The post Getz, White Sox must learn from past and invest in free agents appeared first on Sox On 35th.
If I were asked to describe my feelings on where the White Sox organization stands at this very moment, I’d offer one word: “meh”.
Make no mistake, the major league team is far more competitive than in 2024. In addition, several prospects are having stellar years in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Yet, looking at what the near-future (let’s say 2027) roster looks like, can anyone say with confidence that they love how it looks?
Still, Chris Getz had this to say earlier this week in his media availability when asked about free agent expenditures.
I understand the need for patience and the desire to allow ballplayers a proper development timeline. But let’s take a step back and examine where we are. Put simply, I see more question marks than exclamation points.
For starters, there’s not a single prospect in Triple-A right now projecting as a no-doubt, slam-dunk MLB star. Noah Schultz, MLB’s highest-rated lefty prospect, arguably fits that definition, but despite the superb talent, he’s having a shaky 2025 campaign amidst Brian Bannister’s purposeful tweaks.
Colson Montgomery has shown promise of late, but he has far from locked in a core Sox roster spot. Finally, you have Tim Elko and Brooks Baldwin channeling Barry Bonds when they don a Charlotte Knights uniform, but turning into prime Charlie Tilson the moment they’re called up.
Obviously, there’s still promise with those guys and several others in lower levels; Hagen Smith, Braden Montgomery, Caleb Bonemer, and Ryan Galanie, to name a few. But as we found out with the previous ill-fated rebuild, you simply can’t count on the entirety, or even the majority, of your prospect core to pan out in the big leagues.
That brings me to my ultimate point: Chris Getz cannot repeat the same mistakes of Rick Hahn in approaching free agency passively. Sure, he has a budget; we all know Jerry Reinsdorf has a limited pocketbook (Justin Ishbia, save us!). But the White Sox were top ten in MLB payroll in 2021 and 2022, so money was certainly spent.
However, it was largely allocated to talented but unproven prospects and bullpen arms instead of reliable free-agent centerpieces. Rick Hahn and Co. bet too heavily on the youngsters and skimped elsewhere. Seriously, Yasmani Grandal and Dallas Keuchel, signed in 2019, were the only two notable starting veterans acquired between then and 2023!
You might get lucky and the core pans out, but it’s not a serious way to build a contender. In turn, Getz should not be a bystander in the upcoming free agent market. He doesn’t have to pay stars! If any average-or-better starting piece is willing to ink a deal with the one-year-removed worst team of all time, you must pursue that.
If your best prospect at that position continues to perform well, then great! You have a good problem on your hands and can shuffle positioning or make a trade for big-league talent if necessary. Acquiring reliable production is always a good idea, regardless of whether it’s a $40 million contract or a $200 million splash.
Expecting fifteen of your current top thirty prospect list to nicely fill out your roster is ignorant at best. Getz will end up boasting a 76-86 ballclub in 2027 with Miguel Vargas becoming a free agent and four major holes in the lineup to fill because Jeral Perez somehow didn’t turn out to be Jose Altuve. Who’da thunk!
No one is asking for Jerry Reinsdorf to turn into Steve Cohen. We’re asking for more than two half-decent veteran signings and a $45 million mediocre bullpen this time around. White-Sox-brain may have already infected Getz after his years with the franchise, but we must pray that he learns from the pitfalls of his predecessors.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The post Getz, White Sox must learn from past and invest in free agents appeared first on Sox On 35th.