Chicago White Sox
In some ways, it appears as though the White Sox are fully embracing a rebuild in 2017. Chris Sale has been dealt to the Boston Red Sox. Adam Eaton has gone to the Washington Nationals. So, Chicago is without two of its best players from a 78-84 team.
But let’s not write off the 2017 White Sox as hopeless just yet.
Rookie shortstop Tim Anderson showed genuine promise in 2016.
Tim Anderson's 2.8 bWAR in 2016 is most by a #WhiteSox rookie position player (age 23 season or younger) since Tommie Agee (6.4) in 1966
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) January 25, 2017
He’ll be back on the South Side. Barring a trade, corner infielders Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier will also return. Those two combined for 65 home runs a season ago.
Additionally, four of the top five prospects in a now loaded farm system are expected to make it the majors in 2017. What happens if a few of those make an early impact?
There’s a great deal of potential on the Chicago roster. The White Sox are probably not a playoff team, but things are not hopeless. In fact, even without Sale and Eaton, we should expect to see Chicago better its record from 2016.