The Chicago White Sox needed another starting arm, sure. To fill that need, they went out and grabbed James Shields from the Padres for a fairly small price. That’s all fair and well, but the White Sox’s main priority should have been (and definitely should be now) to find a bat to help a relatively weak lineup.
The White Sox started the season on a roll, to the surprise of many. They went 18-8 in April and had established a fair lead in the American League Central race. Things aren’t so sunny anymore, however. Not only do they no longer sit atop their division, they are now sitting at .500 after enduring a rough two-week stretch.
Chris Sale and Jose Quintana are still pitching like aces, but Mat Latos has come back down to earth and the offense is in the midst of a forgettable slump. Over the past 30 days, Chicago’s offense has a wRC+ of 82. That’s the worst mark by any team in baseball not in the NL East. Over those same 30 days, their starting pitching has ranked in the middle of the pack in WAR. And yet, the White Sox’s response was to go out and trade for essentially a fourth starter.
Shields is obviously going to help Chicago’s rotation. That much is obvious. But their rotation isn’t the problem — it’s the ability to produce runs. The White Sox have only two players who are producing more than the average offensive player. Take away Todd Frazier (122 wRC+) and Adam Eaton (106 wRC+) and the offense really goes off a cliff. Jose Abreu has been disappointing, and Jimmy Rollins really has no business being in a major-league lineup anymore, especially as a designated hitter. General manager Rick Hahn desperately needs to go acquire a bat if he wants his team to play in October.
I’m not too worried about any specific position on the White Sox, so when Hahn starts making calls to other teams, that really shouldn’t matter to him either. His main focus should be finding a player with an above-average bat and power. Jay Bruce is a player the team should be interested in. He’s a disaster in the outfield, but the presence of the designated hitter in the American League would render that moot. A move to the AL would surely help. Bruce is one of the best hitters in baseball this season, and with a 138 wRC+, he’d instantly impact a failing offense.
He would bring a good amount of power to the club, along with a respectable on-base percentage. His presence would greatly help Chicago’s playoff chances that now sit at 19.4%, by the way.
As a team, the White Sox are better than they were a week ago thanks to Shields. But the pitching was never really part of the problem. Adding a hitter or even two hitters will help them more than adding a 34-year-old hurler who’s past his prime, and if Hahn wants to keep his job, he better be aware of this fact and start making some calls.
