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Will White Sox Fans Accept Rebuilding on South Side?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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White Sox could rebuild this offseason, will fans accept a rebuilding effort on the South Side? With recent success by crosstown rivals, this could work out for franchise.

The Chicago White Sox could rebuild this offseason, and they most likely should. With a weak free agent market for starting pitching, the Sox could very well replenish its farm system by trading its best starting pitchers.

Chris Sale and Jose Quintana could perhaps net the Sox a good return of solid prospects if traded. But with the team missing the postseason the last eight seasons, will Sox fans truly accept a rebuild? The answer is simple, yes. However, Sox fans will most likely only accept a rebuilding effort if the front office is clear on its direction back to success.

This worked out well for the Cubs when Theo Epstein was hired in 2012 as president of baseball operations. Epstein laid out a plan to fans for the team to ultimately return to contention. Well, it worked for the Cubs so why can’t it work out for the Sox? One reason could be the present incompetency in the Sox front office. But this might be changing sooner than we all think.

With a solid draft this year, the Sox farm system continues to move in the right direction. If the Sox decide to rebuild, they could get some good prospects in return for Sale and Quintana. This would help the Sox farm system immensely. It would also restore faith in the Sox fanbase. A fanbase that has become more frustrated over the past two seasons due to mediocrity reigning supreme on the south side.

The Sox are in a good position where rebuilding would be a much better option than retooling. With an improving farm system, the Sox could add to it with trades of its best players. If the Sox don’t rebuild this offseason, they could miss out on a chance to add solid depth to its farm system.

Sox fans have endured four consecutive losing seasons, and the road back to contention appears to be long. If the Sox front office can make solid trades, fans could be willing to accept more losing seasons for now. A winning team is desperately needed on the south side. Hopefully the Sox front office executes on trading its best assets.

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