White Sox GM: Record 'frustrating,' but rebuilding 'takes time'

CHICAGO -- Amid one of the worst starts in baseball history, Chris Getz expressed the obvious sentiment felt inside the White Sox organization a month into the 2024 season.

“Quite honestly, it is frustrating to look up and have a record like that,” the White Sox general manager said before Friday night’s 9-4 win over the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago’s fourth victory of the season. “No one was hoping for something like that.”

The White Sox 3-22 record through 25 games matched the 2022 Reds and 2003 Tigers for the second-worst start to a season in MLB history, trailing only the 1988 Orioles (2-23).

Chicago’s struggles have been widespread, from the offense to the pitching staff to fundamentals on the field. The White Sox entered Friday last in MLB with 56 runs scored, and their pitching staff ranked 29th with a 5.26 ERA. They’ve dealt with key injury losses; Luis Robert Jr. and Yoán Moncada are on the IL, and Eloy Jiménez recently returned.

As tough as things have been early this season -- for fans and the organization -- Getz, the first-year general manager, is keeping a short and long view in mind.

“The easiest thing to do is to just focus on the results of your Major League club,” Getz said. “And I get it. We’re here to win games at the Major League level. But you’ve got to look at the foundation of an organization.

“You’ve got to look at every department, you’ve got to make sure you’re sound in all those areas, because at the end of the day, that’s a byproduct of every process that exists. And it takes time.”

There is certainly a balance between the present and big picture, one that is ongoing over a six-month, 162-game season. The White Sox made several roster moves Friday afternoon that reflected each. Tommy Pham and Rafael Ortega were selected from Triple-A Charlotte, and Dominic Fletcher was optioned to Charlotte in a series of moves.

Fletcher got off to a tough start offensively (.203/.277/.271 in 20 games). The White Sox want him to “catch his breath,” Getz said, and receive consistent at-bats as he looks to get on track.

“Really, I just want to get him down to Triple-A,” Getz said of Fletcher, “slow his world down and gain confidence so that when he gets another opportunity, he comes up here with hopefully a clean slate and just gets rolling."

Meanwhile, Pham and Ortega represented potential boosts for a struggling offense, and each played a hand in Friday’s win -- the White Sox highest scoring output in a game this season.

Pham went 2-for-5 and scored the game’s first run in the third inning, and Ortega hit a sac fly in the eighth. In between, Martín Maldonado hit a three-run homer, and Jiménez hit a two-run shot for key insurance.

“We’re at a point right now where we’re trying to go out there and score more runs,” Getz said before the game. “There are some younger players on this roster. We will continue to add younger players as the season progresses. Some of those veteran guys that have been through situations -- perhaps like this before or have a proven track record -- can help in the development of players at the Major League level.”

When asked about Pedro Grifol, Getz used the word “steady” to describe the second-year manager during this tough start. He discussed what he looks for when evaluating Grifol, which includes how he communicates with players and his in-game decisions.

“Anyone from an outside perspective [will say], ‘Why did we do that? Why didn’t we do that?’” Getz said. “More so, I really focus on the development of our players, and are we on the right track to getting those guys to be productive Major League players? That is the most important thing right now.”

As the White Sox look to get things on track, their general manager’s continued evaluation of the present and beyond will continue.

"I've just got to focus on how to get us better and getting this organization healthy,” Getz said. “I've got to have a big-picture mindset. This wasn't going to be a quick fix by any stretch. We had a lot of areas that need to be improved. It's my job to do that and make good decisions for the health of the organization."