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“Disappointed” is the best way to describe how I feel about the White Sox at the All-Star break. I was excited when they went “all in” and signed Adam Dunn and re-signed Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. The prospect of getting Jake Peavy back to go along with John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Mark Buehrle, and Edwin Jackson was tantalizing. The bullpen was a question mark, but I figured that Don Cooper would work his usual magic and find someone to take over the closer role.

Well, we know how it’s played out so far. Adam Dunn looks like the worst investment this side of my 401K. Whether it’s the pressure of the big contract, being a DH, playing in the tougher American League, or just bad luck, it doesn’t really matter. Dunn is helping to kill the Sox offense. Alex Rios, whom the club is also spending a boatload of money on, is his accomplice. You can’t have two guys like that who were supposed to anchor the middle of the order contribute nothing and expect to win the division. Toss in subpar seasons from Gordon Beckham – was last year a sophomore slump or was his rookie year an aberrationally good one? – and Brent Morel and you’ve got real problems. And that’s despite getting more than anyone had a right to expect from Paulie and A.J. and decent production – though not All-Star quality in my opinion – from Carlos Quentin.

The starting pitching has been a disappointment – there’s that word again – except for Phil Humber and to some extent Buehrle, but no one more so than Danks. His inability to get off the Schneid and then his getting hurt when you think of him as your best pitcher really hurts. Kudos to Sergio Santos for seizing the closer’s role, and to the rest of the bullpen for some decent performances, but they’ve had their share of problems too.

I know this sounds pretty pessimistic, but what is there to be optimistic about? Maybe the hope that Dunn and Rios have to get better because they can’t get worse? Maybe a sense that the team has to play better against the Central Division because it can’t get worse? All I do know is that a team with a pretty high payroll is not producing like it should. They’re 5.0 games behind Detroit and haven’t been able to close the gap on the teams ahead of them despite those teams slumping a bit themselves. Post-break, the Sox continue to play within the division, so there’s an opportunity to make up some ground. Or fall farther behind. I’m hoping for the former but afraid of the latter. Go Sox!