The White Sox are making progress just by being in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes

The White Sox leave the winter meetings Thursday having accomplished what they needed to do.

For the first time since the start of the rebuild, they became relevant again.

No, the acquisition of alleged innings-eater Ivan Nova — who actually lasted more than six innings only six times in 29 starts last year — wasn’t what did it. Nor was getting Harold Baines into the Hall of Fame a factor.

What made the Sox relevant was the nonstop discussion about their interest in signing a prime-time free agent, notably Bryce Harper, the star of the Las Vegas meetings.

The Sox are no closer to signing Harper than they were when the meetings began. No one outside of Harper and agent Scott Boras know who…