Rongey: Revamped Chicago White Sox bullpen hasn't been a factor

In the end, the 2014 White Sox had one of the least effective bullpens in the major leagues. The inability to hold late leads cost the team a number of wins and any real chance at competing for a playoff spot.

In response, general manager Rick Hahn went to work in filling the gaps between the starters and the final out.

With the additions of David Roberston and Zach Duke, along with the emergence of young pitchers such as Jake Petricka and Zack Putnam, it looked as if innings seven through nine would no longer be the adventure they once were.

We spent so much time last year talking about a bullpen without a healthy, bona fide closer or setup men. Unfortunately, this year we're hardly even talking about the pen.

And when you spend much time discussing a particular bullpen, it means one of two things: it's either a really good one, or it's exceedingly lousy.

On paper, it looked like we'd be doing a lot of praising of the revamped 2015 bullpen. Instead, they've become an afterthought, though it's no fault of their own. The truth is, they just haven't really gotten the chances.

To this date, only two other American League teams have fewer save opportunities than the Sox do: Toronto and Cleveland. What has happened this season is the league's most deficient offense (and really defense, too) has cost this group the opportunity to show us what they're capable of doing.

Like being handed a key to a new car, but the key only unlocks the door; it doesn't turn on the engine. You can sit inside and get a feel for it, but you can't ever take it out of the driveway and see what it can really do.

Statistically, the Sox are performing at an average/above-average level in categories such as WAR, fielding-independent pitching and save percentage. But it wouldn't be fair to just assume those numbers would simply extrapolate in a different environment.

In reality, the White Sox' bullpen might be even better were it getting more steady work, like a typical winning team would offer its relievers.

Sox relievers have worked a fewer amount of innings than most other teams in the AL, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The Kansas City Royals, for example, have used their bullpen the least of any other team.

The difference is that one team is using those relievers to hold ties and leads. The other is often working to keep deficits from growing any larger.

Now, the Sox' best relievers are hardly getting the opportunity to show us what they can do, and when they do pitch it's usually with less at stake. How many times have we seen Robertson get into a game just to get some work in?

Maybe the new Sox bullpen would still only be average if it was working more regularly on trying to nail down wins.

While it has proved to be superior over last year, maybe the relievers would show us they weren't nearly as improved as we hoped. That's possible, too.

Regrettably, we haven't had the chance to find out.

• Chris Rongey is the host of the White Sox pregame and postgame shows on WSCR 670-AM The Score. Follow him on Twitter@ChrisRongey and at chrisrongey.com.