Book It: The Sox Will Make the Playoffs This Year
While the entire baseball world, specifically White Sox nation, awaits the decision of Manny Machado, the White Sox have made several moves that have addressed their weaknesses from a season ago.
Additionally, as Sox fans spend their days following Machado’s instagram posts and every rumor on the planet, a stress reliever is needed, to allow our heart rates to go back to normal with Manny’s final decision nearing close to its end. With or without Machado, the White Sox are a playoff team in 2019.
How do you go from a 100-loss campaign to a playoff team? Well, it’s pretty simple. The White Sox have built arguably the strongest bullpen in the American League Central. In 2018, Chicago ranked only ahead of Baltimore for runs allowed per game by the bullpen, which equated out to 5.23 runs allowed per game. That is really, really, REALLY bad. When it came down to ERA, the Sox’ bullpen was 8th worst in all of baseball, with a 4.49 ERA. What is even more interesting, is every AL Central team finished in the top 10 of baseball’s worst bullpens. The White Sox are the only divisional team to really address their bullpen needs this offseason.
The White Sox bullpen now could feature a scary 7th, 8th, and 9th inning set-up, with Nate Jones, Kelvin Hererra, and Alex Colome. Then, add lefty Jace Fry into that situation, along with Juan Minaya, who both showed some great promise a season ago, the bullpen is an extreme strength. Granted, everyone needs to remain healthy, but as Don Cooper recently stated, the game may have just become a 7-inning contest with these guys, and maybe less if both Jones and Hererra can stay healthy all season. The bullpen is today’s most important piece to being a successful team. Starters are no longer consistently going deep into games. It is a must to have strike throwers with swing and miss stuff. The White Sox have that now.
Now, I know the starting rotation leaves a lot to be desired with a current projection of Rodon, Giolito, Lopez, Nova, and TBA. However, Nova is an upgrade over Shields, and Rodon will be healthy right at the beginning of the season. If Giolito and Lopez continue making strides and just manage the game and keep it close, the White Sox will win a lot of games. If these starters can give up 3-4 runs a game before turning it over to the bullpen, which all of them are capable of doing, I like the Sox’ chances to win often. Additionally, do not count out Rick Hahn on making another move in the rotation. Dallas Keuchel or Gio Gonzalez seem like a perfect fit to finish out the rotation.
While the White Sox offense didn’t light the world on fire last year, it was more of a disappointment in how the bullpen let games get out of hand. Many times it was a 1 or 2 run ballgame in the 6th or 7th inning before the bullpen imploded. As an offense, once you have a deficit of over 3-runs with less than 9 outs to work with, your approach and mindset changes as a hitter, and it is tough to battle back. If only the bullpen could’ve kept the games close, the White Sox would have won a lot more. Trailing by 1 or 2 runs in the 8th inning is a lot different than 4 or 5 runs.
Of course, the offense needs to improve as well. They can’t be the 12th best team in terms of runs scored in the AL to make the playoffs. While Manny Machado instantly would solidify the lineup, even if he chooses to play elsewhere, the projected lineup of Moncada, Sanchez, Abreu, Alonso, Palka, Castillo, Anderson, Delmonico, and Engel/Jay is pretty solid. And then, after 2-3 weeks, if all goes well, a certain man with the last name of Jimenez will be inserted into the middle of that lineup. Moncada and Anderson are only going to keep getting better and better, and Abreu and Alonso are proven veterans. It’s hard not to be excited about what this lineup can do. And, what if Palka’s 2018 season wasn’t a fluke? Look out. The White Sox will have an above average lineup in 2019. Machado would make it an elite lineup.
So, yes, Manny Machado would elevate the White Sox into immediate AL Central favorites, but he isn’t the key to making the playoffs. The minor baseball moves of Alonso and Jay, along with their extreme upgrades to the bullpen makes 2019 a playoff campaign, the first since 2008, for the Chicago White Sox. They are not World Series contenders. That will occur in a year or two, but for now, we can be excited to watch the White Sox in October at least. Also, don’t forget: it’s only January. Rick Hahn is not finished. Get your schedules cleared for early October, White Sox fans.
Photo Cred: USA Today
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