Chicago Cubs: Comparing the Cubs and White Sox rebuilds
By Jason Parini
The Background
First, let’s break down some of the basics of each rebuild and the seasons and events that led up to the tear-down of each franchise.
Prior to each rebuild, neither team had reached the playoffs since the 2008 season. That year, both teams won their respective divisions before bowing out in the Division Series.
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Just three years later, the Cubs went into full rebuilding mode upon the arrival of Theo Epstein from the Boston Red Sox after the conclusion of the 2011 season. Epstein wasted no time in laying out his five year plan, which was based on a heavy focus on scouting and player development.
Meanwhile on the South Side, it took the better half of a decade before the White Sox finally gave up on the team on the field and turn their focus to the farm system and future.
It wasn’t until after the Cubs five year plan paid off (exactly five years later) that the Sox made the decision to rebuild. Take their 2014-15 offseason outlook for example.
After finishing 16 games below .500 in 2014 with a 73-89 record, the White Sox remained determined to boost the talent on the big league roster and try to contend with the core in place. Heading into the 2015 season, the team tried to build around players like Adam Eaton, Avisail Garcia, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. They added veteran pieces Zach Duke and Adam LaRoche in an attempt to boost the bullpen and offense, but to no avail. The Sox improved only three games in 2015, posting a 76-86 record and finishing in fourth place.
As the Cubs celebrated at the end of 2016, the White Sox went all in on their rebuild. Just over a month after the conclusion of the World Series, the Sox traded starting ace Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a plethora of talented prospects including Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and Luis Alexander Basabe. It was finally back to square one for the South Siders.