Over two weeks have passed since we dove head first into the Cubs offseason. And in that time, the northside signed Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon to deals worth over $85 million. As for the Chicago White Sox offseason heading into 2023?
*crickets*
*wind blowing by*
*birds chirping in the distance*
They don’t seem to have their foot pushed down on the gas quite as hard… if at all, honestly. So what gives?
How Are Things Going So Far?
One word can describe the White Sox offseason thus far: slow.
And if you want to add some more words to that description: really, really slow. But that’s not to say they haven’t done anything.
To date, the biggest move of the Chicago White Sox offseason happened earlier in the month, when the team signed RHP Mike Clevinger to complete their starting rotation. Clevinger’s deal is worth $8 million for one year, with a mutual option for $12 million in 2024. As a former member of the Cleveland Guardians for the majority of his six year career, Clevinger is more than familiar with the White Sox organization, as well as the rest of the AL Central. He’s one year off of recovering from Tommy John surgery, which led to a down season last year for the right-hander, but he’ll look to turn things around as a member of (what should be) one of the top starting rotations in the league.
Outside of acquiring Clevinger, the only other move we’ve seen this White Sox offseason came during the Rule 5 Draft, where the organization selected Nick Avila, a pitching prospect in the San Francisco Giant’s system. According to Rick Hahn, the 25-year-old has a chance to work his way up to the Show for the first time in his career, if he can perform well enough to be added to the bullpen.
What’s The BIG Focus in 2023?
Given the lack of big moves early on and a non-increasing payroll, we can’t really predict how many more moves we’ll see in the Chicago White Sox offseason. So, because of that, we’ll shift our attention to the upcoming season.
For 2023, one of the biggest focuses for the team will be getting over the disaster that was their 2022 season. A fresh start is already beginning since the team hired Pedro Grifol as their new manager after Tony La Russa announced his retirement in the beginning of October. Success in 2023 means playing a little more of a “Change the Game” style versus whatever the hell their 2022 style of play was.
It’s easier said than done – especially from us fans – but goal-wise, this roster should set their sights on getting back into the postseason in 2023. It’ll be a long road to get there, and we don’t care how they do it, but it would be a breath of fresh air for the Sox, and if they can put together a bit of a run and win a series or two then we’d have no doubts about the future.
White Sox Offseason Schedule
As for the White Sox offseason, along with the rest of the MLB, things really don’t start ramping up until mid-February when players start reporting to Spring Training in Arizona. On February 25, the White Sox play their first game of 2023 Spring Training against Mike Clevinger’s former team, the San Diego Padres.
After that, the team will average about 1 game per day on their 2023 offseason schedule, as they work their way to Opening Day on March 30 next year.
Their opponent in game one? The reigning World Series Champions, the Houston Astros, and more importantly, José Abreu. You better believe we have our calendars circled for that opening weekend series.