Angels' Shohei Ohtani Won't Be Pursued by White Sox in MLB Free Agency, per Reinsdorf
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVAugust 31, 2023
MLB fans can definitively eliminate the Chicago White Sox from the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes.
During a press conference Thursday to confirm Chris Getz as the White Sox's new general manager, team owner Jerry Reinsdorf eliminated any pursuit of the Los Angeles Angels star before it can begin:
670 The Score @670TheScoreJerry Reinsdorf plans to spend in free agency this offseason to improve the White Sox while also pointing out they spent a fair deal with a payroll of around $185 million in 2023.<br><br>"We're not going to be in any (Shohei) Ohtani race, I'll tell you that," Reinsdorf said.
An introductory press conference can be a source of optimism and excitement. Thursday was an opportunity for Reinsdorf and Getz to lay out why the future is bright for a team that's fourth in the American League Central at 53-81.
Reinsdorf, however, did his best to throw a wet blanket on the proceedings.
The 87-year-old gave the impression he preferred an expedient solution over what might otherwise have been the best course of action.
White Sox Talk @NBCSWhiteSox"The conclusion I came to is what we owe our fans and ourselves is to not waste any time."<br><br>Jerry Reinsdorf explains why he ultimately decided to hire an internal candidate after considering multiple people outside of the organization for the job. <a href="https://t.co/OhrNlwGMun">pic.twitter.com/OhrNlwGMun</a>
Based on some of Reinsdorf's other comments, the fanbase shouldn't expect a new general manager to dramatically change how the organization is run.
Scott Merkin @scottmerkinReinsdorf: "Friends of mine have said, 'Why don't you sell? Why don't you get out?' My answer always has been, 'I like what I'm doing, as bad as it is, and what else would I do? I'm a boring guy. I don't play golf. I don't play bridge. And I want to make it better before I go.'"
His comments about Ohtani will reinforce what has been a common critique of the White Sox and their ownership in recent years. Whatever motivation Reinsdorf might have to chase another World Series title, it's overridden by his unwillingness to spend at the top end of the market.
Chicago is one of the biggest media markets in the United States, yet the White Sox have had a top-10 Opening Day payroll just once in the last decade. And even in that one outlier, Reinsdorf was unable to get out of his own way because he had already installed Tony La Russa as his manager, an experiment a lot of people correctly identified as a mistake from the moment it happened.
Most White Sox fans probably would've said the team was a long shot to sign Ohtani before Reinsdorf removed all doubt. But the fact he is giving up without even trying is symbolic of a larger issue.