The White Sox are holding a playoff spot nearly a third of the way through the season, and it’s time for the front office to make roster moves that reflect where this team is in the standings.
Entering play on Friday, the Chicago White Sox are 25-24 and comfortably hold a playoff spot in the American League as the second wild card, making them one of only five teams in the AL with an above-.500 record.
That's a far more competitive position than most people expected this team to be in based on preseason projections. But here they are, with a young team that has incredible clubhouse chemistry, keeps finding ways to win, and is starting to prove that this is no fluke.
It's probably too early to be legitimately monitoring the AL Central or AL Wild Card standings, but at the same time, the White Sox are about to play their 50th game of the season on Friday night in San Francisco. And as long as they're in the race, they need to be as aggressive as possible to capitalize on the opportunity in front of them.
I mostly direct that toward the front office. And no, I don't necessarily think it would be wise for the White Sox to be buyers at a hypothetical trade deadline right now. Just because you're ahead of schedule and have a shot to compete this year doesn't mean Chicago should mortgage its future for a playoff push.
But I do think it's time for Chris Getz and the front office to be aggressive with their roster moves and promotions. There are two clear transactions that need to be made that would make the White Sox a more complete team. And given the position they're in, where wins are at a premium, there's no excuse not to make them as soon as possible.
For starters, Ben Peoples needs to be on the MLB roster.
There's no guarantee that Peoples would be a productive MLB reliever once he makes his MLB debut, but it's pretty undeniable that he's earned an opportunity.
In 17 appearances for Triple-A Charlotte this season, Peoples has a 0.79 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 22.2 innings pitched. He's been highly effective, has future upside, and has even shown the ability to pitch in high-leverage situations.
The White Sox have been shuffling through bullpen arms all season long, trying to find the right mix of talent to help them win close games. Trevor Richards is still on the roster despite a 15.43 ERA since joining the team, and I don't think Brandon Eisert has done much to inspire future confidence, even though he's a left-hander and wouldn't be a one-for-one swap for Peoples.
If the White Sox are going to hold pace, stay above .500, and compete for a playoff spot, they need their bullpen to be rock solid. Adding Ben Peoples to the team is a no-brainer with that goal in mind.
I'd also like to see Jacob Gonzalez get his opportunity.
The former first-round draft pick out of Ole Miss is batting .302 with a 1.041 OPS in 45 games this season. His 15 home runs and 52 RBIs lead the International League. I'm not sure the White Sox have a spot to play Gonzalez every day, but he'd undoubtedly be an upgrade as a bench bat or platoon option when you compare him to some of the guys still on the White Sox roster.
Luisangel Acuña doesn't bring much of anything to this team. He proves that almost every time he steps on the field. He has a .424 OPS, hasn't been very good defensively, and hasn't even been able to get a bunt down on multiple occasions.
Designating Acuña for assignment is long overdue, but especially now that Gonzalez is knocking on the door and has nothing more to prove in Triple-A.
The White Sox have plenty of outfielders. They won't miss Acuña in the slightest. Call up Gonzalez and use him for infield depth, as a platoon option with Chase Meidroth, and as an occasional DH.
If he struggles, he struggles, and he can be sent back down to the minor leagues without consequence. But if the bat turns into a productive offensive contributor at the MLB level, Jacob Gonzalez could help the White Sox win games with a difficult stretch of the schedule coming up.
Teams can talk all they want about contention being the goal, and White Sox manager Will Venable and GM Chris Getz have both tried to avoid making any hard predictions or goals for a win-loss record this season. But here you are, nearly a third of the way through the season, holding a playoff spot. It's only right that the organization's roster moves reflect its current position in the standings.
