Numbers don't lie: Time for White Sox to start selling
The numbers keep rolling in, and they continue to cast negative lights on the White Sox.
As the second half opens Friday night against the Braves in Atlanta, there's the 38-54 record, which is the fifth-worst in baseball.
There's the .296 team on-base percentage, the second-worst success rate in baseball. The Royals sit on the bottom at .295.
The White Sox are also second-to-last with 229 walks and No. 27 out of 30 teams with a .686 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
Here's another one that is really telling - the Sox's attendance at Guaranteed Rate Field in the first half was 920,949 over 46 games.
That's a drop of 191,393 over last season, far and away the largest in baseball.
The staggering decline is not a surprise. The White Sox are a difficult team to watch.
"The collective group we've had here, I think we all know what we are capable of," starting pitcher Michael Kopech said. "Unfortunately, we haven't lived up to those expectations that we hold ourselves to."
Much the same was being said last season, when the Sox entered with World Series aspirations after back-to-back playoff appearances and exited with an 81-81 record.
The bulk of the blame was placed on erstwhile manager Tony La Russa, but the performance level has been even worse under Pedro Grifol, La Russa's replacement.
Talking to reporters in late June and again in early July, general manager Rick Hahn expressed obvious disappointment with the White Sox's play but remained hopeful for hot streak.
Hahn is still waiting, and time is just about up.
"It's been rough," starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. "Haven't been able to really fire on all cylinders. A lot of close losses, which hurt. But I have faith that with a few adjustments, we can make a good run in the second half.
"We'd have to get really hot. That's what it would take. The confidence and faith are there. It's just a matter of executing and doing it, which we haven't done."
The Aug. 1 trade deadline is looming and the Sox are all but certain to be sellers. Playing in the AL Central has kept very slim hopes alive, but being only 8 games out in baseball's worst division means nothing.
Underachieving teams in any professional sport don't hesitate to make changes at the top, but White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has let Hahn and vice president Kenny Williams run the show for over two decades and that loyalty oath shows no signs of being broken.
So for the second time in seven years, the Sox are heading toward a rebuild.
A free agent at season's end, Giolito is as good as gone before Aug. 1. The Dodgers are one of multiple teams that figure to have an interest.
"Get away from the game a little bit and then whatever happens, happens," Giolito said after pitching against the Cardinals Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break. "I made it clear I want to be here."
Proven starting pitchers are always in demand at the trade deadline and Lance Lynn is another prime candidate to be moved. The Rangers and other teams are undoubtedly talking to Hahn.
"That's the business of it," Lynn said. "Usually at the trade deadline, you're either going for it or you're out of it."
The White Sox are squarely in the latter category, and the entire bullpen figures to be available.
As for Tim Anderson, his value is at an all-time low following a miserable first half.
Staying healthy has been one of Anderson's major issues dating back to last season, but the 30-year-old shortstop was feeling better the last few weeks and his trade price figures to be high.
Anderson battled knee and shoulder injuries during the first half and he's hitting .223/.259/.262 with no home runs and 13 RBI moving into the second half.
"He's had a tough go," Hahn said. "Last year he had to battle through the hand injury which truncated his season. (In the World Baseball Classic) we all saw, all of MLB saw what he's capable of doing not just for us, but Team USA, the igniter role he played for that lineup. He's an important guy here so hopefully we get him back to playing at that level."