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Ok, my last post in this thread. Wilson Contreras hasn't caught a game since 2024. He is now a 1B/DH. He had an 850 OPS as a catcher two years ago. Catching is hard, it beats up your body. Nothing weird about a guy moving from behind the dish and being healthier and stronger and having a big year. The Red Sox are 4th in wRC+ since July 1st at 117. There is nothing historically crazy about a 117 wRC+ over a month. The Minnesota Twins had a 122 wRC+ in June. Were they cheating? No idea why people are so infatuated with a guy hitting a low sinker in the spot Brazoban always throws his sinker. That was a great piece of hitting. Durbin has been worse for the Sox than he was for the Brewers, Monasterio has been basically the same offensive player he was for 60 games last year with the Brewers, Abreu has been basically the exact same player he's always been the years prior, Rafaela was a 24 year old who took a step forward (hardly shocking, look at the Sox!), Yoshida has been better than he was last year, but worse than he was the two years prior, Connor Wong better than last year but worse than the year before. Where are all these career years? Contreras is having a career year, that's about it.

What are you talking about man? The direct quote originated from Bart and it was along these lines: “KT brought it up. He saw something and once he was able to start calling out pitches as they came, he knew there was some tipping. That’s when he brought it over to me and Davis.” That is in a completely different universe from what you’re attempting to invent. You’re just pulling s%*# out of your ass for some reason.

Was worried about the pen this weekend but adding Sandlin will be a big help

I'll nitpick a little bit on this and say some of their players are actually very good and have been for their careers so far. Wilyer Abreu 3+ bWAR in 24 and 25. Ceddanne Rafaela 3 in 24, 4.9 bWAR in 25. Caleb Durbin 2.7 bWAR in 25 Contreras pretty consistently a 3+ bWAR guy.

You're insufferable. I'd probably shrug it off and laugh honestly.

“They’re doing a pretty piss poor job of cheating.” Or “Well, they sure are blending in those losses at a high enough rate to fly under the radar - tricky!” 😆

This is fair. I don't care how much Castillo makes. I care about how much Jerry Reinsdorf would be willing to spend on the 2027 team. Castillo at $23 million with Dominguez at $10 million is different than Castillo at $23 million and Seranthony Dominguez off the team with no salary committed. That was my basic point. I'm shocked that anyone took Dominguez. I'm not excusing him for anything but I do think the deal was fine. Am I GetzBot now? Technically no. But this is a Jerry Reinsdorf org and every last cent matters. I actually think it's the opposite. They weren't willing to trade good prospects. They took on plenty of $$.

That whole thing sounded like: "Oh they crushed you, but I've been watching you and this is why" type situation to lift up his pitchers confidence. Who knows though, still a big Teel fan so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on being wise!

I will preface my comments by i have no clue if Boston is cheating or not.... So, I agree with most of your logic that teams go through stretches. However, some of what is happening in Boston with their hitters is insane. You have Dudes mashing and crushing (at the same time) for about a 2 month period who are at best mediocre/average baseball players.... Along with some anomalies like Wilson Contreras having a career year at age 34 (catcher regress at this age, they don't get better....I know he's not catching right now but has most of his career) They are hitting pitches that have no business be hit let alone being hit hard unless you know it's coming. Wilyer Abreu hit a pitch from Brazoban last night that was perfectly spotted (99mph fastball sinking to the ground). Some of the stuff that is going on there makes no sense. I have been an avid baseball fan since mid 80's and have watched teams go on runs (usually led by superstars and aided by role players). The Red sox have no superstars and this is being done by average baseball players at best. Never seen anything like this!

Or you’re just making connections that simply don’t exist in order to be negative and critical.

Next season? LOL May never happen and for most true Sox fans, it was not OK to punt this season. White Sox needed a good catcher at the trade deadline. Not next year. There were catchers available before the trade deadline and Getz could have traded for one. However, every team that had a good catcher required prospects. Colorado wanted a #1 prospect plus more for Hunter Goodman. Orioles had a similar ask for Adley. Not sure what the Mets wanted. So why punt a great season just to keep Caleb Bonemer or Carlson. or any other Minor leaguer? Do people understand how hard it is to be in first place in August. WSox have plenty of infielders and don't have any need Bonemer. He is surplusage. Sox could have had Rutchsman or Hunter Goodman but instead, they trade for Bart and probably pizzed away the season.

My ears and eyes are now bleeding. Thanks.

My reaction: "I hope not! I don't know if I can be like Astros fans were and just keep being a fan. I'd need to see another historic organizational purge, plus JR leaving to maybe come back."

Oh I'm not discounting that or saying I think the Brewers are cheating. I get a good laugh when my Cubs fan buddy texts the group chat accusing them of cheating all season long for the past 2 years lol

Fine. Cleveland is cheating.

Kyle Teel figured out how Martin was tipping pitches.

Who is calling them cheaters? The title of this thread asks the question, which is not an accusation. The rest of this thread is basically people pondering that question. None of us have proof anyway to make such an accusation. Baseball has a checkered history in this regard, and it's probably not just White Sox fans wondering the same thing. I think we're all eager to see them fall back to planet Earth soon so we don't have to wonder about this.

Just get him. Can't be any worse than what they've had, and neither Romo nor Quero earned any deference.

So to put this another way, if someone accused the White Sox of cheating because of the difference in 2025 and 26, what would your reaction be?

Fair enough, maybe you just saw the article and the Sox mentalist'ed you. Put the thought in your mind so you felt it. Happens!

I mean the dollar costs absolutely offset, which is what is being said. How you want to value the performances for those dollars is a completely different story. I think the opinion is that both players were vastly underperforming their deals, which isn't exactly earthshattering.

Call people cheaters before they kick your ass. Doing it after just makes you look like a whiner. Beyond that, the fact that the Sun Times had an article after Davis Martin's whooping insinuating something suspicious (although they claimed it was "legal") as to why he got crushed, and then two days later we have other Sox media-aligned person tweeting about cheating isn't the best look in the world imo.

Are you insinuating that I tweeted that because the team told me to? I was watching the game and Boston reminds me of the Astros while they were cheating right now. That's it. That's the whole story. I have no idea whether Davis Martin was actually tipping pitches or not. The White Sox likely wouldn't see Boston again until the ALCS potentially though so none of this really matters.

How’s his defense? I sure hope the Sox are willing to give others a try behind the dish but I also have a feeling that they will now simply roll out our “trusty duo” of Romo / Quero.