SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chris Getz said “there are no untouchables” on the White Sox roster.
Which is saying something when center fielder Luis Robert, who will get MVP votes this year, is on it. Or Dylan Cease, who was a Cy Young runnerup last year.
But let Getz, who in his first year as Sox general manager with the daunting task of making a 101-loss team watchable again, explain.
“I don’t like our team,” Getz said Tuesday at the general managers meetings at the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa.
“When I say I don’t like our team, we’ve got pieces that are talented and attractive and they can be part of a winning club but obviously we haven’t gone out there and performed. It’s not a well rounded club right now. We have to find players to come in here and help get us in the right direction.”
And if that means trading a top player “to multiply and not only help us in the near term but also in the long term as well,” so be it, Getz said.
With Cease, Michael Kopech and who knows what in the November rotation, a thin bullpen and holes at shortstop and second base, catcher and right field, getting multiple players to fill for one year and beyond have appeal. Getz is talking to fellow GMs at these meetings to assess trade and free agent markets.
That said, Robert is one of the brightest stars in the game, so trading him is “not something we’re being proactive on,” Getz said.
“If there is something that makes sense, so be it, but Luis Robert is a guy you build on around.
“I don’t want to be short sighted or close minded in any way. If there is a way to help our ballclub both now and in the future we have to consider that.”
Getz and manager Pedro Grifol want an improved club to start with better defense, a better place for pitchers to be comfortable attacking the strike zone and to succeed. And to be more athletic, taking extra bases on offense and taking them away in the field.
“We have to make some adjustments to improve in 2024.”
The Sox are expected to operate with a reduced payroll, although one rumor floated to Getz by a national writer suggested they might be inclined to spend. But Getz offered no indication of that.
“We want to identify players that we feel like can help us, both short-term and long-term, and when those players come our way, then we’ll make a decision,” he said. “Obviously, there’s a financial component to it that [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] gets involved in, and we’ll continue to have those conversations. There is no set number right now.”
So Getz said he’ll be open minded on ways to make a 2024 product competitive after a season that saw vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn fired, putting Getz in control.
“Whether that be through trade acquisitions or free agents or a combination of both, we’re open to that,” he said.