southsider2k5

Yep, we saved tons of money by going college senior in every round 5-10 last year. That is quite literally impossible this year.

So dumb question here, but isn't this a normal thing? I mean we have a draft every single year. We don't add new teams every year, so for every new draftee brought in, someone has to be removed from a team somewhere else, right? I think maybe this year is more stark and obvious because in a normal year you have a release here, a retirement there, and an injury somewhere else. Normally there are cuts in Spring Training, and then the occasional cuts here and there as the season goes on. Maybe some cuts don't happen because baseball related injuries happen, and some of those roster spots are saved by someone going on the DL, whereas this year no one is having a baseball related injury for all practical purposes. I mean the White Sox cut 25 guys, which in a normal year, they bring into the system somewhere between 30-35 guys through the draft and UDFA signings, so aren't they just doing what they normally would do? Instead of 25 guys being cut over the period of time from the middle of March to the middle of June, 25 guys are getting cut at the end of May. The more I have thought about it, I think this is what is happening, right? Or am I totally out of left field here?

I am going to guess there are more players than we realize have underlying conditions. There is no reason to tell us, so they don't. But things like asthma doesn't preclude you from being an effective baseball player, but it sure would be a big problem if you were exposed to COVID.

Pre-existing conditions would be the biggest reason. Both for themselves and any family members. Also of note is take a look at the umpires, managers and coaches especially. We are talking about A LOT of people who fit square into the "at risk" categories.

Overall death numbers also didn't support the idea that more people are dying from suicide etc than COVID.

Ed Howard just seems like it should happen.

I think we should execute you and Gio... just to be safe and cover all of our bases.

I blame Gio Gonzalez for this pandemic. The Sox traded him the first two times they had him. Now they sign him for a third time, and the world shuts down. Gio is not meant to pitch for the White Sox, and Fate is making sure that it does not happen.

That's the next window from the sounds of it.

Weather was awful down there. No chance at all today.

Hockey coming up with a plan has to put more pressure on baseball too.

One more thought just hit me. It is May 27. There would have been about 3 months of gradual releases at this point to start to make room for the 2020 picks and signings in a normal year. We'd also have had a list of guys hitting the DL and having surgery etc that would have been freeing up roster spots. We have had none of those right now.

But that is where some odds making plus some knowledge of your own system's developmental abilities come into play. He might have a ceiling, but what are the odds he hits it? When you start talking about an injury history on top of that, that also comes into play. Plus the White Sox know what they like in a pitcher and what they don't. It could be something in their delivery that they project to be a higher than acceptable injury risk down the road, etc. There are many factors that could lead to a "safe" pick at this stage over a "ceiling" guy. If there is any franchise I give the benefit of the doubt to when it comes to pitching, it is this one.

If I did, it was by accident, and I sure am not going to go back and look for them.