Chicago White Sox reportedly facing leadership concern

With a record of 41-43 on the season and sitting in third place (5 games behind the Minnesota Twins for first place in the American League Central division), the Chicago White Sox have arguably been the most disappointing team in Major League Baseball this season.

After splitting a weekend four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox embark on a pivotal eight-game road trip ahead of the All-Star break next week.

The team starts a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday and then closes the first half with a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins this weekend.

This is a stretch of games that could very well shape the direction that the White Sox will be headed in during the second half of the season.

If the Sox struggle over the course of these next eight games, it is possible that the team could move from “buyers” to “soft sellers” in advance of the Major League Baseball trade deadline on August 2.

Despite taking the final two games of their weekend series against the Tigers, doubts have emerged over whether or not the Sox will turn the corner from being one of the most disappointing teams in baseball.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today joined “The Parkins and Spiegel Show” on 670 The Score on Monday and mentioned that White Sox players have confessed to other players throughout the league that there are issues within the clubhouse.

"”Everybody is asking themselves, ‘What’s wrong with the White Sox?’” Nightengale said. “The most disappointing, underachieving team in baseball. The answer I get just inside the clubhouse, I mean, guys are complaining about Tony La Russa, guys complain about the front office and things like that. But when it comes down to it, everybody is saying there’s really no leadership in that clubhouse.“It seems like a relaxed atmosphere, like, ‘It’s early, it’s early.’ And there’s nobody to really jump on guys and say, ‘What are you guys doing here? You’re embarrassing yourselves wasting this kind of talent in a very mediocre division.’ So, players and teams have been talking about this a lot the last few weeks."

Dysfunction has followed the White Sox every step of the way throughout the 2022 regular season. When Tony La Russa is not making mind-numbingly bad managerial decisions, it has been the health of the roster that has consistently hindered the impact that the team has on the field.

The latest report suggests that the Chicago White Sox are having problems.

It goes without saying that the temperature is definitely rising on La Russa’s managerial seat with the White Sox.

Given his relationship with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, the thought has been that La Russa will be managing the White Sox until he decides to step away from the game. However, the Nightengale report may offer a new development in that thought.

For all the questions that surround Nightengale’s reporting overall, he is one the most connected sources in regards to White Sox information.

The reason for Nightengale’s success rate in reporting White Sox news is that he is believed to be a mouthpiece for Reinsdorf.

With Nightengale now going on record and saying that La Russa is being questioned from within the White Sox clubhouse, that is information that Reinsdorf likely has been made aware of.

If the White Sox do stumble into the All-Star break after their upcoming eight-game stretch against the Guardians and Twins, Reinsdorf may no longer be able to keep La Russa safe.