improving the ghost-runner rule

The ghost-runner rule is here to stay, sources say.

In all extra inning games -- at least during the regular season -- a runner will be placed on second base to begin the 10th inning, and in every extra inning after that, until a winner is determined.

Am I a fan of this rule? No. 

Unlike a lot of folks, I think it's fun on those rare occasions when a game would last 14, 15 innings or more. One of my favorite baseball memories came in July 2006, when I attended this 19-inning game between the White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. It's a little sad to know there's almost no chance I'll ever be at a game such as that again. The odds of a game lasting 19 innings in this era are almost nil.

This rule was first instituted to preserve pitchers' arms during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. How big of an impact has the rule had, you ask?

Well, here are the numbers: In 2019, the last season before this rule was implemented, 37 games went 13 innings or longer. Eight games went 15 innings or longer. Last season, in 2022, there were only 11 games that lasted 13 innings or longer. A game lasting 15 innings or longer? Ummm ... those are extinct.

And, of course, the run-scoring increases quite a bit in extra innings under this rule. How often have you seen a game go to extra innings with the score tied at 3, and the final score ends up being 7-6? Happens all the time now, right? So, yes, this rule is fundamentally changing the game.

While I might not be a fan, the rule is definitely here to stay. Front offices like it because it eliminates the roster juggling that becomes necessary the day after a game that goes 15 innings or more. Players like it because it eliminates five-hour games and the like. Pitchers, in particular, like it because getting games over reduces wear on their arms.

So, everyone likes it except curmudgeons like me. However, here's my modest suggestion: I think I would be OK with this rule if the ghost-runner started the inning on first base, not second. The odds of the offense scoring are still increased, but it creates a little more of a challenge.

At minimum, the offensive team would more than likely have to get at least one hit in the inning to score a run if the runner starts on first. Also, if the runner starts on first, that puts the stolen base and the hit-and-run more in play for the offensive team's manager. Those are plays that I would like to see more often in baseball.

I'm just looking for a middle ground here. I know nobody wants to hear an old man yelling at clouds, trying to switch things back to the way they used to be. So, I'm accepting change as inevitable. I'd just like to see a different kind of change than the one that's being implemented.

Let's look back at a 2017 trade between White Sox, Yankees

David Robertson

Whenever veteran players are traded for prospects, we always say we have to wait four or five years until we can fully judge the trade.

Well, more than five years have passed since the White Sox swung a seven-player deal with the New York Yankees on July 19, 2017.

New York received:

• 3B Todd Frazier
• RHP David Robertson
• RHP Tommy Kahnle

White Sox received:

• OF Blake Rutherford
• RHP Tyler Clippard
• OF Tito Polo
• LHP Ian Clarkin 

Ugh. You can see where this is going. It will probably go down as one of Sox GM Rick Hahn's worst deals. This trade has been in the news recently, because Rutherford recently signed a minor-league deal to join the Washington Nationals. Now that he has left the Sox, all the players they acquired in this trade are gone from the organization.

Here's a look at how each player involved in this trade has fared since that day in July:

Frazier. The veteran third baseman played 66 games with the Yankees and hit 11 homers while batting .222. That's similar to the performance he had with the Sox -- good power, but not much average. He eventually signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets and hit a combined 39 homers for them in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Frazier split time between the Texas Rangers and Mets in 2020, batting .236 with four homers in the pandemic-shortened season. He played briefly with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, but he was done at that point. He was released and retired.

Robertson. The relief pitcher did well for the Yankees, going 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA in 30 games after joining them in 2017. He appeared in 69 games for the 2018 Yankees. He went 8-3 with a 3.23 ERA and five saves. Robertson has bounced around the league since then -- Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, the Cubs, then back to Philadelphia again. He pitched four scoreless innings with one save for the Phillies during the 2022 World Series. This offseason, he signed a free-agent deal with the Mets.

Kahnle. Would you believe it if I told you that Kahnle is still a Yankee? He's on his second stint with the team. He pitched in 129 games for New York from 2017-20. He was 6-3 with a 4.01 ERA over that time, working mostly in middle relief. Elbow surgery sidelined him for all of 2021, but he resurfaced with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022. He pitched 13 games (2.84 ERA), did enough to prove he was healthy and signed a one-year deal to return to the Yankees in 2023.

Clippard. The veteran reliever is the only one of the four players the Sox acquired in the trade to play for the major league club. He pitched in 11 games for the 2017 Sox, recording two saves. After roughly three weeks in a Sox uniform, he was traded to the Houston Astros for cash considerations as part of a waiver deal. He's since bounced around the league -- Toronto, Cleveland, Minnesota, Arizona, Washington. The Nationals let him go last August. At age 37, his career is likely over.

Polo. By 2019, Polo was out of the Sox organization. He was in Double-A Birmingham in 2018, where he batted .245. The last time he was in affiliated ball was 2019, at Triple-A Tacoma in the Seattle organization. Since then, he's been playing for assorted teams in the Mexican League.

Clarkin. The left-hander last pitched in the Sox organization in 2019, at Class-A Winston-Salem. The Sox designated him for assignment and tried to sneak him through waivers, but he got claimed by the Cubs. For the past two years, he's pitched in the Colorado organization. He had a 8.77 ERA last season in 17 games at the Triple-A level.

Rutherford. The left-handed hitting outfielder was a consensus top 50 prospect at the time of this trade, and hey, at least he hung around in the Sox organization through 2022! Unfortunately, he wasn't good enough defensively to cover center field, and he never developed the pull-side power necessary to be a good corner outfielder. Rutherford, who turns 26 this May, simply lacks a carrying tool that will lift him about Quad-A status. In two seasons at Triple-A Charlotte, he batted .260/.298/.416, but he hit only 24 homers despite playing in a notoriously hitter-friendly park. Without question, the Sox have had a need at corner outfield over the past few years, but Rutherford was never good enough to merit a look. That about says it all.

In the final analysis, the Sox accomplished little with this trade other than offloading a bunch of salary. Frazier, Robertson and Kahnle were all assets to varying degrees, and it's unfortunate the Sox didn't get any production from the players they received in this deal.

How does White Sox bullpen shape up heading into spring training?

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn famously said at the start of the offseason that the trade market would be "more fruitful" for the team than free agency this winter.

To this point, that statement is false. The Sox have not made any impact acquisitions via trade this offseason, but they did swing a minor deal over the weekend. The South Siders picked up right-handed reliever Franklin German from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for relief pitching prospect Theo Denlinger.

German, 25, was Boston's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season. He made a combined 43 relief appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA, seven saves and 64 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. 

He was rewarded with a late-season audition in Boston, which did not go so well. He allowed eight earned runs in four innings over five appearances. German was designated for assignment in late January. The White Sox likely put a waiver claim in on him, and that led to this trade.

Scouting reports say German is a fastball-slider pitcher, with his heater topping out around 97 mph. This is a depth acquisition. It wouldn't be a surprise if German spends most of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, while getting a recall at some point when the big league club needs an extra arm.

So, how does the Sox bullpen look going into spring training? We know Liam Hendriks will be missing. He's out indefinitely while he undergoes treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We should also expect Garrett Crochet to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery.

There are eight spots available in the bullpen. Assuming good health (a big assumption with this group), here's how things look right now:

Roster locks (5)

• RHP Kendall Graveman
• RHP Joe Kelly
• LHP Aaron Bummer
• RHP Reynaldo Lopez
• LHP Jake Diekman

Likely to make the roster (2)

• RHP Jose Ruiz
• RHP Jimmy Lambert

Others in competition (7)

• RHP Nick Avila
• RHP A.J. Alexy
• LHP Tanner Banks
• RHP Matt Foster
• RHP Franklin German
• RHP Gregory Santos
• LHP Bennett Sousa

Non-roster invitees to watch (3)

• RHP Keynan Middleton
• RHP Jesse Scholtens
• LHP Nate Fisher

A few notes to bring up here: Ruiz is out of options, so he'll probably stick with the club unless he has a disastrous spring. Lambert had a strong season last year after converting from starting pitcher to reliever, but his historical inconsistency makes me reluctant to make him a "roster lock." That said, a decent spring should be good enough for him to break with the team.

If those top seven guys are all healthy and functioning, that leaves only one spot open. Avila figures to be the odds-on favorite, as he is a Rule 5 draftee. If he doesn't stick on the Opening Day roster, the Sox have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants. The guess here is he'll be given every opportunity to stick.

Banks is the likely choice if the Sox decide they'd like a third lefty in the bullpen. Alexy is most likely going to be stretched out as starting pitching depth, but you never know. If he shows well enough, he could be kept on the roster as a swing man. 

We've seen Foster succeed sporadically in the past. He's split his time between Chicago and Triple-A Charlotte over the past two seasons. However, he may have been passed by on the depth chart with the offseason acquisitions of Santos and German.

This is one area of the roster where the Sox seem to have some depth. They will no doubt miss Hendriks and Crochet, who are the most dominant relief arms on the 40-man roster. But they have options to try if whatever their Plan A is doesn't succeed.

I've decided to skip White Sox Opening Day this year

It was a weird day for me. Today is the day that White Sox partial season ticket holders, like me, can purchase single-game tickets before they go on sale to the general public.

The Sox send you an email to make you aware of the designated time you can sign into your account, and they give you a password. For many years, I've logged on the second I could to secure my tickets for Opening Day, which is not a part of my 20-game ticket plan. 

But not this year.

Today, I simply deleted the email and went about my Wednesday afternoon as usual. It felt strange, but it was something I decided to do. 

You see, I'm not going to Opening Day this season, for a couple of different reasons. First of all, I'm going to be on vacation in Florida from March 27 to 31, which means I'm scheduled to return to work on April 3 -- the day of the home opener. And I have a deadline to meet April 4, so it seems like a big ask at work to have April 3 off after I'm on vacation for the entire week prior.

However, there's more to it than that. To be honest, the only reason I renewed my ticket plan this season is because I would miss going to baseball games with my family and friends if I didn't. I need to go to some games because it's good for my mental health.

It isn't because I'm excited about the season. As a matter of fact, I'm not excited at all about the 2023 White Sox, and I'm not particularly interested in giving them any more money than I already have. The price of the 20-game plan to sit in the 500 level at Guaranteed Rate Field is more than enough.

I have no plans to attend any extra games outside of my ticket plan, not even the home opener. The Sox just haven't earned that kind of support from me. It's sad to say, but every year I feel more and more disconnected from the team.

I know they don't care about their paying customers. That's just the way it is.