5 reasons that the Chicago White Sox lost the offseason

Lucas Giolito

The Chicago White Sox failed to make Lucas Giolito feel appreciated and wanted.

200 thousand dollars (if you want to get technical it was 50) is separating the White Sox and Lucas Giolito from avoiding going to arbitration. Sox management decided that 50 thousand is a hill worth dying on. Their payroll is currently in Major League Baseball’s top-10 but for some reason, management wants to take Giolito to an arbitrator to decide if he is worth that extra $50k.

Giolito has been the White Sox Opening Day starter for the past two seasons. He has been the rotation’s ace since 2019. He has posted less than four runs allowed per nine innings over the last three seasons.

Giolito overcame a rough first half to finish 2021 with an 11-9 record, a 3.53 earned run average, and over 200 strikeouts. Also, he has thrown a no-hitter which tells you how incredibly talented he is.

The Sox are going to take him to arbitration and inform an arbitrator that, despite his past record,  he is not worth an extra $50k to the Sox’s success.

All this does is alienate a clubhouse leader and a fan favorite. The Sox should be working on a better contract extension offer than the one he was offered last year. Instead, they will fight him out on what his value should be.