(670 The Score) With the MLB lockout over and player movement set to ramp up again, the White Sox are ready to add to what general manager Rick Hahn calls “an already strong team.”
To that end, Hahn was on the phone a great deal Thursday night as the new MLB Opening Day awaits April 7.
"We are going to get our guys ready for a quick Opening Day in Detroit, but at the same time, it’s like the Winter Meetings are going on,” Hahn said Friday. “We had conversations with clubs deep into the night and with agents as well continuing into the morning today. There is that kind of excitement you get in December combined with the excitement you get in February reporting to camp. It’s unique and at the same time exciting.”
Hahn also knows what the White Sox’s main focus will be in the coming weeks – pitching and depth in right field and at second base. The need for pitching became more clear when left-hander Carlos Rodon -- an All-Star starter for the White Sox in 2021 -- agreed to join the Giants on a two-year, $44-million deal.
Related
"Pitching depth is going to be a priority,” Hahn said. “I believe right now all 29 of the other clubs will say something similar this weekend. Having pitching depth to fulfill are expectations for the next seven months of baseball will be key.
"By nature, even if we had a normal offseason, we would be sitting here in March thinking about ways we could potentially tweak our roster and get better. We are obviously aware there are ways to improve this roster the way it currently sits, even as good as we feel about it. In reality, we have only been able to see what is viable (for player acquisitions) and what is not. The best
way to put it is we are aware we have a team that is capable of winning a championship the way it is, but that isn't going to stop us from exploring every avenue we can to try and improve the club. It’s nice we have a chance to get better now between now and Opening Day. We will continue to explore those opportunities well past Opening Day and into the season and through the trade deadline.”
White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel is available on the trade market, so he could be used in a trade to fill a void elsewhere for the team. The White Sox also are willing to trade away prospects as they’re in a window of championship contention at the big league level.
“We do think we have matchups,” Hahn said in speaking generally about the team’s minor league prospects having interest from other clubs. “We had good conversations prior to the lockout, and now we have revisited some of those conversations. Right now, I think every club has taken a beat and is reassessing potential fits. I certainly feel from a trade capital standpoint, we have the ability to make deals we feel we need at the major league level. The only questions are how we align with the other clubs.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.