Positives?

[caulfield12]

We've lost about 10% of our playoff probability, but still in the 7th position and have an adjusted expected record of 30-30 instead of 31-29.

So "should" have gone 2-3 and we're 1-4, a one game swing in the standings.

We're still without Mazara, Eloy Jimenez, and Lopez.  Madrigal isn't up.  No Kopech.   Encarnacion can go on massive hot streaks that carry a team for 7-10 days, and he can also look like he's a week or two from walking away from the game.    Most encouraging, James McCann looks really good again, and, worst-case scenario, he has tremendous trade value if he can keep this up.

We're having to rely on the likes of formerly released (June) Delmonico as a clean-up hitter, and giving significant playing time to the likes of Adam Engel and Leury Garcia, who are prototypical role or bench players, not starters.

 

The primary concern, of course, is the starting pitching.   It's not like there is going to be a lot of trades made here in the first 2-3 weeks unless franchises are experiencing significant financial shortfalls already.

If we simply think of Rodon as a #5/swingman (future reliever), and Keuchel as a 2/3, that puts all the pressure in the world on Giolito and Cease.   We'll find out soon enough if they're mentally strong enough.   Let's just hope that if we do start to fall out of this, they begin to give more opportunities to guys like Lambert and Dunning instead of Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler.

We're in a very similar situation to what the Braves are facing right now with their rotation.   I'm going to hope that if we don't make the playoffs, we get some clarity on the roles of Rick Renteria and Don Cooper moving forward.    We don't have to have the BEST manager in the game, but it would be nice if just for once we prioritized this position and really thought carefully about who was the right fit to take this franchise to the next level.   

 

Also, with the news about Mikolas also being out for the season, we can't afford to sustain another season-ending injury in the pitching staff.   That much is obvious, and probably not preventable at this point, either.

 

[hi8is]

Reason.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Moncada, Ruiz, and Mazara have been the only positives so far. 

[hi8is]

15 minutes ago, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

Moncada, Ruiz, and Mazara have been the only positives so far. 

Har har har

[ChiSox1917]

Positives are that everyone is beginning to realize renteria is a terrible manager and should be gone.  

Other than that, the young kids can hit.  

[Jack Parkman]

Moncada/Anderson/Robert so far are positives. 

[SCCWS]

1 hour ago, Jack Parkman said:

Moncada/Anderson/Robert so far are positives. 

Abreu has been a positive. 

[soxfan49]

Before conking his head, Eloy looked dangerous at the plate

[Butter Parque]

8 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

We've lost about 10% of our playoff probability, but still in the 7th position and have an adjusted expected record of 30-30 instead of 31-29.

So "should" have gone 2-3 and we're 1-4, a one game swing in the standings.

We're still without Mazara, Eloy Jimenez, and Lopez.  Madrigal isn't up.  No Kopech.   Encarnacion can go on massive hot streaks that carry a team for 7-10 days, and he can also look like he's a week or two from walking away from the game.    Most encouraging, James McCann looks really good again, and, worst-case scenario, he has tremendous trade value if he can keep this up.

We're having to rely on the likes of formerly released (June) Delmonico as a clean-up hitter, and giving significant playing time to the likes of Adam Engel and Leury Garcia, who are prototypical role or bench players, not starters.

 

The primary concern, of course, is the starting pitching.   It's not like there is going to be a lot of trades made here in the first 2-3 weeks unless franchises are experiencing significant financial shortfalls already.

If we simply think of Rodon as a #5/swingman (future reliever), and Keuchel as a 2/3, that puts all the pressure in the world on Giolito and Cease.   We'll find out soon enough if they're mentally strong enough.   Let's just hope that if we do start to fall out of this, they begin to give more opportunities to guys like Lambert and Dunning instead of Gio Gonzalez and Ross Detwiler.

We're in a very similar situation to what the Braves are facing right now with their rotation.   I'm going to hope that if we don't make the playoffs, we get some clarity on the roles of Rick Renteria and Don Cooper moving forward.    We don't have to have the BEST manager in the game, but it would be nice if just for once we prioritized this position and really thought carefully about who was the right fit to take this franchise to the next level.   

 

Also, with the news about Mikolas also being out for the season, we can't afford to sustain another season-ending injury in the pitching staff.   That much is obvious, and probably not preventable at this point, either.

 

They don't HAVE to rely on Delmonico as a clean-up hitter. They choose to do that because the organization is generally run poorly. 

[reiks12]

The seasons 10% done

[hogan873]

Moncada, Anderson, Abreu, Robert, Detwiler (shiver), and Keuchel have all looked good.  Eloy looked good at the plate and lost in the field, especially after smoking his coconut on the wall.

[hogan873]

3 minutes ago, reiks12 said:

The seasons 10% done

Yeah, the 1-4 start in a 60 game season is the equivalent of a 3-13 or 4-12 start in a 162 game season...considering 10% of the season gone.  Time for this team to get serious.

 

[flavum]

11 minutes ago, reiks12 said:

The seasons 10% done

10% after tonight. 2-4 wouldn’t be that bad, heading into KC.

I’m looking at this season (hopefully) in quarters. 8-7 each quarter will at least get them a 7-seed. If we can’t do that, then I don’t know what to say about this team.

Let’s get Mazara and Madrigal up, and wrap Eloy in bubble wrap. The starting pitching will still be iffy, but they should score enough runs.

[tray]

Only 2 games under .500 IF we win tonight.

Bring up Mazara, Madrigal, Yermin , and Dunning.

As Garfein suggested, move up  Robert to #3 in the order.

McCann, Eloy, Moncada, TA and Heuer have been awesome.

[oldsox]

Just like last year, we will have a gaping hole at DH.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

Encarnacion ALWAYS starts years slow and then becomes awesome.. This is nothing new and should not be surprising to people that know anything outside of White Sox baseball. 

[oneofthemikes]

11 minutes ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

Encarnacion ALWAYS starts years slow and then becomes awesome.. This is nothing new and should not be surprising to people that know anything outside of White Sox baseball. 

I mean, you're not wrong. The tough part about that is that by the time he would typically be heating up, the season is going to be over. That's...not ideal.

[hogan873]

12 minutes ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

Encarnacion ALWAYS starts years slow and then becomes awesome.. This is nothing new and should not be surprising to people that know anything outside of White Sox baseball. 

Hopefully there's enough time for him to become awesome.  I'm optimistic.

[caulfield12]

Yeah, prime example of that would be Jose Ramirez last year. 

Was back to his Top Ten MVP version after starting out in a terrible for over two months. 

[Sticky Stuff]

1 hour ago, Butter Parque said:

They don't HAVE to rely on Delmonico as a clean-up hitter. They choose to do that because the organization is generally run poorly. 

When RR’s motto is “worst gets first” (pick in the draft) Delmonico has to play. 

[SonofaRoache]

3 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

Moncada/Anderson/Robert so far are positives. 

Those guys are killing it and we are 1 and 4. My fear is that when the others hit a little or the pitching picks up, they will have their downtime. 

[bmags]

Since the rebuild has begun (and before then, aside from a hot streak in 2015 that led to not trading samardjiza lol), July has just been a trash show. Pitching all gets bad at once, feels like it happened last year and year before that and ruins the 2nd half.

This year, we started in July and same. This starting pitching is unacceptable. I'd rather they be wild with great stuff than worsening their stuff while still not throwing strikes. But that's been the coop special.

[Butter Parque]

1 hour ago, SonofaRoache said:

Those guys are killing it and we are 1 and 4. My fear is that when the others hit a little or the pitching picks up, they will have their downtime. 

And that happens because the approach of nearly all of the hitters is poor. They always fall behind in counts and they rarely take walks. That makes your cold-streaks even colder. If your lineup is always behind in the count and rarely walks, you're not going to ever have a consistent offense. 

[wegner]

I've like what I've seen from Lambert and Heuer.

 

[Butter Parque]

Just now, wegner said:

I've like what I've seen from Lambert and Heuer.

 

They should allow those guys to pitch in high-leverage situations at this point.

I was over Cishek when he signed and I'm even more over him now.