The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of a terrible season.
The past two months alone have seen everything from front-office overhauls, to on-field fighting, to relocation rumors if they can’t secure funding for a new stadium, all while the team sits at 53-81, the third-worst record in the American League.
On Thursday, owner Jerry Reinsdorf took time to address the state of the team to the media and managed to make everything even worse.
Jerry Reinsdorf plans to spend in free agency this offseason to improve the White Sox while also pointing out they spent a fair deal with a payroll of around $185 million in 2023.
"We're not going to be in any (Shohei) Ohtani race, I'll tell you that," Reinsdorf said.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) August 31, 2023
First off, this isn’t exactly surprising news. Ohtani will almost certainly fetch a much higher contract than Andrew Benintendi’s five-year, $75 million deal signed last offseason, the biggest free agent contract in White Sox history. However, it’s bizarre to see an owner come out and say that they’ll be passing on the most impactful free agent on the market this offseason, considering the many needs the White Sox have.
It’s also seemingly against MLB rules for Reinsdorf to comment on an active player on a different team, by name.
Telling other teams publicly that you won’t be spending on a specific player is
𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 called out in the CBA. Reinsdorf should be fined. This is completely inappropriate for a team owner to say this. https://t.co/lGj0cXbjyN pic.twitter.com/8J3EWgdJIo— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) August 31, 2023
To make matters even worse, Reinsdorf acted as if this was the first bad season the White Sox have had in a while.
Reinsdorf told selected reporters: “If I were a fan, I’d be pissed. I’d be very angry. But at the same time, this is the first really really bad year.” Says 2022 was not good but “this is the first real disaster.”
— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) August 31, 2023
The White Sox are on pace to finish the season 64-98. If they lose more than 95 games, it would be the fourth time in 10 years Chicago reached that mark. Additionally, since winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox have made just three playoff appearances, winning a combined three games across the appearances.
