It's still too early for Sox to make massive changes

This is not what the White Sox had in mind.

After overhauling the roster in the off-season, trading for a top-end starting pitcher in Jeff Samardzija and spending millions on established free agents such as Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson and Zach Duke, the Sox did not expect to be tied for last place in the AL Central with an 8-14 record in early May.

Five straight losses have left the White Sox reeling as they prepare to open a three-game series against the first-place Tigers on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

It is still early, no doubt, but decision time already has arrived.

Here are the Sox' three options:

Dugout changes:

Manager Robin Ventura has seemingly been on the hot seat since the opening series at Kansas City, where the Sox lost three straight to the Royals.

General manager Rick Hahn said expectations are higher for the entire organization after all the off-season moves, and managers are typically first on the firing line.

Is Ventura going to be following in the footsteps of Milwaukee's Ron Roenicke, who was "relieved of his duties" on Sunday night?

Not at the moment.

Should the White Sox continue to play sloppy baseball and pile up losses, Ventura is going to be in trouble. For now he gets more time, and so does the coaching staff.

Roster changes:

Plenty of tweaks can be made in an effort to get the Sox rolling. Let's start with the most glaring weak spot over the first four weeks: the offense.

Through Sunday's play, the White Sox ranked last in the major leagues with 70 runs scored, an unacceptable average of 3.2 per game. The Sox also are last in the majors with 48 walks, and they rank near the bottom with a .296 on-base percentage.

Among the regulars, catcher Tyler Flowers, third baseman Conor Gillaspie, new designated hitter Adam LaRoche, shortstop Alexei Ramirez, center fielder Adam Eaton and new backup catcher Geovany Soto are batting .217 or lower.

Again, give it some more time, but replacing Gillaspie with Gordon Beckham (.292) is an option, and catcher Kevan Smith could be brought up from Class AAA Charlotte for a look.

On the pitching side, the bullpen has been the early strength, and Chris Sale, Samardzija and Jose Quintana should be fine. The bottom two starters, Hector Noesi and John Danks, are liabilities.

The time has come for rookie Carlos Rodon to move from the bullpen to the rotation, even if it means Danks becomes a pricey long reliever. Owed $14.25 million this season and next year, Danks (1-3, 6.20 ERA) has little or no trade value.

Noesi (0-3, 6.75) also can be moved to the bullpen - or released - if the Sox determine Scott Carroll is a better option as a starter.

Status quo:

Ventura, hitting coach Todd Steverson and the rest of the coaching staff should be safe through the rest of May, even if the losses continue to mount. The same goes for the 25-man roster, although Danks, Noesi and Gillaspie already are in danger of losing their jobs.

Hahn put too much work into this year's team to pull the plug 22 games into the season, but he's not going to be overly patient if the White Sox continue to play such a low quality of baseball.

If the White Sox still are floundering heading into June, expect massive changes in the dugout and on the roster.

White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field

TV: Comcast SportsNet today; Comcast SportsNet Plus Wednesday; WGN Thursday

Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Pitching matchups: The White Sox' Jeff Samardzija (1-2) vs. Shane Greene (3-1) today at 7:10 p.m.; Chris Sale (2-1) vs. Alfredo Simon (4-1) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.; Jose Quintana (1-2) vs. Kyle Lobstein (2-2) Thursday at 1:10 p.m.

At a glance: The White Sox went 0-5 on a road trip to Baltimore and Minnesota last week, and they're tied for last place in the AL Central. The Sox are really struggling offensively, and they have not hit a home run in the last eight games. Samardzija took the loss in his last start after pitching 5 innings at Baltimore and allowing 8 runs (7 earned) on 10 hits. The right-hander faced the Tigers in Detroit on April 17 and allowed 1 run on 8 hits in 8 innings. In his last 2 starts, Greene has allowed 15 runs on 18 hits in 8⅓ innings. Detroit won two of three at Kansas City over the weekend to move into first place in the AL Central.

Next: Cincinnati Reds at U.S. Cellular Field, Friday-Sunday

- Scot Gregor