Just a couple of years ago, the Chicago White Sox were true contenders in the AL Central.
They made the playoffs in 2020 and 2021, even though both times were first-round exits.
2022 returned an 81-81 season, which already signaled a steep decline.
Last year, they were among the worst teams in baseball with a 61-101 record.
The 2024 version of the White Sox doesn’t appear to be much better than last year.
In fact, due to the improvements made by the Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers, Chicago seems destined to finish last in 2024.
They published their Opening Day roster, and it’s certainly much worse than the other four teams in the division.
Your 2024 #WhiteSox Opening Day roster! pic.twitter.com/zUjiRA2lCh
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 27, 2024
The pitching does have some interesting names, including rescue project Mike Soroka, reliever-turned-into-starter Garrett Crochet, and former top prospect Deivi Garcia.
There are still a few position player standouts from 2020 and 2021 left on the team, such as Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada.
Outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases last year, is the star of the team.
He has power and speed in bunches, and fields his position admirably.
There is also a lot of faith in what Andrew Vaughn, who homered 21 times and drove in 80 runs in 2023, can do.
The White Sox, however, will not contend in 2024.
They don’t have the pieces to do it, and they signaled their intentions a couple of weeks ago when they traded their ace, Dylan Cease, to the San Diego Padres.
Since their farm system is nothing special, the future looks bleak for Chicago.
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