All Activity

He definitely sees an opportunity to start here. DFAd but chose free agency. Could have gone where he wanted. “Invitation to camp” basically means an opportunity not to play himself off the team

Not worried yet. It’s not really their style. Sox can just take the player. He’ll sign. Only potential issue is not knowing how much you have throughout rest of draft.

How do all those words you typed have anything to do with the post you quoted? We were discussing how players can sometimes struggle in AAA and then succeed in the majors, like Colson. It had nothing to do with using Smith in the bullpen.

So true. From $150+ million dollar contract estimates to not being worth $21 million a year and $63 million total if he hits all incentives due to the opt-outs in his deal. Meanwhile, the Sox just gave $20 million plus a potential $2 million dollar buyout to a player no team will give up anything of value for. 🤣

He’s just another Jim Parque (now that he’s gone)

Or if he is cooking and looking that good you deal him at the deadline for prospects. Downside of those deals is if they aren’t good then you are stuck. Such one sided deal to a player. Boras sucks just like JR sucks.

Already moved on to Kelenic 🥹

No I don't think they've handled Taylor appropriately thus far. I dont know where it stated i did. Nor did my post you referenced say anything about the decision to possibly use Hagen in the pen. I think that decision is unique to each player. And im not privy enough to his development to make a completely accurate decision but I've never been a fan of taking a starter, making them a relief pitcher, then a starter again. Does it work sometimes? Sure but I feel like it could throw an unnecessary wrench in development as well.

Have you missed all the kvetching around here over Taylor starting his MLB career in the bullpen to ramp up his innings?

I'm sorry but I have to use some serious sarcasm here: You're right, starting out in the bullpen just destroyed Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet. Oh my God! It ruined both of them and their careers! I am surprised that so many people are against this. Do the fans here have no sense of history, no memory of Sale and Crochet? I've been thinking the Sox should move him up for the bullpen since watching him in the AFL. He is a strikeout machine, and since the Barons' playoff run and in the AFL, his walk problem has really improved (or become less bad). Plus the White Sox really need help from the left side in the bullpen. Plus, with a quality bullpen (Get a closer, Getz), I think there is a very real possibility that the White Sox will be competitive next year. (My definition of competitive is to win around 75 games and be able to claim you're in the hunt for the last wild card spot into early September) Plus, I want to go one step further: After you put Hagen in the bullpen, now you can start working on making Grant Taylor the starter that he wants to be and should be. Are we not worried about Taylor's psychological makeup at this point in his career? Only Hagen's?

How about Alex Verdugo on a cheap one-year deal coming off a bad year? He has usually hit righties fairly well in his career and I believe he is known for playing pretty good defense in the corners with a strong arm. He’s still only 29 and made $1.5 million with the Braves last year so I doubt he’s in line for a raise after last season. Seems like he would be a better stopgap than Tauchman that could actually stay healthy and may actually net a prospect if he has a good first half, until the eventual Braden Montgomery callup. What other team could potentially give Verdugo starting time in their corners, if Benintendi is truly going to spend most of his time at DH? He probably doesn’t have many options at this point. I’m just done with the old man Tauchman experience. He will get injured again. It’s inevitable.

Let’s be honest. He signed with the team that made him the best offer.

I mean a veteran who has shown some success in the majors.

"How did you handle getting unwanted advice from more established Japanese players when you really just wanted to figure it out on your own?"

Don't we have that in Tristan Peters and Dustin Harris?

Was going to mention his baserunning but wasn’t going to blame that all on his old age, considering he probably came back too early from that hamstring strain and also tore his meniscus. Either way, he isn’t going to be getting any faster.

He can also barely play the outfield and is painful to watch him run.

Tauchman was limited to 93 games last season due to injuries. He just turned 35 and he is only going to decline further. If he wants to accept a minor league deal, fine.

Honestly, I’m fine with going cheap in the OF for now as long as they add another decent SP and leverage reliever. I think some combination of Benintendi/Baldwin/Pereira/Kelenic can hold it down in the corners for the time being.

Kelenic is on a minor league deal…give him playing time in Charlotte first and see if you can fix him there. If he performs well, then find him a spot on the major league roster. I don’t understand the desire to hand a guy who has been bad in the majors across multiple seasons and who was terrible in AAA a starting spot. Pereira is a different story because he actually was good in AAA and hasn’t had a lot of major league opportunities. With the lack of options, he should land a major league role to start the season, although I’d probably build the roster around him being a short side partner for Baldwin. As such, we should probably go sign a LH hitting corner OF to serve as competition and/or a placeholder until someone is deserving of this spot. If healthy, Tauchman is a perfect fit of what we need. It’s ok to have veteran stopgaps at a couple of spots.

Are you at all concerned the Rays will try to push him down to 2 (assuming he’s still the clear 1) with their enormous pool, or am I just being paranoid?

That’s what I figured. It wouldn’t make much sense for a young team to acquire Pereira and even Kelenic to then give playing time to older players like Tauchman and Conforto that are already nearing retirement.

Yeah I can’t see them adding more than that unless they got someone via trade