Wow, it seems like the White Sox are indeed headed in a different direction under Chris Getz, as they just made a move that is unlike what they have done in the past.
As Spring Training is coming to a close, they need to trim down the roster to get to 26 players, 13 hitters and 13 pitchers. But, they cut two guys that many thought were going to make the roster and play a good amount of baseball for the White Sox in 2024.
These two cuts are surprising as many thought that Mike Moustakas was going to take one of the last bench spots, and many thought that Kevin Pillar was going to be the fourth outfielder and potentially platoon with Dominic Fletcher in right field.
This is very atypical for the White Sox, as they loved to defer to older veterans for the first shot in the positional battles, regardless of how they were playing. But, this might signal a change for Chris Getz, as he clearly did not like what he saw out of the two of them this spring.
I don’t really blame Getz for getting rid of Mike Moustakas, as he did not play very well this spring. In 41 at-bats, Moustakas hit .191 with just one homerun and two RBIs. For a guy who was supposed to come in and be mainly a bench bat, this was not going to cut it. This likely means that Gavin Sheets makes the team, as it seems that the competition was between them for the bench bat/designated hitter type.
The other move with Pillar is a bit more interesting, as he didn’t play nearly as bad as Moustakas. To this point in Spring Training, he was hitting .250 with five RBIs and one stolen base in 44 at-bats. Chris Getz clearly didn’t like what he saw and wanted to move in a different direction.
This leaves Mark Payton, Brett Phillips, Rafael Ortega, and now Robbie Grossman as the options for the fourth outfielder spot. Payton has played the best, as he has a .333 average in 30 at-bats, leading the pack in that category. Ortega hasn’t hit great, as he is currently hitting .156, but he does have a .314 OBP due to him taking 10 walks in 21 games. Phillips hasn’t been great at the plate either, as he is hitting .226 in 31 at-bats.
None of these guys have done anything overly impressive, so I can see the newly acquired Robbie Grossman likely taking the last outfielder/platoon spot. I do like how Chris Getz was aggressive with adding multiple veteran players to the spots that were open for the taking. This is something Rick Hahn rarely did, so this is a nice change.
Chris Getz is clearly not afraid to make the moves he needs to make, even if it means cutting an established veteran. He is showing that he is interested in what you are doing for my team this year, rather than what you have done for other teams in the past. This ushers in a new era for the White Sox, and fans should be excited about the direction Getz is taking the team.
White Sox, not the Bears, need new ownership asap.
At least Sheets did not get cut …yet.
Excited? No, I don’t think so.