With 'something to prove,' White Sox eye collective edge in '23
Scott Merkin
@scottmerkinSAN DIEGO -- A common theme should run through the 2023 White Sox, aside from: “Win the American League Central.”
That concept centers upon a collective edge aimed at proving doubters wrong or proving their personal confidence right, as explained by general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday during his media session at Baseball’s Winter Meetings.
“This is a team that certainly, as a unit, knows that we were disappointing last year, that didn’t meet our potential,” Hahn said. “You’re going to hear from several individuals that they have something to prove this year, and we like that.
“It’s good [to have] that sort of chip on your shoulder and desire to show the world -- to go from presumptions ... whether you’re toward the tail end of your career or whether you’re injury prone or you just aren’t the player you flashed in the previous years -- that having the desire to prove people wrong about that is important. There’s going to be that edge to this team next year, and I think that’s going to work for our benefit.”
The edge emanates from established players such as catcher Yasmani Grandal and third baseman Yoán Moncada having subpar 2022 campaigns, as they were hampered by injuries. Right-handed starter Lucas Giolito dealt with individual struggles on the mound, while shortstop Tim Anderson, left fielder Eloy Jiménez and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. had significant injury issues of their own.
Even with the back of the baseball card saying otherwise, doubt can seep in from the outside regarding the overall elite ability of these players. It’s that same sort of doubt that hits the competitive window of the White Sox rebuild, which has netted just two playoff victories in the past three years and an 81-81 showing in 2022.
New skipper Pedro Grifol sits at the helm of this new attitude, already trying to get the best out of his charges through face-to-face meetings. In his first Winter Meetings manager’s interview session on Tuesday at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, Grifol discussed a recent visit he paid to Robert’s home and family with White Sox hitting coach José Castro and Major League field coordinator Mike Tosar.
“My first impression on Luis is, this guy's an MVP candidate,” Grifol said. “Then watching him control center field in Kaufmann Stadium and what he was able to do, I haven't seen somebody do that since really Lorenzo Cain and Michael [A.] Taylor. Then you watch him hit, and he's hitting balls 115, 118 [mph], and he's a plus-plus runner. There's nothing on the baseball field he can't do.
“We've just got to keep him healthy. My conversations with him this offseason have been really good. We were able to spend some quality time with him. He's excited to get going. He's in the process of getting healthy. He feels great. So we're looking for big things from him this year.”
Hahn and Grifol can preach accountability and preparation and all the other intangibles to help wash away the disappointment of 2022. Ultimately, though, it’s on the players to perform and develop that competitive chip, and it’s on Hahn and the front office to put the best team possible on the field.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote on Monday about White Sox closer Liam Hendriks coming up in trade talks. Hahn spoke on Tuesday of not shopping any player in particular but added, “we can’t be closed-minded to any ideas that may show up.”
With trades being more of the focus than free agents in Tuesday’s conversations for the White Sox, Hahn admitted they could pull from a strength such as pitching to shore up several weaknesses.
“Absolutely,” Hahn said. “Doesn’t mean that’s how we’re going to go about addressing what we need to address, but it’s certainly a possibility.”
Chicago’s overall roster might not be very different in the end. But Hahn believes the attitude and outlook will change.
“There were some thoughts last year that we were coming off the division championship, and we were the odds-on favorite, and maybe guys got complacent and took for granted that sort of inevitableness that we were going to win the division again, and that obviously bit them,” Hahn said. “I don’t know how true that is, but I do know guys are going into this year with something to prove, and that’s going to work to our advantage.”