As I mentioned in Tuesday evening's review of the minor league development staff, the offseason schedule, while plodding, waits for no man.
Said schedule includes SoxFest, which is a week and a half away. On the list of men said schedule doesn't wait for is Manny Machado.
If Rick Hahn had his druthers, I imagine he'd try to delay the former to accommodate the latter. Alas, Jerry Reinsdorf is the one handling the negotiations, and he's not the one who faces the line of questions from fans.
Without Machado -- or Bryce Harper, although the Phillies seem to have the line on him -- I'm guessing SoxFest 2019 is going to lose the warm vibes from the previous winter. (Also, good on Yonder Alonso for joining the list of players expected to attend, but also bless his heart if his brother-in-law isn't there.)
I was taken aback by how popular Hahn and Rick Renteria were among the masses at last year's SoxFest. The Sox did play an enjoyable brand of baseball for a team that won just 67 games, so I didn't count on barbarians at the gate, but I also didn't expect to see "Hahnsight is 2020" t-shirts and all the profuse gratitude for Renteria's attitude.
Alas, the pain they side-stepped during the first rebuilding year waited for them in Year Two, and it brought friends. This season felt every bit as agonizing as its record, and most of the favorites from the previous SoxFest weren't spared. While the Sox have improved the product, they've lifted the floor more than they've raised the ceiling, and that doesn't really get the blood pumping.
It brings to mind SoxFest 2016, when Hahn landed Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, but stopped short when it came to outfield additions while retaining a highly unpopular manager. Without any tide-changers, the vibe was apathetic at best. At worst, Avisail Garcia got booed. Based on the way that season turned out, the fans gauged the direction correctly.
If Reinsdorf comes through and lands Machado and/or Harper, then Hahn will remain on track for more premature 2020 plaudits. If Machado and Harper remain on the market, Hahn at least knows what he's going to get, and can find sanctuary in citing all the things he's not allowed to say.
If the Sox can't land either, then Hahn probably has a more muted welcome awaiting him. He won't be alone, because it wasn't a good year for last year's heroes.
Renteria: He wasn't so steady a hand in his second season, a year defined by minor-league small ball, bush-league benching and hyperactive bullpen usage. I'm giving him a pass for the last item given how much talent was taken away from him, but the secret extension isn't a vote of confidence for how the Sox will handle his position going forward. That said, his emphasis on hustle (bordering on eyewash) will play better at the Chicago Hilton than it does here.
Carlos Rodon: Rodon surprised everybody with his gregariousness despite having no firm timetable for when he could return from shoulder surgery. He pitched 120 innings and finished the season taking his turns, although he wasn't in full working order, what with the 9.22 September ERA and equal numbers of walks and strikeouts. I'm guessing the certainty about his availability will keep the questions to and about him rather light.
Michael Kopech: He'll be in attendance, but after Tommy John surgery, I'm guessing "good luck with your recovery" will dominate his word cloud. On a related note, local product Zack Burdi is not on the list of scheduled attendees.
Yoan Moncada: His second season with the White Sox was a step back from his first, as issues with his hit tool turned his patience into passivity. After leading the league with 217 strikeouts -- 85 of them looking -- I expect to hear the phrase "get the bat off your/his shoulder" at least a couple of times.
Nicky Delmonico: He took SoxFest by storm with the combination of his surprising 130 OPS+ and locally renowned "it" factor, only to go on and provide replacement-level production in left field in 2018. The Sox have those replacements lined up accordingly. Jon Jay is the new left-handed, non-Eloy Jimenez corner outfielder, and Yonder Alonso is the new left-handed DH/first baseman. Daniel Palka is also around as a left-handed defensive liability/fan favorite. I don't see a fit for Delmonico in Chicago at the moment, which is something that hasn't been acknowledged yet, at least loudly.
Lucas Giolito: Let's hope Steve Stone isn't the one interviewing him on a panel.
“(Giolito) can be good, but he dropped three mph in his velocity. I don’t know why. He’s got a very good curveball; he doesn’t like to throw it. I don’t know why. He has a tendency to fall off the mound and yank the ball three feet wide of the plate. I don’t know why. I’m not his pitching coach; I don’t have to know why.”
That said, the Sox might not be operating from too large a deficit when it comes to year-over-year satisfaction. Yolmer Sanchez is back and better than ever. Reynaldo Lopez will probably trade places with Giolito when it comes to front-of-mind pitchers. Dylan Cease's big season put him on everybody's radar, as did Nick Madrigal's lack of strikeouts. Jimenez will get a head start on putting the team on his shoulders. The entire hotel is going to want to buy Palka a beer.
That's a fair amount of crowd-pleasers, and they won't have all that much work to do since most fans go to SoxFest to get a head start on happiness. I'd just expect the buzz to be limited to specific rooms based on the itinerary, rather than running through the whole facility like it did last year.
Of course, that's all dependent on whether the Sox can take care of a specific item of business over the next nine days. Manny Machado doesn't fix everything, but "SoxFest excitement" would give him an easy win before he even puts on the bottom half of the uniform.
