White Sox Disappoint At Midway Point

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jul 17, 2013 6:20PM

We've reached the All-Star Break, baseball's unofficial midway point. In fact, the White Sox have played 92 games and sport a disappointing 37-55 record. That has them bringing up the rear in the AL Central and the third-worst record in Major League Baseball. It isn't quite what we expected, given last year's roster remained in contention until the final week of the season. Yet, with virtually the same roster the Sox have gone from division leader to basement dweller in a year's time.

Despite a rash of injuries among their starters, pitching hasn't been the issue. The team's 4.01 ERA is in the middle of the pack for the American League. Chris Sale has proven last season was no fluke, sporting a 2.85 ERA and he likely would have won the All-Star Game's MVP were it not for sentimental favorite Mariano Riviera. But his record is just 6-8 and included a six-game losing streak. Youngsters Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago have propped up the back of the rotation. Quintana is 4-2 with a 3.71 ERA while Santiago sports a 3.30 ERA. Meanwhile, veterans expected to anchor the rotation have all missed time due to injury. Jake Peavy remains on the disabled list with a rib injury, but is expected to return this weekend. Before going down in early June, he was 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 67 innings. The team lost Gavin Floyd for the season in late April. Floyd underwent Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined well into 2014. A free agent at the end of the season, we may never again see him in a Sox uniform. John Danks, who suffered a season-ending injury last year finally returned to the active roster just before Memorial Day. He began the year on the DL after his inability to gain velocity resulted in his getting knocked around during spring training. After a few rough outings upon his return, Danks has finally started pitching like his old self in recent weeks. Only Dylan Axelrod has really disappointed, compiling a 5.33 ERA after winning a spot in the rotation when Danks wasn't ready Opening Day. He has remained in the rotation in spite of his performance because of injuries to others. But with Peavy's return this week, he may find himself back in the bullpen—for now.

The bullpen has had its ups and downs this year. Jesse Crain was unhittable until he landed on the DL. His ERA is a miniscule 0.74, and he set a team record with 29 straight scoreless appearances. His performance earned him a spot on the All-Star Game roster, although he was unable to pitch because of his injury. Addison Reed remains the closer, and has recorded 24 saves—impressive for a team with just 37 wins. Some of the younger pitchers have pitched well, while others have struggled. Will they get better? Veteran Matt Thorton was the first player to be traded, as he was sent to Boston last week, so the lack of leadership in the 'pen could be an issue.

While the White Sox's pitching has been solid enough, the team's bats have been deafeningly silent for much of 2013. As a team, the Sox line-up is batting a meager .249, which places them 10th in the AL. They bring up the rear with a .686 OPS that places them in a tie with Kansas City for 12th. While a number of players had career years in 2012, few are performing above their career averages in 2013. Paul Konerko has shown the biggest decline with just seven homers, 30 RBIs and a .249 batting average. While Adam Dunn is again displaying a powerful bat, that's about it. He leads the team with 24 dingers but is again toeing the Mendoza Line. Outfielders Alex Rios and Alejandro De Aza have put up almost identical numbers so far, with Rios putting up 11/40/.270 while De Aza is at 12/44/.271. The only player having a better than average year with the bat is Gordon Beckham, who sports a .335 batting average but has missed half the season with an injury.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been Tyler Flowers, who assumed the primary catcher's duties when the Sox decided to let A.J. Pierzynski sign with Texas. We predicted his loss might be felt more than even his career year numbers would suggest... were we correct? However, the Sox may have found their new fan favorite after the team called up catcher Josh Phegley less than two weeks ago. Already, the rookie backstop has slugged three homers in his first five games in "The Show." Prior to his call-up, he was hitting .316 with 15 homers for Triple-A Charlotte. If Phegley can continue to produce as he did in the minors and has he has since his call-up, Flowers may again find himself on the bench.

With their poor overall play, Sox fans can expect dire consequences as the season progresses. Thornton is likely just the first of many veterans who get traded as the deadline approaches. It's time for Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams to finally admit a full-blown rebuilding is needed. Guys like Peavy, Danks, Crain, Rios and Beckham could all be moved. Perhaps the only truly untradeable player on the White Sox roster is Chris Sale. A legitimate ace and just 24 years old, he should remain as a key piece of any rebuilding. So expect to see a number of new faces on the South Side in coming months.

Will the team's poor play also cost Robin Ventura his job? He exceeded all expectations in his first year in the dugout, and has yet to find himself on the proverbial "hot seat" but the honeymoon is certainly over. He remains popular with fans and players alike, and his low cost may keep him employed for a while longer. But the White Sox have also recently brought Jim Thome back in a front office position. Already whispers have begun that he is Ventura's heir apparent. Still, we don't think that Ventura is going anywhere in 2013, in spite of his team's poor play. But how well he handles the likely newcomers, and how well he can correct the team's poor defensive play this year, will help determine whether he's still skipper in 2014.