Down Under .500

 

I never thought I'd say this going into the season, but I'm running out of things to say about this White Sox team. They're still losing, they continue not to fire Tony LaRussa and are expecting a different result. That is the definition of fanaticism. That is...not a good strategy.

Last year, I praised this team for having tremendous depth, and having numerous inner options as a result of injury. This year, I realized the problem with this- when the top players either get injured or don't play well, and you're stuck with the depth options, and they don't play well either, you're stuck with a b-team where an a-team should be. What the hell can I say about a team where Gavin Sheets, Reese McGuire and Seby Zavala are being relied upon for big roles on this team? Whatever happened to just...getting Yasmani Grandal, bringing up Robert and Jimenez and having a good team with all that?

The catching race is between McGuire and Zavala, and...look, remember a couple years ago when it was Yasmani Grandal and James McCann switching off, and now we have the one-dimensional domestic abuser vs. the perennial backup? Thrilling. Grandal's hurt, and when he's not hurt he's really not to all-star levels. Luis Robert is also hurt, and Eloy Jimenez, while healthy, is only hitting .224 in 25 games. The outfield is Jimenez-Pollock-Sheets. That is...not a 'come one, come all' outfield at all. Even Adam Engel isn't factoring too much into it.

And it's sad to see the White Sox banking so much into Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn only to see them struggle this year. Lynn missed time due to injury and now has an ERA over 6. Giolito has remained healthy all year but has an ERA over 5, making him a rumored victim of the tack ban. Cease, Cueto and Kopech are holding it down, but it's unwise to rely a great deal upon someone like Johnny Cueto to pin your rotation down.

Thank god Liam Hendriks is still a top-tier closer right now. Guy's been fantastic the last 5 or so years, I'm glad the White Sox have a steady guy like him to get 19 saves and also be a ton of fun. Just watching him at the All-Star game mic'd up was a blast. We need more everyman Australians running around the MLB. It worked so well with Dave Nilsson and Grant Balfour. I hope he keeps it up, he's one of the most memorable closers in the game right now.

I'm not really sure if there's much the White Sox could do right now. The team's the victim of bad luck and putting their eggs in the wrong baskets. I hate to say it, but I don't even think firing Tony LaRussa would help anymore. Couldn't hurt, of course, but...this isn't his fault entirely. It's just rolled out wrong for the White Sox, and it's sad to see the Twins take the glory that should have been theirs this year.

Coming Tonight: A young pitcher with no run support hoping his team will build a bit this year.