Adding to the ongoing tension for the Chicago White Sox, who own the worst record in MLB (15-46), is the possibility that manager Pedro Grifol's job status is up in the air right now.
Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, one anonymous White Sox player explained one recent "misstep" on Grifol's part was going public with his recent comments describing the team's play as "f--king flat" after delivering it to the players behind closed doors in the locker room.
Grifol made the comment during his postgame press conference following a May 26 loss to the Baltimore Orioles (warning: contains strong language).
CHGO White Sox @CHGO_WhiteSoxPedro Grifol on the team's performance today<br><br>"Fucking flat" <a href=""> <a href="">
That wasn't the only time Grifol was critical of the team. In fact, he came back the next day after a 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and said he was "doubling down" on his original comment.
"I thought we were flat," he added. "And that's where I'm going to leave it. They have their opinions. I have mine. This is not divided by any means. This is not them against Pedro, Pedro against them. It's just a situation. I thought we were flat. They didn't think we were flat. It's over. We gotta go out there and play baseball."
Grifol's decision to double down came when some White Sox players weren't happy that he went public with the comments.
Vinnie Duber @VinnieDuberKorey Lee: "He's going to feel that way, and obviously we're going to have a different feeling. He's entitled to his own opinion, and we are also. I think it's a valid reason. There's nothing to hide about that. He has opinions, and other people are going to have their opinions."
One White Sox player who spoke to Rosenthal was sympathetic to Grifol, noting the original comment was an attempt to motivate the club and explained "it's really hard to judge him when you have a team made up like this and all these injuries."
It's hard to fully blame Grifol for the situation his team is in right now, though he doesn't seem to be helping matters. They went 61-101 last year in his first season and made their roster worse during the offseason, most notably by trading Dylan Cease to the Orioles in March.
Their biggest free-agent expenditure was a two-year, $15 million deal for Erick Fedde. General manager Chris Getz, who is in his first full season, is undertaking a long rebuilding effort, despite owner Jerry Reinsdorf's desire for things to get better quickly.
Chicago's .246 winning percentage is on pace to be the worst for any MLB team since the regular season expanded to 162 games in 1961. The 1962 New York Mets currently hold the record with a .250 winning percentage (40-120-1).
The White Sox are in the midst of a 12-game losing streak. It's their third losing streak of at least five games this season.
