Can the Southsiders Go Any Further South?

In case I haven't made it clear over the course of writing this blog, let me clear this up now: I am a White Sox fan. So if you've taken a look at the MLB standings lately you may notice that it hasn't been fun times for me this season. 

It was this time a year ago that the White Sox were in the discussion for the AL Central pennant. But after finishing the 2012 campaign with a 4-11 record over their last 15 games, it's been downhill. Chicago AL's bats have essentially had a power outage for much of the season. As of this writing, their .250 batting average is the 12th worst in the majors. Their .303 on-base percentage in the 4th worst. These numbers have rendered a lot of decent performances from the pitching staff - including Jake Peavy and Chris Sale - moot. Not that the pitching staff has been perfect either. Their 4.00 team ERA is only good for 19th in MLB. 

Now, the team stands at 39-57, and the big question is "Where do they go from here?" 

There are a lot of question marks on the horizon. With almost everyone on the trading block, who will actually be on there way out with two weeks remaining before the trade deadline? Guys like Alex Rios and Peavy, among others, have been talked about on rumor mills, but will Rick Hahn actually press the button on any deals? With 37 year-old Paul Konerko just coming off of an injury, are his days in black-and-white - or in baseball period - numbered? Rookie Josh Phegley is off to a nice start (.278 avg, 3 HRs). How does he figure into the team's long term plans? Personally, I am kind of excited to see how it all unfolds.

As a Chicago sports fan, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs with my teams, so some down years aren't going to to dampen my spirit. I feel that some bad times may be necessary before the team can make their way to the top again. Considering that the veteran talent and big contracts aren't producing, they may have to make way for young talent that will need time to develop. I am okay with that.

But ultimately, it falls on the front office to figure out which way they want to go. What will it take to make this team a contender again? Will it take big free agent signings? Minor league development? Maybe they stand pat and hope things get better. There are several ways the White Sox could go. But as they figure it out, it looks like things may get worse before they get better.