A week ago, I questioned whether there were any players in Charlotte who could help the Chicago White Sox other than maybe a few pitchers.
Since then, however, the White Sox have won just a single game and the situation has grown dire. The season hangs on by a thread and it begs the question: is it time to throw caution to the wind and see if some assets in Charlotte can help address some of the Sox’ multiple issues?
One big problem is the lack of offense in the bottom third of the White Sox batting order with Sosa (.151), Colas (.211) and Andrus (.206).
Now, for the record, I’m very much on the Sosa and Colas bandwagons. If the White Sox are sellers at the trade deadline, I wouldn’t take these two young hitters out of the lineup for the rest of the season. Both are going to be solid major leaguers one day, but I’m not sure now is the time to let them earn their spurs.
The White Sox have stocked the Knights with several MLB veterans, especially outfielders, including Victor Reyes, Stephen Piscotty, Jake Marisnick, Billy Hamilton and Clint Frazier. The idea presumably is to hope one or more guys catch fire and provide a spark to the major-league squad.
And one of those guys, Victor Reyes, is indeed off to a strong start, leading the Knights in hitting (.293) and RBIs (18). His power numbers are down just a bit from where I thought they’d be, with just five doubles and three homers in 92 ABs. But he seems to be making solid contact.
No, Reyes might not move the needle much in Chicago, but he’d add a bit of depth to a lineup that sorely needs it.
Do The White Sox Also Need A “Glue Guy?”
It is hard to put a finger on it, but the White Sox team seems to lack passion, baseball IQ and plate discipline. I’m not sure exactly what the issue is, or more importantly how it can be fixed given that two very different managers, Tony La Russa and Pedro Grifol, can’t seem to get through to this squad.
But tell me if you think the White Sox need more players like this: high baseball IQ, solid fundamentals, good plate discipline, the ability to play multiple positions and can grind out at bats. The Knights have a guy like that and his name is Zach Remillard.
If the team needs a baserunner in a close game, he finds a way to get on base. If a baserunner needs to be advanced, he’s your guy. No one pushes himself harder, or cares more. He currently leads the Knights in walks (16) and OBP (.414).
Perhaps it is time to find out how Remillard’s game translates to the major leagues. If not now, when?
Meanwhile, the news that Davis Martin has been moved to the IL is poorly timed given the pitching issues in Chicago.
But the hottest arm in Charlotte right now is reliever Sammy Peralta. The 24-year-old lefty with the filthy change-up pitched four scoreless innings this week, including a three-inning, three-strikeout stint on Wednesday when he needed just 29 pitches, followed by a nine-pitch, two-strikeout inning on Sunday.
Adding Peralta, Remillard and Reyes to the roster is unlikely, of course, given that none are on the 40-man roster and the maneuvers required to get them on it would be gargantuan.
But it is food for thought because there’s nowhere else for the White Sox to turn except Charlotte.
