advertisement

Rozner: Chicago White Sox not ready to change the plan

Rick Hahn is not immune to the same feelings Chicago White Sox fans have had over the last six months.

It would be easy to grow impatient and start turning the ship in the opposite direction.

And it would also be wrong.

So don't expect the White Sox GM to change the plan in the early stages of a rebuild and start thinking about how to win now.

There is a portion of the fan base that wants the Sox to go for it this year, to think about keeping Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Derek Holland, Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera, to name just a few of the many veterans up for auction.

It's true that Quintana is under control through 2020 at absurdly cheap salaries, and that in theory he could be part of what the Sox are building toward, but Quintana is the key remaining piece up for sale and keeping him would be costly in that regard.

With the players the Sox have collected in the Chris Sale and Adam Eaton deals, along with the signing of Luis Robert, the South Siders are off to a very good start.

The Robert deal in particular is crucial because it cost the Sox nothing but money to acquire the Cuban star. Consider what the Sox had to give up to get Yoan Moncada - who received $31 million from Boston in 2015 - and you understand better the possible reward against the risk of nothing but cash.

There was some pushback on Robert over the weekend in a couple of ways, one being the possibility that he could be the next Cuban bust.

Well, of course he could be. For every Jose Abreu there's a Dayan Viciedo or three, but that's the case with every prospect the Sox have picked up, and that's why you collect as many as you can.

Not every one of them will make it big, or make it at all, but self-scouting becomes crucial.

As for collecting more in trades, you can never have too many, and if the roster becomes crowded - as may be the case soon with the Yankees - you use those assets to get the players you need to finish off the job.

In fact, the Yankees controlled the trade market last July with Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran, and those deals moved their farm system to near the top of the game.

And now the Yanks are so loaded with position players on the 40-man roster that they would be a convenient trade partner with the Sox, as New York is in need of starting pitching this year and moving forward.

The other result of the Robert acquisition was the suggestion that the Sox have done enough rebuilding, that they have enough young players and they should try to win the AL Central this season.

Fans have the freedom to think that way. They have as much latitude as they want with impatience.

A general manager can't afford any behavior.

If you think of 10 big-name prospects providing your big-league team with one great player, one good player and one consistent contributor - and that might be generous - you realize just how many good trades, signings and drafts you need in order to build a team that can consistently compete for a postseason berth.

The Sox will have to supplement that group with free-agent signings and trades to fill holes once they get to a point in time when they believe they're ready to compete.

Again, you can never have too many good, young players, and the Sox have a long way to go before they'll believe they have their fill, so getting value for players like Quintana, Robertson and Holland this summer - or fall - is absolutely central to a rebuild that has merely just begun.

Impatience is a luxury. Fans can have it. GMs can't.

Rick Hahn won't.

brozner@dailyherald.com

• Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's "Hit and Run" show at WSCR 670-AM.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.