(670 The Score) As the White Sox have gathered for the start of spring training, general manager Rick Hahn expressed the belief Wednesday that the roster makeup
"From the standpoint of the front office, yeah we still feel there are additional moves to be made," Hahn said. "There are still free agents out there. We had a few trade conversations that were going on at SoxFest that have died off in the last couple of weeks. From our standpoint, there are still moves to be made."
Of course, the name that's top of mind is that of star free-agent infielder Manny Machado. The White Sox are a finalist for the 26-year-old Machado, and the Phillies have expressed serious interest while other clubs lurk as well.
For now, all the White Sox can do it wait for Machado's decision, one of the most high-profile choices in a slow-moving free-agent market.
"This may be the new normal," Hahn said of so many free agents still being available. "We are traditionally used to getting here or even at SoxFest with the feeling our work, for the most part, is done. In reality, there are still potential moves to be made. We did talk in our morning meeting with our staff that the concentration must be on the men in the room. That is 100 percent the way they should be looking at the roster. I am not sure any of the clubs at any time of year would say they are done adding. But yeah, when I said at SoxFest there are still three or four more things to do, I still feel there is a possibility to upgrade."
Anxious baseball fans and observers have searched for any and all clues about where Machado might sign, and that has often led to a great deal of social media buzz. Recently, it was revealed that Machado will had selected black-and-white-colored gloves from Rawlings to use for 2019.
Could it be a sign of him coming to the South Side?
"I like the color scheme of black and white," Hahn joked. "Is he signing with the Raiders? We try to be disciplined with our focus. We try not to spend too much time trolling around (social media) looking for clues. Certainly, we don't want to spend any time negotiating through the media. We don't want to talk about where things sit until there is some finality."
Still, Hahn is keenly aware of the rumors and speculation that surrounds Machado and fellow star free agent Bryce Harper.
"Unless there is a report from Wetbutt23, I am probably going to stay quiet," Hahn joked in reference to the famous Reddit poster who broke the news of the Jose Quintana trade from the White Sox to the Cubs in July 2017. "I much prefer there be complete silence in terms of speculation and rumors that this is happening or that is not happening. It makes our life far, far easier with any free agents high- or low-profile. It rarely benefits anybody. That is not reality or the world we live in. Still, it doesn't really impact how we go about our business."
Even without Machado in the picture, the White Sox have made some key offseason additions. They traded for first baseman/designated hitter Yonder Alonso, right-hander Ivan Nova and high-leverage reliever Alex Colome. They also signed outfielder Jon Jay and high-leverage reliever Kelvin Herrera.
The American League Central is viewed by many as the weakest division in baseball, which begs the question: Could the White Sox make some noise and challenge the Indians and Twins?
"We are very cognizant of where we are in this rebuild," Hahn said. "We are entering year three (of the rebuild) and at it in earnest for 27 months. We are starting to see some fruit of the labors on the scouting side. Our coaches have done a tremendous job over the past few years creating this winning-type culture. It's nice to see the guys who can make this a championship club work their way to the big league level. When you look at it from our perspective, it's hard not to get excited. As we see guys starting spring training, it is hard not to start feeling good about some of the dreams we have had here getting close to reality."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
