3 Chicago White Sox stars who should follow Pedro Grifol out the door this winter

The Chicago White Sox dropped the hammer rather unexpectedly on Thursday, firing manager Pedro Grifol and his bench coach, Charlie Montoyo. Chicago recently tied the American League record with 21 straight losses, narrowly avoiding their 22nd (and some icky history) with a win over the Oakland A's on Tuesday. After turning around and losing again on Wednesday, however, Grifol's fate was sealed. This was always inevitable.

Grifol spent two seasons in the White Sox dugout with a combined record of 89-190. It's hard to blame him for the sorry state of the Southside roster, but all the same, it's impossible to bounce back from such a prolonged losing streak. That just kills a locker room and eviscerates credibility.

There's a difference between patiently retooling and embarrassing your organization on a nightly basis. The White Sox fall into the latter category right now.

Chicago will presumably wait until the offseason to hire a new full-time manager. Grifol is bound to rejoin the coaching ranks eventually. He deserves another crack at it, ideally with a real roster and more stable upper management.

GM Chris Getz, in his first season with the club, now has a career-defining decision on his plate. The White Sox need to get this next hire right.

For the time being, it's clear what direction Chicago is trending. The trade deadline didn't feature as much high-profile movement as White Sox fans expected, but the roster is bound for a hard reset in the offseason. There's just more time to hammer out details and get trades off the ground in the winter.

Here are the White Sox stars who will follow Grifol out the door in short order.

3. Andrew Vaughn

Maybe he doesn't live up to the 'star' label, but Andrew Vaughn is one of Chicago's most dependable bats, as sad as that sounds. It has been a rocky individual campaign for the 26-year-old, but he's under team control through 2026 and front offices are always on the lookout for cost-effective power bats.

Vaughn has a hard-hit rate, barrel rate, expected slugging, and exit velocity all in the 70th percentile or higher. He's batting .236 on the season with a .682 OPS, accounting for 13 home runs and 51 RBI. Perhaps a victim of Chicago's team-wide funk, Vaughn posted an OPS of more than .700 in each of his first three MLB seasons. This year feels like a minor depression in the arc of his career, not what we should expect on an annual basis moving forward.

Being relocated to a more competitive environment where his bat isn't the end-all, be-all a lot of nights should do Vaughn a world of good. The price presumably remains high because of his age and contract, which allows the White Sox to stuff their farm system coffers with high-level prospects while looking to the future.

Chicago needs to keep at least a few passable bats on the roster, but Vaughn is one of the few White Sox batters who would command meaningful value in open trade talks.

2. Garrett Crochet

Well, duh. Garrett Crochet was a hot name leading up to the trade deadline until an unexpected contract demand derailed the marketplace. Crochet essentially told contenders he wouldn't pitch in the playoffs without an extension. Reasonable, given his injury history, but even the boldest front offices are going to shy away from such a commitment midseason.

Crochet's market should emerge anew once the offseason arrives. Teams will get a fuller picture as Crochet rounds out the second half of the campaign. Can he avoid another injury? Does his stuff decline as the innings creep higher? Crochet's ability to answer these questions in a satisfying manner will determine how much a team is willing to give up in a trade, and how much he could potentially make on a new contract.

Even with elbow injuries in the rearview mirror and plenty of concerns about the future, Crochet is a uniquely appealing asset. He's 25 and under team control through 2026. A new contract would presumably lock Crochet up for the remainder of his prime, supplying the lucky winner of the trade sweepstakes with an unhittable fastball-cutter combo that can overwhelm even the sharpest bats.

Crochet pushes 100 MPH on the regular and he trails only Tarik Skubal and Cole Ragans on the AL leaderboard for strikeouts. With an ERA of 3.19 and a league-leading 2.64 FIP, Crochet is firmly in the Cy Young mix despite Chicago's collective failures. Pitching is at an absolute premium right now, so assuming Crochet stays healthy, it's only a matter of time until the White Sox trade him for a considerable haul.

1. Luis Robert Jr.

Luis Robert Jr. ultimately didn't generate much of a market at the trade deadline, which came as a mild surprise. The 27-year-old has struggled at the plate this season, that much is undeniable, but it's not difficult to proceed with optimism in Robert's future. He's one of the best pure power threats in the MLB when he's clicking. Even when ravaged by injuries and the White Sox' collective funk, Robert has 12 home runs in 232 ABs. His barrel rate, in the 88th percentile, is proof positive of Robert's ability to connect lumber and leather.

Several teams went searching for power bats at the deadline, with Josh Bell and Jorge Soler among those to change teams. Robert commands a higher price due to his favorable contract, which extends through the 2027 campaign, but it's only a matter of time until a quality offer is relayed across Chicago's phone lines. In the 2023 campaign, at full strength, Robert managed 38 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He is a tier-one athlete, boasting both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove on his resumé. He occupies an essential defensive position in center field, to boot.

The White Sox are several years away from contending. We can be frank. By the time Chicago has built a sustainably good team, Robert and Crochet are probably on their next contracts. The White Sox aren't exactly in a position to spend, much less overspend, on highly coveted assets. Robert is a valuable chip for the White Sox to cash in; the sooner he's dealt, the better the return package. The amount of guaranteed team control decreases with each passing day.

One has to imagine Chicago's front office will engage in some deep soul-searching this offseason. It's hard to build the worst team in MLB history. The 2024 White Sox may not stoop to that level, but it's too close for comfort. Unfortunately for the less patient members of the fandom, change starts at the top of the roster. Robert, Crochet, and Vaughn are all on the chopping block this winter.