White Sox are out to prove themselves as they've entered another rebuild

CHICAGO (670 The Score) — White Sox manager Pedro Grifol got an early start to his Thursday morning ahead of Opening Day. Along his drive to Guaranteed Rate Field, he thought about what he wanted to see out of his revamped team.

Grifol wants the White Sox to display the traits that will draw fans to the ballpark for each game. At the early onset of another rebuilding phase for the White Sox, those are the values that matter the most for Grifol.

“I just try to put myself in their shoes and see the game as a fan myself if I was spending my hard-earned money to come to a ballgame,” Grifol said Thursday morning before the White Sox hosted the Tigers on Opening Day. “I don’t want to hear about it anymore. I just want to see it on the field. I’ll come watch and I’ll make a decision whether I like it or not. There’s nothing I can say here that is going to prove to them something that we haven’t done yet on the field. So, we got to go out there and play good baseball, play hard baseball, don’t take anything for granted and show that we care.

“That’s what everybody wants to see. But there’s no use in talking about it. I mean, I'm not going there anymore.”

The start of a new season brings renewed hope each spring across MLB, as 30 teams begin with fresh hopes to win the World Series. But on the South Side of Chicago, that feeling is bleak for a ballclub in transition. Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projected 66.4 wins for the White Sox in 2024, a figure that would actually represent improvement from their 61-101 campaign in 2023.

The result of the White Sox's opener Thursday was what the models predicted — a loss. It came in the form of a 1-0 setback to the Tigers. The White Sox pitched well, as lefty Garrett Crochet threw six innings of one-run ball in his first MLB start, and they played clean, error-free defense. But their offense was quiet all day, producing just three hits, all singles.

White Sox general manager Chris Getz has been tasked with picking up the pieces of an all-too brief, disappointing competitive window that shut last season. After rebuilding from 2017-’19, the White Sox reached the playoffs in 2020 and 2021 but fell off the last two seasons.

Beyond the disastrous results on the field, the White Sox were ailed by poor clubhouse chemistry and friction internally.

The White Sox have returned core players like center fielder Luis Robert Jr., first baseman Andrew Vaughn and designated hitter Eloy Jimenez, but much of the roster features castoffs from around the league and players fighting for their careers.

Grifol sees that creating an edge for his team.

“Everybody to a man has got something to prove,” Grifol said. “So, I think we should be excited about everybody on that field. Whether it’s the last year on their contract, whether it’s underachieving a bit last year or whatever it may be, everybody has something to prove to themselves and the organization. So, I'm actually excited about the roster.”

Two years ago, the White Sox believed they were on the cusp of controlling the AL Central. They had just won the division crown in 2021 and boasted a talented core. The hope of achieving sustained success was dashed in an 81-81 campaign in 2022, which was followed by an abysmal 101-loss season.

Taking over late last August after White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf dismissed longtime executives Kenny Williams and Rick Hahn, Getz believed an overhaul was the only path forward. Mainstays like shortstop Tim Anderson, right-hander Lance Lynn and closer Liam Hendriks were allowed to leave in free agency, while staff ace Dylan Cease was traded to the Padres in March in exchange for four players, including three prospects.

The White Sox’s lineup for Opening Day featured four new players from last season. The five-man starting rotation is entirely new from 2023.

The 26-year-old Robert, an All-Star for the first time last season, is the White Sox’s biggest star.

“Every time you have new faces, new players, it’s a fresh start,” Robert said. “But you’re always hoping to win and to do as good as you can.

“Once those lights are on, it’s go time.”

In 2023, the White Sox endured a steep drop in attendance, with 1,669,628 coming to the park compared to 2,009,359 in 2022. It was the most dramatic decline of any team in baseball last season. This year, the White Sox will likely draw even fewer than those 1.67 million fans.

The fan base has been frustrated by the underachieving play of years past and the prospect of suffering through another rebuild, this one led by a general manager newcomer in Getz and an unproven manager in Grifol.

Already on Opening Day, it was hard for an outsider to see any hope for the White Sox. Even so, Grifol believes his team can change that impression.

“We have a group of guys that I feel not just love to play together but love to play for each other,” Grifol said. “I think that type of makeup and character goes a long way throughout the season. But I'm curious and excited to watch these guys come together and take it out there.

“I know that we’re going to play the game the right way and play it hard.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .