Can White Sox live up to Renteria's high expectations?
The venue wasn't the only change at SoxFest this year.
After holding the annual winter event at the Chicago Hilton from 2015-19, SoxFest relocated to the massive McCormick Place West this weekend.
It's a fitting switch, given the White Sox's big expectations heading into the upcoming season.
In another change, general manager Rick Hahn and manager Rick Renteria met with the media on Thursday, one day earlier than usual for SoxFest.
That was fitting, too, since it gave Renteria a chance to lay out the ultimate goal for the season.
"I would be disappointed if we don't make the postseason," the manager said. "That would be accurate. We want to break through. We want this to be an impactful season."
A winning season might have been a more realistic goal to set, considering the White Sox haven't had one of those since 2012.
But with newcomers Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Nomar Mazara, Gio Gonzalez and Steve Cishek joining holdovers like Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez, and with premier prospects Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal ready to join the roster, why not aim higher?
"I've got the same feeling," said Anderson, who won the American League batting title last season with a .335 average. "I'm excited. We've got the pieces. The door is wide open for us; all we have to do is go out and take it. We have the right guys to do it with and we have the right guy in charge."
Not only has it been seven years since the Sox posted a winning record, they haven't been to the playoffs since 2008.
Jose Abreu is the senior-ranking player with six years of service time. He's excited about the prospects of finally playing on a winning team but declined to make any bold predictions.
"I prefer to go step by step," Abreu said through a translator. "I don't want to say we're going to be in the playoffs or we're going to win the World Series because we don't know yet. We might have the talent, but we don't know.
"That's why I'm saying I prefer just to go day-by-day, step-by-step.
"Spring training is first, let's have a very good spring training, get prepared and ready for the season. Let's have a good season and then we'll see when the season ends what position we are in."
For as improved as they seem to be, the White Sox are still viewed as the third-place team in the AL Central behind the Twins and the Indians.
This year, for a change, they go into the season with a fighting chance.
Keuchel, who started against the Sox last year when he was with the Braves, is a fan of Renteria thinking big.
"I think Rick has it right," said Keuchel, who signed a three-year, $55 million contract with the White Sox on Dec. 30. "You look up and down the roster, I was impressed with the jump in talent from 2018 to 2019. Getting to pitch against them was a big telltale sign and I think that's what really kind of drove me to say, 'Hey, this team might be a good fit for me.'
"The record last year didn't really portray it, but you could see the talent and then a big overhaul with new guys and free-agent signings. That was really great to see."