It's been a long year for the Chicago White Sox. The team was obviously not expected to contend this year, but they've taken their struggles to another level.
The team is 27-87, which is good for the worst record in all of Major League Baseball. They've also lost 20 consecutive games. One more loss and they'll tie the 1988 Baltimore Orioles, who lost 21 straight games.
On Foul Territory, former White Sox star A.J. Pierzynski discussed their previous rebuild and why it did not work.
"(Jose) Abreu? Gone. Out of baseball. Tim Anderson, boom, out of baseball. (Yoan) Moncada, he isn't going to be with the White Sox next year. And Eloy Jimenez is now a Baltimore Oriole, probably going to go to camp on a minor-league job next year," Pierzynski said. "That's three years ago. 2021 they were in the postseason and lost to the Astros, that's your four best players. Two are out of baseball and two of them are on their way to being out of baseball, or on minor league deals."
Back in 2021, the White Sox won 93 games and secured a division title, but they lost in the American League Division Series to the Houston Astros. Those four players were the ones that they were building around. Of course, other players, such as Dylan Cease and Luis Robert Jr. emerged, but Cease is also gone, and Robert has seemingly lost trade value.
The White Sox rebuilt from 2013-19, constructing their roster from within. Ultimately though, it didn't work out.
"It's unbelievable how fast this roster got turned over from what was supposed to be 'the rebuild,'" Pierzynski continued.
There are obviously a number of reasons why the South Siders are where they are right now, but several players not panning out certainly played a role in their organizational collapse.
They intended to build a long-term contender, but ultimately failed and are left picking up the scraps of what they hoped would be a successful team. There have certainly been plenty of mistakes from within the organization as well.
More MLB: Insider roasts White Sox after epic losing skid reaches 20 games.
