GLENDALE, AZ – On the day the entire White Sox roster reports for spring training, GM Chris Getz continues to hold onto the biggest trade piece in all of baseball.
Dylan Cease remains a member of the White Sox, even though seemingly every team has reached out in the last few months trying to trade for him.
How many teams have inquired?
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"It’s been a large number," Getz said in an interview on the White Sox Talk Podcast. "The seriousness of those conversations, they vary. Some teams just don’t have what it takes to get a Dylan Cease, and that’s okay. Now, that being said – and whether it be Dylan Cease or others, certainly fitting into the model or plan that we have – it’s got to make sense for us. We’re in the driver’s seat."
Has any deal been close?
"Yeah, there’s been probably more serious conversations than others, but obviously, nothing’s really matched up."
While Cease trade rumors have been the spotlight of the White Sox offseason, Getz has gradually built a roster filled with young players with promise (Dominic Fletcher, Prelander Berroa, Zach DeLoach, Jared Schuster) while surrounding them with veterans on either short or minor league deals (Michael Soroka, Martin Maldonado, Paul DeJong, John Brebbia, Kevin Pillar, Mike Moustakas, Jesse Chavez).
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"We were very intentional with the types of players that were coming in here. Whether it be guys who can either be part of our future or have something to prove," Getz said. "We’ve acquired some players that have a high baseball IQ that play a selfless type of baseball and that comes from being a quality teammate. And if you get a group like that together, they can go out and do some special things. I want guys to be really energized and excited to show up to the ballpark on a daily basis, and that comes with the people that you’re working with and you're playing with."
Of the 70 players in camp (a White Sox record), it's tough not to notice how many of the new players, plus new coaches and front office members, have ties to either the Royals, Braves, or Angels, leading to wisecracks on social media calling them the Chicago Royals or Atlanta White Sox.
"You bring up these organizations where players have some history with, but they’ve got history beyond those organizations as well. I understand, perhaps the skepticism at times, but it’s well thought-out, and I’m excited about the group," Getz explained. "You look at the players and the energy and the excitement to be here. I’m looking for individuals, whether it be coaches or the front office that can connect with others, have the right intentions, just like what we’re looking for on the player front. That’s the type of environment and culture that we’re looking to create here."
After the contention window slammed shut following a 101-loss season, the White Sox have retreated in terms of player salaries. In 2022, their Opening Day payroll was a record $193 million, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. In 2023, it fell slightly to $181 million. The current payroll sits at $124 million, with just $49 million on the books for 2025 and $19 million in 2026.
Money wouldn't have solved all the White Sox problems this winter, but could they have spent more to put a more competitive team on the field in 2024–at least on paper?
"To be honest with you, payroll really wasn’t much of a factor," Getz answered. "Every decision, there has to be a short-term gain, a mid-term gain, and a long-term gain. Whether it be any of the signings or trades, they need to check those boxes. Monetarily, for each of those decisions, the argument of going out there and signing this person for a long-term deal, I think we need to have a better understanding of who we are as an organization before going out and making a commitment like that. Is there a situation where a guy would have fit what we’re trying to accomplish, both short and long-term? Sure, but for the most part, I do think we need to get a better understanding of what our needs are moving forward."
If those needs come more into focus this season, will the White Sox be bigger spenders next offseason?
"That’s possible. All of those types of things are on the table," Getz said. "I mean, really, you’re looking at a team that had 101 losses last year. Obviously, we have a ways to go. We were not one move away. Every year offers the opportunity to learn more about your organization, and as we work through things, I think that we’re all going to get a stronger understanding – fans included – of what our needs are moving forward."
Since last summer's trade deadline, the White Sox have tried addressing those needs, adding pitchers, catchers, right fielders, etc. The influx of young talent caught the attention of MLB.com in December when it listed the White Sox as one of the most improved farm systems.
As for the major league club, the PECOTA projections by Baseball Prospectus aren't being kind to the White Sox, predicting they'll win only 65 games and giving them a near-zero percent chance of making the playoffs.
"When it comes to expectations, internally as an organization, you’ve got to set them, and if you just focus on wins and losses every year as 'success' or 'not success,' you’re really going to ride the rollercoaster," Getz said.
"Now, obviously, the goal here is to be successful and to compete for the AL Central and go deeper into the playoffs. We had a ways to go. You look at how many wins we had last year, how many losses. The floor needed to be raised, and that comes with the depth and the certain individuals that are acquired here. At this point, can we sit here and say we’re going to out-talent other clubs?
No, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t go out there and win a ballgame on a nightly basis. And you just stack that throughout the year, and you look up, and perhaps you’re accomplishing something beyond what outside expectations are. So that’s really the goal. We’ve got a task at hand every single night, every single day. If we take care of those parts of the game, I feel like we’re going to reap the rewards. We need to establish who we are as an organization and how we go about our business out here in Spring Training. We’ve had a tremendous offseason, and you just build from there."
Some of that building includes high-character veterans who have been brought in to create a stronger foundation that had been lacking inside the clubhouse. How that equates to wins and losses can't exactly be quantified, but in theory, it should make for a more united team that can better withstand slumps, losing streaks and injuries that find their way into every clubhouse over the course of a 162-game season.
Still, an uphill battle seems to be in front of the White Sox in 2024. Is patience the answer for fans this season?
"Not necessarily," Getz said. "I think it’s an understanding of what we’re trying to do. And with that being said – yeah, I guess you could call it patience. But I understand, from an organizational standpoint, that we’ve got to go out there and prove it to our fans, and sometimes that takes a little bit of time. You don’t want there to be any knee-jerk reactions. You want everything to be well thought-out, and that’s really been the big part of our process."