BALTIMORE — Chris Getz better be getting his proper rest.
If and when he gets promoted from his post as assistant general manager in charge of player development and takes the reins of the White Sox front office — and indications are that could come sooner than later — Getz will have plenty of work to do.
A roster too thin to begin with at the outset of the season was plundered by trades made at the deadline by Ken Williams and Rick Hahn before they were fired as executive vice president and general manager last week. If chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s intent is to field a team that will compete in a weak AL Central Division in 2024, the top decision maker will have his hands full in his first offseason at the helm.
The starting rotation has one returning good starter in Dylan Cease, and Cease has doubled the size of his ERA this season. It also has Michael Kopech, thought to be a cornerstone of Williams and Hahn’s rebuild but proving to be a question mark in his first three full seasons. Mike Clevinger has been the team’s best starter in 2023, but he has a mutual option with a $4 million buyout for next season.
Jesse Scholtens (0-3, 5.30 ERA in seven starts going into his outing against the Orioles Tuesday) and Touki Toussaint (2-6, 5.59 ERA in 10 starts) are trying to show they deserve a spot as a fifth starter.
First-round lefty Garrett Crochet wants to get out of the bullpen and start but he was set back by a sore shoulder — on the heels of having Tommy John surgery — and has pitched just 10 innings of relief this season.
In all probability, at least two starters in free agency or via trade will have to be added.
The bullpen has holes, as well. The Sox were big spenders in the relief pitching market in the Williams-Hahn years, often realizing in the aftermath that the money was poorly allocated. Closer Liam Hendriks, who was arguably worth the $54 million investment, will miss the final year of his four-year deal after having Tommy John surgery.
After Gregory Santos and Aaron Bummer, the bullpen is a big question mark.
Another question is how much Reinsdorf will spend.
His payroll in the $180 million range at the start of the season ranked in the middle among the 30 clubs, but Yasmani Grandal’s contract is coming off the books, and pricey paychecks for Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman were stopped at the deadline.
Yoan Moncada ($24.8 million) will top a payroll next season that, if in the same range to start the season as last year, would have about $70-75 million left for Getz to spend.
On the position-player side, the biggest decision surrounds shortstop Tim Anderson, who has a $14 million option coming off his worst season.
Barring trades, Moncada is set at third base and Andrew Vaughn at first, but second base – which has not been adequately filled after Moncada made the move to third base in 2019, needs to be filled, perhaps by Lenyn Sosa who is getting a close look in the final weeks.
All-Star Luis Robert Jr. and left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who will be in the second year of his club record five-year, $75 million contract, aren’t moving, and rookie Oscar Colas will likely get another shot in right field.
There is also a big need at catcher, where Grandal failed to provide a return on his $73 million deal. Grandal was far from a defensive backbone a competitive team must have.
Manager Pedro Grifol, who is expected to return for his second season, said the Sox can win with Anderson, Luis Robert Jr., Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi.
But what about the pitching?
“I’m confident with who Jerry is going to put in charge, with what he’s going to do and how he’s going to do it,” Grifol said. “We’ll make something happen.”
