The Chicago White Sox would probably win the award this season for the most frustrating team to watch in baseball. The team endured a brutal 14-game losing streak, and have the worst road record in Major League Baseball. Despite these problems, the team is not likely to fire their general manager or trade away their star pitcher, per USA Today.
The White Sox are linked to several rumors about trades, but it seems ace Garrett Crochet won't be leaving. Crochet won't be a free agent until after the 2026 campaign and is making only $800,000 this year, per the paper. The pitcher has a 6-5 record this year, and an ERA of 3.33.
The team is trying to work with Crochet and make him a better hurler. The pitcher missed the 2022 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He also has made the transition from reliever to starter, which is difficult for anyone. It has shown mixed results this season for Crochet, who has already thrown more innings this year than the previous three seasons.
The team is also not in the mood to toss their manager Pedro Grifol. The team's front office is not holding Grifol solely responsible for the franchise's current woes. Team officials also don't think bringing in another manager mid-season will help turn the ship around. The White Sox have a miserable 17-48 record as of Sunday.
Why hasn't it worked out for the White Sox?
Chicago has seen a great deal of pain in the last few years. In 2023, the team finished with a 61-101 record in the American League Central. The team is on track to have another 100 loss season in 2024. The White Sox have already lost close to 50 games, and have the worst road record in baseball with a 5-26 mark.
Chicago just hasn't been able to score runs this year. The team has already had to deal with some difficult injuries this season, with Tommy Pham and Eloy Jimenez both on the injured list. The two players are expected back in June, per MLB.com. Chicago has struggled to score runs, even with those two players. The White Sox are near the bottom of the league in several statistical categories on offense. Only three other teams have hit fewer home runs this year than the White Sox, per league stats. Chicago has 53 homers on the year.
Chicago is pitiful in the runs batted in category. The team is last in the league, with only 187 team RBIs this campaign. The next-to-last team is the Miami Marlins, who have 223. That is a very wide gap and the club certainly won't be able to win games until they can wake up those bats.
It appears the team just doesn't want to change anything until next season. Grifol is in the second year of a three-year contract worth about $3 million, per USA Today. The club is expected to evaluate the manager this coming winter, to determine whether a change is needed. The winter can't come soon enough to many fans of the club, who have had to endure mountains of losses in the last few years.
The White Sox play the Boston Red Sox Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:10 Eastern.
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