Sox In The Basement

The Chicago White Sox added Mike Clevinger to their starting rotation on a reported one year deal as Jose Abreu offically left the team for greener pastures. The starting pitcher should be a solid addition to the 2023 rotation. The length of the contract and current payroll restraints may point to the next move coming very soon. We break down what may happen next, explore Clevinger's value & learn...

Looking at the current White Sox roster, who do you trust on the mound? Even after Rick Hahn spent way too many resources on his bullpen, it still has issues. The starting rotation needs help. The question is how many arms need to be added? We find the guys we trust, the guys we're hopeful about and the guys who will likely not be relied upon in 2023. Brought to you by  Family Waterproofing Soluti...

After Rule 5 protections and arbitration tender decisions, the White Sox 40-man roster sits at 35. Looking only at positional players currently in the organization we ask the question "who do you trust?" There are lots of good reasons for optimism in 2023, even if the roster is incomplete. We go position-by-position to create a base lineup and identify a few target additions that could point the W...

Let's take a White Sox trade rumor with a little internet smoke and go down the rabbit hole to see how the White Sox could fix some holes in the 2023 roster. We go shopping in Seattle where they have starting pitching and outfielders and are looking for something the Sox possess. We also present the list of viable trade pieces Rick Hahn must deal from this offseason under the constraints of his bu...

Compare how the White Sox spend to how they make money through media deals. Is there a connection? We attempt to crack the code by looking back on decades of self-imposed Jerry Reinsdorf salary caps. We also look at the latest White Sox Trade Rumors and ask if the team is focused on the next several years or pushing their cards in on 2023. The next few moves will tell you a clear answer.  Brought...

After our previous episode with Scott Merkin and a revealing article from James Fegan of The Athletic, the White Sox plan this week seems to be spend less and make trades. Even long-time Chicago radio personality Kevin Matthews thinks that's nuts! He joins us for the first time as part of our $1000 Guest Bounty contest with stories of his radio days and hunting with Bo Jackson. Meanwhile we find t...

The 2022-2023 MLB off-season has offically begun, and the White Sox have decisions to make over the next few weeks. As the General Manager Meetings take place we visit with Scott Merkin of MLB.com to get a feel for what the White Sox plan to do. Will Rick Hahn make a splash and shake things up, or is the belief that the team can perfom drastically better with more subtle adjustments? Merk gives us...

Pedro Grifol put on his brand new #5 White Sox jersey and was officially announced as the team's new manager. Rick Hahn was gushing, but the new Sox skipper was preaching an emphasis on energy and preparation. That clues us in on a new direction for this team. We break it all down and get insight on what type of manager will be running things from broadcaster Alex Feuz. He's spent some time talkin...

Reports are out on Tuesday 11/1 that Pedro Grifol is the new manager of the Chicago White Sox. In this updated episode, we break down the new skipper and ask some questions about the process. Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen had two interviews. Kevin Long, Ron Washington & Carlos Mendoza also had at least one interview. Joe Espada talked to the White Sox (and everyone else) but seemed to be out of the run...

Former White Sox pitcher Donn Pall returns to Sox In The Basement to give his take on current White Sox pitchers and what the staff could do in 2023. Donn also gives his inside-the-clubhouse view of "The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson" by Jeff Pearlman. Are depictions of former White Sox players in that book accurate? Donn Pall was there and he has stories to tell in "30 Minutes o...

James Fox of FutureSox joins the show to explore a White Sox minor league system that has viable trade pieces that could help a re-shaping of the major league roster. They also have a couple future pieces unlikely to be moved unless the return is big, including their 2023 rightfielder Oscar Colas. We also peer into the managerial search as we imagine it behind closed doors at 35th & Shields. There...

In the face of some justified negativity about the current state of the Chicago White Sox, we try to do an entirely positive show. Can we find the positives in weird rumors that Jim Thome could be the next manager? Is it possible to stay positive looking at projections for starting position players? Can you feel positive about the ability to create a more balanced lineup with what is available on...

When you look at the teams winning in the 2022 MLB Postseason, one of them is a mirror image to the White Sox in how they were constructed. When you look at who the White Sox should mimic going forward, though, it is a different postseason team. Let's look through the roster and find some offseason spending money too. It's all in "30 Minutes of Sox!" Brought to you by  Family Waterproofing Solutio...

The White Sox are interviewing managers, and other potential managers are doing their rounds in the media. Two very different types of managers have been interviewed so far. We've found our front-runner thus far. Plus, we examine the new shift rules in 2023 and ask if any White Sox player will see a positive impact. One Sox hitter projects to benefit, while a few others may not see much of a diffe...

Before you remake a team, you have to determine who has their arrow pointing up and who has their arrow pointing down. We're running through the roster with White Sox players poised for better seasons in 2023. Not everyone is going to improve, though. We're also asking if celebrating a single postseason win in 2021 is healthy for fans wanting so much more. Brought to you by  Family Waterproofing S...

Covering the 2022 White Sox was difficult. Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald talks about "one of the most painful seasons that [he has] ever had to go through" while predicting if Jose Abreu is leaving, and if AJ Pollock is staying. Hear his thoughts on not getting to question Jerry Reinsdorf at this week's press conference as well. Meanwhile we sat down with a group of White Sox season ticket holde...

Two years after a press conference announcing the type of manager he was looking for, Rick Hahn was basically saying the same thing again as Tony La Russa retired on Monday. What confidence do you have the same decision-makers can achieve better results? James Fox of FutureSox joins us with a managerial wishlist and who he believes is already out of the running. The process, though, may already ha...

We have a fun baseball conversation because it has nothing to do with the White Sox. Then we're jumping into some questions that need to be answered: Do you blame the players or the team when you hear about training issues and injuries that were handled poorly? What stops the White Sox from operating like the Dodgers, Yankees, Astros or Padres? And can lessons in a documentary about a Welsh soccer...

After losing a realistic chance of making the postseason, the White Sox have started to show an even deeper team issue. We break down a roster that isn't as young as you may think, and start to form a picture of what has to be done this offseason. One thing for sure is the franchise needs a new marketing phrase, because they didn't come close to changing the game. We present an alternative team sl...

A lost season. A frustrated fanbase. The 2022 White Sox underperformed. The team was set up, though, by a series of bad decisions from the front office. We break down the defining moments over the past few years that brought the White Sox to this point. Before addressing positional needs and a few bad contracts, should ownership replace the decision-makers? Let's rip the bandage off and get into i...

The White Sox will essentially face three elimination games in a row versus Cleveland this week, and Miguel Cairo has to manage each game as a must-win. Meanwhile, we are also visiting with Scott White of CBS Sports. The fantasy baseball guru talks about MLB's new rules starting in 2023, how those rules will change the game, and what types of players should see a production increase. (Hint: The Wh...

It isn't over. Not by a long shot. But it also isn't a sure thing. James Fegan of The Athletic gives us his take on Cairo's impact, the honest chances of the White Sox winning this division, and if Tony La Russa can realistically return to his job in "30 Minutes of Sox!" We ask if the new MLB rules for 2023 make some of these guys better, and also figure out that any great postseason run needs a l...

Using baseball's version of the scientific method, the Tony La Russa hire was a failed experiment. Now the White Sox must look at his health, the results of changing managers and how they can spin this season to fans by making a final decision on La Russa's fate. The worst thing they can do is allow this to linger and let Tony's status become a distraction. Brought to you by  Family Waterproofing...

Since Miguel Cairo took over, the White Sox may be the best team in the A.L. Central. Wait, is that Tony La Russa trying to work his way back? Elvis Andrus is playing really well and would move to another position upon Tim Anderson's return. Meanwhile there are a few under-performing players with large contracts that may be in the way. Will the White Sox put the best performers in a position to ta...

Just when you thought you were out, the White Sox pulled you back in! Baseball was fun this past weekend, and it has been very different since Miguel Cairo took the reigns. Our advice for the current Sox skipper is to manage like nobody's opinion matters because this is your moment. We also take a look at why Lance Lynn's resurgence should have been expected based on one of our favorite stats. Plu...