They have a pair of young 1.7 WAR position players in Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, a pitcher in Lucas Giolito comporting himself like a star with a WAR of 2.5, a top MLB prospect on display in Eloy Jimenez and an over-performing catcher in James McCann who have led them to a spot two games out of the second wild-card spot, a game behind the Red Sox and tied with three other teams.
That's easily enough to tantalize the most optimistic edge of the fandom worn down by losing amid a rebuilding project delayed by serious injuries. It also means the White Sox have at least played well enough to earn the right to be the subject of some reasonable debate regarding how to get closer to winning a World Series.
The trade deadline is a hard and fast one now on July 31, and executives believe the market will now be accelerated as teams decide if they're competing this year. White Sox closer Alex Colome will serve as the proper representation for this discussion, because he has 12 saves, a 0.59 WHIP and a K/BB ratio of 22/5. He's throwing 95 mph, missing bats and would be an ideal addition to the high-leverage bullpen of a bona fide contender, sure to command outsized value.
But then there's the question of holding firm or even adding to what the White Sox currently have, choosing to construct a competitive culture around building-block players to whom they've committed and signaling that a new phase of expectation has begun. The data suggest that this path would have to be taken with the understanding of just what a long shot it would be and being OK with missing on the chance to deal for even more assets.
The White Sox have scored just 252 runs while allowing 295, resulting in a Pythagorean record of 25-34. Baseball Prospectus' simulations predict their final record to be 76-86, though they make the playoffs in 2.5 percent of simulated seasons and retain a 1.2-percent chance to reach the divisional round of the postseason. Fangraphs.com's numbers are more pessimistic, projecting only a 0.3 percent chance of them even reaching the coin-flip wild-card game. Those numbers would be moved a little if they decided to be so bold as to add at the margins, but the larger message has to be considered.
Even a true believer in the unquantifiable concept of "learning how to win" would have to be daunted by such a stark reality that's staring the White Sox in the face. Keeping Colome and/or other desirable assets in a quixotic chase for something so extremely unlikely could only be justified subjectively, as the facts seem to argue against it. Considering both the number of viable potential champions hungry for help and the success that general manager Rick Hahn has already had in aggregating other teams' talent, the real opportunity appears to be in doing that once again.