The good, the bad, the change in the wind: White Sox season in review

White Sox players and staff will pack their bags Sunday afternoon to leave the South Side of Chicago — some for good — and spend another October without the playoffs.

The Sox have bettered their record for the third straight year, but it’s still a losing one. The incremental improvements don’t satisfy anybody in the organization as a pieced-together team collapsed after an impressive first month.

So where do the Sox go from here with bench coach Rick Renteria expected to replace manager Robin Ventura officially on Monday? Here’s a look at what went right, what went wrong and what else could change in 2017.

Positives

Chris Sale and Jose Quintana again ranked among the best pitchers in the American League. Sale’s new approach kept him fresh late in the season, when he strung together six straight games of eight innings or more. Quintana maintained his trademark consistency and, buoyed by the motivation of his first All-Star selection, set career-best numbers. Second-year starter Carlos Rodon was good and bad, and while he needs to put together a full season, his second-half improvement make the list of positives. Miguel Gonzalez turned into one of the Sox’s best low-level pickups.

Adam Eaton became a Gold Glove-caliber right fielder after his move from center, and with a much better full season offensively was one of the team’s best all-around players. Melky Cabrera also provided understated but reliable contributions at the plate.

Rookie shortstop Tim Anderson showed great promise after being called up June 10, surprising with his smooth defense and putting up solid offensive numbers — and showing potential for growth.

They weren’t the 3-4 lineup punch the Sox needed early, but Todd Frazier still hit 40 homers and Jose Abreu had 99 RBIs entering Saturday, thanks to his major late-season recovery.

The Sox defense improved thanks in part to Eaton and Frazier.

Negatives

Many players pointed to the offensive inconsistency as a key reason for the collapse. Abreu’s poor first half put the Sox in a bad spot, and Frazier’s low batting average and early struggles hitting with runners in scoring position didn’t help.

The Sox were scrambling to fill a hole before the season even started when designated hitter Adam LaRoche retired over restrictions on his son’s clubhouse time. The Sox sorely missed center fielder Austin Jackson, who went down in June with a knee injury that required surgery. Both forced the Sox to rely too heavily on Avisail Garcia.

Injuries to relievers Jake Petricka and Zach Putnam hurt bullpen depth. Catcher Alex Avila missed major time with hamstring injuries. Second baseman Brett Lawrie last played July 21 because of leg problems. And rookies Matt Davidson and Charlie Tilson went down with injuries that required surgery before they even had a chance to prove themselves.

A few of the Sox’s stop-gap solutions didn’t pan out. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and right-handed starter Mat Latos were gone by early June. And right-hander James Shields, who was acquired from the Padres in early June to provide a stable presence in the rotation and eat up innings, instead did the opposite during the worst season of his career

The offense’s penchant for playing one- and two-run games and a thin bullpen put extra stress and work on the team’s top relievers, and the Sox had several bullpen collapses in games that seemed winnable. The Sox perhaps pushed top prospect Carson Fulmer into the big leagues too soon to try to help the bullpen, then sent him back to the minors when it didn’t go as hoped.

From the LaRoche saga in spring training to Sale cutting up throwback jerseys, the Sox and Ventura had a weird set of off-the-field problems that thrust them into the national spotlight — for reasons other than winning.

Needs

The Sox haven’t made their staff announcements yet, but coaches are potentially the first order of business after Renteria assumes control.

Catcher is also a primary need with Avila in on a one-year contract and Omar Narvaez is still getting his feet wet in the majors.

Jackson was also on a one-year deal and Tilson is healing from leg surgery, so the Sox could make center field a top priority.

They could look to fix the years-long problems at designated hitter, either by bringing back Justin Morneau or looking outside. And bullpen depth is another necessity.

Questions

Can Renteria make a big difference at the helm? After a long tenure coaching for the Padres, his only season managing the Cubs ended with Joe Maddon replacing him.

Will the Sox spend more money to build around their current core or sell off some of their top assetts for prospects who are close to being major-league ready?

Have we seen the last of Sale or Quintana in a Sox uniform? Or will the Sox add other pieces to try to get the two into the postseason for the first time?

Can the Sox expect even better things from Anderson and Rodon? How will the team handle young players such as Garcia and Lawrie? And will Fulmer or recent draftee Zack Burdi be ready to contribute in 2017?

ckane@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ChiTribKane

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