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The Cubs laugh us out of the building. That deal is light without Howard in it.

I'm sorry the world has forced you into a shitty situation, as it has many other people. This is why Steps 1-N is sufficient public policy that would shut down dangerous activities like golf tournaments and make sure people like you don't suffer financially for it. Which is a fantastic example of why going on and on and on about "personal responsibility" is such a counterproductive discussion. You've been forced into a situation where you can't act responsibility to your community. That sucks, a lot, and it's why another 38k people were confirmed positive today, why another 685 died, why over 31,000 are suffering in hospitals and why we'll continue on with this same death toll day after day after day after day. But at the same time, rather than acknowledging being forced into this situation by irresponsible officials, you've chosen to mock the people who point it out and to belittle their concerns. So don't act all defensive now. In a country with sane public policy, we'd also all have health care without having to worry, of course.

Pelosi passed a stimulus bill.

Net of that "Rutherford" trade: Failure after failure.

Something that really cannot be argued is that the Sox, currently, are almost certainly either at the peak of their prospect depth / farm system quality right now, or will be between now and next year's offseason, likely depending on what we do in terms of trading between now and then. We will be: 1) picking lower, in the draft; 2) have less draft pool money; 3) have less INTL money; 4) will pick lower on the waiver wire; 5) pick lower in the Rule-5 order; 6) will be keeping 40-man roster spots open for AAAA/fringe MLBers and "win-now" veterans / bench and pen pieces instead of using them for prospects, so there is less room on the 40-man; 7) we will generally be attempting to trade prospects for vets instead of trading vets for prospects ... ...for probably the next 5+ seasons consecutively. We ***really*** need to manage our assets best, right now. If we don't, we will probably fuck up both our win-now window and fuck up our ability to transition from the coming win-now period to a Cardinals-like spot-patch contention period after (where we can make adjustments year to year but still play competitive baseball for several years after our extended young guys' contracts end). That transition is important because if we don't manage our assets well now then we will probably be looking at a need to fully rebuild when our Moncada/Robert/Eloy/etc. group gets to the end of their deals, ala the Cubs current situation. Right now, as I count it, we have Kopech, Crochet, Kelly, and Stiever all IMO as blue chipper SP prospects, regardless of where they are nationally ranked, and Dunning, Thompson, Dalquist, Lambert, and Vera as as very good SP prospects also who very likely have an MLB future and aren't just the kind of fringe guys that we're used to. Vaughn is an elite hitting prospect and the best 1B prospect in baseball, and one of if not the best pure hitting prospect in baseball. Then there is still maybe some life in other areas, like perhaps Collins, Rutherford, Burger, etc. We still have a good system that may actually be a bit underrated ATM. Let's not just piss it away. In all likelihood if we manage it very well it will gradually diminish to a bottom third system over the next 2 or 3 years, and after that, it will really be a struggle to keep it on the high side of the bottom third instead of the middle or lower portion of the bottom third.

Absolutely baffled by the responses here. ERA aside, Dunning showed significantly more than Cease has at any point in the majors, despite coming off of TJ. His peripherals were light years better - we don't want to accept it, but Cease was painfully lucky and one of the worst pitchers in baseball per his xFIP and other predictive measures, and he didn't strike anyone out! I think there's a very real possibility Cease isn't a long-term starter. Dunning, on the other hand, I feel pretty confident as a middle of the rotation starter moving forward. I hope I'm wrong about Dylan but this year was way way worse than his ERA indicated. He's young, but the command was really, really bad.

Wuhan China did it in about 3 months as the focal point of the pandemic. The fact that we are almost at month 7 of this with no end in sight is a national embarrassment.

The last stimulus literally propped up multiple large businesses like cruise lines that won't be able to provide services for at least another year, and the government is like "¯\_(ツ)_/¯ can't help you small businesses too bad"

Obviously you refuse to have an adult conversation about the topic. Other countries shut down and are in much better shape. But ignore that. 'Merica.

Which is why shutting down dining in restaurants needs to happen. Give them financial assistance to make it through the pandemic.

Not a fan of management but they did put in a bigger bid for Zach Wheeler this year and a competitive bid overall for the Machado fiasco last year.

The problems are really Eloy and Abreu. Vaughn is a prototypical 1B. Abreu was better at 1B this year but his future is at DH and Eloy already is a DH. Grandal is no elite defensive C either and really is probably best off spending some time at 1B and DH as well. We really need to fix this issue defensively going forward IMO, and the answer definitely has nothing to do with Vaughn, who fits his position better than anyone else in the conversation.

This is why pretty much nobody wants to be a public school teacher today. Impossible decisions. The feeling that you’re there 50-75% as a babysitter and social worker in most underperforming public school districts. It’s policy failure after policy failure. Entitled kids at better schools with overbearing parents. Technology/cell phone/game addictions. Paying for school supplies yourself, often from summer or part-time jobs. Expense of master’s programs versus pay scale bumps, but expectation of advanced degrees (of course, young/cheap teachers fit budgets better now). Increasing amounts of apathy, lack of focus and disrespect. Those that do decide to teach aren’t entering as much for the calling, but out of practical concerns like health insurance, vacation time and pension (shrinking rapidly) benefits. K-6 is where one sees the most dedication and idealism, but also a ton of resulting burnout.

Probably something to do with the fact that 30-50% of senior citizens are scared to wait in long, out in the open, public lines with some refusing to wear masks or quite confrontational about being forced to...can guarantee he will push mail in ballots in Florida as well as a number of higher risk states with disproportionate voting numbers over age 50.

You're being irresponsible. The rules you're following are insufficient. You openly mocked someone who wants the stronger rules we need. You're still mocking people who want to do what the actually successful countries have done, calling it "magic policy." Screw the people who think golf tournaments and frequent restaurant dining are acceptable and responsible activities during a pandemic. Childish, selfish adults putting their communities and collectively our whole country at risk indefinitely.

I'm OK with Vaughn as he was hitting so well that his ceiling is basically Paul goldschmidt. Bigger problem is the other fringe athletes they drafted in burger and Collins. It seems like the front office loves to stretch good bats into tougher positions, hence the Collins and burger drafts and the attempts to play Vaughn out of position (and getting EE instead of just DHing Eloy). If it works it strengthens the offense but it is a fine line until you totally blow up your defense. The Phillies failed with that big time a couple years ago when they tried Hoskins in the outfield and the team was like minus 100 runs defensively.

There wasn't a need. They were drafting BPA.

I never understood the need to draft a 1st basemen. This organization seems to only produce guys that have defensive weaknesses so let's make them a 1B/DH . The world doesn't end if they keep Eloy in RF as long as there is a defense replacement in later innings.

I grew up as a Cub fan towards the end of the 60's. I could watch the last inning of the game after school. My dad was a Yankees fan and we started watching Sox baseball at night. That's when my allegiance changed. I still love those red pinstripe unis.

because JBJ sucks

Somehow still not getting. The laws and policies themselves are wrong and bad and need to change. That is the most important part. That is what Balta was saying when you mocked him for being an "extremist" and equating his concerns about the unchecked pandemic killing thousands of Americans every week to being afraid of sharks at Oak Street Beach. You're frequenting restaurants and going to golf tournaments. Those seem to be pretty irresponsible things to do during a pandemic. Your sample county is in bad shape. That's why we need to start with public policy that doesn't let those restaurants and tournaments operate in the first place, so that irresponsible people don't make irresponsible decisions.

There's only one side that doesn't want to give too much to poor people after giving trillions to banks who committed mass fraud, and it's not the side Pelosi is on. There's only one side that worries about poor people maybe getting a couple extra bucks.

The whole thing. If the person was making $100 a week, they wouldn't be making $200 a week on unemployment, even subtracting out the extra $600. They be making something like 50 to 60% of what they were making. Unemployment itself has all kinds of minimums for how many hours a person has to work and earn before they are even eligible for unemployment. Someone making 4 or 5 hours a weeks at a minimum wage kind of job (which isn't going to add up to $100 a week either) wouldn't make those thresholds. To hit those kind of numbers at a minimum wage type job, you are probably talking 15-20 hours a week. Also if you are working a part time job as a high school student that means you are most likely living at home and a dependent. This means you aren't able to collect unemployment anyway. The extra $600 ended 2 and a half months ago when the GOP refused to extend it.

I would again say that the issue for restaurants isn't being able to recruit employees, it's that they don't need employees because many are operating at reduced capacity. You are correct they deserve a bailout, but I don't like the term bailout for them because they are forced to operate this way. This is compensation by the state similar to eminent domain.

I'm assuming breakfast tacos - if you haven't had them - you should try them - DELICIOUS

Before you dislocate your shoulder patting yourself on the back. In case there was any confusion from Trump's tweets last night, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows today said: "The stimulus negotiations are off."

Ian Clarkin was a major let-down as the 2nd piece.

Who has said that they think people shouldn't be responsible?

I also think a lot of this falls under the countryside/rural/open spaces vs. city/urban area argument... While there are exceptions, many or most of the Red states tend to have less dense populations. While there are notable higher population states (like Ohio, Texas, Florida and Georgia,) there’s that constant narrative barrage of “failed city/Blue mayors” arguments being made each and every day on conservative social media...that the country is completely falling apart due to mayors and not governors or the executive branch. If you were to throw out a few stereotypes, the red states supposedly care more about individual freedoms, gun rights, less interventionist or limited government, etc. Going by most of the comments here, people in urban areas are more willing to collectively shut down. And throughout this, those in rural areas believe (mostly) that life should still go on as normally as possible, with many saying things like “I’d rather die as a result of the virus than wear a mask for the 3-5 years or completely change the way I live my life because someone TELLS me that it’s the right or best or safest thing to do and is for the collective good of everyone else.” And the logical counterargument is places like Florida or South Dakota that are basically now taking the Sweden path moving forward...when, at best, only 10-20% of the US has been exposed/infected already and it’s burning through the most secure building in the world like a California wildfire. I would guess we’ll see similar trend lines between city/urban and country/rural about acceptance of the “compelling community need” to be vaccinated, once these first human participants have cleared at least three months after Stage 3 trials without any significant side effects.

Interesting debate but I know we just are wanting him to be healthy after that amazing start to his career!! We can never have enough pitching. Hope all of your families are safe and healthy! Peace

I see that number and only think of shorter waits at the barber shop and a quicker Communion line, but I’m selfish.

Springer is pretty much hitting his way off the White Sox list this postseason...

I think we're too close to contending for a title to start experimenting with putting first basemen or short stops in the outfield. You do that when you're still in the rebuilding phase. We need a competent starting right fielder.

In order for something like this to work, the entire team has to be in on it. To have relievers in the mind set to be ready in the early innings the team had to be in on it, otherwise these guys wouldn't have been ready to work. There is no doubt in my mind that Dunning went out there knowing that as soon as he got into trouble, he was done, and everyone from Crochet down the line knew they could be in the game at literally any time. And if people still think this is outrageous, look no further than the San Diego wild card series. They used 26 pitchers to cover 27 innings. Their starters went a total of 6 innings in the three games combined. Their starters went 2.1, 2 and 1.2. This strategy can and does work. The primary reason it failed for the Sox was that Crochet got hurt, and then the guys they were hoping could suck up innings couldn't find the strike zone in Rodon and Foster. The Padres relievers made it work, while the Sox didn't. That doesn't make the strategy invalid.

Dayan Viciedo played RF for many years. My vote would be Vaughn/Eloy/Abreu play some combo of LF/1B/DH. And get a decent RF so the outfield isn't an entire black hole defensively.

Sox have to be the best looking team in MLB

But can he hug with his left arm?

It would be like putting Konerko in RF. You might be able to get away with it for a game or 2, but eventually it is going to hurt you really bad. This guy hits a lot, and plays 1B decently. He is also something the Sox don’t have a lot of, a selective hitter. They do need another lefty for sure. Don’t mess with him.

no idea but it would be a very good idea for the white sox to find out.

*psycho ex ballplayer murders innocent woman, riles up baseball fans* BRDSR: WE MUST HAVE DECORUM, YOUR COMMENTS WERE UNSAVORY SIR.

This is peak usage of "actually", missing the forest for the trees. We're not commenting on his effectiveness as a baseball player or what this has anything to do with the Sox organization.

The Sox are in their current position relative to the Cubs because of Reinsdorf/Einhorn's failure to keep the Sox on WGN in the early 1980s. When Reinsdorf/Einhorn put the Sox on a proprietary (pay) cable channel, people stopped watching. Meanwhile, the Cubs were on national TV via WGN. They got all the popularity because they got all the air time. Nobody alive today cares about the Black Sox scandal.

The test was 05. We won it all and if ever the Sox were going to pull even in popularity or take over it was then. I would think we had the most momentum we'd ever have, but the team did not maintain. It celebrated one full offseason and the entire next season and from then on, it's been all downhill. My guess is if somehow this tank/rebuild turns into utter dominance of baseball, yes we'd pull even or pass the Cubs. But frankly despite the acquisition of Hall of Fame type talent in Moncada and Eloy and perhaps one of our best hitting shortstops ever in Tim, we are far away from .500 even. Our pitching staff remains suspect at best. If Cease, Gio, Kopech, Lopez dominate, it's a different story. As of now we have very inconsistent starters and an awful bullpen. In conclusion, we blew a chance in 05 to take the city by storm (Blackhawks times 10) and now we are totally inconsequential, maybe 3/5s through a rebuild in terms of roster.