White Sox GM hints at long-term rebuilding project

The Chicago White Sox have been trying and failing to contend for several years now, but according to general manager Rick Hahn, they may be about to break that cycle.

Hahn said in a media session Tuesday that the team would do less in terms of “looking for stopgaps” and aim for a more long-term plan.

“We’ve always been focused on putting ourselves in the best position to win,” Hahn said, via Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. “At the same time, I think we’re veering away from the standpoint of looking for stopgaps. A lot of what we did in the last few years had been trying to enhance the short-term potential of the club to put ourselves in a position to win immediately. I feel the approach at this point is focusing on longer-term benefits. It doesn’t mean we won’t necessarily be in a good position in 2017. It means that our targets and whatever we’re hoping to accomplish have a little more longer-term fits in nature.”

Hahn tries to hedge a bit, but it sounds like he’s forecasting some big changes in the team that won’t necessarily be focused on winning now. They’ve already changed managers, and after a fast start in 2016, they finished 78-84, their fourth straight losing season. They don’t have a great farm system and they’re getting older, so it makes sense to hit the reset button now.