Major Additions: Derek Holland, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Cody Asche
Major Losses: Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, John Danks, Alex Avila
Strengths: Youth, Lineup Balance
Weaknesses: Offensive Core, Bullpen
Potential Breakout Stars: Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada, Matt Davidson, Michael Ynoa
By trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, the White Sox announced that they were in full rebuild mode, and the future looks extremely bright with the impact talent they got in return. Really, though this White Sox team has a lot of weaknesses (as would any rebuilding team), there is a lot for Chicago fans to look forward to in 2017, and that's all because of the youth on this team. Veterans Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier will obviously provide the power, and Melky Cabrera will continue to be a dynamic offensive threat, but everywhere else, there's youth. Tim Anderson (age 23) was long a polarizing prospect due to his terrible plate discipline, but by slashing .283/.306/.432 as a rookie in 2016, (95 wRC+), he may be on his way to answering those questions. Tyler Saladino (27) was a pleasant surprise last season as he slashed .282/.315/.409 (93 wRC+) and will line up across second base from Anderson. Avisail Garcia (25) has been in the majors for so long that we forget his age, but he has combined for 25 home runs in the past two seasons, while Charlie Tilson (24) will get his chance in center field. Catcher Omar Narvaez (25) was an intriguing breakout prospect last season, slashing .267/.350/.337 (88 wRC+) when he wasn't even supposed to make it to the majors. Then there's Matt Davidson (25), the former first round pick who has crushed 133 minor league home runs over eight seasons but whose massive strikeout numbers have kept him from producing at the major league level. One reason for optimism may be that his 26.4% strikeout rate at AAA Charlotte last season was his lowest in four seasons at the level. Of course, there's the newly acquired Yoan Moncada (21), but he's played just 53 games above High Class A. On the mound, we're all surprised that Jose Quintana is still with the team, but as long as he's in Chicago, he'll be a reliable ace in the absence of Chris Sale. Behind him, though, questions abound. Carlos Rodon has immense potential and has flashed it at times in the major leagues, but he's been unable to gain any semblance of consistency thus far, though he did just turn 24 in December. Miguel Gonzalez is a nice piece, but he turns 33 in May, and he hasn't topped 160 innings in any of the past three seasons. James Shields was one of the better pitchers in baseball from 2011-2014, but after a moderately strong 2015 season, he was absolutely terrible in his 22 starts for the White Sox (6.77 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, -1.4 fWAR). He's too good not to bounce back at least somewhat, but at 35 years old, his best days are clearly behind him. Lastly, Derek Holland was excellent from 2013-2014, but after knee and shoulder injuries in 2014, he's been unable to find his groove for any extended periods of time. Fortunately for prospect lovers, we could see newly acquired top prospects Lucas Giolito and/or Reynaldo Lopez in that rotation throughout the season, as well as Carson Fulmer, though they'll have to earn it. As surprising as Quintana's return is closer David Robertson's return, and though he hasn't been quite what the White Sox hoped for when they signed him to a four year deal in the 2014-2015 offseason, he's still a capable relief ace. Nate Jones was quietly excellent last season (2.29 ERA, 0.89 WHIP), but like with the rotation, question marks arise quickly after those two. Dan Jennings put up a solid 2.08 ERA last year, but his 3.38 FIP suggests that he may have been a bit lucky. Zach Putnam has reached 50 innings in a season just once, in 2014, and Jake Petricka is a health question mark. We could see young guys like Michael Ynoa,Tommy Kahnle, and even Zack Burdi step up, though. Overall, this team is filled with youth on offense and defense, which means they are likely to see plenty ups and downs this year. Not every young guy I talked about on offense is going to live up to expectations or even stick in the majors, and so this is sure to be a roller coaster of a season for Chicago. However, if you are obsessed with the future of the game like I am, this will be a fun team to follow, as Moncada, Giolito, Lopez, Fulmer, Burdi, and Anderson, among others, have the potential to be stars for a long time.
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