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Yasmani Grandal reacts after striking out against the Rockies during the ninth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 14, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO — White Sox fans hoping to hear about player acquisitions had to settle Tuesday for talk of current players bouncing back and playing with chips on their shoulders and being more motivated next season at the second day of the winter meetings.
“We’re having conversation, a little bit more trade than free agent today,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “We’ll see if something comes together in the next 24 hours before these meetings end [Wednesday]. Our preference is for something to come together, but we’re not going to force it. If it requires some uncharacteristic patience from those of us upstairs, then so be it. We’ll wait until things properly line up for us.”
Corner outfield help is the top priority, followed by second base for the Sox, who signed free agent starting pitcher Mike Clevinger Monday.
Clevinger has something to prove after an off year with the Padres, and every Sox player has something after they finished 81-81 in 2022. Hahn said that will be a recurring theme.
“This is a team that certainly as a unit knows that we were disappointing last year,” he said. “You’re going to hear from several individuals that they have something to prove this year and we like that.”
Count Yasmani Grandal among them. Asked if he was satisfied with the catching position as is with Grandal and Seby Zavala, Hahn said Grandal, the $73 million catcher who struggled and was hurt last season, “when healthy has the talent to remain one of the elite catchers in the league,” Hahn said.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that due to health and other reasons, he didn’t perform at the level that he’s accustomed to in ‘22 and him bouncing back in ‘23 is important.”
Trade chatter
Hahn referenced closer Liam Hendriks being discussed in trade talks as “just us doing our job.” He said the Sox aren’t shopping anyone.
“Our pitching is viewed as an area of strength. Obviously in this game that’s something that’s coveted,” Hahn said. “We’re going to hear from teams with interest. We’re not doing our job if we’re not listening to what ideas people present. At the end, we’re certainly not out there shopping any individual player, but we can’t be closed-minded to any ideas that may show up.”
Sox in the World Baseball Classic
Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert will play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic for the first time and Tim Anderson will play for the U.S. Manager Pedro Grifol sees the benefit even though they could miss weeks of spring training because “they’ve got to be ready to go at the beginning of March.”
The pressure will be real and the experience beneficial because of it.
“That’s the big stage,” Grifol said, in particular for the Cuban players.