White Sox notebook from GM Meetings
The general managers meetings can set the tone for the offseason. A month before the Winter Meetings – in Dallas Dec 9-12 – “it's tough to tell the pace” of trade discussions, White Sox GM Chris Getz said.
“These meetings can be productive, laying the groundwork for future offseason moves both with free agents and trades,” Getz said. “We're not near anything. These are just preliminary conversations.”
This is the second such gathering for Getz in his role as GM.
“Going through the first [offseason], maybe you're not anticipating certain portions of the offseason, where I've got a pretty good idea now,” he said. “More than anything, I've just got stronger relationships with leadership around the league.”
Veteran rotation help targeted
Assuming Garrett Crochet is traded, young starters such as Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Drew Thorpe and Sean Burke — with others entering the mix at some point — figure to carry the 2025 starting rotation. Last season, Getz signed free agents Erick Fedde and Chris Flexen, and he’ll be “on the hunt” for such veteran free agents to provide protection for the younger arms.
“Because for some of these guys, it's going to take a minute for them to have an understanding on what It's like to pitch on a regular basis at the major-league level,” Getz said.
Getting with the times
If the Sox were behind the competition in research and development, Getz is looking to close the gap. He said he had a passion for analytics before he became GM.
“We are always learning, that's the beauty of the game that we're in, and as technology continues to advance and you look at the game in so many different ways that you get a stronger understanding on how to value players and project on players and put together a balanced roster to make your team more competitive,” he said. “To say that I've got it all figured out is not true, I do have a passion for looking at the game in a lot of different ways and the R&D lens is certainly an area I've always gravitated towards, but with that being said, I still appreciate scouting and the development of players. That remains the core of an organization and you know an R&D department only strengthens all the different buckets, throughout an organization.”
Improvements
Getz noted the building of academy in the Dominican Republic, modernizing international processes as a whole and scouting and developing Latin American players as aims.
Getz said hiring pitching coordinator Brian Bannister has “really expedited our ability to not only acquire pitchers, but develop them.”
Hiring former Orioles co-hitting Ryan Fuller could be another positive step.
“It's not about how m any people you have, it's about having the right people focused on the right things,” Getz said. “Whether it be on the R&D front, the scouting front, player development front, coaching staff. We're trying to find well-rounded quality people that enjoy working together that respect players, respect their development, to create a culture for everyone, to show up every day and be excited to compete.”
Call to the Penn
Getz on side-arming righ-hander Penn Murfee, who missed last season following Tommy John surgery and was claimed off waivers by the Sox Monday.
“Our grades are high, we like the pitch quality, it's a different look,” Getz said. “He has options, so we've got a player that can bring value to the organization.”
Murfee owned a 2.70 ERA over the 2022 and '23 seasons with the Mariners.
Farewell to Moncada
Getz on the Sox not picking up Yoan Moncada’s $25 million option, an expected move: “He was part of two playoff teams [2020, 2021], accomplished a fair amount. Obviously, there were some injuries along the way and this past season was one of them. But we wish Yoan well, we do. He did some good things for us, but it was time to move on.”