February has arrived.
Excitement is still going to be a while.
Optimism is around -- some people have said they've seen it, anyway -- but it's not because of anything the White Sox did. Strangely, hope springs oozes from what the White Sox undid (hiring Tony La Russa), and what they didn't do (basically stay healthy).
If you don't allow the White Sox to sandbag their handicap for more favorable scoring, there isn't much to grade. This shows in the result of The Athletic's leaguewide offseason grades, as the White Sox were the only team to get an "F." And it's not because they farmed out the overview to somebody who hadn't been paying enough attention.
There was a litany of supplementary ways the White Sox could improve the roster, but their primary needs were left fielder, second base and filling the last spot of their rotation. Currently, they’re lined up to rely on internal options for second base, and the starting pitcher they signed is the subject of a league investigation into stomach-turning domestic violence and child abuse allegations, bringing disgrace upon a franchise that has had too many stories of personal misconduct in recent years. They probably can’t expect him to cover many innings either, given where things currently stand. The Andrew Benintendi signing is good. — James Fegan
Were Mike Clevinger still a typical let's-see-what-he's-got-left case along the lines of a Johnny Cueto or Miguel/Gio González, then I could see the grade being a D, shading up a half-grade because the White Sox overhauled their approach to hitting coaches. I could still see the grade being a D yet again if Elvis Andrus tumbles back into their laps, because he'd address second base and serve as real shortstop insurance in case Tim Anderson misses 40-plus games again. (Of course, Andrus hasn't found a home because the upside is fleeting, and there's a real weight to the idea that the White Sox might've squandered the best ball he had left.)
Unless or until they do something else, the White Sox's offseason is simple, painful math: They only made two important moves, and they can't even talk about one of them. Granted, there isn't much anybody can say about Clevinger, except when the only defense of a guy is "In America, we believe somebody's innocent until proven guilty," it's typically not going well.
But hey, Rick Hahn has acknowledged that "winning the winter" has preceded a thoroughly losing season, so maybe he thinks losing the winter is the thing to try.
February is about as long as it is wide important dates
*Feb. 13: Report date for pitchers participating in the World Baseball Classic.
*Feb. 15: White Sox pitchers and catchers report
*Feb. 16: Report date for position players participating in the WBC.
*Feb. 20: Full squad reports.
*Feb. 25: Cactus League play opens.
