CHICAGO (670 The Score) – While continuing to express hope that his struggling White Sox can turn their season around soon, general manager Rick Hahn on Tuesday also acknowledged reality in a few of his recent comments.
And that reality is the White Sox are on track to be sellers at the trade deadline, which looms on Aug. 1. Change in some form is needed, and the only question is how many players will be shopped and ultimately dealt.
With the White Sox sitting at 37-50 and seven games back in the AL Central entering play Wednesday, the next few weeks will also inform the front office’s approach.
“In the end, we will be making decisions based on what is the best for the long-term health of the organization, with a priority on here and now since this is the only time we can control,” Hahn told reporters. “Ultimately, if you are overwhelmed with a deal that you hear, it might tip the balance to the future. If we don't play well, that may also tip your focus to the future.”
Hahn made his comments before the White Sox suffered another tough loss, as they coughed up a lead in the eighth inning of their 4-3 setback to the Blue Jays at Guaranteed Rate Field. That loss came after the White Sox dropped two of three games to the lowly Athletics over the weekend.
Despite those woes and the building frustration, Hahn also expressed a sliver of optimism regarding the coming weeks.
“It’s good to see the commitment and the work we have done since May 1, but we still have a fair amount of work to do ahead of us yet,” Hahn told reporters. “We have won a decent amount of series since May 1, but it hasn't proved to be enough yet. I am not going to put a marker in sand saying we have to rattle off 10 of the next 14 wins. At the same time, we can see the calendar and we can see how many games we are back. You want to have a reason to believe this thing is going to get right between now and August 1.
"Obviously, we have big decisions to make before the end of this month. I have heard from players directly and indirectly though (manager) Pedro (Grifol) and the coaches, their focus is to get things right here. Their goal is to win the division and do some damage in the postseason. Nobody in baseball ops is going to say anything to take away from that focus. We will continue to support guys who want to get things right.”
Hahn’s comments about supporting players who want to get it right was telling, as it was also an acknowledgement that a few other players need to be traded.
Hahn understands the White Sox’s front office must be realistic about what can be expected.
“We might eventually be on track to win a division, but our goals have always been higher,” Hahn said. “I think if we manage to win the division, it will be the result of us going on a stretch of playing some pretty good baseball. That in turn would give us the confidence we can do some damage in October. But again, that first thing must happen. We have had a half a season to do it, but we must make a decision in the next month.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
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