Being in the AL Central will continue to allow them to wait until they are forced to make a decision at the end of this month. Losing a series to Oakland is very bad though. They are a very bad road team and are now 6 games behind Minny and 7 behind Cleveland in the loss column (5.5 overall). I believe fangraphs have them with a 4% chance of making the playoffs.

At some point, this is who they are and Hahn needs to start thinking about how he will retool this roster.

I don't expect a full rebuild so players like Robert and Cease won't be moved, but I would expect that any moves with Giolito has to bring back young pitching given how thin they are heading into the off-season. Lance Lynn can't be brought back at his current option so it's basically Cease and prayers that Kopech/Crochet can actually contribute in the rotation next year. Even if those two are able to start the year in the rotation, neither can be trusted to pitch into games and will have inning restrictions. They could really use someone just like Giolito, but I doubt he'd sign without testing free agency. They need to get 2 highly regarded prospects for Giolito and they will want them to be able to contribute next season.

One benefit of the trade deadline will be to get out of some of these reliever contracts. I think Graveman is owed $8M, Kelly $9.5 (club option) and Bummer $5M for next season. Bummer is not likely to be moved, but maybe some team wants a lefty.

They still need to find help at C, 2B, possibly SS/3B and RF. The only spots I think they would be set at is Vaughn (1B), Benintendi (LF), Robert (CF) and Jimenez (DH/RF). Moncada will be on the roster next season, and he'll likely be the 3B (assuming his back doesn't require some surgery that puts him out) with Burger. I don't think trading Anderson makes sense on a down season and he will be back at $14M (club option), but we don't know the state of their relationship. Colas will probably be the RF next year also. I don't believe they have an answer at 2B, but don't doubt they will continue to try and find one from their group of internal candidates, but they really need to shake things up offensively much more than I am guessing they will.

So rinse and repeat another re-stack by the same group that continuously fails to accomplish anything. That's White Sox

With Lynn, Hendricks, Clevinger and likely some shedding of contracts coming later this month, they will be able to spend in free agency on a few players assuming they aren't cutting payroll (which you can't rule out given that they are very budget driven and coming off a season with a 20%+ drop in atttendance).

I wouldn't expect a full rebuild though. I do think they need a larger shakeup too, but I still think they believe in the core they have and just need to tinker around the edges. This off-season, they will have some payroll flexibility if they choose to use it. If they move Giolito and a few relievers, my guess is they will acquire a few younger players that they think can contribute next season (I would guess that Giolito would bring back 2 guys they think are MLB ready next year with one them being a starting pitcher). Colas will get another opportunity in RF also so they will mix in 3-4 younger players, but it's just really hard to see them go full blown rebuilding.

The Sox can spend whenever they want. They simply choose not to.

They are currently spending about $185M, which is respectable...

I think that Benintendi has been a pretty good signing after all. He does do a good job getting on based and even hits left handed pitchers pretty well. No power certainly but at the top of the line-up, he does a pretty good job and is a decent left fielder.

He's a good role player. I'm curious if his hand injury has reduced his already limited power numbers to what they are now, but, he's been a solid OBP player. I'm not sure how good he actually is defensively - is his arm considered to be average? Not that it's being used much in LF, but he is a clear upgrade over what they had been putting out there.

Did they overpay for him? Probably, but I would imagine that another team would have paid him somewhat similarly.

All that money to bums and their best relievers are arguably Gregory Santos and Keynan Middleton.

multi-year deals to relievers who are normally not dependable year to year,

This is a big issue. All that money to bums and their best relievers are arguably Gregory Santos and Keynan Middleton.

I'm about as big a Sox fan as one can be and they managed to sour me. I waited for years while they lost on purpose with the promise that when the time came they would make the necessary moves. They signed Andrew Benintendi and let Abreu walk to play a mediocre guy at first.