Chicago White Sox: With Improved Pitching, Future Is Brighter on the South Side

The winter meetings are just underway, and the Chicago White Sox have already pulled off two big moves.  On Monday, the White Sox sent three players to the Oakland A's in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and also signed free-agent reliever David Robertson to a four-year, $46 million contract.

These two acquisitions bolster a pitching staff that struggled in 2014.  Samardzija will move into the starting rotation behind ace Chris Sale, giving the White Sox two dominant front-line starters.  Robertson should give the Sox a reliable closer, something they didn’t have last year.

The White Sox employed a closer-by-committee for most of 2014, as four closers recorded at least six saves.  Jake Petricka finished the season as the closer, and he ended his second MLB season with a 2.96 ERA while converting 14 of 18 save opportunities.

Zach Putnam pitched tremendously last season with a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings, and he and Petricka should be able to protect leads in the seventh and eighth innings leading up to Robertson.

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Samardzija will join a rotation that looks promising going into 2015.  Sale has established himself as one of the premier starting pitchers in the league, and the addition of Samardzija gives the White Sox more depth at the top.  Jose Quintana followed his breakout ’13 season with another solid campaign last year, and he should continue to pitch well as the third starter.

The new-look rotation has three of the top 15 pitchers in the majors last year in wins above replacement (WAR), according to FanGraphs.  Sale was eighth, Quintana was ninth and Samardzija ranked 15^th.

But even with the improved starting staff, the bullpen was what the White Sox needed to address most at the end of last season.  Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com wrote an article in October saying that the bullpen was the club’s biggest need, and the front office has obviously started in the right direction with the Robertson signing.

The White Sox also have Carlos Rodon, last year’s first-round selection in the MLB draft.  There was some buzz about them bringing Rodon to the big league level as a September call-up, and even though they eventually decided against it, he can contribute to the staff next season.  Whether it’s in the starting rotation or out of the bullpen, Rodon is a very polished pitcher who could produce at a high level despite his age and minor league inexperience.

The Sox have been surprisingly active this offseason, and they have the potential to be a very good team in the near future. 

They have drastically improved their pitching, but don’t forget about their offense.

The lineup is by no means spectacular, but it does have some nice pieces.  Jose Abreu had one of the most productive rookie seasons in MLB history en route to winning the AL Rookie of the Year, and he looks like a cornerstone who will hit in the middle of the Chicago order for a long time.

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Adam Eaton had a terrific season last year, hitting .300 and stealing 15 bases.  He is a speedy outfielder who plays above-average defense. 

Meanwhile, Conor Gillaspie had a breakout season in 2014, hitting .282 with 57 RBI and 43 extra base hits, and he looks like the White Sox's third baseman of the future.

The Sox also have one of the best all-around shortstops in Alexei Ramirez.  And even though he has been a hotly rumored trade candidate, he will likely be the team's shortstop in 2015.

In addition, the club signed both Adam LaRoche and Zach Duke.  LaRoche should drive in runs from the middle of the order, while Duke should help stabilize the bullpen.

There are still plenty of holes on the South Side, including the bullpen and another hitter or two, but with the new aggression of general manager Rick Hahn and the front office, the White Sox should be able to compete in 2015 and beyond.