White Sox fans didn’t enter the new year with a second surprise Japanese signing after star pitcher Tatsuya Imai signed with the Astros on New Year’s Day.
But the signing of Munetaka Murakami alone was reason for fans to rejoice about the offseason. There’s some positivity around the team for the first time in a long time.
The organization improved its infrastructure, and young players improved last season. In a weak American League Central, the Sox should start to make strides next season to being competitive against their division foes, who have been relatively inactive in free agency.
The Sox’ young core was a selling point for Murakami to sign.
“We feel like we’ve been able to create a significant amount of momentum from last season, especially now that we’ve had a lot of our young players from the minor leagues get up to the big leagues, get acclimated, [and] winning some games [in] the second half was a great example of that,” general manager Chris Getz said in December.
“Now, using that momentum to take us into the offseason and attract even more talent speaks to the work that’s been done and the determination to continue to improve.”
But there are still questions surrounding the Sox, and with SoxFest Live happening at the end of the month, it’s a good time to look at those questions with spring training inching closer.
What’s next for Montgomery?
Things were bleak for shortstop Colson Montgomery last April. He was striking out at a 41.7% clip and was sent from Triple-A to Arizona to work with director of hitting Ryan Fuller.
After the reset, Montgomery hit .270/.353/.574 with eight homers in 32 Triple-A games and got called up to the majors. His ability to change games with one swing became evident immediately, and he played well at shortstop, finishing eighth in defensive runs saved at the position.
But there’s room for Montgomery to improve after he posted a 31.5% whiff rate and a 29.2% strikeout rate.
“He’s going to continue to take steps forward at the plate and continue to control the zone, making contact,” manager Will Venable said.
“A real opportunity for Colson is to make progress in his baserunning. [There were a] couple mistakes that he wants back. But with as natural an athlete he is and as instinctual a baseball player as he is, he should be an excellent baserunner. That’s another area where we can take steps with Colson.”
Does the bullpen have enough arms?
The Sox’ bullpen finished in the middle of the pack last season with a 4.16 ERA, which isn’t too high of a number considering the unit threw the second-most innings among bullpens in the majors (657⅓).
Mike Vasil was a revelation after being claimed off waivers from the Rays, who had acquired him as a Rule 5 draft pick. His ability to give the team lengthy outings was paramount because of starters’ inability to pitch deep into games, outside of Shane Smith and Davis Martin.
Right-hander Jordan Leasure brought much-needed velocity and started to figure things out, posting a 3.26 ERA in the second half. The Sox aren’t in a competitive window, so spending a lot of resources on big-name options isn’t going to happen. But if Leasure, Vasil and right-hander Grant Taylor can build on their success, the bullpen could be solid.
Who’s playing in the outfield?
If Luis Robert Jr. is still on the Sox come Opening Day, he’ll be their center fielder. But there are a lot of questions when it comes to the corner-outfield spots, especially after Getz said it’s likely that Andrew Benintendi will spend more time at designated hitter next season.
The Sox have made several minor trades and signings to address the outfield, but they’re mostly lottery tickets.
So far, the Sox have acquired former top prospects in Everson Pereira and Jarred Kelenic, a veteran in Derek Hill and a defensive option in Tristan Peters.