Getz urges White Sox to ‘make best of’ lost year
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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz knows his team is staring down a record number of losses this season, but he’s urging his players to “make the best of it” as they draw closer to 120 or more defeats, the modern record for losses in a single season.
“I think if you would have told me we were going to end up flirting with the record I would have been a little surprised,” Getz said on Monday afternoon. “Now if you would have told me prior to the year that we would have ended up with over 100 losses, 105, 110, I wouldn’t have been as surprised. But this is the cards that we’ve been dealt at this point. You try to make the best of it, and I think it’s an opportunity to embrace the situation that we’re in.”
The White Sox are 33-112 with 17 games remaining on the schedule. Their .228 winning percentage has them on pace for 125 losses. The 1962 Mets, the modern record holders for most losses in a season, were 40-120. The question of whether the White Sox will surpass that mark has morphed from an “if” to a “when.”
Getz is hoping the tough times will give way to better days in the future.
“As someone that grew up in Detroit, we saw the Tigers in 2003 with 43 wins and three years later, we’re in the World Series,” he stated. “I view it as kind of the frustrating part of the story, but I also know that the future’s looking bright and it’s going to make it just that much sweeter once we get there.”
Much of the White Sox’s season has been by design, beginning with trading their best pitcher, Dylan Cease, to the San Diego Padres on the eve of the season. In doing so, they turned over their entire starting rotation and nearly their entire pitching staff from a season ago. In July, they moved capable starter Erick Fedde to the St. Louis Cardinals, and closer Michael Kopech was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their other top arm, Garrett Crochet, essentially took himself off the trade market due to usage demands and has been on a pitch count throughout the second half.
Chicago is 6-40 since the All-Star break. Early in the year, the White Sox also dealt with a spate of injuries to their position players, most notably infielder Yoan Moncada, who hasn’t played since April 9. Luis Robert Jr. and former outfielder Eloy Jimenez also spent time on the injured list — just as they have over the past three seasons.
Getz was asked for both a favorite memory of the year so far and what he might remember most as a negative moment.
“I’d say my favorite memory is making the decision to have Garrett Crochet be a starter this year, and then naming him the Opening Day starter,” Getz said. “He showed the organization and certainly baseball what he’s capable of doing. That’s certainly the brightest memory.
“In terms of the memories that perhaps I want to forget, I can’t say that there’s one that really stands out. I think that there’s a lot to learn from for our players and our staff and personally, and all you can really do right now is apply those learnings to the future.”
One of the early offseason tasks for Getz will be to hire a new manager after the team dismissed Pedro Grifol last month, not long after it broke a 21-game losing streak. The front office is still in the information-gathering stage of the process, but Getz reiterated that the White Sox will hire a permanent manager from a pool of candidates who are in uniform but outside the organization.
“You have people inside and outside the organization that can be of help whether it’s through the referral process or gathering more background information,” Getz explained. “I’d say it’s fairly broad with the involvement.
“It’s going to be my decision, the baseball ops decision and we’re excited about the next Chicago White Sox manager.”
Hard-throwing rookie Jacob Misiorowski is a National League All-Star replacement, giving the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander a chance to break Paul Skenes‘ record for the fewest big league appearances before playing in the Midsummer Classic.
Misiorowski was named Friday night to replace Chicago Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, who will be unavailable for the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Atlanta because he is scheduled to start Saturday at the New York Yankees.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski has made just five starts for the Brewers, going 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA while averaging 99.3 mph on his fastball, with 89 pitches that have reached 100 mph.
If he pitches at Truist Park, Misiorowski will make it consecutive years for a player to set the mark for fewest big league games before an All-Star showing.
Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander getting ready for his second All-Star appearance, had made 11 starts in the majors when he was chosen as the NL starter for last year’s All-Star Game at Texas. He pitched a scoreless inning.
“I’m speechless,” said a teary-eyed Misiorowski, who said he was given the news a few minutes before the Brewers’ 8-3 victory over Washington. “It’s awesome. It’s very unexpected and it’s an honor.”
Misiorowski is the 30th first-time All-Star and 16th replacement this year. There are now 80 total All-Stars.
“He’s impressive. He’s got some of the best stuff in the game right now, even though he’s a young pitcher,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is a starting AL outfielder for his seventh All-Star nod. “He’s going to be a special pitcher in this game for a long time so I think he deserved it and it’s going be pretty cool for him and his family.”
Carlos Rodón, Carlos Estévez and Casey Mize were named replacement pitchers on the AL roster.
The New York Yankees‘ Rodón, an All-Star for the third time in five seasons, will replace teammate Max Fried for Tuesday’s game in Atlanta. Fried will be unavailable because he is scheduled to start Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
In his final start before the All-Star game, Rodón allowed four hits and struck out eight in eight innings in an 11-0 victory over the Cubs.
“This one’s a little special for me,” said Rodón, an All-Star in 2021 and ’22 who was 3-8 in his first season with the Yankees two years ago before rebounding. “I wasn’t good when I first got here, and I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t to going to give up and just put my best foot forward and try to win as many games as I can.”
The Kansas City Royals‘ Estévez replaces Texas’ Jacob deGrom, who is scheduled to start at Houston on Saturday night. Estévez was a 2023 All-Star when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.
Mize takes the spot held by Boston‘s Garrett Crochet, who is scheduled to start Saturday against Tampa Bay. Mize gives the Tigers six All-Stars, most of any team and tied for the franchise record.
Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia will replace Tampa Bay‘s Brandon Lowe, who went on the injured list with left oblique tightness. The additions of Estévez and Garcia give the Royals four All-Stars, matching their 2024 total.
The Seattle Mariners announced center fielder Julio Rodríguez will not participate, and he was replaced by teammate Randy Arozarena. Rodríguez had been voted onto the AL roster via the players’ ballot. The Mariners, who have five All-Stars, said Rodríguez will use the break to “recuperate, rest and prepare for the second half.”
Arozarena is an All-Star for the second time. He started in left field for the AL two years ago, when he was with Tampa Bay. Arozarena was the runner-up to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the 2023 Home Run Derby.
Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen, a first-time All-Star, is replacing Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who is scheduled to start Saturday night at Arizona. Rasmussen is 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA in 18 starts.
San Diego added a third NL All-Star reliever in lefty Adrián Morejón, who replaces Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. The Phillies’ right-hander is scheduled to start at San Diego on Saturday night. Morejón entered the weekend with a 1.71 ERA in 45 appearances.
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