The Chicago White Sox finished 85-77 and in second place in the AL Central in 2012. They were an enigma before the season, as GM Kenny Williams–now, Executive Vice President Kenny Williams–was accused of getting lost in the GM’s office. But with the emergence of Chris Sale, and Jake Peavy figuring out his health, the White Sox were respectable. With longtime backstop AJ Pierzynski gone and the surprise that was 2012 behind them, how do the 2013 White Sox look?
Projected Lineup:
- Alejandro De Aza (CF)
- Jeff Keppinger (3B)
- Paul Konerko (1B)
- Adam Dunn (DH)
- Alex Rios (RF)
- Dayan Viciedo (LF)
- Gordon Beckham (2B)
- Tyler Flowers (C)
- Alexei Ramirez (SS)
The Rotation:
- Chris Sale
- Jake Peavy
- John Danks
- Gavin Floyd
- Jose Quintana
Strengths:
Rotation: Gavin Floyd, Jose Quintana, and John Danks are all somewhat boring to watch. However, they are effective. All promise to eat innings (presuming John Danks is fully healthy) and there are no real problems with Jake Peavy’s shoulder. All five of the guys will ensure that the White Sox are capable of winning many games. Further, a strong and deep starting rotation typically will keep a club relevant through August, even if the rest of the team is iffy. (Oh, and Chris Sale is good, too.)
Konerko the Wise: Paul Konerko has been very good for a very long time. (It’s also his birthday today, he turns 37. Congrats, Paul.) Consider that Konerko has a career .283 average and 422 home runs. It’ll take some luck for Mr. Konerko to reach the 500 home run plateau, but he’s certainly capable of it. Anytime you can plug a guy like Paul Konerko into the middle of your lineup, fans should be happy. He was batting 5th yesterday (behind Jeff Keppinger and Adam Dunn) and that leads to concern for the IQ of manager Robin Ventura. Konerko will produce; he always does. (14 straight years of 18+ homers).
Weaknesses:
Tyler Flowers: His most notable award, per his mlb.com player page, is that he was on the 2008 AFL All-Prospects team. He’s a career .205 hitter. He’s amassed 273 major league at bats and is currently 27. He’s been anointed the Sox starting catcher and will provide very little in the way of offensive production for a team looking to replace AJ Pierzynski.
Hawk Harrelson.
Alexei Ramirez: Ramirez is known for his glove and for being svelt. He won a Silver Slugger in 2010 and had the makings of a very good shortstop. He was always a low OBP guy, but his 2012 showing was especially poor. .287 OBP to go with 9 homers will not keep you starting for very long. Alexei is considered a weakness until he figures it out (again?).
Farm System: The White Sox farm system has been poor for many years now and ESPN’s Keith Law ranked it 28th out of the 30 teams. Still, Courtney Hawkins is in A-ball and there’s reason to be excited about his prospects out there. However, toolsy 19 year olds come along more frequently than true impact players. And that he’s the most noteworthy guy doesn’t speak highly of the direction the White Sox are heading.
Storylines:
Can Chris Sale repeat his stupendous 2012?
Is Jeff Keppinger really a .325 hitter? If so, three years at $4 million a year for a guy who hit .325 last year could be a complete bargain.
With a new GM on board, how do the White Sox change how they go about their business?
Prediction:
83-79, 3rd Place, AL Central. The White Sox return largely the same team, with Keppinger taking over the hot corner for Kevin Youkilis and Tyler Flowers replacing AJ Pierzynski. The catching downgrade is enough to make this team 3-4 wins worse than in 2012. The Royals team that was bad last year will no longer be easy fodder. The White Sox are not a bad team, they’re just not particularly good either.
Bold Predictions:
- Alexei Ramirez has under a .287 OBP
- Adam Dunn has over a .370 OBP
- Chris Sale throws exactly 187.2 innings
- Robin Ventura directs a movie in 2013
- Addison Reed has fewer than 21 saves
Something Completely Different.
-Sean Morash
