2014 Outlook: Chicago White Sox

Every year, you’ve gotta have a dark horse, and this year the Chicago White Sox are my dark horse.

The middle of last season, the Sox were an aging, and very much underachieving unit. And as much as he drives me nuts, Kenny Williams always, and I mean, ALWAYS seems to reload with talent that is major league ready. He, along with the Angels, completely robbed the Diamondbacks blind this winter. He made a brilliant deal to acquire what could quite possibly be the next big thing in Avisail Garcia. Not to mention made the biggest splash on the Cuban market this winter.

On top of the upgraded offense the Sox are going to boast, this pitching staff is very under the radar. Chris Sale was a Cy Young candidate a year ago, John Danks is due for a bounce back year (I feel like I’ve been saying this for about two and a half years now), and Jose Quintana is maybe the American League’s most efficient number three starter, and Erik Johnson could easily be the year’s breakout rookie.

Among the half a dozen bats that should have big time year’s, the one that stands out to me the most is Garcia. “Little Miggy” as he was known in Detroit was a steal they got as a part of the Jake Peavy, three team trade in August. Garcia is maybe one of the more underrated prospects in baseball, as he boasts speed, power and a great arm which should immediate translate into big time production for the Southsiders. Garcia alone could be worth the price of admission in Chicago this season.

But then again, if you do have a ticket to a Sox game, there’s a new face at first base that is sure to set off a ton of fireworks this year. One of the premier power hitters in the hottest market in the world, Abreu wowed the Cuban leagues and the World Baseball Classic viewers and landed a spot in the Sox lineup. Not only are Sox getting a power hitting first basemen, they are getting him in the prime of his career. A lot of people doubt how much that power and skill can translate to the American game, but I am one that says he will do nothing but flourish here, especially in a less than stellar American League Central division.

While the Diamondbacks were busy giving away the future of their franchise, the White Sox were busy saying, “hey we’re looking to do a quick rebuild…” The absolute stupidity of one GM has made Kenny Williams look like a pure genious. And the whole thing only cost them a closer, which, let’s be honest, those are a dime-a-dozen anymore. So the Sox added one of the fastest outfielders in the minors next to Billy Hamilton, and if I had my preference, I’d take Adam Eaton quicker than you could give away Hamilton. They also nabbed one of the premier power hitting third base prospects in baseball (Matt Davidson, right) next to Miguel Sano. If you’re one that doesn’t take Davidson’s power seriously, watch or rewatch the Futures Game from New York last year, then rewatch the Triple-A All Star weekend and get back to me. The kid is legit, and the fact he may not start the season as the every third basemen in Chicago is a joke.

The Sox put those three bats in the middle of already established hitters like Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn, and Alexi Ramirez, though each one of those guys has their own set of problems. It mainly stems from them getting old and their skills declining. Of the three, I think Ramirez has the most to offer, as I think he’s been one of the more undervalued shortstops in the league.

While I’m not ready to proclaim the Sox are going to make the playoffs as a Wild Card, I can’t say it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for them to be around the discussion into September.

To me, the Sox are a bi-product of Kenny Williams finding a way to never have a long rebuilding project and always seeming to find big league ready players to immediately fill in.