Chris Getz hasn’t talked in specifics about what the White Sox might look like in his first full season as general manager.
But it’s hard to characterize a team flirting with 100 losses — the White Sox’ 15-4 clobbering Tuesday from a Diamondbacks team battling the Cubs for a postseason berth dropped them to 60-97 with five games to play — as anything other than rebuilding.
“There are a lot of players on this team and a lot of pieces that can help a team win a division and have some success at the major-league level,” Getz said before the loss. “However, what’s best for us in the short term and long term, that’s going to take a deeper dive.”
The Sox took a dive after going 93-69 with a division title in 2021 to 81-81 last season and to the deepest depths of 2023.
“For me, it’s coming in here and [figuring out] foundationally where are we with different departments so we can avoid these extreme swings,” Getz said. “That’s been the focus and will remain [the focus]. As we move through October and November, we’ll start focusing more on what we need to do to put the best team forward for next year and years further.”
Whether shortstop Tim Anderson is part of what the Sox do in 2024 remains to be seen. One of Getz’s first order of business might be deciding if he picks up Anderson’s $14 million option, and he didn’t make it sound like Anderson returning is a lock.
“He’s meant so much to this organization,” Getz said. “He’s been an impactful player for this ballclub. We’re going to have discussions on the best step forward for the White Sox. Whether that be TA playing shortstop for us or not, yeah, there’s an option there that needs to be discussed and it deserves an exhaustive discussion just because of what he’s meant to this organization.”
While Anderson is finishing strong on the batting average side, he still has only one home run in what has been his worst season. Shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery is waiting in the wings, although playing him on Opening Day would probably be a rush job.
“You’ve seen flashes of [Anderson’s] ability to drive a ball into the gap,” Getz said. “You see his contact ability. Unfortunately, you just haven’t seen the consistency you have in the past. But there’s plenty of life left in his game that we feel like he can still be a productive major-league player. I know he’s been frustrated.”
The consistency on defense for Anderson, who mis-timed covering second on a force play and was charged with his 14th error in the midst of a six-run Diamondbacks fifth inning, could be better, too. His offense has stood out, though.
“There’s been some injuries along the way that have affected his lower half,” Getz said. “Anyone that’s hit knows it starts from the ground up, and I think that’s probably affected him from time to time. But all in all, he’s been frustrated with the production, and we know he’s capable of doing more. It’s a matter of when and how it’s going to come out.”
The Sox led 4-1 on Eloy Jimenez’s three-run homer and RBI single, but the Diamondbacks, behind two homers and a triple from Christian Walker, stormed back. An uninspiring Sox pitching quintet of Jose Urena, Yohan Ramirez, Declan Cronin and Lane Ramsey was no match.
Getz might have more to offer when the general meetings roll around in early November. He declined to comment on what the 2024 starting rotation might look like. And he said coaching staff changes haven’t been decided, although he mentioned pitching coach Ethan Katz’s past connections to new director of pitching Brian Bannister, “who’s going to be involved in all levels of pitching, whether it be at the major-league level or the minors, the Dominican academy, and on the acquisition side.”
Any kind of help is welcome.
