White Sox general manager Chris Getz had a tough time winning over free agents this offseason, specifically pitchers. It’s the reason he prioritized improving the team's defense this offseason.
“I know with conversations that we had with potential free agents that were coming into the organization, talking to their agents, it was a concern on the pitching front. We had players that didn’t want to come here and obviously, you want them to be an attractive place for guys to want to play,” Getz said during an appearance on Foul Territory.
The White Sox defense has been something that has plagued the team for the last several seasons. The White Sox ranked seventh in the MLB in errors and 24th in fielding percentage last season. Fangraphs had the White Sox as the 30th-ranked defensive in the MLB. In 2022 they ranked 28th.
That bad defense, mixed with a hitter-friendly park and rumors of a poor locker room culture was more than enough for free agents to want to stay away from the Sox.
It’s something that Kevin Pillar acknowledged during an appearance on the White Sox Talk Podcast.
“When I came here, I have friends that are in this clubhouse that have been here the last couple years. I got former teammates that played in here and to be honest it wasn’t the most positive things said about the organization. So there is definitely some hesitancy of wanting to come here,” Pillar said.
Between the bad defense and culture, Chris Getz had his work cut out for him. In an effort to make the White Sox a more attractive destination, he targeted defensive upgrades and veterans who he thought could help with the culture.
Winning over free agents is one thing. Winning over fans is another. When you are coming off a 101-loss season and your biggest move of the offseason is trading away your best player it is hard to get excited about watching White Sox baseball.
AJ Pierznski pressed Getz on how he plans to win back the fanbase during his appearance on Foul Territory, even accusing Getz of saying the same things that former general manager Rick Hahn had said.
"We've got to earn the trust of our fans back."@WhiteSox GM Chris Getz says a successful season means they've established some credibility.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 27, 2024
▶️ https://t.co/2sqk69b66z pic.twitter.com/24Lqhhg8Rz
Getz responded by pointing out that the roster is now filled with hungry players who have plenty of upside. He specifically pointed to the starting rotation, which many people assume will be the team's weakest link. Garrett Crochet is getting his first opportunity to be a starter, Michael Soroka was a top-of-the-line starter before getting derailed by injuries and Erick Fedde is coming off a historic season in the KBO where he was named league MVP.
Naming off players isn’t going to be enough to earn the fan's trust back, but it is easy to see Getz's vision. Improve the defense, improve the reputation, and get to a point where free agents want to play on the South Side.
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