Chris Getz has plenty on his plate. There’s a trade deadline approaching, and he’s the general manager of baseball’s worst team.
There is much to assess, including the White Sox’ second-year manager, Pedro Grifol, who has piloted a 101-loss season and this one, which saw the Sox bring a 19-54 record into their game against the Astros Tuesday.
Talking publicly for the first time in three and a half weeks, Getz touched on a variety of subjects, including Grifol’s status for the rest of this season, which he answered in general terms, giving neither an endorsement or indictment.
“Well, Pedro and I are still talking regularly and we are trying to put our players in the best position we can not only to be successful this year, but in the coming years,” Getz said. “So, there is a lot of work to be done, whether it be on our major league staff or with our front office to take steps forward. I know there’s a lot of speculation on who is going to be in what role in future years, and really it’s about showing up each day and figuring out how to put our players in the best position possible.”
Grifol was hired before the 2023 season by general manager Rick Hahn, who was fired last August. Getz was the assistant GM and was in on the interview process and knew Grifol from their days in the Royals organization. Asked how the manager should be evaluated, Getz pointed to the progress of players.
“Obviously a huge component is playing together as a team, but really if we get the most out of our players, each position and every spot on a pitching staff, you are going to be in a good position to get a lot of wins,” he said.
With a .260 win percentage entering Tuesday, the Sox are near the pace set by the 1962 Mets (.250), who at 40-120 lost more games than any team in history. The Sox also have an attractive supply of available players — maybe the largest in the majors — from which contending teams would like to have.
While there’s a “long list” of Sox players who are performing well, per Getz, some have not played to their standards or expectations. That’s baseball, Getz said.
“But you show up the next day and you continue to fight to get better,” Getz said. “And we certainly believe in a lot of the players we have here and we work, we work together and try to find ways for us to get better.”
Grifol said he and Getz talk. About the farm system, the team and “what we want to look like at the end of the year.”
“There are some really good things happening [in the minor leagues] and you have to balance that with what is happening here,” Grifol said. “When it matches up, how it matches up, what are the elements.”
When things align for the Sox to be competitive again remains to be seen. Who is managing if and when it happens is another unknown.
“It’s tough for me to put an exact timetable on it,” Getz said. “These types of things are certainly fluid. There’s players that perhaps take a little bit longer to be ready to be productive at the major league level. You’ve got injuries that can happen. You’ve always got to have your thumb on it, or a pulse on it, so to speak, to be able to adjust accordingly.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate or accurate enough to put a date out there in which we feel like we’re ready to compete for the division. Right now we’re focused on getting these guys acclimated to the major leagues and positioning them well for major league success.”
At least for now, that is the job of Grifol and his staff.