White Sox look to change approach in second half

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO – Think change.

Many changes, in fact. Think development. Think about the arrival of more young players to the Major Leagues.

And for the most part, forget about the 27-71 pre-All-Star break showing of the 2024 White Sox season. Under the rebuilding plan of general manager Chris Getz, the White Sox figure to be one of the most active teams with the July 30 Trade Deadline approaching.

Those changes already began, with the departures of catcher Martin Maldonado and infielder Danny Mendick, and the additions of infielders Nick Senzel and White Sox No. 23 prospect Brooks Baldwin.

Wins and losses always will matter. But they won’t matter nearly as much for the White Sox, who have second-half eyes toward the future in the present.

“We want to develop to win. We want to develop winners. And yes, you gotta develop players fundamentally,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “But most of the time, these guys come up here fundamentally sound.

“Here it’s just a different mentality. Here you gotta develop players with a winning mentality, a winning attitude, a winning instinct. And that’s where we are going to focus on in the second half.”

Here’s a quick look at some second-half targets for the South Siders:

One second-half goal: More talent analysis, development
The biggest second-half goal is probably to acquire more young talent, but the Trade Deadline arrives in 11 days so this target features more of a big-picture view. The club's No. 3 prospect Drew Thorpe already is a rotation fixture, as is Jonathan Cannon. Starters such as Ky Bush (No. 16), Jake Eder (No. 10) and Mason Adams (No. 18) also could receive second-half opportunities, as could a reliever like Eric Adler. The biggest name to watch is shortstop Colson Montgomery, the White Sox No. 1 prospect and No. 16 overall per MLB Pipeline, who has had good moments at Triple-A Charlotte but is hitting .212 overall. 

Likely Trade Deadline strategy: Trade, trade, trade, and oh yes, trade
Getz has made this point abundantly clear since taking over as White Sox general manager: Everyone on this roster is available, and the returns will be geared toward enhancing the future product. That list might include left-handed starter Garrett Crochet, five-tool outfielder Luis Robert Jr., right-handed starter Erick Fedde, closer Michael Kopech, veteran outfielder Tommy Pham and first baseman Andrew Vaughn. The White Sox have two years of control after ‘24 with Crochet, who has been the game’s most dominant starter in the season’s first half, and one year of control with two $20 million team options on Robert Jr. Unless their high ask is met in those cases, those players will stay with the team.

Key player: Crochet
Crochet, a first-time All-Star and prime AL Cy Young contender, really is the only choice. He could be traded before the Deadline, which would make him key for a significant return the White Sox would receive. If Crochet stays, he will be pitching with a consistently reduced workload as his 107 1/3 innings at the All-Star break represent 34 1/3 innings more than he has thrown combined over his previous three seasons in relief. He will continue working every fifth or sixth day as a starter, which was Crochet’s preference when workload became a concern. Crochet is a testament to what belief in oneself and hard work, when coupled with talent, can truly mean.

Prospect to watch: Montgomery
The expectation for the highly touted Montgomery was to jump from Charlotte to make his Major League debut during the 2024 season. That expectation might have been a bit rushed, with the 22-year-old, the No. 22 pick in the ‘21 Draft, having just 179 at-bats as high as Double-A Birmingham entering the current campaign. The left-handed-hitting Montgomery has played a solid shortstop and has knocked out 11 home runs and 12 doubles with the Knights. It will be interesting to see how the confident Montgomery adjusts if or when he gets that big league opportunity in the coming weeks. If he gets hot and goes on a bit of a run, a promotion could follow.