Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Daryl Van Schouwen

New White Sox starter Erick Fedde wasn’t afraid of change

2023-12-14T17:26:08.472-06:00

Washington Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde delivers a pitch against the Cubs, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP)

AP Photos

Erick Fedde went to the lab, went to the gym and went to Korea.

He came back about to get $15 million richer, brimming with confidence after pitching to a 2.00 ERA with a 20-6 record that put a Korean Baseball Organization MVP trophy in his suitcase and a return to the major leagues in his future.

The White Sox this week signed the 30-year-old right-hander, who posted a 5.71 ERA in 27 starts and 127 innings for the Nationals in 2022, expecting him to fill innings for a pitching-thin team on the rebound from a 101-loss season. In six seasons with the Nats, mostly as a starter, Fedde owned a 5.41 ERA.

After the 2022 season, Fedde, a 2014 first-round draft choice by the Nationals, reassessed his situation, his focus and his career.

“I knew some things had to change,” Fedde said on a teleconference with reporters Thursday. “I just wasn’t having the success I wanted. I picked up and moved to Arizona and got to a workout facility and a pitching lab [Push Performance]. They also had some physical therapists in the facility to get me feeling right and get myself a new repertoire and feeling strong. Adding a sweeper, which I guess everyone likes to talk about these days, and I got my changeup figured out and that led me to have a four pitch mix [sinker, cutter, sweeper, changeup] when I went to Korea and led to a lot of the success.”

Korean baseball is said to be comparable to Double-A or Triple-A minor league ball. Fedde notes there are a couple major league caliber hitters in most lineups, but overall less power. But Fedde’s confidence is at an all-time high because of how he feels and how he’s commanding his pitches.

“There’s just no more confidence I can possibly have than what I do now,” he said. ‘Now it’s about taking that and feeding it into my upcoming pitching in the majors again.

“I really believe [the success is] going to translate well. The biggest thing is my last year in DC, I was not feeling as amazing as I do now. I feel strong, I feel healthy. My velocity is back. There’s a sharpness to my pitches I just didn’t have.”

The sweeper has added velocity from what the pitch was before, a slider, and induced swings and misses he wasn’t getting with the Nats.

“The changeup was just another way to keep righties and lefties off my fastball which I really needed,” Fedde said.

Fedde said his experience at Push, where he strengthened his shoulder, was life changing. He said the Korean experience “was amazing.”

“They treated me really well,” he said. “The atmosphere is unmatched with the chants and the way the crowd is. It was a great place to go and I wanted a place where I could throw a ton of innings, work on my things and make adjustments. Korea really offered that for me.”

The Sox’ offer was “great,” Fedde said, and talks with general manager Chris Getz, manager Pedro Grifol and pitching coach Ethan Katz afforded levels of comfort and belonging.

It feels like a good spot for him to put his major league career on a better path.

“Talking about starting a new culture there,” Fedde said, “and also it’s a place I felt I could get into the rotation and help the squad be better, and be part of the rebuilding of that rotation, for sure.”

A healthier Tony La Russa is back with the White Sox and states where he fits in

2023-12-14T09:00:00-06:00

Tony La Russa (right) talks to Joe Torre during baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 4, 2023.

George Walker IV/AP

Tony La Russa is 79 and in good health again. Everywhere he turned at Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York, in July and at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee, last week, he was told how good he looks.

“People said, ‘You look so much better’ and I say, ‘I must have looked like [bleep] all those months,’ ” La Russa told the Sun-Times this week. “But I’m feeling better and stronger every day. So good news.”

Hired at age 76 by chairman and good friend Jerry Reinsdorf before the 2021 season to lead the White Sox beyond the wild-card finish manager Rick Renteria led them to in 2020, La Russa’s Sox went 93-69 with an AL Central title. In 2022, La Russa didn’t feel well. His pacemaker needed attention, and unbeknownst to most everyone, he was dealing with cancer.

He missed the last month of the season and did not return for the third year of his contract.

“It wasn’t smart to go through it during the season,” La Russa says now. “But it’s no excuse.”

“[The pacemaker] was put in in ’22 and got faulty. I left to get it replaced, but there was also a lingering health issue I was waiting till the offseason [to address]. So it really isn’t the heart thing, it’s the other one that only my family and teammates [know about]. It’s just private.”

Now that he’s in good health again, La Russa is staying involved with the Sox as a senior adviser. The role is limited, La Russa emphasized. But he’s doing what he knows by staying involved in the game.

“That’s all I know how to do, brother,” La Russa said. “I’m not ready to do anything but stay close to the game.”

Although tight with Reinsdorf, who still runs the Sox’ show at 87, La Russa wants it known he’s not a Sox decision-maker. He has known first-year general manager Chris Getz, who was farm director when La Russa managed, and he has developed a bond with second-year manager Pedro Grifol.

“This is a good opportunity to clarify,” La Russa said. “My title is senior adviser. It’s focused on a couple of areas, and it’s limited to where I offer opinions based on my experiences and what I’ve learned over the years.”

La Russa, who won three World Series and 2,884 regular-season games, second only to Connie Mack, had mentors when he managed and knows their value.

Grifol, who struggled through a tumultuous 101-loss season in his first season, more than welcomes the relationship.

“We spend a lot of time talking to each other,” Grifol said. “He’s obviously one of the great managers in this game and has been in the front office. It wouldn’t be smart of me not to listen to and take advice from Tony La Russa. In the year and a half that I’ve known him, he has become a good friend. I admire what he’s done in the game and respect him dearly.

“Brilliant man, brilliant mind. This guy has done things in the game people won’t ever dream of.”

La Russa also wants it known he had nothing to do with vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn getting fired by Reinsdorf in August and had no input with Getz and Grifol putting their staffs together.

“How the team comes together and how they practice and compete, that’s where my focus is,” La Russa said. “I got really upset when a particular guy [former Sox and current broadcaster and podcaster A.J. Pierzynski implied] I had something to do with that. I was never asked about the changes at the top. Kept saying I was involved, I was never asked about or involved with Kenny and Rick [getting fired].”

La Russa, who served as the Diamondbacks’ chief baseball analyst, special assistant to Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and senior adviser of baseball operations for the Angels before Reinsdorf rehired him to manage again, describes his role with the White Sox as “putting my two cents in.”

“The other 98% comes from them,” he said. “The fans deserve to know I’m a two-percenter. The 98 comes from an outstanding front office and the leadership on the field. It would be a mistake to not know the reality of how they’re putting this together.”

La Russa, who lives in Phoenix, expects to be at spring training on an almost daily basis, watching players and prospects and being available if Grifol or anyone else wants to talk baseball.

He’ll be “limited and it’s focused,” doing what he can to “build that family culture, and how that translates into practicing and getting fundamentals right.”

Former White Sox manager Tony La Russa gives his hat to a fan before a game at Guaranteed Rate Field last season.

Nam Y. Huh/AP

“That’s really very focused and limited because I’m not going to have any thump where I walk up to anybody and say ‘this is how you should play and practice’ because they’re the guys who are on the line. But I’m going to be a resource,” La Russa said.

The 2022 season, with its profoundly disappointing .500 finish in the middle of the contention window crafted by Williams and Hahn, still stings. It would be his final year managing, and it made La Russa supporters wonder if he regretted coming back.

“Well, I regret getting sick,” La Russa said. “Because I think we knew where we had to get better. And didn’t.

“I was excited about the team’s success [in 2021] and the fan response. I regret not finishing the result I was brought in to do.”

As Grifol adjusts, regroups and draws on his mistakes in 2023, La Russa will be there as a sounding board.

“When he first got in we talked on the phone and exchanged texts, and later in the season we built a nice relationship, and I’ve been talking to him since,” La Russa said. “I’m excited because it’s a tough year but what he has learned about what has to improve is priceless. It’s his program, he and his coaches. But I do have a background of what that should look like and that translates throughout the system in the minor leagues. There is an attitude that should develop as soon as you sign a contract with the White Sox. This is what we represent, the way we compete and that family-type chemistry. That’s where my focus is. And a lot of it has to do with leadership.

“I’m going to talk to Pedro and his staff, maybe [suggest] some spring-training drills. When I started managing I was told to find somebody in the game you really trust because there are a lot of tough decisions. That kind of trusting relationship is invaluable. And that’s what I want to provide. How you build that family culture, how that translates into practicing and getting fundamentals right.

“That’s my role and I’m excited because I’ve had a connection with the White Sox since Day 1. It’s not any more than that, and anything beyond the narrative is just not accurate.”

In Grifol’s defense, La Russa said, his bullpen, expected to be a backbone, was anything but. Closer Liam Hendriks was out because of his bout with cancer, and Joe Kelly, Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo Lopez — when thrust into the closer’s role — were unreliable.

“In the early going, how often was the planned bullpen actually available? Very little,” La Russa said. “All of a sudden you have games that get away from you. And then you get this excitement with Liam coming back, but he wasn’t able to stay long. So too often the competition was unfair. And you get players who are disappointed and it becomes tougher.”

It became tough in ’22, La Russa said, because the team was seven games under .500 at home.

“Which was a red flag that we weren’t going about it the right way,” he said. “That still bothers me, and I should have addressed it. It’s an attitude thing, where you’re still celebrating [the previous season]. It happens all around. In ’83 we won the [AL West] division, in ’84 we were not ready.

“When you have success, instead of celebrating you get hungry to repeat it, right? The fact that didn’t happen in ’22, as much as I enjoyed coming back and had that fun of winning the division, I have the regrets of ’22. That competed in a different way. And accountability always starts at the top.”

At the very top for the Sox is Reinsdorf, whose decision to bring La Russa back in 2021 was stunning and none too popular. In the aftermath of 2023, the chairman’s popularity among fans might be at an all-time low.

“He catches a lot of heat that should be directed at guys he hires, like me and coaching staffs,” La Russa said. “We’re the ones who can get our hands on what the final score is. The better the White Sox play, the healthier he is. So try to have a great season.”

However he can —whether near or far from the pulse — La Russa just wants to make a contribution.

“He’s a baseball encyclopedia but he’s never, ‘You have to do this or that,’ ’’ Grifol said. “I actually have to push him, like, ‘What do you got for me?’ He’s very respectful of the job just because he has done it for so long. He knows how that clubhouse and dugout breathes and lives. He understands the dynamic. He’s there to help us. He gives me his opinion and it’s right-on every time we talk. He knows the game. And he just doesn’t know the game the way it was, he knows the game today, which is important and impressive to me.”

White Sox announce signing of righty Erick Fedde

2023-12-13T15:02:45.318-06:00

The White Sox announced the signing of pitcher Erick Fedde.

Nick Wass/AP

The White Sox announced the signing of free agent right-handed starter Erick Fedde, who will return to the majors after a successful season in South Korea.

The deal, for $15 million over two seasons, was reported last week and was made official Wednesday after Fedde, 30, passed his physical. Right-hander Yohan Ramírez was designated for assignment, keeping the 40-man roster at 40.

Before going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA for the NC Dinos in the Korean Baseball Organization and earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2023, Fedde struggled with a 5.71 ERA in 27 starts and 127 innings for the Nationals in 2022. In six seasons with the Nats, mostly as a starter, Fedde owned a 5.41 ERA.

Rebuilding after a 61-101 season, the Sox are known to be considering trade offers for ace Dylan Cease. Without Cease, Fedde could be the team’s highest-paid starter, although the Sox may be looking to bolster the rotation with another signing or trade.

“He more or less dominated over in the KBO,” general manager Chris Getz said last week. “There’s been success stories here recently, the Merrill Kellys of the world. We talked to hitters over there, we talked to people that are around that league, and we felt he was the most feared pitcher in that league. And the numbers show it.”

A Nationals first-round draft pick in 2014, Fedde struck out 209 batters and walked 35 in 180¹⁄₃ innings in Korea while producing an exceptional 70% ground ball rate. He led the KBO in wins, ERA and strikeouts to become the first foreign-born pitcher to win the pitching Triple Crown, and just the fourth pitcher in league history to accomplish that feat.

“It was a tremendous runway for him to make adjustments and then go to a league where it’s a bit of a major league environment, from a fans and pressure standpoint, and certainly being a foreigner, it’s never easy,” Getz said last week. “So he’s got a lot of confidence. We see a difference in his stuff.”

The Korean League is generally comparable to Double-A or Triple-A minor league levels in the U.S., so how Fedde’s changes in pitch arsenal and arm angle translate next season bears watching.

“When you look at a projection system, and we’ve got the ability to get a better understanding of, ‘Is it going to translate? Should it translate?’ There was enough support there that we thought we should go and get Erick Fedde,” Getz said.

The Sox are not done adding to the roster.

“Everybody’s trying, man. It’s the nature of the beast,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Everybody needs pitching and there’s only a handful out there. Everybody’s competing for the same thing.

“We have to continue to address the pitching. Last year we broke spring training with six starters, only one for depth. This year with those kids going to Triple-A and finishing up at Triple-A with those trades, we’re looking at 11, 12, maybe 14 starters deep that have the capabilities of pitching in the big leagues as a starter if we need it.”

White Sox acquire catcher Max Stassi

2023-12-09T17:56:10.913-06:00

The White Sox acquired catcher Max Stassi from the Braves.

Ross D. Franklin/AP

The White Sox have emphasized improved defense throughout this offseason, and they made another move to get better Saturday, acquiring 32-year-old catcher Max Stassi and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.

Stassi was traded Friday by the Angels to the Braves with infielder David Fletcher for first baseman Evan White and left-hander Tyler Thomas. He missed the 2023 season with a left hip strain and because of time on the Restricted List due to a family medical issue.

Stassi is owed $7 million in 2024, the bulk of which is expected to be paid by the Braves.

Per FanGraphs.com, Stassi’s 38.1 framing rate from 2018-22 was the second best by a catcher in the major leagues, trailing only Austin Hedges (43.5). His 24 Defensive Runs Saved ranked third and his 55.4 Defensive Rating ranked fifth.

With veteran Yasmani Grandal and his $73 million, four-year contract off the books, the Sox, barring another upgrade behind the plate, will feature an improved defensive setup with Stassi and Korey Lee, who was better defensively than Grandal.

Offensively, though, Stassi is a career .212/.295/.361 hitter with 41 home runs in 403 games over 10 seasons with the Astros (2013-19) and Angels (2019-22) and Lee was 5-for-65 in 70 plate appearances after the Sox acquired him in a trade-deadline deal from the Astros for Kendall Graveman.

Stassi hit 29 homers over his last three seasons with the Angels (2020-22). The Sox should expect better from Lee, who batted .278/.325/.386 with 10 homers in 378 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2023.

Stassi recovered from his hip injury at midseason but went on the Restricted List when his wife gave birth to their son three months premature. Stassi has a $7 million club option on his contract for 2025 with a $500,000 buyout.

The Sox 40-man roster increases to 40.

Josh Barfield advancing Negro League history as he tries to advance White Sox

2023-12-09T08:00:00-06:00

White Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield dons a Negro Leagues jersey at a press conference at the Winter Meetings promoting the East-West Classic Game on May 25.

Daryl Van Schouwen/Sun-Times

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was Josh Barfield’s first winter meetings wearing an assistant general manager title. There were behind the scenes trade talks, talks with agents, players and personnel from every nook of the baseball industry.

The first-year, 40-year-old assistant GM also carried a higher profile, on stage representing the White Sox at the Draft Lottery and, wearing a Homestead Grays jersey, sitting alongside CC Sabathia to promote the Hall of Fame’s upcoming East-West Classic, a tribute to the Negro Leagues All-Star Game. Sabathia and Barfield, who played four years in the major leagues from 2006-09, will play in the game on Memorial Day weekend in Cooperstown.

Barfield did not hesitate when asked to “help bring awareness to the history of Black baseball,” he said. His uncle, Allen Overton, played in the Negro Leagues, and Barfield remembers hearing his stories when he was a small child. Josh’s father, Jesse Barfield, starred at Joliet Central High School before going on to a 12-year career in the majors.

“Baseball is in my blood,” Barfield said. “My dad is a big historian. We’re big historians of the game. Just knowing the history of the game and what guys had to go through before us, and hearing the stories of the Negro Leagues, I grew up idolizing those guys.”

Major league rosters were comprised of 59 African-Americans last season (6.2%), so Barfield didn’t hesitate to aid the cause for getting more Blacks committed to baseball at a young age.

“The reason [my dad] he played baseball when other guys were playing basketball and football was because there were Black players playing for the Cubs and the White Sox [when he attended games at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park as a kid].”

Barfield said his watched games and idolized those players.

“It’s so important having people out there you can relate to that kind of look like you to show this is a possibility,” he said. “It’s kind of sad now that there are not as many as there were when my dad was playing, and I think this will help bring awareness to that and hopefully grow the game from that side.”

Barfield is learning more about the Sox’ decorated ACE program which aims to do just that with educational and baseball opportunities for minorities in the cities and suburbs.

“A lot of young Black kids grow up thinking basketball and football are my only ways out,” Barfield said. “Just knowing there is so much opportunity in baseball and so much history — you see guys like Mookie Betts and Jayson Heyward who are tremendous athletes who probably had opportunities to go different directions but they picked baseball and did great. Anything we can do to shine light on that will only help.”

Barfield also knows the significance of being a Black executive, “when you have decision makers that look like you, that are aware of so many things that young black men go through in this country,” he said. “It’s important.”

With the Sox, he faces the sizable challenge of fixing up an organization lacking depth on the major and minor league levels. He worked the last nine years and the last four as the director of player development of a successful Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

“It can turn around quickly,” he said. “We got a really good head start with the moves that were made at the deadline last year. That infused talent into the system.”

In the offseason, Aaron Bummer was traded for five young Braves players or prospects, and free agent shortstop and starter Erick Fedde have been signed.

“And with [more] possible moves, a chance to improve the system there, too,” Barfield said. “But it starts with scouting. The players that we’re bringing into the organization, continuing to be strategic with the guys we’re drafting and signing, that’s probably the quickest way to turn around a farm system.”

A trade of Dylan Cease, one of the more attractive targets in the market, could infuse more talent. A slow market is forcing GM Chris Getz and Barfield to be patient.

“We’re in a position of leverage because I don’t think we have to trade Cease,” Barfield said. “Two years of [contract] control, really good pitcher, he definitely helps us next year. At the same time, we’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to listen to everything.

“People are going to have interest in Cease. So if we make a move, if we don’t, we’re just going to be patient and wait for the right one.”

The feeling around the industry is that the Sox got a good one in Barfield.

“His evaluation of players is excellent,” Getz said. “When it comes to coaching hires, whether it be on the major league side, the minor league side, front office, his input has been very valuable. He’s experienced, both as a player and in the front office. He’s been part of an organization that had recent success. You talk about an organization that didn’t have many wins, and they climbed fairly quickly and obviously found their way to the World Series.”

At least White Sox kept us awake during sleepy winter meetings

2023-12-06T17:33:40.371-06:00

General manager Chris Getz talks to reporters before leaving the Winter Meetings that concluded Wednesday in Nashville. (Daryl Van Schouwen)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Say this for the White Sox: They stayed alert and made news by actually signing a free agent at the sleepy winter meetings that concluded Wednesday.

The Sox also picked a player in the Rule 5 Draft (left-hander Shane Drohan from the Red Sox), and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf created a stir by visiting Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell. And right-hander Dylan Cease was one of the most talked-about trade chips.

That’s more commotion than most teams caused this week, by far.

Not that righty Erick Fedde is a made-for-headline-news name. He was somewhat forgotten while he was pitching in Korea last season, but he performed well enough — he was the MVP of the KBO — to earn a two-year, $15 million contract from the Sox.

And as the free-agent and trade markets slumbered and waited for megastar free agent Shohei Ohtani to select a team, the Sox, desperate for starting pitching, outbid numerous teams for Fedde, 30.

“I know a lot of people are disappointed that more business [wasn’t] conducted here around the league,” Sox general manager Chris Getz said before leaving the Music City. “But we’re still moving the needle.”

And Fedde’s awakening after his struggles with the Nationals is worthy of optimism. He altered his arm slot, converted his slider to a sweeper, tweaked his changeup grip and improved his command considerably, which helped him to a 20-6 record and 2.00 ERA with an extraordinary 70% ground-ball rate in -Korea.

“Most importantly, it was his pitch arsenal,” Getz said. “There’s some real material differences with his stuff. He added the sweeper; he got a better feel for his sinker; he changed his attack plan. And he more or less dominated in the KBO.”

The Sox liked how Fedde handled the challenges of making necessary changes and performing in a new country in front of exuberant fans.

“It’s never easy,” Getz said. “So he’s got a lot of confidence. We see a difference in his stuff. And for him to come back here, with that level of confidence and the ability, which is a difference from where it was before, we’re willing to take that bet.”

Fedde’s acquisition doesn’t mean Getz is done shopping for pitching. He’s dangling Cease as he looks to shape the future after the team’s last two dreadful, disappointing seasons. And if Cease is gone, that leaves Michael Kopech and Fedde looking like the best starters going into the Christmas season.

Starting pitching “remains a high priority,” Getz said. “We’ve got some innings to cover, and we’re going to try to get the best pitchers we can within the means that we have.”

Getz’s asking price for Cease is hefty — he’s looking for multiple top prospects — which shouldn’t have come as a surprise to other GMs.

“I don’t know if the message needed to be put out there, quite honestly, just because everyone knows how impactful Dylan Cease is in this league,” Getz said. “But you have a certain threshold as an organization on a return on someone like Dylan Cease. And if there’s an opportunity to strengthen our club and plug some holes, which we need to do and continue to look for opportunities to do that, we have to consider it.”

Getz hasn’t talked to Cease of late, but pitching coach Ethan Katz, senior adviser to pitching Brian Bannister and the conditioning staff have.

“I know he’s been reading his name in there, and that at times can be a little bit of a different feeling,” Getz said. “He’s been traded before, but he’s at a different stage in his career. Dylan has really grown up, and he knows how I feel about him, and he knows how the organization feels about him. He’s one of the stars in our game, and we’ve really enjoyed having him. There’s certainly a chance he’s back with us. We’d feel pretty good about that, too.”

White Sox select left-hander Shane Drohan in Rule 5 Draft

2023-12-06T15:39:02.256-06:00

Pitcher Shane Drohan. (Boston Red Sox)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The White Sox selected left-hander Shane Drohan from the Boston Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft.

In the last item of business at the Winter Meetings, the draft allows teams to pluck players from opposing teams not protected on the 40-man roster. Drohan, 24, went 10-7 with a 5.06 ERA and 129 strikeouts over 123 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in the Red Sox farm system in 2023.

“We had some early spring training looks on him this year, and we liked what we saw, and during the season, as well,” general manager Chris Getz said. “In further evaluation analytically, there were some indications of some upside here. So it’s an opportunity to take a shot on an arm that we feel has the potential to have some survival skills at the major league level, to begin with and long term, with a little bit of upside that could potentially be a rotation piece or a reliever of some sort.”

A fifth round draft pick out of Florida State in 2021, Drohan, 24-19 owns a 4.32 ERA over three career minor-league seasons. He won his first five starts with a 0.62 ERA in 2023 at Double-A. At Triple-A, his ERA was 6.47.

“Obviously these things are bets, but there’s enough support and indicators to think that there’s potential here,” Getz said.

Rule 5 selections must stick on the 26-man roster for the full season or get offered back to their former team.

White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf meets with Nashville mayor

2023-12-06T14:14:25.81-06:00

AP Photos

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met with Nashville mayor Freddie O’Connell while the winter meetings were taking place this week, the club confirmed Wednesday. But the Sox will have nothing more to say on details of the get-together, spokesman Scott Reifert said.

The Sox’ lease at Guaranteed Rate Field expires in six years, and this summer Reinsdorf shot down a report that Nashville was being explored as a potential landing spot for his team, which has been based in Chicago since 1901.

“I’ve been reading about I’ve been threatening to move to Nashville,” Reinsdorf said in August. “That article didn’t come from me. But if we have six years left, we’ve got to decide what the future is going to be. We’ll get to it, but I never threatened to move out. We haven’t even begun to have discussions with the Sports Authority, which we’ll have to do soon.”

The Sox lease Guaranteed Rate Field from the Illinois Sports Facility Authority.

Most people in the baseball industry don’t see major-league baseball approving a move by the Sox to Nashville, which wants an expansion team. But any reported action by Reinsdorf suggesting an intent to move or an exploration of moving the Sox will attract attention.

O’Connell has stood against private funding for a hypothetical Major League Baseball stadium. In his recent race for mayor, he took a hard stance against a $2.1 billion stadium deal for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

“Mayor O’Connell did not share anything with [Reinsdorf] that he hasn’t previously said publicly,” a spokesman for O’Connell told Axios.

With their lease expiring after 2029, the Sox are known to be in the exploring stage for a new ballpark, possibly near Soldier Field or the United Center in the city or Arlington Heights in the northwest suburbs. The Bears purchased land in Arlington Heights with the intention of building a stadium there.

Sox take lefty Drohan in Rule 5 Draft

The Sox selected left-hander Shane Drohan from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft.

In the last item of business at the winter meetings, the draft allowed teams to pluck players not protected on 40-man rosters. Drohan, 24, went 10-7 with a 5.06 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 123 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in Boston’s farm system in 2023.

“We had some early spring-training looks on him this year, and we liked what we saw, and during the season, as well,” general manager Chris Getz said. “In further evaluation analytically, there were some indications of some upside here. So it’s an opportunity to take a shot on an arm that we feel has the potential to have some survival skills at the major-league level, to begin with and long term, with a little bit of upside that could potentially be a rotation piece or a reliever of some sort.”

A Red Sox fifth-round draft pick out of Florida State in 2021, Drohan has a 24-19 record and a 4.32 ERA over three minor-league seasons. He won his first five starts with an ERA of 0.62 in 2023 at Double-A. At Triple-A, his ERA was 6.47.

“Obviously, these things are bets, but there’s enough support and indicators to think that there’s potential here,” Getz said.

Rule 5 selections must stick on the 26-man roster for the full season or get offered back to their former team.

Call it what you will, but this sure looks like a White Sox rebuild

2023-12-05T19:26:15.064-06:00

The White Sox declined to pick up the option on star shortstop Tim Anderson (7) and might trade Eloy Jimenez (74) and Dylan Cease. (Getty Images)

Getty

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The White Sox won’t call it a rebuild, but there’s no getting around the truth.

They are rebuilding. Retooling, reshaping, reconfiguring, re-anything is preferred to rebuilding, which spells not trying to contend, even in a weak division.

New general manager Chris Getz and his boss, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, are looking at a minimum of two years before they can begin to expect to compete, even in the soft American League Central.

Getz was asked whether he was reluctant to characterize the plan as ‘‘rebuilding.’’

‘‘To find the appropriate word at this point is premature,’’ Getz said Tuesday at the winter meetings. ‘‘But I will say, based on the upper-level talent we have on this ballclub, I don’t think it’s going to be a dramatic lift to get us where we need to be.’’

But is the goal to compete in 2024 after going 61-101 in 2023?

‘‘We expect to be better than this past year,’’ Getz said. ‘‘I’ve said it before: We’re fortunate to be in the AL Central. Everybody has their challenges with their club, and they’re looking to upgrade their team. And we’re doing the same thing. It’s important for our players, everyone part of the organization, to find ways to improve. Start with Game 1, try to win that one and just add to the win column.’’

The AL Central is a blessing and a curse for the Sox. They’re fortunate to be in a soft division, but being in the AL East or AL West would force them to set the bar higher for a competitive roster.

To compete next season only might require the Sox to field a .500 team. Still, it’s a big jump from 61 victories to 81.

‘‘Well, that’s why we’re here,’’ said Getz, who got hired because the Sox’ recent rebuild failed. ‘‘We have our group, and we wake up every day trying to improve the club.’’

While other teams were in pursuit of front-line starting pitchers, the Sox struck a two-year, $15 million deal (pending a physical) with free-agent right-hander Erick Fedde, who is coming off a nice season — in Korea.

This past season, manager Pedro Grifol said having players such as Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jimenez and Tim Anderson would enable the Sox to be competitive in 2024.

‘‘Oh, it’s definitely not a rebuild,’’ Grifol said in late August. ‘‘When you’ve got Robert in center field and Eloy and [Andrew] Vaughn and Timmy, I don’t consider it a rebuild.’’

But ace right-hander Dylan Cease is on the trade market at these meetings — the Sox are asking for top prospects in return — and the Sox didn’t pick up Anderson’s option for 2024 and Jimenez might be traded.

The Sox also will have a substantially lower payroll, and they have many question marks on a pitching staff with no proven starters after Cease (for now). And the farm system required trades of Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Jake Burger, Joe Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez and Kendall Graveman for prospects merely to raise their minor-league talent ranking to No. 20, according to MLB Pipeline.

Since the start of the offseason, Getz, assistant GM Josh Barfield and Grifol said the moves and plans in the wake of the Sox’ disappointing .500 season in 2022 and the wreck of last season are being made with two or more seasons down the road in mind.

The plan to change the culture, improve the chemistry and improve defensively and on the bases is all good.

‘‘We took a lot of time coming into this to prepare and get an idea of what we want our team to look like, not just next year but beyond,’’ Barfield said at the meetings Tuesday. ‘‘[We’re] trying to make moves that reflect that. We’ve had a lot of interest in a lot of guys, which is encouraging because there’s a lot of talent here.’’

Some of which is going to get traded away. That is what bad, rebuilding teams do.

‘‘We’re going to have multiple options, depending on which way we go, to help improve the direction of next year’s team and beyond,’’ Barfield said.

White Sox agree to terms with free-agent pitcher Erick Fedde

2023-12-05T18:11:04.52-06:00

Nationals pitcher Erick Fedde delivers a pitch against the Cubs, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

AP Photos

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The White Sox reached an agreement with right-hander Erick Fedde on a two-year, $15 million deal Tuesday, providing a needed arm for their thin starting rotation.

The deal, which is pending a physical, has not been announced.

Fedde, 30, was 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA for the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization in 2023. He was named the MVP of the league.

The Sox and Mets were reportedly in competition for Fedde, who posted a 5.81 ERA in 27 starts and 127 innings for the Nationals in 2022.

In 29 appearances (27 starts) in 2021, he had a 5.47 ERA. In 102 career games spanning six seasons with the Nationals, mostly as a starter, he has a 5.41 ERA.

The Nationals, who selected Fedde in the first round of the draft in 2014, didn’t tender him a contract after the 2022 season before he signed a $1 million deal with the Dinos.

‘‘We’re looking to add multiple arms to our rotation, and certainly you never feel you have enough depth when it comes to starting pitching,’’ general manager Chris Getz said Tuesday.

‘‘You’re weighing pitchers that have options to help with that depth. That is a high priority for us.’’

The Royals, Cardinals, Pirates, Padres and Athletics were also interested in Fedde after he tweaked his pitching arsenal in Korea and posted a 70% ground-ball rate.

The Sox are known to be discussing trading ace Dylan Cease. Beyond him, they have Michael Kopech, Touki Toussaint and Jesse Scholtens who started games last season.

Hard-luck Sox to draft No. 5

The Sox had the fourth-worst record in the majors in 2023, but they will get the fifth pick in the draft.

The draft lottery dealt them that blow at the winter meetings. The American League Central rival Guardians, who had a 2% chance to land the No. 1 pick, defied the odds to win the lottery. The Sox had a 14.7% chance at the top pick.

Teams drafting in the top six in 2024 can’t be in the lottery next year and can’t pick higher than 10th in 2025.

Goal for Santos: Opening Day

Right-hander Gregory Santos, who emerged as a first-time closer but finished last season on the injured list with inflammation in his right elbow, has begun a throwing program in Arizona.

‘‘He’s doing really well,’’ Getz said. ‘‘Feedback’s been really strong.’’

Getz said the Sox will be ‘‘measured’’ in bringing Santos, 24, along.

‘‘It’s a little early to know how we’ll handle him in spring training,’’ Getz said. ‘‘The goal is certainly for him to be on the Opening Day roster. That’s the expectation right now.’’

Right field

Oscar Colas will open next season at Triple-A Charlotte, and while first baseman Gavin Sheets ‘‘looks to be capable’’ in right field, ‘‘it doesn’t mean that we’re not going to go out there and find ways to improve our defense as a whole,’’ Getz said.

Center fielder Luis Robert Jr., a Gold Glove winner as a rookie in 2020, and left fielder Andrew Benintendi are set, Getz said, but ‘‘we think we can get even better out there. Just to find a team of outfielders is something we’re set out to do.’’