How would you like to see Rick Hahn go about this off season? Should he overhaul the organization in a full scale rebuild that sees the White Sox place a renewed focus on scouting and player development as they build the core of their team through the draft, or should he chase after free agents and trade for veterans in order to compete for the AL Central title in 2014?

 

What do you want to see happen?

Edited October 2, 201312 yr by Joshua Strong

The rebuild already started. This team lost nearly 100 games - there's no point in stopping halfway in and calling it "retooling".

All I want Rick Hahn to do is to make the Chicago White Sox a better team next year and going forward.

Next year, the White Sox will have replaced at least 2 of their highest paid 4 players, including their longest-tenured player and captain. There will be no players remaining from the world series team. I think by definition they already are rebuilding. If they somehow came out and tore it up next year, that would be a successful rapid rebuild, because it's not going to be wins happening based on the guys who led the team the year before.

You do not retool a 99 loss team you rebuild.

You do not retool a 99 loss team you rebuild.

 

But if you lose 93 games, you can go ahead and do so and then end up with the best record in the AL

I think everyone here has different definition of rebuilding than me. Rebuilding is starting over from scratch, by dumping all your high salary players and going young pretty much across the board. You basically don't plan on being competitive for 4 to 5 years so you can accumulate high draft picks and let your prospects develop gradually. Also, just because you lose 99 games does not mean you're rebuilding, it just means your team currently sucks.

 

IMO, Hahn will go into 2014 attempting to compete, even if our chances to make the playoffs are extremely small. I'm guessing he feels it's at least a two year job to fix this offense and become a respectable team. That's retooling to me, not rebuilding.

I think everyone here has different definition of rebuilding than me. Rebuilding is starting over from scratch, by dumping all your high salary players and going young pretty much across the board. You basically don't plan on being competitive for 4 to 5 years so you can accumulate high draft picks and let your prospects develop gradually. Also, just because you lose 99 games does not mean you're rebuilding, it just means your team currently sucks.

 

IMO, Hahn will go into 2014 attempting to compete, even if our chances to make the playoffs are extremely small. I'm guessing he feels it's at least a two year job to fix this offense and become a respectable team. That's retooling to me, not rebuilding.

 

I agree. Rebuilding is a medium to long term project, meaning the 3-5 years of continual suckage before you can even think of being competitve. Re-tooling is rather quick, with thoughts of being competitive in 2 years or so.

 

When I think of re-tooling, I think about the Cardinals. You want a better farm system, but that's going to be on its way up, and in the mean time you can spend some money on short, medium, and long term contracts that make sense.

I think everyone here has different definition of rebuilding than me. Rebuilding is starting over from scratch, by dumping all your high salary players and going young pretty much across the board. You basically don't plan on being competitive for 4 to 5 years so you can accumulate high draft picks and let your prospects develop gradually. Also, just because you lose 99 games does not mean you're rebuilding, it just means your team currently sucks.

 

IMO, Hahn will go into 2014 attempting to compete, even if our chances to make the playoffs are extremely small. I'm guessing he feels it's at least a two year job to fix this offense and become a respectable team. That's retooling to me, not rebuilding.

 

Define that in wins.

Define that in wins.

 

75-85, and if you get lucky, like the Indians did this year, you get hot and win 92 and get a Wild Card birth

I think we have a good starting rotation and some extra here.

 

the bullpen needs to be retooled.

 

and the position players and batters need to be rebuilt.

 

 

so my answer is both.

75-85, and if you get lucky, like the Indians did this year, you get hot and win 92 and get a Wild Card birth

 

Say they don't get lucky, the rebuild is set back.

Say they don't get lucky, the rebuild is set back.

 

Welcome to the dump everyone plan you have been advocating for years.

Say they don't get lucky, the rebuild is set back.

 

No. They are signing guys who will contribute in 2015 and beyond. They aren't trading for Derek Jeter, they aren't selling the farm. They are making smart, cost efficient moves with the intention of adding pieces that will be on the team for the future.

 

 

What does history say about 99 loss teams? what do they do on average the following year? what's a reasonable expectation? Any of them ever make the playoffs? I don't know how to answer those, but I have some hunches as to what the answers might be.

What does history say about 99 loss teams? what do they do on average the following year? what's a reasonable expectation? Any of them ever make the playoffs? I don't know how to answer those, but I have some hunches as to what the answers might be.

I do know when the Sox last lost 96 or 97 games, they won 90 the next year with the Southside Hitmen. This team seems to be in a better financial position to land some talent. Obviously they are going to need some breaks and some guys to really step up.

Edited October 2, 201312 yr by Dick Allen

All I want Rick Hahn to do is to make the Chicago White Sox a better team next year and going forward.

 

This.

 

Retool the major league roster using the money we cleared up while simultaneously investing in the minors. This isn't the NBA, we have over 200 roster spots to use.

I do know when the Sox last lost 96 or 97 games, they won 90 the next year with the Southside Hitmen. This team seems to be in a better financial position to land some talent. Obviously they are going to need some breaks and some guys to really step up.

 

If they could bring in two hitters the caliber of Zisk and Gamble, I'd be all for it. Note that they were terrible again the next three years.

I think CF is the biggest need. Gregory Polanco is a player I'd like for them to be targeting.

I think CF is the biggest need. Gregory Polanco is a player I'd like for them to be targeting.

How would you ever get him? I doubt the Pirates are interested in our pitching.

If your holding on to the starting pitchers it's a retool.

If you want to rebuild you trade all of the young pitchers to teams desperate for pitching. This includes Sale, Quintana and Santiago. You trade these very talented pitchers for prospects in single and double A that have the potential to be great in three or four years.

I voted for retool.

 

How would you ever get him? I doubt the Pirates are interested in our pitching.

 

That's where Reyes comes in. A Reyes/Santiago or Reyes/DeAza deal might be enough.

That's where Reyes comes in. A Reyes/Santiago or Reyes/DeAza deal might be enough.

 

Why do that though when they have Mercer at SS now and Henson in the near future?

 

If Polanco is going to be traded for someone, it's going to be a player like Giancarlo Stanton.

Something like what the Indians have done is closer to what the Sox need.

 

They missed with Reynolds, let's called it a toss-up whether Swisher has helped but Bourn helped change the overall complexion of that line-up. (Sort of what they tried to do with Juan Pierre, but not 5 years too late).

 

It still all comes down to pitching.

 

Unfortunately, we don't have a Jason Kipnis or bat like Carlos Santana on our roster or minor league depth chart. (Also taking into consideration they lost arguably their best everyday player in Choo, although quite a few would have picked Kipnis over Choo even after last season).

 

 

Edited October 2, 201312 yr by caulfield12

Why do that though when they have Mercer at SS now and Henson in the near future?

 

If Polanco is going to be traded for someone, it's going to be a player like Giancarlo Stanton.

 

That's a matter of opinion, but if that's the case the Cardinals would be interested.