What I Wish I'd Already Written About The White Sox

A month ago, I mentioned how several apparently undistinguished teams tickled my fancy for 2016. That's not a prediction, just an observation that the elements exist for a surprising season.

In this column I mentioned the Miami Marlins, who at the time included a second baseman whose PR people had not yet cooked up a statement blaming a ghost for his positive steroid test.

I hadn't made my way back to the theme until now, by which time, alas, my next candidate had already started the campaign like a house on fire. At the risk of claiming to create a bandwagon that is already in transit, allow me to introduce you to your 2016 Chicago White Sox.

Minor Deals Can Add Up
The front office played small ball this off season, signing a handful of low-cost reclamation projects like Mat Latos, Alex Avila, Dioner Navarro, Jimmy Rollins and Austin Jackson. No one could have predicted any would deliver as Latos has already, but this strategy can sometimes produce life by a thousand cuts.

Then they traded for first-half phenom Todd Frazier to handle the hot corner and polymath Brett Lawrie to staff the keystone. Added to Melky Cabrera, slugger Jose Abreu and defensive whiz Adam Eaton, that could be a pretty potent lineup. If young outfielder Avisail Garcia scratches his potential, so much the better.

Rotation is the Wild Card
In the winter prior to last season, the Pale Hose inked a cabal of free agents, including pitchers David Robertson and Zach Duke.  With Chris Sale (left) playing the role of this generation's Randy Johnson Chicago has a solid anchor on the rotation. Add promising lefties Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon and some semblance of production from Latos, Duke, what's left of John Danks or someone else, the Sox could stymie opposing hitters enough to hand Robertson some save opportunities and stay in the mix in the uninspiring AL Central.

There isn't an algorithm alive today that can project the bench or the relief corps, or predict how well this contingent will avoid the strains, pains and automobiles that bedevil some contenders. But given what they have, it's definitely not a stretch to say the White Sox could be playing into October.