Recap: How the front office rating works
This is one in a series of assessments of the performances of front offices for the 2024 season. Each front office is given a score based on the total Wins Above Average of the players they either traded for, signed via free agency or extension, or promoted from their farm system, since the conclusion of the 2023 post-season.
A front office’s score also includes the total Wins Above Average of players traded away or lost to free agency since the end of the 2023 post-season. The front offices are being presented in order of their total value from No. 30 (worst) all the way to No. 1 (best).
These ratings do not necessarily reflect the final standings. Front offices are measured based only on the talent they acquired or lost during the past 12 months. Players on multi-year contracts, or already under team control, don’t count toward this rating.
27. Chicago White Sox, Chris Getz, SVP and General Manager, -10.2.
Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf gave Getz the unenviable task of sorting through the ruins left by the Ken Williams/Rick Hahn administration. New GMs habitually like to begin rebuilds by tearing rosters down to the studs, but at 121 losses, Getz may have laid it on a little thick.
Moves involving 72 players won Getz’s first-year approval. However, 41 of those yielded negative returns for the ChiSox. Only the Marlins churned through a greater number of team-harming talents.
Of course, the theory when rebuilding is to trade away players who have value but wont help you in the short-term in exchange for prospects who might be part of your next contender. Indeed,. that was very much the plan Getz followed.
Thus did a full 25 players depart the South Side for other big league destinations, which included Dylan Cease getting shipped to San Diego, Michael Kopech going to Los Angeles, Eloy Jimenez being swapped at the deadline with Baltimore, and Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham heading to St. Louis.
Those five players produced +5.3 games worth of value for their acquiring teams combined. The net return: three minor leaguers and the following major leaguers, who produced a cumulative -2.6 WAA for Chicago: Miguel Vargas, who hit .104 in 42 games; Jairo Iriarte, who posted a 1.50 ERA in six appearances; Drew Thorpe, who went 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA in 44 innings; and Steven Wilson, who struggled to the tune of a 1-6 record and 5.71 ERA.
Five most impactful Getz moves
Transaction | Net Impact (Wins Above Average) |
|---|---|
Signed free agent pitcher Erick Fedde | +3.6 |
Traded pitcher Dylan Cease to San Diego | -2.5 |
Released shortstop Tim Anderson | +2.3 |
Signed free agent catcher Martin Maldonado | -1.8 |
Acquired outfielder Corey Julks in a trade with Houston | -1.7 |
The pre-season signing of journeyman free agent Fedde was Getz’s masterstroke. Before hitting the trade circuit, he was 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts. The problem is that Fedde was the only one of 47 Getz additions to the roster who produced a value in excess of +1.0 WAA.
In stark contrast, seven newly minted South Siders generated -1.0 WAA or more, headed by Maldonado and Julks.
One final thought: if you are surprised that the score of the GM of a 121-loss team isn’t worse than it is, consider the performance of the contracts Getz inherited and couldn’t move for one reason or another. That group of about 15 players included Andrew Benintendi, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets and Garret Crochet, the latter being the only productive name among them. Subtract Crochet, and the other 14 players proved to be a -12.3 WAA anchor around Getz and the team.
Previous Rankings
The 2024 front office rating system: No. 30, Los Angeles Angels
2024 front office rankings: T-28, the Colorado Rockies and GM Bill Schmidt
MLB front office grades after 2024 season: Miami Marlins, T-28
27. Chicago White Sox, Chris Getz, senior vice president and general manager, -10.2
Next: 26. Oakland Athletics, David Forst general manager, -6.8.