The Chris Sale trade happened during the winter meetings in December 2016. Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana soon followed the club’s ace out the door, and the first major rebuild of the Williams/Hahn era was in full swing. Hahn’s club was “mired in mediocrity” no longer, as the reset button had officially been pushed.
What came next was difficult for White Sox fans of the casual variety. The team went 101-284 over the next three seasons, while prioritizing scouting and development and eschewing the success of the big league operation.
Tim Anderson and José Abreu were biding their time in Chicago and hoping for better days.