CHICAGO (AP) — ce Harper and took a big swing at landing Manny Machado.Though they went 0 for 2 trying to sign the superstar sluggers http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , the White Sox enter the season still believing they are setting themselves up for success. The big reasons for that are the promising young players on the roster and in the pipeline.“We got a great group of guys in the farm system, some great arms and some great bats,” shortstop Tim Anderson said. “I think we’re gonna be just fine.”The White Sox have had six straight losing seasons and their only playoff appearance since the 2005 World Series championship season was in 2008. They went 62-100 in finishing fourth in the AL Central for the fourth year in a row and wound up with their highest loss total since the 1970 team dropped a franchise-record 106 games. They also set a major league record by striking out 1,594 times.Adding Harper or Machado would have accelerated a rebuilding project entering its third season. But either way, the White Sox are counting on young players such as infielder Yoan Moncada and right-hander Lucas Giolito to take a few steps forward. And if prized outfielder Eloy Jimenez performs as advertised, that will go a long way toward easing the sting of the disappointment in free agency.“At the end of (last) year I saw a team that was full of good players playing the game the right way, playing clean,” newcomer Yonder Alonso said. “I saw a lot of good.”Chicago opens the season at Kansas City on March 28 and its first home game is April 4 against Seattle.NEW FACESWhile Machado won’t be calling the South Side home, Chicago acquired his brother-in-law Alonso in a trade from Cleveland and signed his good friend Jon Jay. Both players figure to bring some stability to the lineup as well as leadership to the clubhouse. Jay is a.285 career hitter in nine seasons. Alonso, who is expected to share time at first base and designated hitter with Jose Abreu, has a .265 average Roberto Perez Jersey , 90 homers and 389 RBIs in nine seasons. The White Sox also added right-hander Ivan Nova to their rotation and righties Kelvin Herrera and Alex Colome to their bullpen.ROOKIES TO WATCHThe door at least might be open for Jimenez to start the season in the majors. A person familiar with the situation said Wednesday the White Sox are nearing a $43 million, six-year contract with their highly regarded prospect. The contract would include team options for 2025 and 2026 that if exercised would make the agreement worth $77.5 million over eight years. Jimenez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on March 13. Without the deal, the White Sox would have to keep him in the minors for the first 20 days in order to push back his free agent eligibility by one year until after the 2025 season. Jimenez was a key part of the trade that sent pitcher Jose Quintana to the crosstown Cubs during the 2017 season. And he tore it up at Double-A and Triple-A last season, combining for a .337 average, 22 homers and 75 RBIs.NEXT STEPSThe White Sox hope a switch to third base will help Moncada cut down on the errors after he led all second basemen with 21 in his first full season. He also retooled his approach at the plate after striking out 217 times — more than anyone else. A big chunk came with him keeping the bat on his shoulder rather than swinging at a borderline pitch. Giolito’s development will also be critical. He was 10-13 with a major league-worst 6.13 ERA in 32 starts in his first full season.HEALINGOne big bummer for the White Sox is Michael Kopech won’t be available this season. The 22-year-old right-hander got called up last season and made four starts before having Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow in September. He is expected to be ready for the 2020 season. Kopech was drafted by Boston in 2014 and was a key figure along with Moncada in the trade that sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox in 2016.REGROUPAbreu is looking to bounce back in his final season before becoming eligible for free agency. Though he made his second All-Star team, he got hurt in the second half and finished with 22 homers, 78 RBIs and a .265 average — all lows since arriving from Cuba in 2014. He had at least 100 RBIs in each of his first four seasons. [Pinches self] Nope. He’s still a Cardinal..."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Diamondbacks Farm TeamsGameday ThreadsDiamondbacks NewsDiamondbacks Game ReportsFang FoodSnake and know how much there is to gain from it.” Weaver, 25, said it will take “easy fixes” to get him back to his 2017 form, when he posted a 3.88 ERA in 60.1 innings. He cited several bad starts as the reason his numbers took a dip in 2018.[dbacks.com]Kelly, Weaver excited for opportunity in Arizona - Kelly said of Molina Eddie Robinson Jersey , who is revered for his ability to work with pitchers and call a game. "I've gone to five Spring Trainings with him, so I've got to see firsthand the work ethic and what it takes to be a Gold Glove catcher and the leader of a team. I've just taken that stuff to heart. I've written a lot of stuff down. I like to write stuff down. I've taken a lot of information in and applied to that to my game and now I feel that I'm getting my opportunity to go out there and perform and show what I've got."[Sports360AZ] Carson Kelly Looking to Grow, Help Luke Weaver Do the Same - Learning from one of the best catchers in baseball can be a double-edged sword. Kelly could learn the lessons to make him great from Molina, but he couldn’t apply those lessons consistently in Major League scenarios because of his mentor’s stranglehold on the position. In 117 at-bats over the course of three years, Kelly hit .154 with no home runs and 10 RBI. “It was a tough situation for sure,” Kelly said. “It was more the mental side than the physical side I thought I was ready to play but getting those opportunities and not knowing when you might get another one, it weighted heavily on me. I think that is part of the reason I haven’t had a ton of success at the big league level yet is because of that.”[Arizona Sports] President Derrick Hall hopes Paul Goldschmidt can be a D-back again - “I’m so happy for Goldy. He is such a good human being,” Hall said. “The difficult part for our baseball staff was trying to separate the man from the decision. Speaking to him yesterday, I was emotional on the phone with him. I teared up and let him know how much I loved him. He is so important to me. He’s a member of my family. As I told him at the end of our conversation, ‘Goldy, I hope you’re back with us http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-b.j.-upton-jersey , either as a player in the future or working for us and for me because that’s how important you are to me and our organization.’”[Inside the 'Zona] 2019 D-backs Top Prospects: #1-10 - After a ton of debate, checking my own thinking, re-reviewing the stats, checking my notes on guys I’ve seen, and talking to scouts and evaluators, the final ten are set. And let me say for the record: this top-10 was harder than any other. There’s legitimate argument for who should be #1 overall, and it doesn’t get any easier from there. It’s a matter of weighing upside and certainty, tools and performance, the known and the unknown. Disagreement is expected, not because I took wild chances, but because everyone’s preferences are different. So it goesCronkite News] ‘Goldy’ gone: Arizona sports scene suffers another blow as D-Backs trade Goldschmidt - The trade left many to wonder who will replace him as the face of the franchise. “I think we have a number of players who have invested quite a bit into this team Mike Napoli Jersey ,” Diamondbacks Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Hazen said. “From Jake Lamb to David Peralta, Robbie Ray, Nick Ahmed, I think we have a number of players. Hopefully some of the younger players like Ketel Marte see this as an opportunity to take a lead in that area.”[WDEF] The Diamondbacks are committed to a rebuild after trading Paul Goldschmidt - how drastic will it be? - The team’s best hitter and best pitcher from last season are gone, with A.J. Pollock and so many others poised to follow, so it makes little sense to cling to other veterans still under team control...Nabbing Kelly plus a buy-low on Weaver in exchange for one season of Goldschmidt is exactly the kind of move that Hazen should be empowered to make with the rest of the current roster. If DBacks fans want to see winning baseball again relatively soon, they should root for more of the same with just about everyone who’s still left.