SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — General manager Chris Getz said Tuesday that “there are no untouchables’’ on the White Sox’ roster.
That is saying something, considering center fielder Luis Robert — who will get MVP votes this year — is on it. So is right-hander Dylan Cease, who was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award last year.
But let Getz, who has the daunting task of making a 101-loss team watchable again, explain.
‘‘I don’t like our team,’’ Getz said at the general managers meetings. ‘‘When I say I don’t like our team, we’ve got pieces that are talented and attractive and can be part of a winning club, but obviously we haven’t gone out there and performed.
‘‘It’s not a well-rounded club right now. We have to find players to come in here and help get us in the right direction.’’
And if that means trading a top player ‘‘to multiply and not only help us in the near term but also in the long term,’’ so be it, Getz said.
With Cease, right-hander Michael Kopech and who knows what in the starting rotation, a thin bullpen and holes at shortstop, second base, catcher and right field, the idea of getting multiple players to fill for one year and beyond has appeal. Getz is talking with fellow GMs at these meetings to assess the trade and free-agent markets.
That said, Robert is one of the brightest stars in the game, so trading him is ‘‘not something we’re being proactive on,’’ Getz said.
‘‘If there is something that makes sense, so be it, but Luis Robert is a guy you build around,’’ he said, ‘‘I don’t want to be shortsighted or close-minded in any way. If there is a way to help our ballclub both now and in the future, we have to consider that.’’
Getz and manager Pedro Grifol want an improved club to start with better defense, which would allow pitchers to be more comfortable attacking the strike zone and to succeed. They also want to become more athletic, taking extra bases on offense and taking them away in the field.
‘‘We have to make some adjustments to improve in 2024,’’ Getz said.
The Sox are expected to operate with a reduced payroll, although one rumor floated to Getz by a national writer suggested the team might be inclined to spend. Getz, however, offered no indication of that.
‘‘We want to identify players that we feel like can help us both [in the] short term and long term, and when those players come our way, then we’ll make a decision,’’ he said. ‘‘Obviously, there’s a financial component to it that [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] gets involved in, and we’ll continue to have those conversations. There is no set number right now.’’
Getz said he’ll be open-minded about ways to make the Sox competitive in 2024 after a season that saw vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn fired.
‘‘Whether that be through trade acquisitions or free agents or a combination of both, we’re open to that,’’ Getz said.
