For my column for The Athletic on Monday, I wrote about the lack of satisfying resolutions to individual White Sox during a season that was supposed to be about discovery, if not winning. And there wasn't winning.
Case in point: Yoán Moncada’s series at Oriole Park. He opened Friday by going 3-for-4 with a walk and zero strikeouts from the leadoff spot. He closed it out Sunday by going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and a pair of defensive miscues.
He’s probably going to need the winter to internalize everything he learned from a long and trying season, with the hope that he shows up in 2019 with an answer for at least one of his fatal flaws. But he’s not the only one whose positive developments always come with strings attached. James Shields is going to blow past 200 innings and lead the American League in losses. It’s just that kind of season.
I went over a handful of them, starting with Moncada above. Lucas Giolito is hellbent on foiling Jeff Sullivan at every turn, this time losing the combination that got him swinging strikes. Jose Abreu in an 0-for-20 slump after his return from testicular torsion. Avisail Garcia figured out how to hit homers but isn't doing anything else of note.
Even the guys who are performing can't coast. Daniel Palka showed signs of a more complete offensive profile, walking in five of his last nine games to go along with five September homers. But then he stabbed his foot into Earth's mantle trying to make a sliding catch, and had to leave the game with what he described as a jammed knee.
And there are players I didn't mention. A sore calf prevented Matt Davidson from doing any further damage in Kansas City, and he's in a 2-for-20 slump.
Carlos Rodon goes tonight. He's walked 10 guys over his last two starts, paying for it against the Angels but getting away with it against the Royals thanks to some unusual double plays. Rodon's top task was showing he could start every five days, and he'll be projected into the 2019 rotation if he can survive his last three turns. However, if he doesn't put a dent into his 4.71 FIP before the end of the season, the Sox can only count on another No. 3 or No. 4 starter until further notice.
Here's a fun fact about Leury Garcia...
... but he's not playing due to a hamstring injury, and Abreu's struggles show the difficulty of coming back without rehab games. Garcia's injury has allowed Adam Engel to seize center field, and he's created his own complications by hitting .271/.289/.413 after the break. (He's struck out 49 times to three walks over his last 50 games, and that's the better half.)
Outside of Tim Anderson showing he doesn't need to move from shortstop, Jace Fry turning into a weapon and Omar Narvaez flashing more power, the Sox are short on meaningful conclusions. Outside of a bullpen where relievers are only starting to build cases for April jobs, few conversations can be changed over the final two weeks. Maybe Palka, if he comes back from the knee injury and resumes building on an all-or-something approach. A fine September for Reynaldo Lopez would have roots in August. I wouldn't mind seeing Jose Rondon starting more often than not around the diamond.
Anything else?
