DALLAS — General manager Chris Getz said he didn’t come into the MLB winter meetings thinking the Chicago White Sox “needed to do this or that.”
“So much of this is — whether it be discussions with player agents, with other clubs — everyone has their plans and sometimes there’s just a certain pace to any sort of negotiations, so to speak,” Getz said Monday. “We understand what our needs are. We are going to remain big picture with every move that we make.”
Many clubs have expressed interest in Sox ace Garrett Crochet and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations on a lot of different players,” Getz said. “Obviously, Garrett gets a lot of attention just because of the pitcher he’s become. That’s a testament to the player, to the person. The work he put in. He’s got one of the best pitcher makeups that I’ve been around. This guy is a different level. That showed last year. Obviously, other teams have taken notice.
“Then, in a way refreshingly, Robert has gotten a lot of attention as well. That speaks to the talent that Luis Robert brings to the table at his floor just because of the defense and the base running and the power, he can be an above-average player, let alone you get a smooth runway at the beginning of the year and what he’s capable of doing throughout a full season. He’s an impactful guy and teams are recognizing that.”
Getz added, “Not to say we are heavily motivated by any sense. But when you are in a rebuild like this, you have to look at ways to accelerate it. If there’s something out there that we feel can move this along and take it to another level, we are going to consider it.”
Crochet had a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 32 starts after making the move from the bullpen to the rotation in 2024.
“There are only so many frontline, ace-caliber type pitchers in our game,” Getz said. “There isn’t a team in baseball that wouldn’t take Garrett Crochet and we feel very fortunate to have him wearing a White Sox uniform and comfortable going into the season with Garrett Crochet.
“We believe in the pitcher. He’s a guy that went out last year and has proven that he’s a top pitcher in our game. Now, we have to do what’s best for the organization.”
Getz said he doesn’t have a timetable to make a decision one way or the other.
“There are some teams that are more sincere than others (in interest),” Getz said. “Then there are some organizations that we match up and we align more. We are still kind of learning and those conversations will be ongoing but while we are here we are going to do the best we can for the White Sox.
“If that means we make a move, we make a move. But it’s OK if we don’t.”
With conversations involving Robert, Getz said the Sox would be seeking “an appropriate price tag based on the talent that he brings to the table.”
Robert posted career-lows in batting average (.224), on-base percentage (.278) and slugging (.379) in 2024. He had 14 home runs, 35 RBIs and a career-best 23 stolen bases in 100 games.
“The tools haven’t changed,” Getz said. “Obviously, the injury last year (a Grade 2 right hip flexor strain that sidelined him for nearly two months) was disruptive to his production, but the reason there’s so much interest is because maybe a team feels like they can capture something that perhaps didn’t show up last year.
“But if you go rewind to where we were a year ago, it was someone that was invaluable. A player that could impact the game in so many different ways. But, we’re a year later, we believe in the player without question and we know the player. We know what he’s capable of doing and we take that very seriously.”
Getz generally characterized the trade talks as “conversations going on.”
“We’re certainly not going to force anything, but if it comes to us, then we’re certainly not scared to pull the trigger on something that will help us,” he said.
The Sox are “definitely dialed in on position players,” as potential returns, Getz said. He added, “But that’s not to say that we won’t take a quality pitcher in return, either.”
