MLB Insider grades White Sox offseason with D- originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
On the last day of January, The Athletic handed out offseason grades to each MLB team, giving the Chicago White Sox the worst possible letter grade on the scale – an F.
"That's not a very good grade," Jon Heyman of the New York Post said on 670 the Score with Mully & Haugh.
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To some, the grade was a bit harsh for a team that filled their left-field gap with the highest guaranteed contract in the organization's history, by way of signing Andrew Benintendi.
They also hired Pedro Grifol, who by all intents in purposes, has the promise of becoming a successful manager during his first stint.
Nevertheless, the White Sox' getting their foot caught in the Mike Clevinger trap hurt their grade, and rightfully so to an extent.
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"They took a shot with Clevinger and that looks like a mistake," Heyman said. "It's probably hard to argue, but the offseason doesn't mean that the season's not going to be good, right? They lost Abreu, too, right? So, yeah, I would argue a D-minus. You know, that's a bit harsh."
The White Sox signed Clevinger to a one-year, $12 million deal in December, adding him to one of the strongest rotations in the American League.
However, it's been reported Clevinger is undergoing investigation by MLB for domestic violence and child abuse allegations. The White Sox stated they were unaware of Clevinger's allegations at the time of his signing.
MORE: Report: Clevinger under investigation for domestic violence
According to Heyman, there doesn't seem to be a way the White Sox would have known about the ongoing investigations Clevinger experienced over the summer.
"There's certainly confidentiality when it comes to these investigations, and there's no reason to think that they should have known that this case was going on," Heyman said.
As Heyman mentioned, Clevinger's signing was a mistake, even if the White Sox aren't at complete fault for the addition.
And outside of question marks surrounding parts of their lineup, Clevinger's allegedly heinous actions with the San Diego Padres placed an ugly impression on the White Sox' offseason.
Aside from Clevinger, the team, as aforementioned, is still without a reputable solution at second base, and has eyebrow-raising concerns in right field.
Rick Hahn mentioned in the past he's content with internal options Romy Gonzalez, Lenyn Sosa and Leury Garcia; they have expressed interest in outside options, reportedly Nicky Lopez.
And while manager Pedro Grifol said in a separate interview with 670 the Score that prospect Oscar Colas will receive "every opportunity" to become the team's everyday right fielder, Eloy Jiménez contradicted his thinking by expressing his desire to play in the outfield, instead of being the team's main designated hitter.
There are seemingly bigger question marks posed on the team's roster heading into spring training than desired, considering the White Sox are eager to make a return to the playoffs and aspire to make a run at the World Series.
