Weeks 9/10 Record: 7-6 | Overall Record: 43-29, 1st Place in AL Central
The White Sox finished up their toughest two-week stretch of the season thus far on Sunday, and after starting the 13-game stretch 7-2, finishing it at 7-6 feels a lot more disappointing had the start not been so great. Playing 10 of their last 13 games against Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Houston yielded four wins – two series victories and a four-game sweep at the hands of the Astros. A lot of good things happened over the course of this stretch – but so did a lot of bad things.
While the White Sox have a much-needed off day, let’s take a look back at the past two weeks and get ourselves ready for the stretch ahead.
Tale of the Tape
Games 60-72. Click on the picture to view the calendar and find any box scores/recaps!
Jordan’s Weekly Wrap-Up Thoughts
Well, it was a week of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for White Sox fans. After taking two of three from the Rays and briefly having the best record in baseball, the White Sox and their fans were humbled by an ugly four-game sweep at the hands of the Astros. Calls to leave the team as is have been replaced by the mentality that the White Sox need to make a move NOW.
Truthfully, I don’t think we’ve learned anything we didn’t already know this week:
1) The Astros are a very good team
2) The Sox are undermanned, and that’s going to show against good teams – the fact that they did what they did against the Rays and Blue Jays is impressive
3) Even so, there are spots where the lineup could use a shakeup
I don’t see much need to panic – they play 162 games for a reason. You can’t get too high or too low over the course of the year as a fan, because this game will knock you back to the center rather quickly.
There are some struggles on offense that will need to pick up though. Take a look at these June numbers:
Yoan Moncada: .216/.328/.314, 87 wRC+
Jose Abreu: .186/.219/.300, 43 wRC+
Yermin Mercedes: .115/.164/.135, -14 wRC+ (no, that’s not a typo)
Adam Eaton: .161/.235/.226, 33 wRC+
Andrew Vaughn: .226/.263/.396, 80 wRC+
Reinforcements are great, but the team that’s here is going to need to step up as well if the White Sox are going to continue to lead the AL Central.
The good news is that stretches like these happen, and the Sox have a nice, easier schedule coming up to get back on track. Let’s hope they get there.
About 30 minutes before I was ready to publish this recap, this information came in as well, so let’s address it.
Escobar, as Nightengale mentioned, is having a solid power season. His .240/.288/.455 slash line has led to a league-average 100 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR. The 6.4% walk rate isn’t great, but the 22% strikeout rate is about league-average. His 15 home runs would lead the White Sox currently, which is an odd-but-true statistic. Here’s my official take:
Additionally, the White Sox may have leaked this news because they are targeting someone else. One way to create leverage is if your trade partner thinks you might end up going somewhere else. More to come I’m sure…
Everyone keeps saying the Sox need an impact bat. I agree with that, but no one ever appears to add anyone of value into their trade proposals. News flash: no one wants Jake Burger (who’s only hitting LHP), Micker Adolfo (37% strikeout rate in AA), or Jonathan Stiever (5.48 AAA FIP) as more than a throw-in piece. You can’t just pick a couple guys and hope their value combined is enough – that’s not how this works.
We will discuss trades more in the Fan Question section below. However, unless you’re willing to part with Jared Kelley, Yoelqui Cespedes, or Garrett Crochet – which most fans have said they are not – get used to trade targets such as the ones above. Can’t have the best of both worlds.
Stats On 35th: This Week by the Numbers
This Week’s Numbers:
36.6, 0.519, 0.471, 0.764, 49
36.6
Of all the offseason acquisitions for the White Sox, Ethan Katz might have been the biggest one. Among starters with at least 70 IP, the White Sox currently have four starts among the top 20 in strikeout percentage. This includes the current leader with a 36.6% K-rate: Carlos Rodon.
0.519
The White Sox have battled some tough stretches this month, and it has happened in part from some of the performances from the usually heavy lifters. With a slash line of just .186/.219/300 (.519 OPS) in June, Jose Abreu is going to need to turn it around quickly if the White Sox are going to compete in the dog days of summer to come.
0.471
People often ask where you can most clearly see a manager’s impact in a ballgame. I have a hard time answering that question, but my first answer is usually in the team’s record in one-run games. With the White Sox current 8-9 (0.471) in one-run games, I believe that shows some room for improvement among some managerial decisions, as well as some performances in tight ballgames.
No matter if you agree or disagree with the above, one thing is clear: the Sox need to be better in tight ballgames – there’s not going to be too many blowouts in the playoffs. For comparison, the 2005 White Sox were 35-19 in one-run games.
0.764
I haven’t been kind to Leury Garcia this season, and while I still feel there’s need for improvement, Garcia has been admittedly excellent recently. His .300/.364/.400 (.764 OPS) slash line in the month of June is one of the better ones on a struggling team. If Garcia can continue to keep his OPS at or above .700, he will be doing plenty as a solid bench bat. It’s good to see his improvement from the first two tough months of the season.
49
If their is one glaring weakness for the White Sox right now, it’s their defense. With 49 errors on the season so far, the White Sox are just two errors away from the Red Sox’ league-leading 51 errors. With run prevention being crucial for the White Sox with so many key bats missing, the defense is going to need to be cleaned up.
Fan Question of the Week
Since we didn’t have a recap last week, the question remains the same from when I asked it then: what should the Sox do to replace some of their lost offense?
This is still a really tough question, because it is still a horrible time to try and make a trade. Rebuilding teams are going to hold out until closer to the deadline in order to get massive returns. That, obviously, drives the prices up on guys who aren’t necessarily even worth as much as they will get traded for – it happens every deadline.
I’ve made it clear that I love Mitch Haniger, and that I’d be willing to include anyone – including Jared Kelley – to get it done. Haniger’s contract, just like many of the popular names (Adam Frazier, Joey Gallo, etc) is for 2 years, so he is naturally more expensive.
Other names to look into: Jonathan Schoop, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Asdrubal Cabrera, Freddy Galvis. Some of these names are likely more appealing to you than others, but they all have one thing in common: one-year deals. Rentals are usually the easiest to acquire, of course.
I personally think the White Sox should prioritize the outfield. I think Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick, and even Tim Beckham can hold down the infield to a replacement-level. It’s the outfield I’m concerned with, as Andrew Vaughn continues to struggle against RHP and Adam Eaton has looked rather lifeless recently, even when healthy.
In my mind, get an OF bat and a bullpen arm. I’ll write about this more in an article to come.
Let’s get to your thoughts, though. Thanks for sending them in!
1) @Harty_Brian: Schoop is a good outside-the-box idea, and I know Detroit would likely trade him for whatever they can get out of him. Might have to include two of those names to get it done, or at least one of Stiever/Lambert as well, but I think that would be something reasonable.
2) @mattwease: I think this might be along the lines of something we’d see if the Sox do choose to trade for a player that wouldn’t be just a rental. Anyone with two years on their current deal will likely require Jared Kelley to be the headliner. Depending on how the rest of the market moves leading up to the Trade Deadline, I might pull the trigger on this move.
3) @IamMattRosen: Given that your response is from a week ago, I’m not sure if this weekend series against the Astros would’ve changed your mind at all – not about being the best team in the ALC, but about needing to make a move. There’s no need to overreact to a bad series, but some sort of rental certainly makes sense, as you alluded to.
As I mentioned, I think I’d have anyone on the table that isn’t expected to make an impact this year. What this gets me in return? I’m not sure yet. Some dominoes will need to fall before I can be sure either way.
4) @jlewispga: Hello, old friend. Soria hasn’t been particularly fantastic this year, but the deeper metrics would suggest he might be getting a tad lucky. With an xwOBA/wOBA split of .385/.326, it seems that there is room for improvement for Soria.
With the bullpen performing how it has and the very cheap expected cost, a move like this is well worth it. I like it.
5) @rockybiddles: If this is enough to get it done, I make this deal right now. Not sure if it is though – but I do think Kelley would have to be included in a trade for Haniger.
Highlights of the Week
1) Yasmani Grandal walks it off to take the series victory against Tampa Bay
2) Dallas Keuchel is absolutely brilliant in seven innings against the Rays
3) Andrew Vaughn homers off of Robbie Ray in the seventh inning of an eventual 6-1 win
4) Carlos Rodon provides the lone bright spot in the Astros’ series
5) Aaron Bummer saves a wet and wild game for the Sox in Detroit
The Week Ahead: A Week to Grab Some Wins
Monday: OFF DAY
Tuesday: Tyler Anderson vs. Lucas Giolito, 6:05 PM CT
Wednesday: Chase De Jong vs. Dylan Cease, 11:35 AM CT
Thursday: OFF DAY
Friday – Sunday: Series vs. Mariners… Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon, and Dallas Keuchel are the probable starters
Reminder that 100% capacity at Guaranteed Rate Field begins on Friday! Our crew will be out there for a big tailgate on Saturday with White Sox Dave, From the 108, Sox On Tap, SoxMachine, and Future Sox, so make sure to join in on the fun all weekend!
Enjoy the off day today and the rest of the week Sox fans! Talk to you next week!
