White Sox Shredded in New MLB Player Poll

Amid a historically bad season, the Chicago White Sox seemingly can't go one day without bad press. Monday's batch of unfavorable news was courtesy of The Athletic , which released its annual MLB Player Poll.

The poll surveyed 100-plus players from 18 teams regarding several of baseball's hot topics, including the best and most overrated players, desirable and undesirable teams to play for, season length, analytics, and more. Players responded anonymously, resulting in (presumably) honest answers to questions that likely wouldn't be asked in postgame media scrums.

The Athletic incorporated a few reader questions into its poll, and one of them prodded players to identify organizations with bad reputations. That's where the White Sox entered the mix.

South Side Dysfunction

Question: What organizations have bad reputations among players?

Notes: 79 players responded, and they were allowed to submit multiple answers.

Results: With 40 votes, the Oakland Athletics were deemed the organization with the worst reputation, per this poll. Players mentioned the Chicago White Sox 19 times, the second-most among the poll.

Analysis: The A's expectedly took the top spot mostly due to their controversial relocation plans , which will include a three-year stint in Sacramento's Sutter Health Park (14,000 capacity). As for the White Sox, their culture and management were put on full blast by the respondents.

“I’ve never heard a good thing.”

“Unlike some other bad teams, they have more potential to be good.”

“It sounds like no one wants to be there day in and day out … like it’s a grind just to show up to the ballpark. I couldn’t imagine.”

“It’s not good over there. You can tell by how often there’s turnover that it usually means something’s going on. Players leaving the organization and automatically doing better (with their new team).”

“Poor communication.”

Unfortunately, the above comments come as no surprise to White Sox fans. The South Side faithful saw the team's contention window slam shut in a 2023 season that featured a trade-deadline sell-off, criticism from former players, front-office turnover (recycling), and 101 losses. This season has brought about historic futility as the White Sox, currently an MLB-worst 17-49, recently endured a franchise-record 14-game losing streak.

The Culprits (Just to Name a Few)

Pedro Grifol has occupied the manager's chair throughout the aforementioned struggles, and it's apparent that he's in over his head when it comes to leading a big-league club. While it's not in the best interest of active players to rip a manager publicly, the anonymous responses to The Athletic's poll make it clear that Grifol isn't viewed favorably in MLB dugouts.

Related: Dead Man Walking: Writing Is on the Wall for Pedro Grifol's Departure from White Sox

Furthermore, the second response, "Unlike some other bad teams, they have more potential to be good," shines a light on the White Sox' biggest problem: ownership.

Chicago is the third-largest market in MLB, yet Jerry Reinsdorf operates his organization like a mom-and-pop shop. From not going above and beyond to land star free agents, to not sufficiently investing in analytics and player development, to employing flawed hiring processes hindered by loyalty and familiarity, Reinsdorf's White Sox are a shell of what they could — and should — be.

But again, none of these responses come as a surprise. It's just another red-letter day on the South Side.

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