Lazy, insular White Sox promote Chris Getz to lead baseball operations

Jerry Reinsdorf

For those who know me personally, you're well aware of how profoundly meaningful White Sox baseball is in my life. Being a Sox fan is a central part of my identity.

While I'm aware that there are more important things than baseball, there's no getting around the fact that the White Sox are part of the connective tissue of my existence. Some of the best friendships I have in my life were formed through a shared interest in Sox baseball, and the sense of community that exists within the fan base.

So, having said all that, it was a weird feeling earlier this week when I made the decision to opt out of the auto-renewal for the 2024 season ticket plan. The Sox invoiced us Tuesday, and I immediately filled out the form and effectively said, "No thanks, not now." 

Right now, I can't stomach what the Sox have become, on or off the field. We haven't enjoyed going to the ballpark for the past two years, and I don't have any hope that things are going to change anytime soon. Thus, it is time to reevaluate the decision on how to best spend those disposable dollars that typically go to the White Sox. I've been a season ticket holder for 19 seasons. 

I can't say for certain that I'm out for 2024, but at minimum, I'm delaying the decision until after the holidays, so I can see what direction the team goes this offseason.

The lazy, insular promotion of Chris Getz to lead baseball operations, a decision that owner Jerry Reinsdorf announced Thursday, is NOT a good start.

I commend Reinsdorf for finally moving on from former senior vice president Ken Williams and former GM Rick Hahn, both of whom were fired last week. That decision was welcome and overdue.

But whatever goodwill that came from that decision was lost when Reinsdorf simply promoted Getz, the team's player development director, who has been with the organization for seven years and is part of the problem.

There's a lot of stuff that could be said about this, but I'm going to offer you five takeaways:

1. Reinsdorf didn't conduct a legitimate search. This is the most galling part of the equation. During Thursday's press conference, Reinsdorf admitted that he didn't interview anyone else. This was an opportunity to reshape the future of the organization, and that opportunity has been kicked away because the owner was too lazy to conduct a thorough search.

Reinsdorf's reasoning: He "already knew" the candidates that were on his alleged list and didn't need to interview them. Here's my question for Jerry: "What about the people you DON'T know?" By failing to look outside the walls at 35th and Shields, Reinsdorf most likely missed a chance to meet the person most qualified for this position.

I understand Reinsdorf is 87 years old, and perhaps he doesn't have the energy to conduct such a search. Too bad. If that's true, then sell the team to someone who will care enough to put in the time and effort.

2. Getz wouldn't even have gotten an interview with 29 other franchises. What exactly is on Getz's resume? He's been in charge of player development for seven years. Can you name me one impact player the Sox have drafted and developed? Are there any mid- or late-round picks that have become surprise contributors? Have the Sox had any diamonds in the rough emerge? 

The Sox farm system has been ranked in the bottom half of the league for the past three or four years. There isn't a track record of success here. Are there teams out there that would clamor to add Getz to their organization? I don't believe so. I don't think he'd get an interview from any other team, if they had an opening to lead baseball operations. With the Sox, Getz gets the job without any interview process. This is ludicrous.

3. "Knowing" Sox players should not be considered a strength. Reinsdorf said Thursday, “Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience within our organization to this role. Most importantly, he knows our players, both at the major league level and in our system, knows our staff and is familiar with all aspects of our baseball operations department."

Actually, no, knowing the players is not the most important thing. The Sox are desperate for a fresh set of eyes to come in here and look at some old problems. Getz is not that. I wanted someone who has no personal relationship with any of the players, who won't have a problem getting rid of some entitled guys who are considered sacred cows in the organization.

The Sox don't need continuity. They need change.

4. The Sox are foolishly treating manager Pedro Grifol as an untouchable. During his introductory press conference, Getz contradicted himself. He said that no one is untouchable. Moments later, he declared that failing manager Grifol will be back for the 2024 season. Why? The guy is 53-81, and in case you haven't noticed, his team is getting blown out a lot lately. And if you haven't noticed, that means you're not watching, and I don't blame you for that.

The Sox have 28 games left in the season. What if they go 4-24? Reinsdorf spent time Thursday talking about how this has been the worst year during his time as owner of the Sox. Fair enough, but you know it's not over yet, right? The evaluation period isn't over yet. It continues for another month. Yet Getz has already declared Grifol safe, no matter how terrible of a job he does the rest of the way. 

5. Reinsdorf thinks the Sox can contend in 2024, LOL. Reinsdorf said he didn't want to go outside the organization because that person would need a full year to evaluate everything, and then 2024 would be lost. He claimed that Getz is the person best suited to author a quick turnaround and get the team back in contention next year.

All you can do is laugh.

Take a look at the roster, Jerry. Among position players, you have Luis Robert Jr. and a collection of overpaid scrubs. The projected 2024 starting rotation consists of Dylan Cease, who is having a rotten 2023, Michael Kopech, who has taken steps backward this season, and a host of replacement-level arms.

The Sox have almost nothing in place. Good luck fixing this by next March.

This Week in White Sox Baseball!!!! (7th Sector of Hell Edition)

Guaranteed Rate Field

One thing that I've learned being a White Sox fan: Don't ever say it can't get worse. It probably will.

Last year at this time, we were ready for the season to be over. The team was mired in mediocrity, on its way to an 81-81 finish in a year that was supposed to conclude with playoff baseball. 

Those were the good ole days in comparison to this, and it goes far beyond the team's 52-79 record on the field. Here's a log of some of the things we've endured in recent days:

Aug. 21: White Sox announce plans to explore relocation, either within the city of Chicago and its suburbs, or possibly even Nashville.

Aug. 22: Senior vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn are fired, after years of underachievement.

Aug. 23: Rumors circulate that owner Jerry Reinsdorf will promote farm director Chris Getz to the GM spot, and hire failed former Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore in some sort of role to assist Getz.

Aug. 25: Two fans are shot in the left-field bleachers at Guaranteed Rate Field, while watching the Sox get blown out by the league-worst Oakland Athletics. 

Aug. 27: Rumors circulate that the Sox are considering three places for relocation: near the United Center on the West Side, Soldier Field, or the Arlington Heights location the Chicago Bears recently purchased.

Aug. 28: Reports indicate the gunshots Friday night most likely did not come from outside the stadium, meaning that someone managed to sneak a gun past security at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Good grief, this is all crazy. Any one of these topics could be a blog post. But I'd like to just make a few quick reactions. I don't think these problems are going away.

On the GM search: I really wish the Sox would conduct an external search for the best possible candidate, instead of just promoting Getz and hiring Moore, who worked with Getz and manager Pedro Grifol in Kansas City. This is just more cronyism. Sure, Moore has a 2015 World Series title on his resume. That cannot be taken from him, but he also presided over 13 losing seasons in 17 years in Kansas City. Why are the Sox trying to emulate the Royals anyway? Kansas City is the one team in the AL Central that's even worse (at least on the field) than the Sox.

Further, if things have gotten so bad (and they have) that you need to fire the top two men in your baseball operations, why would you just promote the guy who is either third or fourth in command? Wouldn't it be both obvious and imperative that a new voice is needed?

On stadium relocation: The Soldier Field idea is absolutely awful. That place is a dump, and there's a reason the Bears are looking to get the hell out of there. Because of its status as a historical landmark, there are limits on what you can do architecturally. Not to mention, that place is impossible to get to. The traffic sucks. The parking sucks. All of it sucks. Romanticize the lakefront all you want, but nobody is going to care about the "beautiful view" or the "Chicago skyline in the distance" when there's only 4,000 people in the stands on weeknights, because fans have decided that it's too big of a pain in the ass to drive to Soldier Field after they get off work.

I'm open to the United Center neighborhood idea. I love going to Blackhawks games. I'll go to Sox games in that area, too. Great!

I'm open to the team staying at 35th and Shields. I've been going there for years. Great!

I'm open to the team moving to Arlington Heights. That location is 4.5 miles from my house. Now I can come on weeknights after work. Great!

Soldier Field? Screw that, and screw anyone who thinks that's a good idea.

On the safety issue: I attended Saturday night's game. I was undeterred by the incident Friday, although I acknowledge it's a terrible look for the Sox. If they want folks to feel comfortable going to these games, they might want to think about upgrading those metal detectors -- immediately. Judging by the looks of them, I don't think the Sox have the latest technology.

Me personally, I don't spend my life worrying about what could go wrong. Gun violence, allegedly deadly viruses, domestic terrorism, whatever. I'm not afraid of any of it. Whenever one leaves the house, there's always a chance that something could go wrong. Hell, you could get in a fatal car wreck on your way to the grocery store. Does that stop you from buying food? Of course not. 

Our risk calculation has gotten way out of whack in this society over the past three years. I'm not going to stop my life because of various things that could potentially kill me. Yes, I'm aware there is a non-zero chance that I could be gunned down inside or outside the ballpark. I just don't care, because that chance is so small that it isn't worth thinking about it. 

My advice: Continue living your life. Don't give up the things you enjoy out of fear. One day it will be over for all of us. That's a fact, but don't sweat it.

See you at the ballpark on the next homestand.

White Sox fire Ken Williams, Rick Hahn

The announcement came during the dinner hour Tuesday night, and I almost spit out my pasta from the shock: The White Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn. You can read the report from MLB.com's Scott Merkin here.

On the one hand, this needed to happen. I'm as pleased as I am surprised. That said, it's not a good sign when the highlight of your entire baseball season is seeing executives get fired, even though both Williams and Hahn have earned their dismissals.

The Sox were 49-76 going into Tuesday's play, and as Williams said in Merkin's story, "We have underachieved. This is what happens."

Thing is, this was the easy part for chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. The hard part is finding the right people to fix all the problems with the Sox. It's difficult not to be skeptical of this 87-year-old owner, who hasn't hired a baseball executive from outside of the organization in decades. 

How will he conduct the search? And who will help him with the search? Hopefully, it's someone other than his buddy Tony La Russa.

On the whole, this was a good day for Sox fans. The organization is crying out for new leadership. That, it will get. The question is whether it will get good leadership. That is the important part, and it remains to be seen.

White Sox reportedly conducting 'series of internal interviews'

I've mostly stayed away from discussing the 2023 White Sox here because, let's be honest, it isn't sane to care about the day-to-day results anymore. The team is 48-75 entering Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

But it's worth noting when Bob Nightengale reports something on the Sox. Of all the national baseball reporters, he seems to have the most direct line to owner Jerry Reinsdorf and senior vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams.

Here's his Sunday notebook. Most of this story is about baseball movies, but if you scroll down to the "Around the basepaths" section, the top item deals with the Sox. It reads:

"The Chicago White Sox are conducting a series of internal interviews to determine whether dramatic changes are needed inside the front office or the coaching staff. This has been one of the most disappointing and painful seasons in chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s tenure. 

"GM Rick Hahn has one year left on his contract while manager Pedro Grifol has two years remaining."

This is interesting on two fronts. First off, we rarely know contract lengths for non-players in the Sox organization. For whatever reason, somebody high up in the organization was OK with all of us finding out how many years Hahn and Grifol have left on their deals. 

What does that mean? We can only speculate.

Secondly, a "series of internal interviews"? What exactly does that mean? Are they all interviewing each other? How bizarre, but what do you expect from the Sox? 

This reminds me a little of asking politicians to vote for term limits. Good luck getting someone to say, "Yes, I deserve to lose my job." That doesn't happen often in the real world.

Here's the thing: The 2023 season started with Hahn outlining high expectations and talking about deep October runs. The Sox are light years away from that. As a matter of fact, they are now tied for the third-worst record in baseball -- they and the Rockies are both 48-75 entering Sunday's head-to-head matchup.

You don't need "internal interviews" to know dramatic changes are necessary for the Sox. You only need to know they fell way, way short of the bar they set for themselves.

3 things I don't want in a White Sox manager

Me with Ozzie Guillen in 2019

Who will be the next manager of the White Sox? Rumors were flying this weekend, and as you might expect, the situation is clear as mud.

There are reports out there that the Sox are poised to name Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada their next manager. It's also been reported that Espada is a candidate to manage the Miami Marlins.

Then, of course, there's the gossip about Ozzie Guillen allegedly getting an interview. Depending on who you ask, Guillen has either a) already been interviewed, b) will be interviewed this week, or c) would be a candidate for the job only over Ken Williams' dead body.

I've been amazed by how many Sox fans want Guillen to return to the manager's office. That 2005 nostalgia runs deep for every South Side baseball fan, but we can't allow that to get in the way of our better judgment. The World Series title was 17 years ago. Guillen has been out of baseball since 2012, and let's not forget how his previous tenure with the Sox ended in 2011.

I'd rather not rehash the 2011 season, in fact, so I won't unless Guillen somehow gets the job.

I'll be honest and say none of the managerial candidates I've heard tied to the Sox thrill me. I'm more in the "Rick Hahn screwed this up" camp than the "Tony La Russa screwed this up" camp. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad La Russa is no longer the Sox manager, but I don't think any manager could have covered all the flaws in Hahn's roster construction.

So, I'm not sure what I'm looking for in a Sox manager. I just know these are the three things I do not want:

1. someone promoted from within (sorry, Miguel Cairo)
2. a recycling of an old guy who wore out his welcome somewhere else (sorry, Joe Maddon)
3. someone who is a friend of Jerry Reinsdorf (sorry, Ozzie)

There are lot of things getting in the way of Espada taking the job. First of all, he might want to manage in Miami. Second of all, if the Astros win the World Series, Dusty Baker could retire. That could put Espada in line for a promotion with his current club. Third, Espada used to work in the New York Yankees organization, and he could be a managerial candidate there if the Yankees decide to move on from Aaron Boone.

It's also possible that Espada is Hahn's guy, but Reinsdorf is going to intervene in the process and name Guillen manager.

Hey, that's happened before, right? In the past managerial search, Hahn wanted to hire A.J. Hinch. Then Reinsdorf intervened and appointed La Russa. 

It's the White Sox, so expect something weird to happen, until they prove otherwise.

My last game of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field

I made my 20th and final trip to Guaranteed Rate Field for the 2022 season Monday night. The White Sox came away with an inconsequential 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

In sharp contrast to last October -- when the stadium was filled with 40,000 people dressed in black, cheering on the AL Central champions -- there was plenty of legroom. The announced attendance was 22,891, but that's a joke. There weren't even half that many fans there. 

The Sox are 80-80 with two games to play. It has been a sorely disappointing season that began with postseason expectations. Fans want heads to roll, and while manager Tony La Russa has retired, we're stuck with owner Jerry Reinsdorf, general manager Rick Hahn and Ken Williams, whatever the hell he's doing these days. 

I was listening to the Sox Machine podcast before the game, and Jim Margalus noted that he roots for White Sox fans more than he roots for the White Sox. This comment resonated with me as a healthier way to look at the current situation on the South Side of Chicago.

It's impossible to cheer for oligarchs like Reinsdorf. It's very difficult to like the arrogant mopes who make up his front office. It's even difficult to root for these players, some of whom have been mailing it in for weeks, if not months.

However, it is very easy to like the fans who come to 35th and Shields every year -- sometimes against their better judgment -- to support the White Sox organization. Even if I can't cheer for Reinsdorf, Hahn and all these other idiots, I can root for the day when our White Sox fan community will finally have a baseball team that makes us proud. This hope is what keeps me going.

Fans have been coming to the street corner where I took the above photo since long before I was born, and they'll still be going there long after I am dead and buried. The bond we share as White Sox fans is one that endures through the generations.

That's something we should keep in mind, as this disastrous 2022 season turns into what will likely be an offseason of cost-cutting and discontent. We still have each other, and this storm of hell, too, shall pass.

See you at the ballpark in April.

Guaranteed Rate Field 20 minutes before the game Monday night. The seats filled in a little bit, but yeah, it was die-hards only.

Talking about GMs with lousy won-loss records ...

Rick Hahn

Today I filled out the 2022 White Sox fan survey, offered by James Fegan of The Athletic. 

Of course, I brought my usual bitterness to the party. When asked for my favorite current Sox player, I replied, "None. I don't like this team." (Seriously, I don't have a favorite player on the Sox roster.)

And I'll be curious to know whether I'm the only respondent who said he wanted the Sox to change GMs. It's no secret I'm not a fan of Rick Hahn, and for whatever reason, many Sox fans do like Hahn. I've never quite understood why. ... Maybe it's just because he's not Ken Williams.

But in any case, this is going to be one of the rare occasions where I bring up football on this blog. I turned in my Bears fan card several years ago, and aside from the Super Bowl, I do not watch NFL games anymore.

However, everyone who lives in the Chicago metropolitan area knows the big sports news from Monday: The Bears fired coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.

In his seven years with the team, Pace compiled a 48-65 record, which pencils out to a .425 winning percentage.

On Chicago sports talk radio Monday, one of the talking heads reacted to that number. He asked, "What other professional sports organization would allow someone that terrible to keep his job for so long?"

Umm ... the Chicago White Sox? Through Hahn's first seven years on the job, the Sox went 491-642. That's a .433 winning percentage. Not much better than Pace and his .425 crap fest, right? 

I guess we should be kind to Hahn and note that through nine years, his clubs are 619-736. The winning percentage is up to a robust .457! And the Sox have two playoff wins under Hahn, and that's more than the Pace can say for his tenure with the Bears!

Tony La Russa charged with DUI, and the White Sox knew this was coming when they hired him

Tony La Russa

New (old) White Sox manager Tony La Russa was charged with DUI on Oct. 28 by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona.

According to an ESPN report, La Russa allegedly ran his car into a curb in February, leaving it smoking on the side of the road in the Phoenix area.

The arresting officer reportedly said La Russa was incoherent during the incident, and the veteran manager repeatedly referenced his credentials as a baseball Hall of Famer in an attempt to escape the trouble. 

This is the second drunken driving arrest for LaRussa. He pleaded guilty in 2007 to misdemeanor DUI in Jupiter, Fla.

I think the timeline of this arrest is a little strange. This incident occurred in February, and the charges weren't filed until eight months later. 

Definitely odd, but here's what is known: The charges were filed Oct. 28, but the Sox hired La Russa to be manager one day later anyway. 

Yuck. The Sox are taking a beating in the national media right now, and rightfully so. First off, at least one prominent free agent says he won't play for La Russa for any amount of money.

Secondly, one drunken driving arrest is one thing -- people make mistakes -- but two such incidents is a trend, and that's not somebody you want running your baseball team. That's somebody who has a problem.

And third, this again highlights what a flawed process the Sox used to hire La Russa. It wasn't a legitimate search, with interviews of multiple qualified candidates, with the best man earning an offer.

No, it was a crony hire by one man, owner Jerry Reinsdorf. He regrets firing La Russa 34 years ago, and he's trying to make amends for it, even if he has to undercut his baseball operations department to do it, and even if he brings shame and national disgrace to a proud fan base and every other person who works for the Sox.

Of course, there's still time to do the right thing. La Russa hasn't even hired a coaching staff yet. (What is he waiting for?) So cut ties with La Russa, start over and conduct a search the right way. Allow Ken Williams and Rick Hahn to hire a manager, not Reinsdorf. 

Will that actually happen? Don't bet on it. Oh, and Rick Renteria finished second in the AL Manager of the Year voting today. He has to be among the chorus of people laughing at the Sox right now.

Let's speculate some more about Robin Ventura's future

Robin Ventura

Before we go any further, let's put away our visceral fan anger about yesterday's rumor that Robin Ventura will return as White Sox manager next year if he wants.

As most of you know, I'm a journalist by trade, so I'm taking off my fan hat and putting on my journalist hat here. My journalist brain has three questions in response to this news: Who leaked this rumor? Why did they leak this rumor? And why did they leak it now?

Of course, I'm not a beat writer. I don't have the opportunity or the means to investigate, but as a blogger, I'm free to speculate, so speculate I will.

My first thought was this leak is perhaps yet another sign of a rift in the Sox front office about the future direction of the team. Around the trade deadline, we heard talk that general manager Rick Hahn was looking to make significant changes, but that he was not allowed to do so by either owner Jerry Reinsdorf and/or senior vice president Ken Williams.

If the front office wasn't in lockstep on trade deadline moves, could it be possible they are not in lockstep on Ventura's future? For the sake of argument, let's say Reinsdorf and Williams want Ventura to stay (pure speculation, again, no basis in fact here), while Hahn does not. Under that scenario, maybe Hahn goes to the press and leaks that Ventura is likely to stay, in hopes of provoking a visceral anti-Ventura sentiment among the fan base.

As expected, the fan anger and backlash over the past 24 hours has been quite overwhelming, and that can be used as a powerful argument for a front office person who wants Ventura gone. You can say, "Hey, this is proof we need a change here. Everyone is fed up with the status quo. We're not selling any tickets for 2017 if Ventura stays. He's had his chances. It's time to move on."

Maybe I'm reaching, but it's a theory.

Here's another theory: The Sox are trying to create a soft landing for Ventura. They floated the "he can come back if he wants" thing, already knowing he isn't going to come back. Perhaps they want it to look like he's leaving on his own, as opposed to them kicking him to the curb, when in reality the decision has already been made.

That probably sounds a little stupid, and it's definitely passive-aggressive, but that fits the way this White Sox regime does business.

For his part, Ventura refused to answer questions on the topic Wednesday. He wouldn't say that he wants to return, which is different from what we've heard from him in the past. Hahn didn't take questions at all, which makes this even more weird.

It's really hard to figure out why someone in Sox brass would leak this to USA Today and create such a media storm with just five days left in the season. Couldn't it wait until Monday?

As far as USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale's part in this, I was shocked to see him criticize Sox fans so harshly in his column. I don't know if he's acting as a mouthpiece for Sox management, or if he's just out-of-town stupid (keep in mind, he covers all 30 teams, not just the Sox), but I emailed him today to remind him that Ventura has a .426 winning percentage against AL Central opponents over his five years at the helm.

We've chronicled Ventura's weaknesses over and over and over again on this blog. No, it is not all his fault, but some of it is, and he should be held accountable for those failures.

Ask yourself, can you see the Sox winning the World Series with Robin Ventura as their manager? Ever? My answer is a resounding no, and I challenge anybody who would answer yes to find a credible argument to support that position.

Ozzie Guillen to manage again -- in Venezuela

Ozzie Guillen

Every now and then, you hear somebody ask either White Sox manager Robin Ventura or GM Rick Hahn if they think Ozzie Guillen will manage in the major leagues again.

Their answers are usually some combination of "yes" and "I hope so."

I'm a little more skeptical. Guillen, who managed the Sox to their only World Series title in the last 99 years in 2005, left the organization on bad terms after the 2011 season. He feuded publicly with then-GM Ken Williams, apparently failing to realize the GM wins the overwhelming majority of the time in GM-manager power struggles.

Then, Guillen managed the Miami Marlins in 2012, where he praised Fidel Castro, went 69-93 and got fired after one season.

Even though Guillen has proven himself as a manager, I would be surprised if another major league team gives him a shot. With the way the media culture is today, front offices like to control the message they put out to the public, and it's just impossible to muzzle Ozzie Guillen. He's the type of man who is not afraid to let you know what he thinks, and he'll give you an honest answer to any question -- even if it's not what the questioner or the public wants to hear.

I don't necessarily think that's a bad trait to have, but teams just don't want someone with that type of personality to be the face of their franchise anymore.

It's different in Venezuela, where Guillen is a national hero, and he's getting another shot to manage in his native land. Guillen was hired Wednesday to manage the La Guaira Sharks of the Venezuelan Winter League next offseason.

The La Guaira team president and vice president said in a statement that hiring Guillen, "has been an aspiration of ours since we acquired the team in 2004."

I'm sure a lot of people will be happy to see Guillen back working in the game, even if it is just the Venezuelan league. But will it lead to something more down the line? You never know, but I doubt it.

White Sox should send Carlos Rodon to Triple-A to start the season

The White Sox announced on Wednesday that ace left-hander Chris Sale (broken foot) will not be ready to pitch on Opening Day. This will only fuel speculation that top prospect Carlos Rodon has a chance to make the team's 25-man roster coming out of spring training.

The Sox should resist that urge. They should instead send Rodon to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the season.

And I'm not just saying that because Rodon allowed three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings in Wednesday's 4-4 tie with the Texas Rangers. Even if the left-hander had struck out all 12 batters he faced Wednesday, it wouldn't change my opinion.

There are a couple good reasons not to rush Rodon. First and foremost, there's the business side of the game. Michael Bauman at Grantland (no relation) did a great job of explaining the service time factor in this article about Cubs prospect Kris Bryant. The same principle with Bryant applies to the situation with the White Sox and Rodon:

"There are about 183 calendar days in a major league season; anyone who spends 172 or more of those days on the active roster or major league disabled list is credited with a full year of service time, while players who spend less than that are credited with the fraction of the season they spent in the big leagues," Bauman wrote. "Service time progresses players toward three primary milestones: arbitration eligibility (which takes a little less than three years, depending on moving goalposts that aren’t worth explaining here), free agency (six years), and a pension (10 years)."

In simplest terms, this means Rodon needs to spend a few weeks in Charlotte this year. If he starts the season with the Sox and stays in the majors the whole year, he'll hit free agency after the 2020 season. But if the Sox keep him in Charlotte for just a little while longer, they'll have him under team control for one extra year -- the 2021 season.

A no-brainer, right? Seems like it to me.

Then, there's the baseball side of things. Rodon has great promise, but he is not a finished product. Most guys need three major league quality pitches to be in a team's starting rotation. Rodon slider is great; there's no doubting that. He's got a good fastball, although his command could use a little polish. The changeup, while improving, is not there yet. Why not let him continue to work on that third pitch in the minors? It's the right thing to do, regardless of Sale's status.

Senior Vice President Ken Williams made it sound like Sale is on track to make his season debut April 12 -- the fifth game of the season. If Sale stays on that timetable, the Sox won't need to take an extra starter with them when they break camp. Sale would simply pitch fifth in the rotation instead of first.

And even if Sale falls a little behind that schedule, and the Sox need to reach into their depth for a starting pitcher, I don't see the harm in giving a veteran like Scott Carroll or Brad Penny one or two starts in April.

I know watching Carroll or Penny pitch doesn't excite anyone, but if it's the right thing for Rodon's development and his future with the organization -- and it is -- then that's what you do.

Do you suppose the Cubs wish they still had Chris Archer? Or Josh Donaldson?

As a matter of philsophy, I usually agree with the idea of trading prospects for proven veterans. After all, you generally know what you're going to get from a veteran player, and as a percentage, the overwhelming majority of prospects are busts.

If you take a look at what the White Sox have done over the last 10 or 15 years, most of former GM Ken Williams' trades have involved dealing future prospects to acquire help for the here and now. When I look at all the young players Williams traded, the only one I wish the Sox still had is Gio Gonzalez.

Strangely enough, the Sox traded him twice. In 2005, they sent him and Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia for Jim Thome (good trade). They reacquired him, along with Gavin Floyd, for Freddy Garcia in 2006 (also a decent trade). Then, they sent him to Oakland in 2008 with Ryan Sweeney and Fautino De Los Santos for Nick Swisher (terrible trade).

The rest of the players Williams traded, I can't say I miss.

Here are two guys the former GM of the Cubs (Jim Hendry) traded that I'll bet the current GM (Jed Hoyer) wishes he still had: Tampa Bay pitcher Chris Archer and Oakland third baseman Josh Donaldson.

Archer, a 24-year-old right-hander, is having a breakout season for the Rays. He's 8-5 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 starts. He's allowed two earned runs or less in 12 of those outings. Pretty impressive for a kid who just joined the rotation on June 1 and is pitching in the rugged AL East. 

The Cubs acquired Archer from Cleveland in the Mark DeRosa deal in 2008, but in 2011, they flipped him to Tampa Bay in an eight-player deal that brought Matt Garza to the North Side of Chicago. Over 2 1/2 seasons, Garza went 21-18 in 60 starts for the Cubs. He, of course, is no longer on the team, having been traded to the Texas Rangers earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, the Rays have a potential ace on their roster. The Cubs are still looking for that guy. Some people in Chicago seem to believe Jeff Samardzija is an ace. I disagree. A 28-year-old with a 4.13 ERA who is blowing 5-0 leads against the woeful Philadelphia Phillies is not an ace. He's a mid-rotation starter on a contender. The Cubs should consider trading him this offseason. He's not going to get any better than he is right now.

Donaldson, a 27-year-old third baseman, is a bit of a forgotten man. Most people haven't noticed his .296 average, 19 home runs and 77 RBIs this season because he plays for Oakland. Most people have probably also forgotten the Cubs selected him 48th overall in the 2007 draft.

In July of 2008, Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton and Eric Patterson were traded to Oakland for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. At the time, Donaldson was the least talked about player of the four the Cubs gave up. Right now, he looks like the best player in that deal. He plays third base, too, and it seems like about half the teams in baseball are looking for someone to fill that position. It took five years, but that acquisition is paying dividends for the A's, who certainly do not miss Harden or Gaudin.

With both Chicago teams out of the pennant race this year, both clubs have traded some veterans for future considerations this summer. A couple years down the line, maybe they'll strike gold in some of these deals. Only time will tell. Most of the time, the team acquiring the veteran wins the trade. But every now and then, you seen a trade like the Archer deal or the Donaldson deal where the team acquiring the prospects prevails.