BALTIMORE — Chris Getz had better be getting his proper rest.
If and when he gets promoted from his post as assistant general manager in charge of player development to take the reins of the White Sox’ front office — and indications are that could come sooner than later — he’ll have plenty of work to do.
A roster too thin to begin with at the outset of the season was plundered by deadline trades that Ken Williams and Rick Hahn made before they were fired last week as executive vice president and general manager, respectively. If chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s intent is to field a team that will compete in a weak American League Central in 2024, the top decision-maker will have his hands full in his first offseason at the helm.
The Sox’ rotation has one good returning starter in Dylan Cease, and even he has doubled his ERA this season. There’s also Michael Kopech, once thought to be a cornerstone of Williams and Hahn’s rebuild but proving to be a question mark in his first three full seasons. Mike Clevinger has been the Sox’ best starter in 2023, but he has a mutual option with a $4 million buyout for next season and was put on waivers Tuesday.
Jesse Scholtens (0-3, 5.30 ERA in seven starts before allowing one run and six hits in 5⅓ innings in the Sox’ 9-3 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday) and Touki Toussaint (2-6, 5.59 ERA in 10 starts) are trying to show they deserve a spot as a fifth starter.
Lefty Garrett Crochet, a 2020 first-round draft pick, wants to get out of the bullpen and start, but he was set back by a sore shoulder after returning from Tommy John surgery and has pitched just 10 innings of relief this season.
In all probability, at least two starters will have to be added in free agency or via trade.
The bullpen has holes, too. The Sox were big spenders on the reliever market in the Williams-Hahn years, often realizing later that the money was poorly allocated. Closer Liam Hendriks, arguably worth the $54 million investment, will miss the final year of his four-year deal after Tommy John surgery. After Gregory Santos and Aaron Bummer, the bullpen is a big question mark.
Another question is how much Reinsdorf will spend. His payroll in the $180 million range at the start of the season ranked in the middle among the 30 teams, but catcher Yasmani Grandal’s contract is coming off the books, and pricey paychecks for pitchers Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman stopped at the deadline. Third baseman Yoan Moncada ($24.8 million) will top a 2024 payroll that, if it’s in the same range to start the season as last year’s, would mean Getz needs to spend about $70 million to $75 million.
On the position-player side, the biggest decision surrounds shortstop Tim Anderson, who has a $14 million option coming off his worst season. Barring trades, Moncada is set at third base and Andrew Vaughn at first, but second base needs to be filled, perhaps by Lenyn Sosa, who’s getting a close look in the final weeks.
All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who will be in the second year of his five-year, $75 million deal, aren’t moving, and rookie Oscar Colas likely will get another shot in right.
There’s also a big need at catcher, where Grandal, far from the defensive backbone a competitive team must have, failed to provide a return on his $73 million deal.
Manager Pedro Grifol, expected to return for his second season, said the Sox can win with Anderson, Robert, Moncada, Vaughn, Benintendi and outfielder Eloy Jimenez.
But what about the pitching?
“I’m confident with who Jerry is going to put in charge, with what he’s going to do and how he’s going to do it,” Grifol said. “We’ll make something happen.”
