Looking ahead to 2024: White Sox have to be better, right?
On and off the field last season, everything that could go wrong for the White Sox did go wrong.
There were losses, lots of them (101).
The clubhouse was morose throughout the year, the good vibes few and far between.
There was a mysterious shooting in the bleachers, a hit-and run driver right in front of Guaranteed Rate Field before a game and an attendance drop of nearly 350,000 from 2022 – the largest in MLB.
The upcoming season is not looking particularly promising at the moment, but it can’t be much worse. Right?
Here are five things to watch in 2024:
Chemistry test
Instead of pulling from the same rope last season, the Sox soaked it in kerosene and set it on fire.
After a 7-21 start, more than a few mentally checked out and never returned.
Before being fired, general manager Rick Hahn said he addressed the issue by trading away disgruntled players like Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Keynan Middleton.
At season’s merciful end, Tim Anderson’s 2024 option was declined and Yasmani Grandal’s contract expired.
There will be plenty of new faces in camp when the White Sox report to spring training in mid-February. If Pedro Grifol can’t develop some cohesion, he’s not likely to return for a third season as manager.
“A lot of this job doesn’t pertain to baseball,” Grifol said. “It pertains to management, managing the clubhouse and managing the chemistry. Chemistry is real. It’s real. Some people don’t believe in it. I believe in it.
“You have to get 26 guys that are fighting for each other and love each other and play for each other every single day to be able to get this thing done. We’re on our way to doing that.”
Montgomery arrival
Paul DeJong agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million contract in late November and the Antioch High School product is a near lock to be the Sox’s starting shortstop when the season opens with a March 28 home game vs. the Tigers.
Colson Montgomery is the White Sox’s starting shortstop of the future, and he should claim the position at some point during the upcoming season.
“Colson’s a special talent, he is,” new general manager Chris Getz said. “He’ll certainly let us know when he is ready.”
A back injury limited the 21-year-old Montgomery to 64 games with Class AA Birmingham, high A Winston-Salem and the ACL Sox last season.
It slowed his roll to the White Sox, but Montgomery played 20 more games in the Arizona Fall League and had 20 RBI and 3 home runs.
Ticketed to open the 2024 season with Triple-A Charlotte, the Sox’s 2021 first-round draft pick should be ready for the majors around the all-star break if he stays healthy.
Grifol on hot seat?
On the same day (Aug. 31) he was named GM, Getz announced Grifol’s job was safe and he’d be returning for the 2024 season.
“I think it’s important to provide stability to our players,” Getz said. “There’s been a lot of changes the last couple of years and certainly here recently. I believe we need to get back to playing baseball, focusing on baseball so when these players show up each day they can focus on the game and not the leaders in the organization.”
If the White Sox even come close to playing as poorly in all phases of the game as they did last season, Grifol’s stay in the dugout likely ends.
“There are no scholarships in baseball,” Grifol said. “They either keep you or they don’t keep you. If they keep you, they’ve got their reasons why they keep you. I don’t make those decisions. I do my job every single day.”
TV turmoil
When popular TV voice Jason Benetti bolted for the Detroit Tigers in early November, it was yet another big loss and bad look for the White Sox.
Benetti has multiple side gigs calling college football and basketball games and that never seemed to sit well with chief revenue/marketing officer Brooks Boyer.
So Benetti bolted, leaving a huge hole in the Sox’s broadcast booth.
As for his replacement, former catcher A.J. Pierzynski would be a great choice. Adam Amin is another candidate to watch.
Lone star
The Sox were an excruciating watch last season, but there was one exception.
Luis Robert Jr. stayed relatively healthy and that allowed him to show off his five-tool skills on a regular basis.
While finishing 12th in American League MVP voting, the center fielder hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs and 80 RBI in a career-high 145 games.
He’s hoping other teammates step up, but Robert will again be the White Sox’s main attraction in 2024.
“We’re very proud as an organization to be a part of his development and also just lucky and fortunate to be able to watch him go out there and show us what he’s capable of doing,” Getz said. “He should feel very proud. As an organization, we are very proud of the player he’s become.”