Five Questions Hanging Over White Sox In Grifol’s First Spring Training

Pedro Grifol is a baseball man, not a magician. His arrival with the White Sox will change the feel around the team but how much can a different management dynamic impact the performance of the team?

Hall of Famer Tony La Russa failed to deliver in a return to the dugout that lasted less than two seasons, thanks to poor health, public relations issues related to multiple arrests for driving under the influence, arrested development of young hitters and a four-game loss to Houston in the 2021 Division Series. Grifol, a 53-year-old former catcher who was highly respected for his work as a coach in the Kansas City organization, figures to connect with players in ways La Russa couldn’t but is he being put in a position to succeed as a first-time big league manager?

He is welcoming 66 players to spring training in Glendale, Ariz., this week. The group is built around veterans returning from last year’s 81-81 season but is notable for at least two players who won’t be on the field: Jose Abreu, who signed a three-year deal with Houston after nine seasons on the South Side, and closer Liam Hendriks, who is being treated for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The White Sox have $176 million invested in payroll as they seek to win a postseason series for the first time since they won the 2005 World Series. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf and the front office he has largely had in place for two decades once again hope this will be their year but go to camp picked in the middle of an American League Central featuring two likely 90-win teams in Cleveland and Minnesota.

Here are the five biggest questions Grifol faces as he tries to lead his team to the playoffs:

1. Does the lineup have enough thump to succeed without Abreu? With the exception of the shortened 2020 season, when Abreu was the AL MVP, the Sox have ranked ninth, fifth, 13th and 12th in the AL in runs since 2018. They’ve had Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada for all four of those disappointing seasons; Eloy Jimenez since ’19; Luis Robert and Yasmani Grandal since ’20, and Andrew Vaughn since ’21. The one consistency has been inconsistency, and that needs to end.
2. Will the rotation be the strength it was projected to be without a contribution from Michael Clevinger? An investigation into allegations of domestic violence has clouded the Sox’s decision to sign him while allowing Johnny Cueto to leave after a surprisingly strong season. That shifts a bigger onus onto Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Lance Lynn to join ’22 Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease to deliver quality starts.
3. Can a veteran-laden bullpen buy time for Hendriks? It’s unclear how long the Sox will be without Hendriks, who has 75 saves and 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his two seasons in Chicago, but they have the pieces for success in Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly, Jose Ruiz and lefties Aaron Bummer and Jake Diekman. Grifol will pay close attention to Reynaldo Lopez in spring training, as he’s shown the ability to be a key contributor if he isn’t needed as a depth piece in the rotation.
4. Can an overhauled defense be transformed from a weakness to strength? The White Sox were changed with -35 Defensive Runs Saved last season, the second worst figure in the AL, but signaled their commitment to run prevention by moving Vaughn from the outfield to first base, his natural position. Grifol hired defensive guru Eddie Rodriguez as his third-base coach. Fielding is sure to be a focus of the spring, both in individual drills and teamwork. The addition of free agent left fielder Andrew Benintendi will be a plus but otherwise the improvement is not a given.
5. Are the internal options in right field and second base adequate? Oscar Colas profiles as a complete player but the Cuban right fielder has played only seven games above Double-A. Jimenez would love a chance to move from left to right field but it’s his bat the Sox value, not his glove, so that could leave Grifol to build a platoon from Gavin Sheets, Victor Reyes, Leury Garcia, Yoelqui Cespedes, Billy Hamilton, Jake Marisnick and Adam Haseley. The best hope at second base is 26-year-old Romy Gonzalez can be solid in the field and hit enough to contribute. Jose Rodriguez offers a higher ceiling entering his age-22 season but like Colas could be a fixture at Triple-A Charlotte, not Guaranteed Rate Field.