Chicago White Sox's Biggest Storylines to Follow at the Start of 2015

The 2015 season is only two games old for the Chicago White Sox, but interesting storylines have been developing since general manager Rick Hahn dropped the gloves this offseason and remodeled his roster. 

Let's take a look at three of the more intriguing storylines.

True, we are condensing the things that are worth keeping an eye on. Frankly, there are about 15 matters that demand our attention as the first month of the season unfolds.

From the eventual winner of the job at second base and the White Sox's overall defense, to whether or not Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton regress in their second full season, the question marks outweigh the known variables by a considerable margin.

We are going to keep things simple. Here is one storyline regarding the lineup, one regarding the bullpen and one regarding the rotation.

What Is Adam LaRoche Going to Bring to the Table?

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Yes, it was only the first game, but Adam LaRoche’s efforts on Opening Day against the Kansas City Royals looked eerily familiar. Like, Adam Dunn familiar.

Consider, he swung at ball four twice in his third at-bat en route to his second strikeout of the game and appeared to be forcing the issue at the plate. As White Sox fans witnessed over the prior four years, that is not the way to help the lineup reach the heights it is capable of.

His second game was a bit better. He doubled and scored on a three-run home run off the bat of Tyler Flowers in his first at-bat and generally looked more comfortable at the plate. True, Royals starter Danny Duffy threw one right behind his head, so his adrenaline was certainly flowing, and he did strike out in the sixth, but it was a better effort.

Honestly, though, it's too early to make a definitive decision either way. As LaRoche said following the White Sox's 10-1 Opening Day loss, he and the club have to have a short memory, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Daryl Van Schouwen.

"This game probably will be analyzed more than any other game of the year," LaRoche said. "But that’s just baseball. It happens every year. Obviously not the way we wanted to start it up. The key is to shake that one off and come right back out Wednesday ready to go."

As cliche as it sounds, it's true. Coming back the next day is all that matters. 

Unfortunately, that means little if LaRoche can’t provide Jose Abreu with ample protection and the lineup struggles early on. Let’s not forget that 25 of the club’s first 28 games are against American League Central opponents. Manager Robin Ventura needs the batting order firing on all cylinders. 

It will be intriguing to see how LaRoche's production over the first month of the season fits into the grand scheme.

How Quickly Can the Bullpen Come Together (or Not)?

Rich Pilling/Getty Images

New White Sox closer, David Robertson.

If there was one area that needed an overhaul going into last offseason, it was the bullpen. True, last year's disastrous results exposed holes elsewhere on the roster, but the bullpen was a dumpster fire after losing Nate Jones to injury.

So Hahn added Zach Duke, David Robertson and Dan Jennings during the offseason and brought in Kyle Drabek toward the end of spring training to solidify the group that posted a collective 4.38 ERA in 2014.

All told, 57 percent of the White Sox’s active relief corps was with a different organization last year. The lack of familiarity can pose a problem.

To be sure, the roles of Robertson and Duke are clearly defined. They will be the primary weapons deployed. The questions arise as we move further down the depth chart.

Jennings, for example, struggles in high-leverage situations, compiling a career .316/.417/.456 slash line against in such situations, per Baseball-Reference.com. Given the problems he’s faced, it would make sense to avoid inserting him in a tight game in the eighth inning.

Ventura is going to have to find out at some point, however, if working with a new pitching coach and in a different league has any impact on his production. It’s an important question to answer.

And while the coaching staff surely has a plan in mind as to who is going to be called on and when, there is likely going to be an acclimation process for guys like Zach Putnam, Javy Guerra and Jake Petricka (when he’s healthy). It would be foolish to assume that a change in roles won’t have some type of impact on each one of them.

So over the next month or so, much will be revealed. There could be a roster shuffling, involving demotions and releases, while other guys will have their roles changed based on their production in certain situations.

Either way, the bullpen is an integral part of the equation. It will be interesting to see how things pan out as the calendar turns to May.

Can Hector Noesi Find Magic in His Right Arm?

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Let’s face it: Carlos Rodon is on the fast track to the major leagues. He is too talented to keep on the farm for very long.

And let’s face it: John Danks isn’t going anywhere. He’s not getting traded or being released to make room for the No. 3 pick in the 2014 MLB first-year player draft even though he hasn’t posted an FIP below 4.75 since 2011.

That means that if Hector Noesi wants to have any staying power in the rotation, he’s going to have to bring it each time he takes the mound.

And make no mistake, he has the potential. Last year, he finished with seven quality starts in his last 10 outings. This spring (yes, we know those numbers are largely meaningless), he compiled a 3.68 ERA over 14.2 innings. Flat out, the kid has talent.

And if Noesi delivers a superior effort, the White Sox are a better club. That is especially true given Danks’ diminished velocity (89.34 mph in 2014 vs. 92.24 mph in 2011, per BrooksBaseball.net) since returning from surgery on his left shoulder and biceps in August 2012.

If Noesi struggles over his first several starts, however, his rotation spot will go to Rodon sooner rather than later. It's an unfortunate reality.

That is, of course, unless Ventura makes Danks MLB’s first $15.75 million left-handed reliever.

Unless otherwise noted, all traditional, team and advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.com. Transaction, injury and game information are courtesy of MLB.com.

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