GLENDALE, Ariz. — When Chris Getz looks back at his stint as general manager of the White Sox, and who knows when that will be — three years from now, a Ken Williams/Rick Hahn double-digit-years tenure from now or somewhere in between — he always will remember where it began.
At arguably the most forgettable season in franchise history.
“Absolutely the worst season I’ve ever been through,” chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said the day he hired Getz last summer. “It was a nightmare. Embarrassing. Disgusting. Just awful.”
The bottom line was a season heading to 101 losses, prompting a sell-off of top players before the trade deadline and the stunning firings of vice president Williams and general manager Hahn.
Enter Getz, the 40-year-old assistant GM named by the embarrassed and disgusted Jerry Reinsdorf — his words, not ours — to succeed Williams and Hahn. The in-house choice was met with a collective “meh,” in large part because Getz had overseen a Sox farm system that sank to the bottom of most rankings.
Reinsdorf also said hiring Getz was the quickest way to put the Sox on a winning path, but working with a payroll reduced by about $50 million is no fast pathway. What Getz has done is work to bolster a farm system that is now moving up industry rankings while structuring an on-field product that no longer minimizes the value of defense as the previous regime did.
“To help our pitching, which is the highest commodity in our game,” Getz told the Sun-Times on Saturday. “And to make it attractive for pitchers to want to come here and to stay here as well.”
That’s a good start. And along the way, Getz is filling the clubhouse with veteran good-character, high baseball IQs, selfless types for establishing good clubhouse culture.
Those things might not prevent the Sox from losing 100 games again this season, but they are worthwhile components to build on.
Meanwhile, the jury on whether Getz can build a champion is out. But he deserves a chance to prove himself, and thus far is being judged favorably around the industry for the Aaron Bummer trade that fetched five Braves in November, the acquisition of veteran catcher Max Stassi and the trades of potential closer Gregory Santos to the Mariners for outfielder Zach DeLoach right-hander Prelander Berroa and a 69th draft pick in this year’s draft. Getz also may have solved right field by dealing pitching prospect Cristian Mena to the Diamondbacks for Dominic Fletcher.
“Trades that help us in the short term and the long term,” Getz said.
Getz also reorganized the front office with the additions of Josh Barfield as assistant general manager and senior adviser to pitching Brian Bannister, who come highly regarded around the league. Assistant general manager Jin Wong and director of pro personnel Gene Watson are also new.
“The ultimate goal is to have a strong foundation and feel great about your major-league club and farm system,” Getz said. “If we focus on those things, in terms of sustainability that will be a key to our success.”
Because the Sox exist in the winnable AL Central, the Sox aren’t far away from competing. But every move Getz makes, including a potential Dylan Cease trade, must come with benefits for the present and future, he said.
And when it comes to adding payroll, Getz said he’ll know when it’s time. The time now is to allow young talent to develop while seeing what players Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn and Michael Kopech do.
“We’ll have a pretty clear idea of what our needs are going to be moving forward and we’ll make a decision from there,” he said.
“The ultimate goal is to win a World Series. But I also know that anyone can say that. And everyone should say that. It’s really going to come down to all the decisions that go into putting yourself in position to execute that. I don’t want to be casual with those words. You need to be extremely disciplined along the way, with how we play and who we bring in the clubhouse and how you nurture the process.”
