With Jose Abreu set to become a free agent and a new manager soon incoming, the White Sox are an intriguing club for outsiders to analyze.
Most recently on “MLB Tonight,” the MLB Network panel of Greg Amsinger, Dan Plesac, and Harold Reynolds looked at the current state of the team and explored the aforementioned storylines.
Should the White Sox bring back Jose Abreu?
Abreu’s potential return in 2023 was the first topic discussed and both Reynolds and Plesac seemed to favor the idea of bringing the veteran back.
“He’s hit ever since he’s put on a White Sox uniform,” Plesac commented. “They can ill afford [to lose him] because they don’t have a bat to replace what he brings to that lineup. They have to try to bring him back”
After Amsinger stirred the pot by mentioning Abreu’s age and Andrew Vaughn as the first baseman of the future, the panel only further disagreed with his idea of going in a new direction.
“That’s a tough one for me,” Reynolds chimed in. “I think Abreu … he’s not the problem. And I don’t know if Andrew Vaughn is what you think he is. I don’t know. Maybe they have to find that out, but is Andrew Vaughn a 40-home-run guy in the big leagues?”
With those comments out there, here’s what we know about the current situation. Towards the end of the season, Abreu had a very honest media session where he made it clear that he is ready to play more baseball. In sort of a refreshing clarity, the first baseman stated that he loves the game more now than he did when he first started playing. He also said that while would like to return to the South Side, he has not talked at all with the front office and will plan to take the offseason to rest and think about what comes next.
Abreu, 35, turned in yet another quality season for the White Sox while battling injuries. In 157 games played, he finished hitting .304/.378/.446 with 15 home runs, 75 RBI, and a .824 OPS, good for a 137 wRC+, 4.2 bWAR, and 3.9 fWAR.
Across his nine seasons in Chicago, Abreu slashed .292/.354/.506 with 243 home runs, 863 runs batted in, a .860 OPS, 133 wRC+, and a .364 wOBA. He amassed 31.9 bWAR and 27.7 fWAR, both of which are the 19th-highest in franchise history. Overall, the Cuban first baseman appeared in 1,270 games, registered 5,506 plate appearances, and became both a fan favorite and unofficial team captain along the way.
Our Nik Gaur recently took a closer look at Abreu’s lasting legacy, which can be read here.
Who will become the next White Sox manager?
While on the subject of the White Sox needing a change, the MLB Network crew transitioned their conversation over to the managerial search. This is where they offered some unique predictions on the team’s next skipper.
Amsinger casually brought up names like Miguel Cairo, Joey Cora, Bruce Bochy, and Joe Maddon. Reynolds followed by naming the network’s own Jim Thome as his pick-to-click, perhaps trying to create a little buzz for his employer.
“I could see Thome being the manager,” Reynolds said. “The key is he’s in the group already. He knows the organization, and he’s not just showing up to be a Hall of Famer wearing a jersey. He’s doing his work.”
Though worse predictions exist, the odds are not necessarily in Thome’s favor based on the recent qualifications put forth by GM Rick Hahn. But, it’s the White Sox and crazier things have happened.
Speaking of crazier things, Plesac followed with his prediction that just so happened to be the new betting favorite.
“If there’s a guy right now that knows this roster up and down, it’s Ozzie Guillen,” Plesac said. “I think he still has that bug to get back to managing. Controversial. Firecracker. He’s all of the above, but he’ll bring some attention back to the White Sox.”
“He loves the game of baseball,” Plesac commented further. “It would be a controversial move, but I would say this, he knows that organization up and down. And, in particular, communication with the Latino players. You’re not going to find much better than him.”
Naturally, any managerial search talk isn’t complete without mention of Jerry Reinsdorf. Reynolds said he believes the owner will not be as inclined to hire someone “outside his comfort zone and family” and suspects the 86-year-old’s loyalty to someone with current ties to the organization will get in the way.
While a valid point, Rick Hahn said in his recent presser that he, himself, would be leading the managerial search and called it a “collaborative” process between the front office, Reinsdorf, and potentially select players. Furthermore, MLB insider Jon Heyman weighed in during a recent appearance on 670 The Score, saying that he believes Reinsdorf will stay out of the new hire and, instead, trust his front office with the decision after the way La Russa’s tenure played out.
At the end of the day, it’s ultimately too early to tell what will happen behind the scenes. Everything said by analysts and insiders to date has been nothing but speculation and opinions based on previous moves.
Though many fans know how they would like for things to play out, it’s hard to believe the White Sox will operate any differently based on the failed promises and poor decision-making to date. And because of that, there’s no better time to prove everyone wrong than now.
Related Articles:
- 10 potential candidates for the next White Sox manager
- 12 outside-the-box manager options the White Sox could consider
- South Side Mailbag: Who should be the next White Sox manager?
- Ozzie Guillen new betting favorite for next White Sox manager
For additional updates this offseason, follow us on social media @SoxOn35th.
Featured Photo: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
