South Side Hit Men

Thankfully now versus next season with a new two year contract.

His son isn't running two franchises, Jerry is not selling while alive. The only multi-championship Rick Hahn will ever win is the long con where he is by far the all time champion. Jerry knows Rick is incompetent but likes hanging with him and his hutzpah. His dime, his dance floor as Chit Chat would say. What I don't understand is how the fans continue believing Hahn is capable, when he has been wrong at nearly every major decision he made over the past decade beyond conning Jerry to let him run the rebuild. That and acquiring and flipping Adam Eaton are the two things he accomplished his first decade as White Sox GM. No, despite the years I've read here how teams throughout the country would be lined up ready to hire him in an instant if he left. Rick Hahn is basically a weaker version of Ted Phillips. Ted is smart enough to stay out of the operations side and to get a new stadium built (Howard Pizer is Jerry's guy for that and other business matters, which is why he has been the number 2 man on the org chart (even over Kenny).

For the organization or Jerry's reputation? No. But Rick wasn't biting his tongue about the DUI, was just indignant at the fact he was hiring TLR, regardless of the nonsense he was forced to spew regarding this not about righting a wrong or that all three came to the decision that this was the best hire.

The first part is accurate, the second may not be based on Bob Nightengale's reporting the day before 2021 Spring Training, indicating Tony told Jerry about his latest reported DUI, but that Jerry told no one. Rick Hahn was pissed Danny Parkins asked him about it the following day, but Hahn never denied or questioned the reported facts. I'll add my own speculation that Jerry offered Tony the managerial job between the time of his arrest and Labor Day, and like the DUI told no one in his organization.

Stone's deal is up, could see him not returning. I believe Jason is signed beyond this season, not sure how many games he's required to announce for the Sox (seems like he missed 30-40 based on game thread comments).

Yes. Still am totally baffled by signing Kelvin Herrera for $18M / 2 years while they were tanking, among other moves. Also signed Robertson to one of the team's highest all time contracts at the time. Kenny never sought high priced relievers during his tenure. He focused on acquiring Starting Pitching and Position Players, treated relievers as fungible, and developed several from within over the years. They went through 3 or 4 closers their WS year.

I believe I read somewhere here, but cannot find it, that all three (KW, RH and TLR) were signed through 2023.

There are 134 qualified hitters across The MLB per Fangraphs (about 4 1/2 per team). The White Sox player most here want to get rid of, Jose Abreu, ranks 40th in fWAR., so a solid #2 player. The other two are Pollock (120th) and Vaughn (126th), though going strictly by offense fWAR they rank 24th (Abreu), 76th (Vaughn) and 115th (Pollock).

There is in horse racing, not in The MLB.

I agree, unless someone stated Pollack would hit under .600 OPS vs. RHP and under ,700 overall this season, criticizing the potential offensive component of his contract is in fact hindsight. What wasn't hindsight, and what people have been condemning Hahn for year after year is the fact this is another illustration of piss poor roster management. The Sox desperately needed a capable RF. There was no chance Pollock and his arm would ever play a capable RF. You end up playing the two worst fielding OFers in RF across The MLB as a result. The Kimbrel / Pollock $ needed to be earmarked for a RF, 2B or Rodon's QO.

Well they spent a year's worth of payroll in 2020 dollars ($128.5M) for seven years of Grandal and Keuchel. Spent $116M over fourteen months for 10 1/3 years of four 30 something relievers. $54M Liam Hendriks (1/15/21) $24M Kendall Graveman (11/30/21) $21M Craig Kimbrel (Pro-rated 2021 salary 7/30/21 Trade + 2023 Option (11/7/21) $17M Joe Kelly (3/14/22) Their philosophy (avoid 9 figure deals) works if they can scout, acquire and develop cost controlled players, and assess minor and major league talent (internal and external). Marco Paddy is the primary positive on that front, and the Sox handcuff him. Hence the team has little depth, outbids everyone on old players at the end of their careers, were forced to pawn their 2016 quality pieces for the few quality young players, and have seemingly permanent holes in RF and 2B. Free or inexpensive "little things" like proper defensive alignment, proper plate approach, quality opponent game plans, proper baserunning, making correct throws (cutoff) and other basic baseball fundamentals would go a long way. It's why Cleveland, Houston and sadly the Sox are where they are in the standings. Hahn said last October the team acknowledges shortcomings in fundamentals and areas of analytics, and he and the organization were committed to evaluating and improving in 2022. The team became worse in just about all aspects of baseball fundamentals this season.

With the garbage playoff expansion, third is the new second.

Last I checked June is Pride Month, though that may be yet another sore subject for Rick Hahn and the Chicago White Sox.

Seven down, eight to go. Tony can fall behind both Billy Sullivan (currently tied at .513) and Eddie Stanky (.511). Rick Hahn can finish the season with the most games under .500 in White Sox GM history with a 1-7 finish, or tie with a 2-6 finish. The GM Hahn is chasing, Harry Grabiner, was saddled with losing his entire team after KKK Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned for life nine White Sox players acquitted of all charges in a court of law and poor White Sox payrolls over the next quarter century before stepping down after World War II.

The unlikely to be involved in any capacity is the key. Could be worse in the FO than as manager. I hope he can find enjoyment in Arizona, and be able to enjoy what he can health-wise during his retirement.

Fifteen straight losses might even get Jerry's attention. Nine more to go. Hope the Twins do enough to keep Rocco there another season or three.

He was a left field platoon player in Los Angeles, which is why they offered him these plate incentives he would never reach with the Dodgers. Hahn acquired Pollock to "be an option in Right Field" despite the fact he played less than a dozen games in his 10 year career in right field. Remaining Contracts - 2020-2022 acquisitions: $109.6M L. Hendriks $29.3M 2023 & 2024 Age 34 & 35 Y. Grandal $18.3M 2023 Age 34 L. Lynn $19.5M 2023 Age 36 K. Graveman $16.0M 2023 & 2024 Age 32 & 33 AJ Pollock $13.0M 2023 Age 35 J. Kelly $9.0M 2023 Age 35 J. Diekman $4.5M 2023 Age 36 J. Harrison $1.5M 2023 Option Buyout Age 35 Remaining Contracts - Players here prior to 2020: $116.1M Y. Moncada $42.6M 2023 & 2024 Age 28 & 29 E. Jimenez $27.2M 2023 & 2024 Age 26 & 27 L. Robert $37.0M 2023, 2024 & 2025 Age 26, 27 & 28 A. Bummer $9.3M 2023 & 2024 Age 29 & 30 Contracts TBD: J. Abreu, T. Anderson's Option Year(s), L. Giolito, R. Lopez

Make stupid trades, win stupid prizes. Weeeeeeeeee!

Team profits earned, within reason, is not what’s being discussed. Maximizing profits by merely existing as an MLB franchise with a payroll far below your league revenue sharing checks is tanking, be it short term like the Sox three - four seasons, or permanent tanking like Pittsburgh and others. Jerry makes plenty of profit each season, but he can maximize it by returning to tanking and $60M - $80M payrolls. Sticking with Hahn will never produce a team which will draw strong consistent crowds like the first half of the 1990s teams, or the WS/post WS teams of the mid 2000s. Jerry has preferred the carrot method of second place finishes to maximize profits long term, but the Sox did very well financially 2017-2019.

But it sure is profitable.

Solid post. I was ok with missing out on Machado, not because he is an awesome player, but due to the fact I thought it would hamstring the team in terms of building a complete roster and starting lineup. If I had known the Sox would have $200M / year to work with (40% higher than their previous max payrolls), or they were going to use that money to pay guys like Grandal, Keuchel and Lynn instead, I would have supported the Machado deal at the time.

Same should have happened in 2016 (both GM and manager). Manager search should have also happened in 2012 and 2021. Bottom line is Jerry just wants guys around he likes and can talk to. What happens on the field day to day and year to year is an afterthought, at best.

Don’t see any scenarios Billy Beane (or any other quality GM or manager with other job prospects) would want to move to Chicago and work under Jerry Reinsdorf. I have one more week of Fantasy Baseball, and then I’m pulling the plug on it all (Fantasy, Sox and MLB), at least until all three are completely out (Jerry, Hahn and Tony).