For White Sox, the good, the bad and the future
The White Sox won 10 more games this season than they did in 2013.
Improvement is always good, but in reality it was another bad season on the South Side. And it was another bad season at the gate, with attendance dropping for the eighth straight year.
"Nobody is satisfied with how the season was," manager Robin Ventura said.
In '13, the Sox were 63-99, their worst showing since 1970. They finished 73-89 this year.
Let's take a closer look at the good and the bad:
Good
Jose Abreu didn't waste any time making an offensive impact.
After defecting from Cuba and signing a six-year, $68 million contract with the White Sox, the 27-year-old first baseman set a franchise record with 36 home runs by a rookie.
Abreu - who is going to be the Sox' first Rookie of the Year since Ozzie Guillen in 1985 - ranked fifth in the American League with a .317 batting average, tied for third in homers, was fourth with 107 RBI and fifth with a .383 on-base percentage.
"I think we see great things," Ventura said. "Any time a guy gets into his first year and has the impact that he had, you're very excited to see what comes of it.
"You can sit here and say next year might be not as good. But with his work ethic and everything that he brings to the table on a daily basis, I see him staying consistent. I feel very fortunate that he's in the middle of our lineup."
Chris Sale solidified his standing as one of baseball's top starting pitchers.
The 25-year-old lefty had another injury scare (strained flexor muscle) that cost him five weeks early in the season, but Sale finished with a 12-4 record, ranked second in the AL with a 2.17 ERA and 0.97 WHIP and sixth with 208 strikeouts (in 174 innings).
Jose Quintana was a solid No. 2 starter, and his 3.32 ERA ranked 13th in the AL.
Newcomer Adam Eaton had some injury issues as a result of his reckless style of play, but the 25-year-old center fielder batted .300 with a .362 OBP while instantly becoming a fan favorite.
Down on the farm, the White Sox are keeping tabs on potential impact players such as pitcher Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick in the June draft, second baseman Micah Johnson, shortstop Tim Anderson, outfielder Courtney Hawkins and pitchers Tyler Danish and Spencer Adams.
Bad
The Sox' bullpen was leaning heavily on Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom, but both had surgery during the season and were non-factors.
Overall, it was a brutal year for the pen. The White Sox lost 43 games after holding the lead, tying them with the Texas Rangers for the major-league lead. They also dropped six games after leading by 3 runs or more in the seventh inning or later.
"There's zero doubt in our mind that we need to make some bullpen upgrades," general manager Rick Hahn said.
The Sox also need to clean up the defense after tying for 12th in the AL with 107 errors.
A lack of quality right-handed pitching hurt, as did individual performances by lefty starter John Danks, left fielder Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn, Gordon Beckham and Alejandro De Aza, who were all traded to teams going to the playoffs.