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SAN DIEGO — White Sox general manager Rick Hahn’s effort to set expectations for an offseason light on free-agent spending has involved a lot of lines that any experienced beat writer knows will be unpopular pretty immediately. As many other front offices are focused elsewhere, the White Sox know it could be a moment before they have the full attention of potential trade partners to fill out their lineup.

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“We’ll see if something comes together in the next 24 hours before these meetings end,” said Hahn. “Our preference is for something to come together, but we’re not going to force it. If it requires some uncharacteristic patience from those of us upstairs, then so be it. We’ll wait until things properly line up for us.”

Patience — while the reigning AL Central champion Guardians signed Josh Bell and the Twins remain in the chase for Carlos Correa — probably will be hard to find in the comment section of the team’s social media accounts. And as reported Monday night, even trade discussions involving All-Star closer Liam Hendriks are reflective of a valuable player getting asked about by other teams, not the Sox pushing for an imminent move.

“That’s just us doing our job, is listening through people’s ideas,” Hahn said. “Our pitching is viewed as an area of strength. Obviously in this game that’s something that’s coveted. We’re going to hear from teams with interest. We’re not doing our job if we’re not listening to what ideas people present. At the end, we’re certainly not out there shopping any individual player.”

So, if nothing is happening anytime soon, guess we’ll just plow through some White Sox notes.

Grifol making the rounds

New White Sox manager Pedro Grifol looks experienced at the popular Winter Meetings game of stopping every six feet to have conversations with someone he knows in the lobby of the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Bench coaches aren’t always flown out to fancy conventions to hob-knob with executives, so this is the first Winter Meetings Grifol has attended in 11 years, dating back to his days in player development. His return to this sort of scene finds him in an upbeat mood, in the early days of taking on his dream job.

“Going through the (interview) process with the Marlins and here and in Kansas City, after I was done with it all and was able to reflect, I feel like this is the perfect spot for me,” Grifol said. “This is a really good ball club, really good people. It felt like family right away. I know you’ve heard Rick talk about that, and I felt the same way from day one. I remember my wife asking me how did it go, and I said, It felt a little different. I think I’ve gone through like seven interviews, and this one just felt a little different. It felt like family right away. ”

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While the White Sox front office always canvasses the coaching staff for input on player acquisitions, Grifol repeatedly downplayed his influence (“We’ve got a really good front office that knows what they’re doing”) on the assembly of a roster that he labeled as a work in progress, other than saying that they have a larger intention to be more athletic and play at a faster pace.

Perhaps Grifol looks comfortable glad-handing and making introductions because it’s all he’s been doing for the past month. He was calling several of his new players on the day he was introduced, estimates he’s gotten in touch with a few as many as four times, and only has a couple players he’s yet to meet with. Recently, he met with center fielder Luis Robert at his home in Florida, with new hitting coach José Castro and field coordinator Mike Tosar alongside him. Grifol regards Robert as a potential MVP candidate.

“There’s nothing on the baseball field he can’t do, we’ve just got to keep him healthy,” Grifol said. “He’s excited to get going. He’s in the process of getting healthy. He feels great. So we’re looking for big things from him this year.”

While Eloy Jiménez could see a lot of his at-bats at DH, Grifol downplayed the idea of Jiménez being resigned there entirely, and said it hasn’t been a focus of his early conversations with the slugger.

“There are very few guys in this game that just want to be a DH,” Grifol said. “Players want to play, and I’m assuming he’s going to want to do the same thing. So he’s going to prepare to play the outfield. Obviously the DH role is a role that he can fill as well, but we’ve got to get him ready in spring training to be able to play some defense as well.”

Recommendations for bench coach Charlie Montoyo

Grifol doesn’t have past history with his bench coach, which is a little unusual given that the role is typically a manager’s right-hand man. But he clarified the process of the former Blue Jays manager’s hiring.

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“I asked a buddy of mine if he had any names,” Grifol said. “It just so happens that he gave me Charlie’s name, and when he gave me Charlie’s name, I was like ‘That’s the guy.’ When I mentioned it to Rick, he was like, ‘That’s the guy.’ So it almost happened simultaneously to where we were both on board immediately, and we were able to get him done pretty quick. I’m super excited to have him. He’s been in the dugout for a long time. He’s got managerial experience. He’s bilingual. He’s versatile. He’s going to be coordinating the baserunning and really touching everything else. He’s a very versatile coach.”

Montoyo worked extensively with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli when they were both members of the Rays organization, and Baldelli is not far removed from when he was a first-time manager who had an experienced bench coach by his side (current Pirates manager Derek Shelton) to aid his transition.

“(Montoyo has) mellowed out maybe since flipping tables in Bakersfield and the chess pieces and sandwiches, peanut butter flying around,” Baldelli joked. “But he’s a guy that understands the game very well. He understands people very well, and I was really excited to see him getting this opportunity right here. I’m glad he has the connection with Pedro. I think it will be something that works out for everyone, but I think they’re bringing in the right guy. We talk experience all the time, but it’s not just a word. (Montoyo) brings a lot of life experience to the table and a guy I trust with my life. So they’re getting a good one.”

Grifol reiterated again on Tuesday that Montoyo will be the coach who is most responsible for overseeing baserunning for the White Sox, but said that third base coach Eddie Rodríguez will be in charge of running spring training drills.

“We’re in the process now of putting that together and getting really creative with our drills just to speed up the pace of our practices,” Grifol said. “It’s just going to be quality work, not quantity work. Get them in, get them out, work hard. Speed up the game a little bit. Speed up the practices a little bit.”

If the White Sox need Oscar Colás to be ready on Opening Day, will he be?

Marco Paddy’s title is special assistant to the general manager, but he’s effectively headed up the White Sox international scouting operation for the past decade as they re-established a footprint in the Latin American amateur market after the Dave Wilder bonus skimming scandal. He is set to receive an award from the Scouts of the Year foundation on Wednesday night for International Scout of the Year. He’s made a habit of identifying Cuban players in international competition over the years, and in Colás’ case, Paddy has regularly cited the 24-year-old outfielder’s professional experience in Japan as helpful for making a quick transition to the majors.

Hahn has indicated that the Sox are open to asking Colás to step into a starting outfield role right away in 2023.

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“He’s hungry for the opportunity and I think the results are going to be something special,” said Paddy, who feels Colás is a high-energy player who will be a good addition to the team’s clubhouse for that reason. “I think he’s going to be an impact player. He has the ability to be just as good as anybody who is successful in the big leagues. Besides his ability and his tools, it’s his maturity. He’s going to show people that he’s a bonafide major league player.”

Following Colás in the line of Cuban-born White Sox prospects is 20-year-old Loidel Chapelli, who figures to play stateside in 2023. There’s belief that he could be major league ready by age 23, and while his smaller stature gives him less power projection than prospects like Colás or Yoelqui Céspedes, there’s belief that Chapelli has as much or more natural hitting ability.

How to handle remaining needs

Hahn acknowledged “it’s in the back of our head” that both Mike Clevinger and Michael Kopech — and to a lesser extent Lance Lynn — are all working back from knee injuries suffered in 2022. But because they are all expected to be full participants in spring training without restrictions, Hahn isn’t citing their physical condition as reasoning for more depth being needed in the rotation. At least not beyond the fact that more depth is always needed in the rotation.

“I would put the generic ‘You can never have enough pitching depth’ on that as opposed to heightened concern about Clev or Michael,” Hahn said.

Since Hahn always makes a point of listing off internal options at second base — Romy Gonzalez, Leury García and Lenyn Sosa — before acknowledging that the White Sox are looking at upgrades at the position, I asked him if there’s consideration of putting all of the team’s resources toward getting the best outfielder they can land in trade, and rolling with what they have in the infield.

“That’s very reasonable,” Hahn said. “In the end it’s going to depend upon what’s accessible at each. If you pool all your resources, does that significantly upgrade your ability at one spot and you feel like the potential difference between the upgrade at the other spot is worth that sacrifice? Or are there equally accessible upgrades so you wind up addressing both? That’s a fair way of looking at it. There’s different ways to skin a cat.”

Hahn seemed like he was joking when he said that the White Sox front office is skinning cats in their hotel suite, as far as this reporter can tell.

(Photo of Pedro Grifol: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)

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