Chicago White Sox: Exclusive interview with Nate Jones
Part Two: Thoughts on Free Agency and Future White Sox
Q: It’s impossible to avoid all the talk when it comes to big free agents, such as Manny Machado. How do you, as a player, handle this? Do you play any role in the process?
A: Usually we don’t play a role in the process, unless we know the guess personally, or we’re asked to be a part of it, but we still go about our business because we each individually have our own roles on the team, and we need to be good at those roles. I’ve known my role in the bullpen all offseason, and I try not to get distracted with the rumors and news and stuff because they’re just rumors until they happen.
We can’t do anything about it if they aren’t on our team. We need to stay focused on our job and what our role is in order to be best prepared for the season and for spring training. So as players, we try not to get distracted about it, and we just try to do what we need to do to perform to the best of our abilities.
White Sox exercised the $4.65-million club option for 2019 on the contract of right-handed pitcher Nate Jones.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) October 29, 2018
Q: Spring training is right around the corner. What are your goals for this upcoming season?
A: Absolutely number one is to stay healthy. It kinda gets old from my standpoint, being on the DL and watching the games from TV, I want to be a part of the team and a part of the process, and getting better as a team, and winning championships. So obviously my number one goal is to stay healthy, and our top goal as a team is winning games and winning championships. We don’t like watching the games from TV in October either, so that’s our set goal and it’s just always continuing to get better.
This time of the year in Spring Training this is the time to do that. To work on things, to get better at pitching, hitting, or fielding. All of those things play a part. There’s one common denominator, in those teams that make it to the postseason, and it’s that they do those things right, and they do them right all season. So we’ve got to concentrate on that, and make sure that we’re ready and prepared to be the best we can be to get into that postseason and to win those championships.