Do you remember what I wrote on Feb. 17? Probably not, so here's a refresher:
"Barring a postponement or two, the Sox will have 31 games played on May 1 this year. Would a record like 14-17 be too much to ask? Maybe they could at least get into double-digit wins by the end of April for a change. Baby steps. Let's start with that."
Sure enough, the White Sox are 14-17 on May 1. They went 13-13 in April, and this is a significant step forward from where they were on this date the past three years. In case, you had forgotten, here's a brutal reminder:
- 2025: 7-23
- 2024: 6-24
- 2023: 8-21
The Sox sit in third place in the American League Central, only 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers. Both the Guardians and the Tigers are 16-16 at the conclusion of Thursday's play.
In fact, only three teams in the AL -- the New York Yankees (20-11), the Tampa Bay Rays (18-12) and the Sacramento Athletics (17-14) -- have winning records as the calendar turns to May.
So, the Sox are still in contention because the rest of the league is soft, but they are in contention nonetheless. It would be easier to take them seriously if their record were, say, reversed at 17-14. I have a hard time getting excited about a team that has a losing record, and no, I still do not expect the Sox to be in the race this season.
That said, I've seen some fans and media talking about whether the team should trade first baseman Munetaka Murakami for prospects at some point.
Murakami is leading the AL with 12 home runs, and he ranks among the top 10 in the league with a .564 slugging percentage.
Here's my reaction to this discussion: Hell no, the Sox should not trade Murakami. If he continues to play at the level he's played at through 31 games, then he's a core piece of the team. He's only 26 years old, and he's entering what should be the prime of his career. That's a player you build with, if not build around.
You see, here's the problem with this latest Sox rebuild. ... What exactly have they built? Coming into this season, there wasn't a single player in place that you would call a cornerstone. Sure, there are some guys that you *hope* will become cornerstones, but there's uncertainty all over the diamond.
The Sox have just been churning their roster the past couple of years. If a guy plays well, he gets dealt for prospects. If a guy plays poorly, he gets designated for assignment. Year over year, more than half the roster exits. Another group of "value adds" arrives. Wash, rinse, repeat with no continuity.
Maybe, just maybe, it's time to keep some guys who play well and try to build a roster, you know, instead of just serving as a farm club for other teams around MLB. Act like a big-market team for a change.
