WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF April 4, 2017 Tigers-White Sox season opener rained out… Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Hahn: Rodon's recovery remains on track” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “After rainout, Quintana and Verlander to duel” …Joe Trezza & Jason Beck, MLB.com “Like Moncada, Alexei's pregame meal bit odd” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sox taking their time to rebuild, retool roster” … Phil Rogers, MLB.com “Rule 5 pick Covey relieved to stick with Sox” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Is keeping veterans with trade value really hastening White Sox rebuild?” … David Haugh, Chicago Tribune “Fascinated by Yoan Moncada’s Twinkies diet? Wait ‘til you hear this old Alexei Ramirez tale” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Opening daze on the South Side as White Sox make Tigers stand around” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox comfortable with risk of starting season with possible trade chips” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Test of patience during White Sox season starts with opening-day rainout” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox’ rebuilding year off to appropriately dreary start” … Rick Telander, Chicago Sun Times “Tanking not in the cards for White Sox” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox’ season opener rained out” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Quintana on first Opening Day: ‘I can’t wait’” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox balancing long-term process with players desire to compete in 2017” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Carlos Rodon expected to miss 5-6 weeks for White Sox” … Paul Raumeliotis, CSN Chicago “White Sox Opening day rained out, rescheduled for Tuesday” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “What making the opening day roster means to White Sox duo” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Tigers-White Sox opener in Chicago postponed because of rain” … Associated Press “Chicago White Sox's rebuild creates something of interest” … Mike Imrem, Daily Herald “Chicago White Sox will act the part in 2017”… Barry Rozner, Daily Herald “Injured Rodon not expected to join White Sox rotation for 5-6 weeks”… Scott Gregor, Daily Herald “Hahn practices patience as White Sox rebuild drags into season?… Scott Gregor, Daily Herald “Jose Quintana & Co. in limbo as White Sox rebulid” … Bob Nightengale, USA Today

Tigers-White Sox season opener rained out All tickets to Monday's game good for admission Tuesday; parking free for all fans By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 3rd, 2017 CHICAGO -- The start of the 2017 season for the White Sox and Tigers has been delayed by one day. Monday's scheduled Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field was postponed due to rain. The game was delayed for 1 hour and 41 minutes before the final call was made. It will be made up Tuesday, with first pitch at 1:10 p.m. CT. Parking will be free for fans. "We were hoping there would be some large windows, but right now it just doesn't seem to be the case," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We're all still excited about getting it going. We delay it one day, but I think the guys are ready to get started. "[Tuesday] will be the same for us as it was today. Get ready to go out there and play." All tickets for Monday's postponed contest, used or unused, are good for admission to Tuesday's rescheduled home opener. Parking lots open at 10 a.m., and the gates to the ballpark will open at 11:40 a.m. Fans with stadium club coupons for Monday can use those for Tuesday's contest. No exchanges are necessary. In consideration for how the postponement might disrupt the schedules of fans, the White Sox also announced fans holding tickets to Monday's originally scheduled game can bring their used or unused ticket to the Guaranteed Rate Field box office any time during regular business hours and receive a complimentary lower box or outfield reserve ticket to any future White Sox game, excluding the following dates: May 29-31 vs. the Red Sox, June 24 vs. the A's, June 26-29 vs. the Yankees, July 18-19 vs. the Dodgers and July 26-27 vs. the Cubs, based on availability.

Both teams were introduced as part of Opening Day ceremonies, with the White Sox entering the ballpark via convertibles coming from center field. But starting pitchers Jose Quintana and Justin Verlander never warmed up as the rain continued. "It's Mother Nature. We'll deal with it as it happens," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said earlier. "We'll adjust. It's not a big secret." "Obviously, we've gone through the whole process that we needed to go through today, but they also know that it doesn't make any sense to be out there and not know if we're going to be able to get through it because there aren't enough windows to allow it to happen," Renteria said. "They're ready to go have a good evening and get ready to play [Tuesday]."

Hahn: Rodon's recovery remains on track White Sox lefty won't return until completely healthy By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 3rd, 2017 CHICAGO -- When the tightness in Carlos Rodon's left shoulder area first began, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn informed Rodon that he expected him to start the 2017 season on the disabled list. Rodon, who was brought along gradually at the start of Spring Training to maximize his 2017 performance, didn't like the sound of that idea, even if it was the right decision going forward. Then, when Rodon came back from getting a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, Hahn informed Rodon that he could miss two or three starts or six or seven due to biceps tendon bursitis. "He said 'Six or seven? It's not going to be six or seven,'" Hahn told reporters before Monday's season opener against the Tigers, which was rained out. "He's going to fight us every step of the way. But he knows and his representatives know we're doing what's best for Carlos." The end of Rodon's two-week throwing program is set for April 10. He is throwing off flat ground and feels good, according to Hahn. If he continues on the current positive path, Rodon will start throwing off the mound around that date within a specific program, including a rehab assignment. In some ways, Rodon's situation is representative of the whole White Sox rebuilding process. If the team had its druthers –- a phrase Hahn should copyright due to the frequent usage -- Rodon would play an important part of the team's rotation from the season's outset. If Hahn had his druthers, the team would have made three or four moves following the Chris Sale and Adam Eaton deals executed at the Winter Meetings. But the White Sox won't rush the process and get less than what they feel as fitting for any of their players in this talent accumulation process, just as the club won't rush Rodon back in less than the projected absence of five or six weeks if he's not every bit of 100 percent ready. "Knock on wood, health permitting, I don't necessarily see it taking the full six, like a normal Spring Training," said Hahn, mentioning Rodon was up to 60 pitches during his lone Cactus League start in Tempe, Ariz. "But again, we're going to take our time on this one. If there's the least bit of discomfort or any stuff like that, we're going to take a step back and start this thing over. As I told Carlos directly, there's zero reason for us to rush through this." Taking their time in regard to trades has been made easier for the White Sox by knowing nothing has been presented to them in the past few months where they feel it's something they should do. "Again, we have to be strong and keep that sort of long-term focus," Hahn said. "That's where the fruit of these labors will pay off because of patience and waiting until the time is right to make these transactions."

After rainout, Quintana and Verlander to duel By Joe Trezza and Jason Beck / MLB.com | April 3rd, 2017 There was never a question of whether Jose Quintana could start Opening Day for the White Sox, it was would he? He had to wait an extra day after Monday's originally scheduled opener was rained out, but after being the subject of trade speculation for much of the past two seasons, it's worth the wait. He'll take the ball for Chicago in the rescheduled opener Tuesday at 2:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. CT at Guaranteed Rate Field.

By contrast, Quintana's opposing starter, Justin Verlander, gets the Opening Day assignment for Detroit for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. Verlander was a lock to start Opening Day since finishing a close second in the American League Cy Young Award voting last November. Verlander is coming off his best season in years after going 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA and 254 strikeouts in 2016. "I think I'm ahead of where I was at this time last year," Verlander said. "So I'm optimistic, but I think you can't ever just say, 'OK, I'm where I need to be.' That's never really the case. It's time to turn the page on spring and be ready to go." Quintana proved he was ready early this spring, tossing 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball against eventual World Baseball Classic champion Team USA in the first round of the tournament. Coming off a typically serviceable season over which he went 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA, the lefty has been in high demand on the trade market because of his durability and effectiveness. The White Sox are clearly thinking young after trading ace Chris Sale and center fielder Adam Eaton for prospects this winter. Chicago also released veteran second baseman Brett Lawrie and made a six-year commitment to second-year shortstop Tim Anderson, who is just 23. Anderson is making his first Opening Day start along with Tyler Saladino at second base and Jacob May in center field. Meanwhile, Quintana is still here to lead a White Sox team that will also rely heavily on veteran sluggers Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier. "I'll be ready for Day 1," said Quintana, who is making his first Opening Day start. "I think that the first month is really important for us, especially when you face a lot of Central division teams." The Tigers are expected to compete for that division with reigning AL Central champion Cleveland and Kansas City, which won the World Series a year prior. Detroit returns an almost entirely veteran lineup from a season during which it went 86-75, finished 2 1/2 games out of an AL Wild Card spot and eight back of the Indians. Detroit features All-Star potential all over the diamond, from still-great Miguel Cabrera at first to five-tool Ian Kinsler at second, to Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez (injured) in the outfield and emerging Nicholas Castellanos at third. Things to know about this game • Tune in for a power vs. power matchup -- hopefully a few of them -- between Verlander and Abreu. Abreu is 11-for-29 with four homers for his career off Verlander, including two last season. • The Tigers are likely to field the same starters at seven positions from Opening Day a year ago. The exceptions are right field (Martinez, injured) and center (Anthony Gose is now working out as a pitcher in extended spring training). JaCoby Jones is Detroit's fourth different Opening Day starter in center in as many seasons. "It's pretty exciting, a lot of butterflies," Jones said. "I'm looking forward to it. It should be a lot of fun." • Chicago finished 17 1/2 games behind Cleveland last season and lost 12 of 19 matchups against Detroit.

Like Moncada, Alexei's pregame meal bit odd Former White Sox SS ate Krispy Kreme sandwich with mayo By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 3rd, 2017 CHICAGO -- For those who enjoyed reports of Yoan Moncada's Twinkie infatuation, getting into triple-digits of consumption in one week as a teenager, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn one-upped that story Monday with a tale of Alexei Ramirez's rookie year in 2008. "When we had [Ramirez's] debut in Cleveland, his Major League debut, he pregamed with two Krispy Kremes with mayonnaise in between," a smiling Hahn said before Monday's White Sox season opener against the Tigers was rained out. "He put them together and enjoyed that for his pregame meal. So we're not unaccustomed to the transition in his diet." • Moncada eats up to 85 Twinkies a week Ramirez, a Cuban countryman of Moncada, played from 2008-15 with the White Sox. He started in center field, moved to second base and eventually became a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop. Judging by his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, his food choice didn't do much damage.

Moncada, MLB's No. 2 prospect overall per MLBPipeline.com, begins his White Sox career as the second baseman for Triple-A Charlotte with the Knights opening International League play Thursday night against Norfolk. For what it's worth, Moncada played down the Twinkie story when asked about it at the start of Spring Training. "It's not going to surprise me if he forces the issue and he's up here at some point this year," Hahn said.

Sox taking their time to rebuild, retool roster Prospects allowed to develop; Hahn won't deal vets without solid return By Phil Rogers / MLB.com | @philgrogers | April 3rd, 2017 CHICAGO -- There's no five-year plan on the South Side. Not even a three-year plan, to be honest. But it's fun to think what the White Sox will look like when general manager Rick Hahn has completed his building of a younger, more athletic team, however much time it takes. It will be a treat when players like Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, Zack Burdi and Zack Collins arrive at Guaranteed Rate Field. But you won't find any of them Tuesday when the Sox open their season against the Tigers, a day later than scheduled because of Monday's rainout. Along with Carson Fulmer, Reynaldo Lopez and Victor Diaz, they'll be somewhere in the White Sox Minor League system, working to be ready for when a Major League opportunity presents itself. When you listen to Hahn talk, you know he really means it when he says the guiding principle behind the White Sox rebuilding work is to get it right, not to fall for any short-term gratification. Players won't be rushed, no matter how much attention they've already generated in their short careers. Patience will be required by everyone, front office included. That also applies to the stalled trade talks involving Jose Quintana, David Robertson and other veterans, who are likely to follow Chris Sale and Adam Eaton out of town. "Fundamentally, all of us in the front office started off as fans, so we have that same default mindset about wanting things to be done quickly, but wanting them also to be done right,'' Hahn said Monday. "We have to be strong and keep that sort of long-term focus. That's where the fruit of these labors will pay off because of patience and waiting until the time is right to make these transactions.'' It's going to be fascinating to watch Jose Abreu, Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera, James Shields, Quintana and the other White Sox veterans out of the gate. The trades of Sale and Eaton have lessened expectations on the team to a point where players could reach a level of emotional and athletic freedom that lets them elevate their games. It's possible that a team expected to finish near the bottom of the AL Central could be an early-season surprise, winning games at a pace that ultimately could compromise its standing in the 2018 MLB Draft, when studs like Clemson's Seth Beer and TCU's Luken Baker will be placed with Major League teams. It's a conundrum that winning now could hurt the Sox later. But Hahn isn't going to trade any of his guys just to get rid of them. "From my mindset, I know there's a lot of White Sox fans, if they could wake up on Oct. 1 and push a button and have us pick first, they would be thrilled,'' Hahn said. "But there's value in that clubhouse, [value] that we aren't just going to give away in the pursuit of the first pick of the Draft.'' Hahn loved much of what he saw from the White Sox in Arizona. He hated seeing Charlie Tilson sidelined, but was delighted that Jacob May stepped in to grab the vacancy in center field. He names Nicky Delmonico, Danny Hayes and both Zacks -- Collins and Burdi -- as players who made the most of their first trips to Major League camp. Moncada, the $63 million speed-power infielder acquired from Boston in the Sale trade, probably wasn't going to win a job in Chicago no matter what he did. He's moving back to second base after time spent at third with the Red Sox and will benefit from work out of the spotlight, with an emphasis on reducing his strikeouts. "I think he had a very good spring," Hahn said of MLB's No. 2 overall prospect. "I think one thing I liked, I was asked by a reporter the day after he struck out four times against the Dodgers, if we were worried about his development and where he was. And I think he put up an OPS of like 2.300 for the next two weeks after that. So we're not worried. ... The tools are as advertised. They jump out at you, the bat speed, the athleticism, the power.''

Manager Rick Renteria's Opening Day lineup was as follows: Tyler Saladino, second base; Tim Anderson, shortstop; Cabrera, left field; Abreu, first base; Frazier, third base; Cody Asche, designated hitter; Avisail Garcia, right field; Omar Narvaez, catcher, and May, center field. Even Hahn admits there's no way to know how many of those guys will be around for the full ride this season. Anderson is probably the only sure bet, although it would take a massive offer to get the White Sox to part with Abreu, who had 100-plus RBIs in each of his three Major League seasons. There's also no set schedule for Hahn's next round of moves, although he said Monday it's rare to see in-season trades made before June. He asked about the Cubs' acquisition of Rick Sutcliffe in 1984. That one didn't come until June, believe it or not. He just went right to work piling up wins, getting 16 in 20 starts to help Ryne Sandberg's squad win the division. Quintana can have the same impact for some team this summer. There's sure to be a lot of intrigue around the White Sox, with the players coming and going.

Rule 5 pick Covey relieved to stick with Sox Righty penciled in as No. 5 starter with Rodon on DL By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | April 3rd, 2017 CHICAGO -- Dylan Covey's first Opening Day served as the exciting culmination of a nerve-wracking and often challenging Spring Training for the White Sox Rule 5 Draft pick from Oakland. "Spring is when you want to come in and work on some things. I felt like I wasn't really able to work on things," said Covey, ranked as the No. 27 White Sox prospect by MLBPipeline.com. "I had to get outs every single time I went out there. "So, it was a different Spring Training for me. A lot of guys come in and use Spring Training to get ready. I had to come in to Spring Training ready. There was a lot of pressure, but it worked out." Covey not only broke camp with the team, but is penciled in as the fifth starter with Carlos Rodon on the disabled list due to bursitis in his biceps tendon. With inclement weather forecast for much of the Tigers series, Covey isn't sure when that first start will happen. Monday's season opener was rained out, with a makeup game scheduled for Tuesday. But he feels prepared after throwing six innings and approximately 75 pitches in Arizona on Sunday before flying to Chicago Sunday night. Covey was relieved to be able to make that trip. "Just a surreal feeling, especially in my situation," Covey said. "There was so much pressure on me all spring. When they finally told me, I felt the weight was lifted off of my shoulders. "If I obviously didn't make the team, I was going back to Oakland and they are kind of backed up in their system right now. I have no idea where I would have gone if I was sent back there. I knew that I had to make the most of every opportunity I got out here."

Is keeping veterans with trade value really hastening White Sox rebuild? David Haugh / Chicago Tribune | April 3, 2017 Before Monday's rain finally forced the White Sox to postpone their opener, general manager Rick Hahn beamed about the prospects likely to excite South Siders this season more than anything that happens at Guaranteed Rate Field. Until the first hotshot rookie arrives as early as late May, that is. That could be second baseman Yoan Moncada, whose habit of binge-eating Twinkies by the box came as news to Hahn. Not that it fazed Hahn after the Sox's odd experience with former string-bean shortstop Alexei Ramirez, a Cuban, like Moncada, forced to adapt to American culture. "In Cleveland (at) his major-league debut, he pregamed with two Krispy Kremes with mayonnaise in between,'' Hahn said. "He put them together and enjoyed that for his pregame meal. So we're not unaccustomed to the transition in his diet.'' Everything depends on one's appetite — and the same can be said about Hahn's rebuilding project. How much losing can Hahn stomach?

One look at the opening-day lineup suggests not as much as necessary for the Sox to hit a growth spurt sooner than later. The Sox still employ too many accomplished players like Todd Frazier, Melky Cabrera, David Robertson and, yes, 133-game winner James Shields. Not to mention starter Jose Quintana, the ace who will help the Sox win until a contender makes Hahn an offer he can't refuse. Before its first inning, this team looks too good to be that bad. Trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton exponentially improved the minor-league system, but the lull since December has slowed the downward momentum. Any real dive requires dipping more than a few toes in the water. "We've made no secret if we had our druthers we would have made some other moves,'' Hahn acknowledged. "We realize this is a process, and we're closer to the start of it than the end.'' The Sox committed their first error of the season by allowing thousands of people into the park to buy food and beer with bad weather looming. You didn't have to know Tom Skilling to realize that rain threatened the Chicago area throughout Monday afternoon. A smarter gesture than allowing fans to exchange Monday's tickets for another game would have been announcing a postponement before noon. An organization not necessarily focused on where their season ends showed too little concern about when it starts. Sox fans deserved better than to be teased with pregame introductions, a national anthem and a ceremonial first pitch before the grounds crew rolled the tarp back on the base paths. Finally, at 4:51 p.m., a postponement announcement ended everyone's agony. Somewhere, a Sox fan lamented that the Cubs even have better weather for opening day. Speaking of the Cubs, back in February 2013 when they were in the midst of a similar rebuilding process, team President Theo Epstein detailed for me his philosophy, which produced a World Series four seasons later. "What I want to avoid is the middle ground,'' Epstein said that day in Mesa, Ariz. "It'd be nice to make the playoffs or get a protected draft pick (awarded the bottom 10 teams). There's no glory in 78 wins instead of 73. Who cares?'' Until Hahn's next move, the Sox resemble a team capable of winning between 73 and 78 games, smack-dab in the middle of who-cares category. The Sox seem kinda sorta bad when history suggests it behooves them to be awful. When I related that concept to Hahn, he introduced an alternate approach likely more popular in the Sox clubhouse than the barroom. "Here's the rub with that: There have been a lot of successful rebuilds, even in our town, the last several years throughout baseball (and) many of them were predicated on bottoming out in the draft and getting high picks and spending well internationally,'' Hahn said. "Those elements are absolutely going to be part of what we're attempting to do. ... That said, we're a little bit different from some of the other clubs who had to embark on this process in that we weren't totally barren of big-league talent that we could trade for a little more proven amateur talent than what you can get in the draft." In other words, Hahn is saying the 2017 Sox have more talent to peddle for top prospects than perhaps the 2013 Cubs did. And with apologies to Darwin Barney and Nate Schierholtz, Hahn has a point. The Cubs' Way receives universal praise because it worked. The Sox Way can work, too, but requires Hahn winning more trades like the Sale and Eaton deals. "Players on this club doing well and enhancing their trade value — although that might lead to more W's over the year and worse draft position — could conceivably move this rebuild ahead more quickly because they'll enhance their trade value,'' Hahn said. "It's not all black and white.'' But renting in the gray area isn't cheap. Frazier ($12 million) Robertson ($12 million) and Cabrera ($15 million) combine to make a fortune for a non-playoff team openly placing the future ahead of the present. "I don't think these guys are thinking about rebuilding,'' Renteria said. Food for thought: Are the Sox really helping their own cause by keeping so many proud veterans in town?

Fascinated by Yoan Moncada’s Twinkies diet? Wait ‘til you hear this old Alexei Ramirez tale Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 3, 2017

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn discussed at length this spring the potential Yoan Moncada has to impact a game with his power, speed and athleticism. But there was one thing left off of Hahn’s scouting report — a dietary quirk that has been reported by the Tribune and various other news sources following the No. 2 overall prospect’s journey from Cuba to the Red Sox organization to the White Sox system over the last two years. Moncada loves Twinkies. “That was news to me,” Hahn said. Miami restauranteur Jo Hastings, who with husband David helped Moncada make his transition to the United States out of Cuba, told the Tribune’s David Haugh in December Moncada ate as many as 200 Twinkies a week when he first arrived. Hahn doesn’t flinch at such a food fascination, however, and here’s why. Even if Moncada were to continue consuming the Twinkies, it wouldn’t be the most unusual diet the club has ever had to deal with. That honor would go to former Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. “When we had his debut in Cleveland, his major-league debut, he pre-gamed with two Krispy Kremes with mayonnaise in between,” Hahn said. “He put them together and enjoyed that for his pregame meal. So we're not unaccustomed to the transition in his diet.” Hahn then laughed at the notion that the donuts had any effect on Ramirez’s famously lanky figure. As for Moncada, who looked more like he never touched junk food during spring training, the Sox won’t be dealing with his diet at the major-league level for a little while. He is starting the year with Triple-A Charlotte, but Hahn said it’s not out of the question he could join the big-league club at some point this year. “The tools are as advertised,” Hahn said. “They jump out at you, the bat speed, the athleticism, the power. We want to get him as comfortable as possible at second base, with more repetition there. "We’d like to see him against more Triple-A pitching, which unlike where he has been tends to be a little bit more breaking-ball heavy, a little more savvy-veteran heavy, and see how they work him over a little bit. But it's not going to surprise me if he forces the issue, and he's up here at some point this year.”

Opening daze on the South Side as White Sox make Tigers stand around Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | April 3, 2017 Like most teams from the Midwest or Northeast, the White Sox spent spring training preparing for the season in beautiful weather before coming home and starting in misery. Weird, but it happens every year. "The weather is different," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "It's cold. I remember getting all this rain last year and I'm thinking, 'Oh, man, this is going to be something else.' "But you get used to it real quick, and it's baseball. You run back in the dugout and go get some heat real quick and come back out. So it'll be fun." Maybe, but it wasn't much fun Monday at Sox Park, especially for the Tigers, who were forced to stand on the field for no reason on a chilly, raw day when Sox honchos decided to have player introductions during a rain delay of an opener that eventually was called about two hours after the scheduled starting time. You can't blame the Sox for the rain, of course. "Obviously there are some things out of our control," manager Rick Renteria said. "And this happens to be one of them." But you can blame them for making the Tigers stand around on the first-base line as the Sox players and coaches were introduced. It really got annoying for the Tigers when the Sox starting lineup was driven in slowly from center field to the dugout in individual cars from a sponsor, seemingly taking forever. .

Why not wait until they knew the game would be played before starting the ceremony? Renteria said they were "trying to be as efficient as possible, and when the window opened, we could take advantage of it" without having to wait for the ceremony. But the window never opened, so the Tigers stood and stood and stood some more. The body language of Ian Kinsler said it all. Not happy. The Tigers did not open their clubhouse afterward, so we can only guess what they were thinking. Kate Upton, fiancee of Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander, didn't look too happy either as she exited the tunnel after the postponement, but she might still be angry the baseball writers robbed her future husband of the Cy Young Award. You can probably chalk up the weather to Sox luck. The opener had daylong showers in the forecast, and many figured it would be postponed hours before the scheduled 3:10 p.m. start. Still, the atmosphere in the concourse and in the new Craft Kave in right field was festive, as most fans assumed the Sox knew they would start at some point, and after all, it was opening day. At 1:30 p.m., general manager Rick Hahn acknowledged the forecast "doesn't look great" but said they were hopeful. "I took my kids out of school, so hopefully they get to see some baseball," Hahn quipped. Hahn said the Sox thought the window would arrive by 2:15 to 2:30. Because it was supposed to rain all night, I asked Hahn if they would be hesitant to start a game that might be delayed and thus waste an outing by Jose Quintana, who would be making his first opening-day start. "No, and we don't want them to waste Verlander either," he said. "You don't want guys to get hot if you're not going to get, hopefully, five, six, seven innings. "But we also have 35,000-plus here that wanted to see a ballgame, so we're going to do everything in our power to play. But ultimately it's up to Mother Nature and the baseball gods ... and Roger." That would be groundskeeper Roger Bossard, aka "the Sodfather," who has a patented drainage system but no control over the weather. At the start of spring training in Glendale, Ariz., the Sodfather marveled that back home in Chicago, it was so warm they were turning on the field sprinklers at Sox Park for the first time in February. If only the Sox could've gotten some games in back then. The rain went on and on Monday, and Sox fans, hearty souls that they are, stuck around as long as they could. An hour into the delay — after the tarp had been peeled back a little, introductions had been made, Scott Podsednik had thrown out the ceremonial first pitch, the national anthem had been sung and the fireworks had been set off — they were certain the start was imminent. But the tarp went back, the players returned to their clubhouses to warm up and the fans promptly booed. Still, they continued to eat and drink, and some will be back Tuesday to do it again.

White Sox comfortable with risk of starting season with possible trade chips Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 3, 2017 When White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana steps on the mound to throw his first pitch of the season Tuesday, there will be a risk to his trade value due to possible injury or underperformance. That notion is not lost on general manager Rick Hahn as the Sox enter the season with several veterans they could deal. But Hahn said Monday the Sox did not encounter any offers during spring training that made them want to avoid that risk. "Nothing presented itself that made it feel like ... we'd better move now," Hahn said. "It wasn't that close to getting anything done." Hahn said it's "darn near impossible" to project which players on the current roster will stay with the Sox through the rebuild, but he did mention Tim Anderson and Carlos Rodon as likely keys. He said some veterans have expressed a desire to stay with the team.

"At the same time, they know that it's a business," Hahn said. "They know what's going on around them, and they appreciate the candor." Full circle: Jacob May remembers shagging balls during Devil Rays batting practice when his grandfather, Lee May, was their first-base coach in 2001 and '02. So the Sox center fielder had spent time on a big-league field before opening day at Guaranteed Rate Field. But May said he knows it will be a little different when he's in uniform for his major-league debut against the Tigers. "It's kind of come full around now that I'm a player," May said. "I'm a little familiar, but it's never the same when you're in the starting lineup." May said he expected his mother, stepfather and a group of friends to watch his debut. Great-uncle Carlos May, who played with the Sox from 1968 to '76, was on hand Monday before the rainout. Carlos May said he didn't watch Jacob play much when he was growing up in Cincinnati because Carlos lived in Chicago, but he's happy to receive the chance now. "He's a good player, switch hitter, speed," Carlos May said. "He's what they need. ... It's always cool when they make it. I told him it's about time he gets here. Hopefully he does good and has a good year." Rodon update: Hahn said Rodon has been throwing off flat ground in Arizona as part of his two-week program to recover from bursitis in his left shoulder. Rodon will be assessed Monday to see if he can begin throwing off a mound. Hahn said he hopes Rodon won't need a full six weeks to return, like a normal spring training would provide, but he will likely go on a rehab assignment. Minors assignments: Right-hander Michael Kopech will head to Double-A Birmingham, and catcher Zack Collins is slated for Class A Winston-Salem.

Test of patience during White Sox season starts with opening-day rainout Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 3, 2017 White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has advised patience this season as the club journeys down its new rebuilding path, and Mother Nature collaborated to test that quality from Day 1. Despite an opening-day forecast Monday that called for hours of rain, the Sox maintained hope they would find a window to play the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. The players rode onto the field in convertibles to greet the crowd, members of REO Speedwagon sang the national anthem and former Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik threw the first pitch. But 1 hour, 41 minutes after the scheduled 3:10 p.m. start, the Sox postponed the game until 1:10 p.m. Tuesday. "The radar and everything we were looking at was definitely going to put us in a difficult position in terms of getting everybody going and all of a sudden possibly losing everybody," Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "It was the wisest thing to do. We waited as long as we could, but we feel like we didn't have a large enough window to do what we needed to do." Tickets to Monday's game will be honored Tuesday, and gates will open at 11:40 a.m. The Sox announced parking will be free Tuesday, and lots will open at 10 a.m. Fans also can bring their used or unused tickets to Monday's game to the ballpark box office and receive a lower box or outfield reserve ticket to a future game, excluding the Red Sox series May 29-31, the A's game June 24 (Mark Buehrle's number retirement), the Yankees series June 26-29, the Dodgers series July 18-19 and the Cubs series July 26-27. The postponement allows the Sox to preserve left-hander Jose Quintana for the second attempt at opening day, while the Tigers can send out Monday's scheduled starter, right-hander Justin Verlander. Before the game, Hahn and Renteria addressed the media about what they expect from a team with outside forecasts gloomier than Monday's.

As Hahn evaluates offers for veteran players — and he said no recent conversations have brought the Sox close to a deal — he wants to see Renteria and the players implementing the right atmosphere, regardless of victories and losses. "There are going to need to be certain processes and environmental improvements around here in the coming years so that when the talent is ready, it's seamless in terms of turning that into a championship club," Hahn said. "I'm thrilled with what we've seen over the last two months or so since we got to spring training in terms of what Ricky and the coaches have done on that side of the coin. It's tough to quantify, but you felt it." Renteria said his expectations have remained the same throughout his short time as manager — that his players show fundamentally sound baseball that gives the team a chance to win. "You're always setting high expectations and high goals," he said. "I don't think these guys are thinking about rebuilding. These guys are thinking about winning. But we also know it's a process." For their part, the players want nothing to do with preseason analyses that project the Sox to record their fifth straight losing season. "You have to take accountability for yourself and show Chicago what we are about," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "I'm sure everybody doesn't have us on their lists of doing anything. But we play baseball like we know how and take it from our leader Rick Renteria, and we will be all right. "You are going to see a lot of hustle. You will see a lot of great plays and a determined team to prove themselves."

White Sox’ rebuilding year off to appropriately dreary start Rick Telander / Chicago Sun Times | April 3, 2017 This is why God invented springtime Tuesdays: so they can be used to play Opening Day games that were rained out on Mondays. But you could tell White Sox fans that, and it might not be much consolation. The rain came down basically all day, but Sox management didn’t call the season opener against the Tigers until 4:51 p.m., nearly two hours after the scheduled start. That was long enough for eager folks to partly fill the stadium now known as, dear God, Guaranteed Rate Field — more on that later — and buy enough hot dogs that the club probably made a few bucks before sending everyone home. “I think everybody is disappointed,’’ manager Rick Renteria said in the soggy tunnel afterward. “But, obviously, it’s something out of our control.’’ You know what would make it in your control? A dome. That’s what. But there’s a story for another day. At any rate (guaranteed or not), the game will attempt to start again Tuesday at 1:10 p.m., same place, hopefully without rain. Everybody who hangs on to his Monday ticket gets in, and parking will be free. But the game won’t be the same. And here’s why. If most ticketed people don’t come back because they can’t, it sure doesn’t look like an Opening Day crowd. And the poor, Cubs-exhaust-eating Sox need every fanny in every seat they can in what is likely to be a very long and boring season. Tigers ace Justin Verlander was scheduled to go against Jose Quintana, a 2016 All-Star who had career bests last season in wins (13), ERA (3.20), innings (208), WHIP (1.16), opponents’ batting average (.246) and opponents’ on-base percentage (.295). And those two will go at it Tuesday. But this is officially a rebuilding year for the Sox, something that can excite only those who like to watch minnows grow into adult fish or those who would rather watch a smelter make pig iron than own a functioning razor blade.

A lot of veterans from this team are likely to be gone by the trade deadline, and the young players will either look good or bad or — worst of all — average. Because average will kill your rebuild faster than anything. Go to the bottom (by tanking, dumping, “experimenting’’) or go to the top (through great trades, drafts and youth development), but don’t be in the dreaded middling terrain where nothing seems to work. Shortstop Tim Anderson, 23, who has played all of 99 games for the Sox, appears to be a star in the making. At least he’s getting paid as such, with a new six-year, $25 million extension of his rookie contract. So he will be closely watched, as will second baseman Tyler Saladino and rookie center fielder Jacob May. Old guys such as right-hander James Shields (35), closer David Robertson (31) and slugger Todd Frazier (31) could be dealt anytime. First baseman Jose Abreu, 30, is on the clock. Because, remember, rebuilding means starting anew. The Sox did a rebuild back around 1986, one that lasted four years and had the Sox finishing with an average 72-89 record over that period. Fun? Maybe for those who like watching ponds getting drained through a pinhole. Attendance was terrible — 1.2 million per year. But it led to over a decade of pretty solid ball, with four first- place finishes and nine second-place finishes all the way up to that World Series crown in 2005. Plus, a record attendance of nearly 3  million in 2006. The question is whether you have time to wait for general manager Rick Hahn’s rebuild or you’ll kindly take a pass until such time as the team is ready to compete for championships again. This is something the Cubs pulled off, you’ll recall. But Cubs fans wouldn’t desert their team even if it put the Joffrey Ballet on the field for a year and played the theme from “Swan Lake’’ instead of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’’ Now, as for that new stadium name — listen, naming rights mean money. And money is good. Ask Donald Trump. So who are we to complain, even if the logo arrow points to the bottom? You want to call old Comiskey Park “The Rate,’’ “The G-Rate,’’ “The Guar-rate,’’ “The Groucho Marx Theater of Laughs’’ — go ahead. A suitable nickname will develop, and we’ll all survive. Of course, how pleasantly we’ll view the White Sox while surviving — that’s a tough call.

Tanking not in the cards for White Sox Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 3, 2017 To tank or not to tank, that really wasn’t much of a question as far as general manager Rick Hahn was concerned when he mapped out a plan to rebuild the White Sox. “Here’s the rub with that,’’ Hahn said. “There’s been a lot of successful rebuilds, even in our town. … Many of them were predicated on bottoming out and getting high picks and spending good money and spending it well internationally.’’ It all makes sense, and fielding a weak roster worked for the Cubs, who lost a lot and didn’t mind and stockpiled talent via the draft, as Hahn pointed out. “The higher you pick, the better off you are,’’ Hahn said, stating the obvious. “That said, we’re a little bit different from some of the other clubs that had to embark on this process.’’ That’s because the Sox’ roster wasn’t “totally barren of big-league talent” when the rebuild began. Hahn said the rebuild could move more quickly if current players perform well now and enhance their trade value. “So it’s not all black and white,’’ he said. “We don’t have to pick first, that’s not the intent of this 2017 season. It certainly isn’t the focus of [manager] Ricky [Renteria] and the players. “There’s value in that clubhouse, that we aren’t just going to give away in the pursuit of the first pick of the draft.’’

The biggest piece of value is left-hander Jose Quintana, who was scheduled to pitch against the Tigers in the first game of the season Monday. Under team control with club options in his contract in 2019 and 2020, Quintana, an All-Star, would bring a hefty return in a trade. The Sox were close on two trades during the offseason — one on Christmas Eve believed to involve closer David Robertson — that were killed at the goal line by two ownership groups. “So, yeah, I certainly felt close, at least on those two deals,” Hahn said. ”At the same time, once those two things cratered, there hasn’t really been anything else. Although we’ve gone through the process and gathered the scouts and gone through the video and had our internal debates, it wasn’t anything where we were like, ‘This is a coin flip or we should or shouldn’t do this.’ ’’ And so the Sox take a team into the 2017 season that, while not positioned to win — they were six games under .500 with Chris Sale and Adam Eaton and they are gone — but not looking like a 100-loss team, either. “There is a lot of talent in this room,” Robertson said. “The White Sox made a lot of trades in the offseason. They acquired a lot of talent. I know they are calling this a rebuilding team but we’re very capable of doing what we need to do to get to the playoffs. I honestly think that.” Did you say playoffs? Robertson was asked. “Yeah, what’s wrong with that? Right now we’re 0-0,” said Robertson, who pitched for the Yankees in the 2009 World Series. “If we finish 90-and-whatever we have a good chance. There’s no reason we can’t do it. I’ve seen other teams get in the playoffs that you wouldn’t expect. You just have to have a ticket to get it.” There’s nothing wrong for the Sox’ big picture with having a motivated team. As Hahn said, the better they perform, the better for their plan. Robertson has two years left on his contract at $12 million this season and $13 million in 2018. He was signed before the 2015 season as a needed piece for what the Sox thought was a contender. And he could be dealt to a contender if the Sox find themselves far away from 90 wins at the trade deadline Aug. 1. “That’s not my decision,” Robertson said. “I’m here to help my team win ballgames. If I am traded, so be it. I can only do what I can do and that’s show up and help finish ballgames.”

White Sox’ season opener rained out Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 3, 2017 The White Sox’ season opener with the Tigers on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field was rained out and rescheduled for Tuesday at 1:10 p.m. The game, which was scheduled for 3:10 p.m. with Jose Quintana opposing the Tigers’ Justin Verlander, was called off at 4:51. All tickets for the game, used or not used, are good for admission Tuesday, which was an open date. The Sox announced parking will be free for fans. Rain had been forecast for much of the day, but the Sox still tried to get it in despite precipitation that began around noon. During a break from the wet stuff, both teams went through opening ceremonies, with Sox players entering the field in Mustang convertibles and introduced individually. Tigers players were also introduced, REO Speedwagon band members played the national anthem and 2005 World Series hero Scott Podsednik threw out the first pitch. After that, however, the players ducked into their clubhouses and did not return. More rain followed, dooming the opener for another day. “We waited as long as we could, but we feel like we didn’t have a large enough window,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. The Sox announced — “in consideration for how the postponement might disrupt the schedules of fans” — that fans holding tickets for the opener can also exchange unused tickets for a free lower box or outfield reserve ticket for any home game excluding May 29-31 vs. the Red Sox, June 24 vs. the A’s, June 26-29 vs. the Yankees, July 18-19 vs. the Dodgers and July 26-27 vs. the Cubs, based on availability.

Rodon to likely miss all of April General manager Rick Hahn indicated left-hander Carlos Rodon could miss another five or six weeks as he works his way back from upper-biceps bursitis. Rodon, who is in Arizona, is on a throwing program and will be re-evaluated April 10. He made one start during spring training and would be starting from ground zero again. Hahn said Rodon is “feeling good.” “If there’s the least bit of discomfort or any stuff like that, we’re going to take a step back and start this thing over,’’ Hahn said. “As I told Carlos directly, there’s zero reason for us to rush through this.” “Surreal feeling” for Covey Dylan Covey, being groomed as a fill-in in the rotation, stayed in Arizona Sunday and threw about 75 pitches as he builds up endurance. Because of the rainout Monday, the Sox will need a fifth starter. Covey, a Rule 5 pick from the A’s, was originally scheduled to throw in Arizona Monday, but making his first Opening Day roster was so “surreal,” he asked if he could be in Chicago so he threw Sunday instead. “It’s my first one, and they understood and made adjustments to the schedule to get me here,’’ he said. “I appreciate that.’’

Quintana on first Opening Day: ‘I can’t wait’ Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun Times | April 3, 2017 Jose Quintana has never started on Opening Day, but he seems to fit the part. With Chris Sale around, though, and Jeff Samardzija, he was more of an afterthought when it came to the honor. Not any more. Sale is a Red Sox, Quintana has stayed consistently good in his five seasons as a starting pitcher, and so today is his day. “It’s special for me,” Quintana said. “I’ve never been on the mound for Opening Day. I can’t wait.” Jose Quintana pitches during the 2016 All-Star Game. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi) Quintana was set to throw the first pitch of the 2017 season against the Tigers at newly named Guaranteed Rate Field Monday at 3:10, but the game was called off at 4:50 because of rain. Quintana and Verlander will now square off Tuesday at 1:10 p.m. Many thought Quintana would have followed Sale out the door by now as the Sox begin a rebuilding phase. But he’s here, at least for now. “It’s good to be here,” Quintana, 28, said, “Be here for another season. I know there are rumors but I just focus on my job.” Quintana said he ignored the rumors during the offseason, and while he fielded questions about them during spring training, he wasn’t deluged by them, either. “I spent time with my family and got some rest. I’m here again,” he said. Sox manager Rick Renteria said Quintana’s body of work precedes him. He is also one of the most liked and respected teammates in the clubhouse. “You start to fall in love with him,” Renteria said. “The more you watch him pitch, the more you see him work, it’s really easy to fall in love with the things he’s capable of doing. “He’s very calm demeanored, very focused, all his preparations and outings are the same executing his task. Opening Day for him, we’re all very happy for him. It seems to fit him right now.” Quintana pitched during the spring as though he was unfazed by trade rumors. Including his start for Colombia against Team USA and his final Cactus League start against the Reds, he has retired 37 of the last 41 batters he has faced.

Quintana joins the Braves Julio Teherán (2014-16) as the only Colombia-born pitchers to start on Opening Day. He is the fifth non-American born pitcher to start an opener for the Sox, joining Puerto Ricans Juan Pizzaro (1962) and Jaime Navarro (1997-98), Dominican Melido Perez (1990) and Cuban Jose Contreras (2007). Here is the Sox Opening Day lineup: Tyler Saladino 2B, Tim Anderson SS, Melky Cabrera LF, Jose Abreu 1B, Todd Frazier 3B, Cody Asche DH, Avisail Garcia RF, Omar Narvaez C, Jacob May CF. There is a threat of rain, especially near or shortly after game time, although Sox officials are optimistic about getting the game in.

White Sox balancing long-term process with players desire to compete in 2017 By Dan Hayes/ CSN Chicago | April 3, 2017 The White Sox find themselves at the intersection of the front office staying on course and a clubhouse trying to compete now as the 2017 season kicks off. Only two trades into their first rebuild since 1997, general manager Rick Hahn has been up front that the White Sox are in the early stages of what could be a long and painful process. But one area where the club believes it has already made serious gains is in an overhaul of the clubhouse culture, and that's why the White Sox could be at a crossroads. Under the influence of manager Rick Renteria's upbeat, energetic style, White Sox players believe they tapped into something special this spring. Despite the losses of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, White Sox players believe they can compete right now. That could potentially force the front office into a tricky position where it must navigate the proper route if and when opposing teams come calling for its most tradeable assets. "Our goal is to remain focused on the long term and building something sustainable," Hahn said. "If this team puts itself in a position to contend this year, we aren't going to proactively hinder their ability to contend if we feel it's real and sustainable and that the performance level and health and depth of the roster indicates that it could conceivably take the club into October. "At the same time, that also entails being honest with ourselves about where we're at and as objectively as we can, evaluating our chances and what's best for the franchise in the long term." The long-term view isn't part of the consideration of anyone within the White Sox clubhouse. Reliever Zach Putnam said Renteria's style has energized a room full of previously unfamiliar players. "Rebuild has some kind of negative connotations that you're almost accepting that you're going to have a losing season or a poor season," reliever Zach Putnam said. "There's not a single person in this clubhouse that believes that and I mean that." Veteran Todd Frazier understands the reality of the situation but said he isn't trying to pay attention. Along with closer David Robertson, outfielder Melky Cabrera and starting pitchers Derek Holland and Miguel Gonzalez, Frazier is one of many players who could be traded before the season ends. But the free agent-to-be said he refuses to think that far ahead. "They only made two changes, so at the end of the day let's see what they're trying to do later on," Frazier said. "But you can't really think in the future. We're basically playing for what we've got and what we've got right now is a pretty good squad. We're pretty happy with where we're at. It's going to be a fun team to watch." But as Hahn has stated, the White Sox intend to be honest when determining their direction. Part of the current plan is to not rush any of the team's prospects to fill voids. If a starting pitcher goes down early in the season, the White Sox are unlikely to fill that spot with one of their top prospects. And while the White Sox have a number of highly talented prospects, the top of the farm system is still relatively thin.

The fifth-year GM and Renteria both said they have an open-door policy if veteran players have questions about where the team stands. Hahn encountered a few of those during the course of the spring as well as several veterans' requests to be part of the team's plan. But Hahn would only commit Monday to determining the future of those veteran players on a "case-by-case" basis. But for now the White Sox like the culture that has grown in the clubhouse. "What we're trying to accomplish in 2017 goes beyond just wins and losses at the big league level," Hahn said. "We're trying to build something sustainable and part of that is environmental and cultural and how the players and coaches prepare for games, how we expect the game to be played, and how the coaches hold the players accountable. "The things we're trying to accomplish aren't going to show up in the wins and losses over the course of a season. "Now we're all going to be tested because we're all competitive and want to win every game we're a part of. But we're going to have to remind ourselves from time to time that there are some other big picture items that are more important toward the long term than winning individual games."

Carlos Rodon expected to miss 5-6 weeks for White Sox By Paul Roumeliotis / CSN Chicago | April 3, 2017 Barring any setbacks, the White Sox will be without Carlos Rodon until mid-May. Rodon is expected to be out five to six weeks, general manager Rick Hahn said on Monday. The White Sox southpaw is currently seven days into a two-week program where he’s throwing on flat ground. When that ends on April 10, the White Sox will give Rodon a specific program that will involve a rehab assignment at some point, according to Hahn. Health permitting, the White Sox general manager doesn’t believe it will take the full six weeks. But they are in no rush to bring him back. “Again, we're going to take our time on this one,” Hahn said. “If there's the least bit of discomfort or any stuff like that, we're going to take a step back and start this thing over. As I told Carlos directly, there's zero reason for us to rush through this." Rodon wasn’t too thrilled when Hahn told him he’d start the season on the disabled list with a biceps injury, but the smart, and safe, call was made. "When this first started and he and I had a conversation, and I shared with him 'I expect you to start on the DL' he didn't like the sound of that, even though obviously it was the right decision going forward, and he knew after he was examined it was the right decision going forward,” Hahn said. “And then when he came back from California and I said 'Well, you're being put on the DL on this date and here's the program going forward and we'll reassess on the 10th. “Whether you miss two or three starts or you miss six or seven, we're going to take whatever time is needed,' he said 'six or seven? It's not going to be six or seven.' He's going to fight us every step of the way, but he knows and his representatives know we're doing what's best for Carlos." With Rodon absent, the White Sox have a void to fill. Dylan Covey, who could be the fifth man in the White Sox rotation when that turn comes up, is ready to go if needed. Manager Rick Renteria wasn’t sure if Monday’s rainout meant Covey would be in line to start Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. Covey, a Rule 5 draft pick in December, has never pitched above the Double-A level. In 12.2 innings this spring training, he allowed 11 earned runs while working under pressure to get the outs he needed to make the White Sox Opening Day roster. While Covey accomplished one challenging task, he has another one lying ahead of him: stay on the team. If Covey doesn’t remain on the White Sox main roster for the entire season, he will be placed on waivers and offered back to Oakland.

“I knew that if I obviously didn’t make the team, I was going back to Oakland and they are kind of backed up in their system right now,” Covey said. “I have no idea where I would have gone if I was sent back there. I knew that I had to make the most of every opportunity I got out here.” As you can expect, Covey was delighted to see his name on the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career. Now he’s ready to make the most of his opportunity. “That was awesome,” Covey said. “Got to call my family and tell them and definitely just a surreal feeling. Especially in my situation, there was so much pressure on me all spring. When they finally told me, I felt the weight was lifted off of my shoulders. “Everyone in the clubhouse they knew the situation and they were very encouraging. When they found out I made the team, they said that’s awesome. I remember (Todd) Frazier saying that’s hard to do, congratulations. Everyone was really supportive.”

White Sox Opening day rained out, rescheduled for Tuesday By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | April 3, 2017 The White Sox and Detroit Tigers will have to wait another day to begin the 2017 season. A persistent, steady rain in the Chicago area led to Monday's Opening Day game at Guaranteed Rate Field being postponed and rescheduled for Tuesday at 1:10 p.m, with Jose Quintana squaring off against Justin Verlander. The game will still be broadcast on CSN Chicago. Monday's regularly scheduled game was initially delayed from its 3:10 p.m. start time, though the tarp was removed from both baselines so the Tigers and White Sox could be introduced, as they traditionally are before the first game of the season. After White Sox players filed in on convertibles driven around the warning track from center field, the tarp was rolled back behind the pitcher's mound so 2005 World Series champion and CSN Chicago White Sox pre- and postgame analyst Scott Podsednik could throw out of the first pitch. Absent from the pregame introductions were starters Jose Quintana and Justin Verlander, though. The bullpen mounds in left field and right field remained under tarps for the duration of the afternoon. The goal of going through the pregame festivities was to be efficient so if a window to start the game did open, both teams could've warmed up and began play as quickly as possible. "We’re all still excited about getting it going," manager Rick Renteria said. "We delay it one day, but I think the guys are ready to get started, and tomorrow will be the same for us as it was today. Get ready to go out there and play." All used and unused tickets from Monday's game will be good for admission to Tuesday's game, and parking will be free. In addition, the White Sox offered those holding tickets to the game the option to go on Tuesday or exchange the ticket for a different game later in the season. Details from the White Sox: “In consideration for how the postponement might disrupt the schedules of fans, the White Sox also announced that fans holding tickets to today’s originally scheduled game (April 3) can bring their used or unused ticket to the Guaranteed Rate Field box office any time during regular business hours and receive a complimentary lower box or outfield reserve ticket to any future White Sox game, excluding the following dates: May 29-31 vs. Boston, June 24 vs. Oakland, June 26-29 vs. New York-AL, July 18-19 vs. Los Angeles-NL and July 26-27 vs. the Cubs, based on availability.”

What making the opening day roster means to White Sox duo By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 3, 2017 Matt Davidson is finally here. It just took longer than he originally anticipated. Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in December 2013 in exchange for closer Addison Reed, Davidson has made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career. The White Sox finalized their roster on Sunday morning by purchasing the contracts of Cody Asche, Anthony Swarzak and Geovany Soto. Davidson also grabbed a spot and is up with the White Sox for only the second time since he was acquired. The third baseman was promoted last June, but broke his foot in his first game and was out for the season. "It's pretty cool," Davidson said. "I've almost kind of been here mentally. You want to be here and you expect to be here and obviously on the other half you weren't here so you're trying to soak it all in. Every little opportunity you can, just enjoy it and just realize you're here and not take it for granted."

Swarzak has made the Opening Day roster for the fifth time in his career. The veteran reliever said he has felt good physically all spring, where he struck out 16 batters in 12 2/3 innings. But Swarzak has also enjoyed the new atmosphere he's encountered with the White Sox. Having spent a good porition of his career in the AL Central, Swarzak always thought the White Sox would be a good fit. So far that's what he's found. "It means the world to me," Swarzak said. "Any time you get an opportunity to play on Opening Day in the major leagues, you cherish it. It's something very special. I really like it here, the group of guys here, the staff, the coaches. Everything seems to just fit me and my personality. I had a good spring and now here I am. "Everything kind of came together at the right time and that's kind of how baseball seems to be." The timing has never quite worked out for Davidson with the White Sox until now. He was believed to have a good shot at making the 2014 club after the White Sox acquired him to be their third baseman of the future. Davidson performed well that spring, but the club opted to keep Conor Gillaspie, who was out of options, in the majors. They wanted Davidson to spend more time in the minors developing. But Davidson struggled, hitting .199 and .203 in 2014 and 2015 at Triple-A Charlotte. It was only last year that Davidson found his groove. Davidson hit .294/.366/.477 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs from May 7 through June 28. Looking for some thump at designated hitter, the White Sox promoted Davidson on June 30. He singled in a run in his second plate appearance but broke his foot running the bases. Davidson had surgery in July and was out for the season. Aside from a visit when the club played in Anaheim later that month, Davidson was gone, spending most of his time rehabbing at the team's Glendale, Ariz. training facility. "I'm just really excited and can't wait to see what it's all about," Davidson said. "It's where you want to be."

Tigers-White Sox opener in Chicago postponed because of rain Associated Press / April 3, 2017 CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox paraded onto the field in convertible Mustangs with the tops down for the pregame introductions prior to their season opener against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. There was plenty of pomp and circumstance. There was also too much rain and -- because of that -- no game. The White Sox postponed the opener against Detroit because of the downpour, delaying the start of a new era on Chicago's South Side. The game rescheduled for Tuesday, with the Tigers' Justin Verlander and White Sox's Jose Quintana getting their starts pushed back a day. "I think everybody was looking forward to starting the season, but obviously there are some things out of our control, and this happens to be one of them," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. It had been raining all afternoon. With the field drenched and no break in the forecast, the game was called off 101 minutes after the scheduled start. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus didn't seem too concerned earlier in the day about the possibility of a postponement. "No contingencies to work out," he said. "If we get rained out, we'll play tomorrow. At some point, we're going to play." A bigger concern for him: Getting the Tigers back to the postseason. They missed out for the second straight season after winning four straight AL Central championships. They finished eight games behind Cleveland in the division and just missed the wild card with 86 wins last year. The White Sox, meanwhile, started rebuilding after a 78-84 finish and their fourth straight losing season. Gone are ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton, both traded as management stocked up on young players. Those weren't the only changes.

There's a new manager, with Renteria replacing Robin Ventura. The ballpark has a new name, too -- Guaranteed Rate Field instead of U.S. Cellular Field. Change is definitely happening, and it's not hard to see why. After all, the White Sox have just one playoff appearance since the 2005 championship season. While the record probably won't be great, there is at least some intrigue surrounding the team. That's because things are at least different. Promising players such as second baseman Yoan Moncada, along with hard-throwing pitchers Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez are in the pipeline thanks to the big trades. Quintana could be the next star player to be traded. Veterans such as third baseman Todd Frazier and closer David Robertson could also be moved. "Fundamentally, all of us in the front office started off as fans so we have that same default mindset about wanting things to be done quickly, but wanting them also to be done right," general manager Rick Hahn said. "The trick is, is that we're at least privy to where conversations have been on certain players and can sleep well at night knowing that there really hasn't been anything presented to us that's been turned down that we look back in retrospect and could possibly kick ourselves for turning down. These aren't exact formulas, there's no clear-cut, this is the proper value, but we really haven't been presented with anything in recent months that's even been close to feeling like this is something we should do." TRAINER'S ROOM Tigers: RF J.D. Martinez (sprained right foot) is expected to begin rehabilitation this week. White Sox: Hahn said LHP Carlos Rodon (bursitis in his left biceps) has been throwing and will likely begin working from a mound in a week. He will also go on a rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day disabled list. "We're going to take our time on this one," Hahn said.

Chicago White Sox's rebuild creates something of interest Mike Imrem / Daily Herald | April 3, 2017 Chicago White Sox introductions before their season opener were odd Monday afternoon. Lining up along the third-base line were reasonable facsimiles of 2016 Sox like Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier and David Robertson. The impostors were all over Sox Park all day, making the place look like a wax museum. Except on the field, that is. Rain canceled batting practice and eventually postponed the game until 1:10 p.m. Tuesday. It's almost as if the baseball gods needed time to identify who those people were in Sox uniforms. Wait … say what? They were who the names on the back of their shirts said they were? Apparently, general manager Rick Hahn is taking his time executing the club's rebuild to give Sox fans something to be interested in this season. So that was the real Quintana, who was supposed to be pitching for the Astros, Rangers, Pirates, Cardinals or any team but the Sox by now. The Sox aren't going to be much to see this season during their rebuild fueled by exchanging veterans for prospects. "I'm just worrying about Game 1," Todd Frazier said in the Sox's clubhouse. Sox players insist they aren't jittery about where else they might be playing five minutes from now.

Either they assumed that posture on their own or Ricky Renteria indoctrinated them with Sox Say along with the Sox Way. "For me, for our club," the Sox's new manager said, "we come out and play the game. We get ready for today's game." Easy for Renteria to say from the inside out. From the outside in, it's easier to be antsy for the rebuild to move along and for more vets to move out. Within days of each other in December, Chris Sale -- boom! -- was traded to Boston and Adam Eaton -- boom! -- was traded to Washington. It was out with the old and in with the new in the form of some of the Red Sox's and Nationals' top prospects. Then … nothing since. While the Sox figure to be hard to watch, it's easy to watch other games and scout whom Hahn can trade to whom for whom. The 2017 season began Sunday with three nationally televised games, each featuring at least one team that looked like a natural trade partner for the Sox. Quintana would fit nicely with the Cardinals, who are an arm or two short of contending, or the Yankees, whose Masahiro Tanaka was smacked around by the Rays. St. Louis' cleanup man against the Cubs was third baseman Jhonny Peralta, who isn't a serious cleanup man. Wouldn't the Cardinals look a lot better with Frazier's 40 home runs batting behind their three high-on-base hitters at the top of the lineup? You might recall the Giants' bullpen meltdown that enabled the Cubs to beat San Francisco in last season's playoffs. Well, the Giants gave Mark Melancon a lot of money to close games, but he blew the save and opener at Arizona. Wouldn't they like Robertson from the Sox to share Melancon's role and Nate Jones to set them up? Every team needs something, and the Sox have some of what some of those teams need. Hahn is taking his time, surveying the market, playing liar's poker with other GMs, walking a thin line toward the July 31 trade deadline. That game within the game figures to be a lot more interesting than the game on the Sox Park field the next few months.

Chicago White Sox will act the part in 2017 Barry Rozner / Daily Herald | April 3, 2017 To say it was a strange Opening Day on the South Side doesn't really do justice to a theater production created by the baseball gods, scripted by management and scoffed at by Mother Nature. After being bad for a long time, the White Sox have finally decided to be terrible. And, yet, even that was out of their control Monday. Baseball, right? Amid the pouring rain and dark skies, avoiding the cliché that was this particular and peculiar Opening Day was no simple task, but acknowledging a rope pulled in opposite directions was entirely necessary Monday. The White Sox were presenting a lineup presumably worth cheering, with the manager believing the goal was to win, when even the players knew the real hope was a high draft pick -- or a performance worthy of acquisition. It's an odd position for a professional athlete, to understand what's really at play, yet wanting to compete and succeed. They play to win. They play to get better. They play to earn bigger contracts. Or they play to get traded. So they delude themselves.

All is normal. It's just another day at the ballpark. Another chance to win a game. "We have a great thing going here," said veteran Todd Frazier. "This is a great group that wants to be together, hang out together. We have great chemistry and it's really fun. "We had a great spring. Now, it's time to get it going." The mental gymnastics must confuse even the most grizzled veterans, an internal struggle that can end only when does the trade speculation. It's the perfect time for a downpour, a sky-opening, sewer-filling rain that swamped the city and soaked the ballpark. It was relatively dry at 11:49 a.m. Monday, when Frazier walked out to the dugout, set his glove on the bench, glanced at the sky and stopped for a moment. He shook his head a bit and paused, looking around, perhaps wondering if the rain would hold off long enough for batting practice. He put a helmet and some lumber in the bat rack and walked back in toward the clubhouse. At 12:18 p.m., the rain started again and new manager Rick Renteria signaled to the grounds crew. Batting practice canceled. Tarp on the field. Opening Day on hold. At 1:10 the gates opened and many thousands showed up, curious to see what exactly the Sox had in mind for 2017. It would have been a full house if it had ever stopped raining. The 3:10 start delayed, nearing 4 p.m. the rosters were introduced and players from both sides trotted to the baselines. Scott Podsednik threw out the ceremonial first pitch, the rain came down harder and the baselines covered again. The players went back to the clubhouse, where young Tim Anderson lockers next to Frazier, young Carlos Rodon lockers next to veteran Derek Holland. All around the room, kids sitting with veterans, some of whom just waiting for their ticket out. Others, apparently, are not in a rush to go, wanting to be a part of this when the White Sox come out the other side of the tunnel. "I've had a couple of individual conversations with guys who wanted to know more about their status, some of whom have expressed a very strong desire to remain part of this," Hahn said Monday. "They're optimistic and happy to be here and hope it continues. "At the same time, they know it's a business, they know what's going on around them." Opening Day 2017 was finally canceled at 4:50 p.m., so predictable given the circumstances that it resembled more a TV sitcom than theater production. But at least no one brandished a scissors and no one in management was chased out of the clubhouse. "I think, generally, in the process of not just changing the personnel but also changing our environment and changing our culture, Ricky and his staff did a marvelous job making it clear what we were about as a club," Hahn said. "There are going to need to be certain processes and environmental improvements around here in the coming years so that when the talent is ready, it's seamless in terms of turning that into a championship club." The Sox did not lose a game Monday, which could be good or bad, depending on which players you ask, and whether the manager is within earshot. The conflict, weather permitting, begins anew Tuesday.

Injured Rodon not expected to join White Sox rotation for 5-6 weeks Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 3, 2017

Carlos Rodon is one of the talented young players the Chicago White Sox want to rebuild around. Before the 24-year-old starting pitcher can move toward the top of the rotation, he has to get healthy. Completely shut down early in spring training and limited to 1 Cactus League start before being shut down again with left bicep bursitis, Rodon is on the disabled list and isn't expected to rejoin the Sox for 5-6 weeks. The lefty is still back at extended spring training in Glendale, Ariz. "Carlos is on his throwing program," general manager Rick Hahn said. "(April) 10th will be two weeks. He's been throwing off of flat ground, he says he feels real good. If that continues to be the pace he's on, we'll start getting him off a mound around the 10th with a specific program for him, which will include a rehab assignment at some point." Considering how much time he's missed, Rodon is basically one week into a normal spring training. "In some ways, where we started this throwing program isn't totally dissimilar from where you are at the start of spring, which tends to be about a six-week process to getting a guy back," Hahn said. "Now he did have, I want to say about 60 pitches in a game under his belt already, so it's not perfectly equivalent to how a guy shows up at camp. So, knock on wood, health permitting, I don't necessarily see it taking the full six, like a normal spring training. "But again, we're going to take our time on this one. If there's the least bit of discomfort or any stuff like that, we're going to take a step back and start this thing over. As I told Carlos directly, there's zero reason for us to rush through this." Rainout information: All tickets for Monday's White Sox-Tigers season opener, which was postponed due to rain, can be used for Tuesday's rescheduled game. Scheduled Sox starter Jose Quintana has been pushed back to Tuesday, as has Detroit counterpart Justin Verlander. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. and parking is free at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox also announced that fans holding tickets to Monday's game can bring their used or unused ticket to the Guaranteed Rate Field box office during regular business hours and receive a complimentary lower box or outfield reserve ticket to any future White Sox game, excluding the following dates: May 29-31 vs. Boston, June 24 vs. Oakland, June 26-29 vs. the Yankees, July 18-19 vs. the Dodgers and July 26-27 vs. the Cubs, based on availability. Minor matters: When asked about top prospect Yoan Moncada, GM Rick Hahn said Class AAA Charlotte is a good place for the 21-year-old second baseman to start the season. "I do think it's important to keep in mind that he has about 200 plate appearances above A ball, he got moved around positionally last year," Hahn said. "There needs to be some time for him to finish off his development. He's never been to Triple-A, which is obviously where he is starting now. The tools are as advertised, they jump out at you, the bat speed, the athleticism, the power. "We want to get him as comfortable as possible at second base, with more repetition there. We'd like to see him against more Triple-A pitching, which, unlike where he's been, tends to be a little bit more breaking ball heavy, a little more savvy veteran heavy, and see how they work him over a little bit. But it's not going to surprise me if he forces the issue and he's up here at some point this year." Hahn said 20-year-old pitching prospect Michael Kopech, who like Moncada was acquired from the Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade, is opening the season with AA Birmingham. "Kopech is starting at Double-A based on large part on the poise he showed and how he performed in big-league camp, where going in he was on that fence between (high Class A) Winston-Salem and Birmingham," Hahn said.

Hahn practices patience as White Sox rebuild drags into season Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | April 3, 2017

The Chicago White Sox have seemingly been in a holding pattern for four months, so what's another day? On Sunday, the day before the scheduled season opener against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field, veteran groundskeeper Roger Bossard was asked about the grim forecast. "There is no window," Bossard said. With a day off Tuesday, it made sense for the Sox to postpone Monday's game early and make the easy switch. The White Sox had other thoughts, and they let fans wait in the rain for nearly two hours before calling the game and rescheduling it for 1:10 p.m. Tuesday. "We waited as long as we could, but we feel like we didn't have a large enough window to do what we needed to do," manager Rick Renteria said. The frustration that comes with the waiting game played out in the clubhouse and in the stands Monday, and general manager Rick Hahn could undoubtedly relate. After getting the Sox's rebuild off to a flying start by trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton on consecutive days in early December, Hahn is still waiting to make more deals for prospects. "As I've said way too many times, if we had our druthers we would have made some other moves over the course of the off-season," Hahn said. "At the same time, we've known throughout this process that it wasn't going to be our impatience or lack of patience or desire to accelerate things that was going to dictate the pace of the moves." Current White Sox players like Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier are still on the roster, but that could very well change once the season gets up and running. "As I stated at the time when we made the Sale and Eaton trades, we realized that this is a process," Hahn said. "We realized that we're closer to the start of this process than we are the end, and Opening Day is just one milestone in that process, with another one coming in a few months when we get closer to the trade deadline." Hahn did say he was close to making two big trades in the off-season, one on Christmas Eve and one shortly after. "We had two deals with two different players and two different clubs, killed at the (goal) line by two different ownership groups, not ours," Hahn said. "Once those two things cratered, there hasn't really been anything else where, although we've gone through the process and gathered the scouts and gone through the video and had our internal debates, it wasn't anything where we're like, 'This is a coin flip' or 'We should do this or not.' "It's been pretty clear that we haven't gotten to the level in terms of the offers, and everything we've presented hasn't obviously gained as much traction as those two aborted deals did." Hahn has been waiting for four months, so he's practiced at the difficult art of patience. "This is an extended process," the White Sox's GM said. "We're going to be tested at points. We're going to be tested not just from a patience standpoint but also from a competitiveness standpoint. We all -- whether they're in uniform or in the front office or White Sox fans or whatever -- we want to win. Any individual game we're watching, we're going to want to win that ballgame. "At the same time, there might be stretches where those are few and far between, so we have to remain vigilant about what we're trying to accomplish for the long term and stick to that plan."

Jose Quintana & Co. in limbo as White Sox rebulid Bob Nightengale / USA TODAY Sports | April 3, 2017 CHICAGO -- Jose Quintana sat by himself on the couch in the middle of the Chicago White Sox clubhouse Monday, alone in his thoughts, prepared for a game he planned to treasure forever. This was going to be Quintana’s first opening-day start, and also his last opening-day start in a White Sox uniform. Well, it was only fitting that after waiting all winter for the phone call to tell him that he was traded, he instead was informed that his opening-day start would be put on hold.

The White Sox’s first home-opening-day game against the Detroit Tigers since 1958 was postponed because of rain. Chicago Cubs' first title defense in more than 100 years starts vs. bitter rival MLB salaries 2017: Earnings flatten out, while Clayton Kershaw leads pack Quintana will have to come back to Guaranteed Rate Field again Tuesday. This might be a guy the White Sox absolutely adore, but also desperately want to trade. Why, once the White Sox traded ace Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox on Dec.6, and center fielder Adam Eaton to the Washington Nationals 24 hours later, they planned on Quintana being next. A week passed, then another week, the holidays, New Year’s, President’s Day, spring training, and somehow Quintana still was with the White Sox as the season opened. For a team that badly wants to gut its roster and rebuild the team, the White Sox never envisioned that they’d be opening the season with Quintana. Or closer David Robertson. Or third baseman Todd Frazier. Or outfielder Melky Cabrera. Or even first baseman Jose Abreu. “We’ve made no secret that if we had our druthers, we would have made some other moves over the course of the offseason,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “It would have been marvelous, it would have been great, if we had four more of those things over the successive days where we continued this process. We made it clear to everyone not only what we were trying to do, but we were able to accomplish it quickly. “This isn’t reality. This is an extended process. We realize that we’re closer to the start of this process than we are the end.” The White Sox veterans certainly recognize they are short-timers and are curious about their futures. Several have requested private meetings with Hahn, telling him they would prefer to stay put. Sorry, Hahn tells them, but business is business. If they are ever going to win again, they need to strip it down like an old car on blocks, hoping that by 2020, or perhaps even the summer of 2019, they can be contenders again. “I know guys will be in and out here,” said shortstop Tim Anderson, considered the cornerstone of the franchise after signing a six-year, $25 million extension in March. “But everybody has to just buy into this thing. If we do this right, it’s going to lead into championships.” The formula worked on the north side of town, with the Chicago Cubs ready to hoist their World Series championship flag in a week at Wrigley Field. It worked for the Kansas City Royals, who made back-to-back World Series appearances. And it’s working in Houston, with the Astros emerging as potential World Series contenders this year. “I think the direction is pretty clear and transparent,” Hahn said. t’s no secret the one man who doesn’t fit into their plans is Quintana. For them to have a glorious rebuild, they need Quintana gone, selling him off for a package of players similar to the one they received from the Red Sox that included No.1 prospect Yoan Moncada. Quintana, 28, is two months older than Sale and cheaper; he is owed just $36.85million over the next four years. And the White Sox are trying to convince suitors he’s nearly as good, as one of only six big-leaguers to make at least 30 starts and pitch 200 or more innings in each of the last four seasons. For his career, he is 46-46 with a 3.41 ERA. “We can sleep well at night, knowing that there really hasn’t been anything presented to us that’s been turned down that we look back in retrospect and could possibly kick ourselves for turning down,” Hahn said. The White Sox front office might sleep soundly, but pardon Quintana if he jumps out of bed the moment he hears his cellphone buzz, wondering if it’s Hahn telling him to start packing. He badly wants to stay but knows he’s not wanted. Nothing personal, Hahn tells him , but business is business. “My future is the present,” Quintana said. “My future is here. I pay attention to right now. That’s all I can control.”

It’s no different for Robertson, Frazier or anyone else in the White Sox clubhouse not named Anderson or starter Carlos Rodon. The plan is to lose but not stink. Be competitive but not win. Stay patient, knowing that as much as it hurts now, the pain should be worth it one day in the future. “We’re going to be tested,” Hahn said, “not just from a patience standpoint, but also from a competitiveness standpoint. Any individual game we’re watching, we’re going to want to win that ballgame. “At the same time, there might be stretches where those are few and far between. We have to remain vigilant about what we’re trying to accomplish for the long term and stick to that plan.” And that plan calls for Quintana’s exit. “People get it,” Hahn said. “They’re excited for the future, and they’re braced for what the present may hold.”