Is Anderson the first piece in White Sox's rebuilding project?

Meeting with the media on the Chicago White Sox's last homestand, general manager Rick Hahn was asked about the off-season plan for a team that is closing in on its fourth straight losing season.

He gave a cryptic answer.

"By the time we make our first or second transaction, publicly it will be fairly clear as to our direction," Hahn said.

Does that mean trading ace starting pitcher Chris Sale for, say, five quality prospects is going to be the first transaction? Does that mean trading No. 2 starter Jose Quintana for four more talented youngsters is going to be the second transaction?

Maybe, maybe not.

But after four years of surrounding Sale and Quintana with outside veterans and coming up short, all signs point to a much-needed rebuild on the South Side.

There was a report last week that Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has "little or no interest" in trading Sale and/or Quintana, even though they are the only two players on the current roster that guarantee a return of needed youth.

Again, maybe that is true and maybe it's not. Reinsdorf no longer talks to the media about such matters, but Hahn talks to the chairman.

"There are different approaches and again, I'm not saying (a rebuild) is the route we're going to go," Hahn said. "But I assure you there is absolute openness from Jerry, (vice president) Kenny (Williams), myself, everyone in that front office is looking for the best path to get us on an extended period of success even if that involves a short-term step-back."

If there is any reluctance from Reinsdorf about executing a "short-term step-back," maybe he should focus on Tim Anderson as the White Sox play out the string in another disappointing season.

If the Sox had more players like Anderson in their minor-league system, they wouldn't have to consider trading Sale or Quintana.

Unfortunately, they don't, but getting more players with Anderson's talent would bode well for the future.

"It's fun any time you get a young kid up here," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We knew he was confident and had the tools and everything. But we really wanted to see what happens when they might struggle for a certain period of time or if something happens that's not smooth.

"That's when you really find out about somebody, when it doesn't go well here for the first time, how they react to it. And he's reacted really well to anything that's come his way."

Heading into Saturday's play, Anderson had a .282/.300/.429 hitting line. He ranked second among American League rookies with 16 doubles and third with 83 hits.

The Sox's first-round draft pick in 2013 (No. 17 overall), Anderson had 25 multihit efforts in his first 68 games.

"I have a lot more room to grow," the 23-year-old Anderson said. "I feel I've got a lot more to show. I just come in and play and try to get better every day. I want to be one of the best shortstops in the league."

Like all major-league rookies, Anderson has dealt with growing pains.

There was the 4-for-26 slump in early August that dropped his batting average from .276 to .261.

And there is the current defensive slump. After arriving from Class AAA Charlotte on June 10 and committing just 1 error in 29 games, Anderson has made 10 errors in 43 games since the all-star break.

"It's baseball," said Anderson, who was a star basketball player at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. "It's one of the hardest sports there is. Things like that are going to happen. It's all about how you come back from it, bounce back from it. It's been a good experience."

It has, and Anderson has been a very good example of what the White Sox can be if they do the right thing and go young.