Chicago White Sox should be worth talking about next season and beyond

Heading down to Guaranteed Rate Field last week, the usual car radio strategy was in play.

My Pillow commercial? Next channel.

Song by The Head and Heart? Skip.

Political rage and rant? Hard pass.

The channel did stay on AM-1000 for a few minutes when Chris "Mad Dog" Russo joined David Kaplan's show to talk some baseball.

Russo broke down what the Cubs were doing at the trade deadline. He talked about the Astros, the Dodgers, the Yankees and Red Sox.

When asked about the Chicago White Sox, the typically chatty host of High Heat on MLB Network was suddenly at a loss for words.

Can't say I blame Russo.

The Sox are headed for their seventh straight losing season. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. They've won a grand total of one postseason game since 2005.

Extended failure always triggers widespread indifference.

That leads to this question: When will the White Sox be relevant again?

Nearing the end of Year 3 of the rebuild, it is safe for Sox fans to expect much more in 2020 and beyond.

Why? Let's take a look at what next season's roster should look like.

Catcher

Zack Collins and Seby Zavala were positioned to share catching duties in 2020 and beyond, but that has changed.

Signed in December after being nontendered by the Detroit Tigers, James McCann had a great first half and played in his first All-Star Game.

The wear and tear that comes with playing the demanding position has slowed McCann way down in the second half, but his contract is under club control through next season and McCann will be back for at least one more year.

Collins - the No. 10 overall pick in the 2016 draft - was on the White Sox's roster from June 19-July 13. The left-handed hitter was sent back to Class AAA Charlotte after going 2-for-26 with 14 strikeouts.

It is way too early to pull the plug on a young bat that possesses so much pop. Collins should be back with the Sox in September, and he is still capable of making an impact while splitting time with McCann next season.

First base

Jose Abreu is in the final year of his contract, and he has made it quite clear he wants a new deal with the White Sox.

The Sox seem to want Abreu back as well, but general manager Rick Hahn had an interesting response when asked Wednesday about the 32-year-old first baseman.

"It's awesome," Hahn said. "It's a testament to that clubhouse, it's a testament to the coaches, it's a testament to the environment and culture Jerry Reinsdorf creates around here where people want to stay, people want to be part of it.

"In the end, Jose or whatever other free agent has a representative and they have a job to do and a market to test and a process to go through. But knowing that there's a preference to try to stay here is very good to hear and a positive sign for where we are as an organization."

That sure sounds like the White Sox want Abreu to test the free-agent market if he's looking for a three-year type of deal.

Bringing Abreu back for one or two years makes much more sense for the Sox because Andrew Vaughn, this year's first-round draft pick, has star potential and he could be in the lineup by this time next season.

Second base

Nick Madrigal, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is going to be the White Sox's starting second baseman next year and way beyond. He also is going to be the leadoff hitter.

In 406 plate appearances with high Class A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte this year, Madrigal has struck out only 11 times and has a combined hitting line of .304/.368/.409.

"His ball to bat skills are virtually unparalleled in the organization," Hahn said. "And it's rare throughout the game to see a guy who can handle the bat the way he can."

Shortstop

Tim Anderson worked hard on his offensive game last winter, and it paid off.

A gifted athlete, Anderson had 18 errors in 73 games heading into Saturday. He'll focus on improving the defense this winter and be much better with the glove in seasons to come.

Third base

Yoan Moncada has lived up to his massive potential this season.

He has hit from both sides of the plate and played solid defense after moving from second base.

Staying healthy has been the biggest challenge, but Moncada should launch an extended run of all-star appearances in 2020.

Left field

Like Moncada, Eloy Jimenez has had some injury issues this season.

When healthy, his bat has been explosive, and he is set in left for years to come. There has been some talk about moving Jimenez to designated hitter to minimize his health risks, but the Sox are committed to keeping the 22-year-old star in the outfield.

Center field

There is a lot of young talent to like on the White Sox's major-league roster and down on the farm.

Look for Luis Robert to emerge as the best of the bunch.

"Off the charts," said Anderson, who played five games with Robert last week while on a rehab assignment with Charlotte. "Unbelievable player. He can hit, he can do everything."

Right field

Blake Rutherford has had a so-so season with Double-A Birmingham, but he is still young at 22 and you can see some Christian Yelich in his all-around game.

The Sox could sign or trade for an established right fielder this off-season, or they could plug in a player and wait for a prospect such as Rutherford or Steele Walker to arrive.

Designated hitter:

Depending on what happens with Abreu, this is a position to watch.

AJ Reed was the latest flop at DH, so the White Sox likely have to go outside and add a proven bat.

Looking ahead a bit, Gavin Sheets could be the Sox's guy here. The 2017 second-round draft pick is at Birmingham this season, and he leads the Southern League with 70 RBI.

Sheets is also hitting for power and he doesn't strike out much.

Starting rotation

Lucas Giolito is in. So are Dylan Cease and Reynaldo Lopez.

Michael Kopech should be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and ready to go for the entire 2020 season, and Carlos Rodon is due back around the all-star break after recovering from his Tommy John.

Just to be sure the rotation is sound, look for the White Sox to add an impact starter over the winter.

They have the money to sign a Gerrit Cole, Zack Wheeler or possibly Stephen Strasburg. They also have the prospects to swing a trade for an established arm.

Bullpen

The Sox decided not to trade closer Alex Colome before last week's deadline, and they also held on to Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall and Jace Fry.

That is a solid group to build around, so Hahn won't have too much work to do on the bullpen during the off-season.

"We're going out there every day, doing our job and doing a pretty good job of it," Bummer said. "That's one of the reasons why the front office kept the guys that they have here. They're happy with the way we're throwing the ball. It's our goal to continue that this season and obviously into next year with everybody under control."