Leaderboard

I was really drunk last night, bored, and found this long ringer article on Vaughn and how college 1B taken that high are actually good bets to overperform projected WAR based on a position neutral projection for the slot. Basically it boiled down to when college 1B are taken that high they sure as shit can hit and if they can they will be decent MLB players at worst. Looks like Vaughn will be another one.

The Problem is whether you believe Mercedes can play catcher (even as a backup) or any other position than DH. Mercedes is likely a better hitter than some guys on the sox roster but is his bat good enough to play at DH when they already have EE, abreu, Collins and probably vaughn in the summer to fall? Even with 26 men you might not want to carry a second or third DH. I do think mercdes could post like a 100-105 wRC+ which is better than several guys on the roster but for a DH that is pretty meh.

I know it won’t happen but Eloy should hit higher in the lineup than Abreu and EE.

ROSTER and Players up for Consideration for White Sox MLB 2020 Roster out of Spring Training Total Non-Pitchers 14 1B Jose Abreu 2B Nick Madrigal either out of ST or very soon SS Tim Anderson 3B Yoan Moncada (S) LF Eloy Jimenez CF Luis Robert RF Nomar Mazara (L) 'NEW' C Yasmani Grandal (S) 'NEW' DH Edwin Encarnacion 1B 'NEW' BENCH Leury Garcia (S) Utility IF-OF Super Sub Adam Engel OF James McCann C Danny Mendick Utility SS-2B-OF Yermin Mercedes C-1B-3B-DH-PH or Nicky Delmonico (L) Total Pitchers 12 SP-5 Lucas Giolito Dallas Keuchel (L) 'NEW' Reynaldo Lopez Gio Gonzalez (L) 'NEW' Dylan Cease RP-7 Alex Colome Steve Cishek 'NEW" Evan Marshall Kelvin Hererra (i) damaged goods for 2019 Jimmy Cordero Aaron Bummer (L) Jace Fry (L) AAA Michael Kopech TJ recovery ready by June Carlos Rodon (L) Surgery recovery ready post All-Star break Dane Dunning Surgery recovery Jonathan Stiever Carson Fulmer 86'd the glasses - looks like last chance Ian Hamilton (i) recovery from car accident / shoulder and broken jaw Ryan Burr TJ recovery Matt Foster Zack Burdi Still not fully back from TJ AA Tyler Johnson Codi Heuer Detailed analysis below 1B Jose Abreu Team leader. Loves being with White Sox. Dick Allen. Frank Thomas. Paul Konerko. Jose Abreu. Top White Sox first basemen in the past half century. With a more balanced lineup with a few lefties should make Abreu that much more valuable at the plate. Underrated fielder. Class act who wants to only play for one MLB team in his career. Seems so much more content and confident since his son is in America. Uncle Jerry signing him was a sign of respect for all Jose has meant to White Sox. Rarely do you see any athlete basically say I would sign myself to be here and play for free if I have to. Will be in the White Sox Hall of Fame. Very good ball player. Really good guy and team captain. Zack Collins DH-C (L) Drafted as catcher and if he makes it there has a long ways to go. Bat first player with very good batting eye resulting in walks. Collins has a hitch in his swing. One major thing I noticed when he went down to Charlotte was when he started hitting he kept his left top hand over the top through the follow through. Sadly too many players today are under the influence of taking the top hand off the bat as well as this adjustment called launch angle a major reason why there are so many strikeouts. If he makes the team is a backup 1B, DH and third catcher. (Is he a trade candidate?) Still LH bat on bench to backup at First (Abreu) and DH (Encarnacion). Likely projection opens back at AAA-Charlotte. A.J. Reed (L) May become pitcher. Former College Player of the Year at Kentucky where he played first base and was the number one starting pitcher for the Wildcats. Former top power hitting prospect 1B drafted in Second Round by Astros. One Yordan Alvarez (Rookie of the Year) with Astros came up they had no spot for Reed. Had an atrocious 2019. With Encarnacion signing if Collins goes to AAA Reed is an unlikely long-shot to make club but team may seek a LH bat out of spring training. Nicky Delmonico could also have a shot for that extra LH bat if Collins is sent back to AAA as can Daniel Palka all presuming the team wants another LH bat. 2B Nick Madrigal Rookie Small spark plug who has excellent bat control and rarely strikes out ala Nellie Fox. Very smart ballplayer. High IQ. Leader by example. Might best be suited to batting one or two in lineup. Potential Gold Glover. Will be fan favorite. Does he break camp with club or does he come up in a month. Is a long term contract coming soon? Leury Garcia SS-OF (S) Good all-around switch hitter who has played all outfield positions including CF and has the skills to play SS, 2B and perhaps 3B in a pinch if needed. Good personality and a value player that is a jack of many trades and has good speed and has improved his game. Strikes out too much. Wish he and others would learn to hit with two strikes by choking up, shortening the swing with the goal of making contact. See Juan Soto and perhaps even Hunter Pence. Whenever someone has two strikes it becomes necessary to alter how one approaches the count. If Madrigal goes back to AAA-Charlotte Garcia opens at 2B. SS Tim Anderson Much improved player and the guy on the club with swagger. This one time starting guard on his Alabama High School basketball championship team has really improved his game particularly at bat including much better pitch selection as well as improvement in the field but this latter aspect of his game is still a work in progress. Has excellent speed and quick hands at bat. Has become pretty efficient hitting the other way.Tim exudes great confidence and he and his wife love the Chicago area where they do much outside of baseball off the field. Tim has shown a deep respect for Jackie Robinson and the fact he is the team's lone black American on the club and is keenly aware of what responsibility goes with that. Mention to Tim losing out on Manny Machado or trading Marcus Semien and Fernando Tatis and he is the guy who seems to like being challenged and proving doubters in error. Might be big things in his future. Is signed long term and really blossomed after the death of his best lifelong friend. Father of two young children also seems to have aided in his maturity. He is truly interested in and encouraging of young kids particularly in the inner city. (Something that needs pointing out is that the White Sox outreach to those in need is as good as it gets and Jerry Reinsdorf and the entire organization should feel proud of all the players and coaches do off the field for the good of the community and children including those in need). Danny Mendick 2B-OF Former 22nd Round Draft choice out of Lowell, MA. Danny is a tweener/gamer who has made himself relevant to a potential spot on the 2020 White Sox. Not a great glove but his bat and hustle could get him to the show. He consistently swings down on the ball using his top on over top on his swings. He offers depth and a spark plug presence. Very enthusiastic. 3B Yoan Moncada (S) Highly improved. Big time talent. Superior speed. Could likely play anywhere on field. Nice guy. If he could swing more down on ball could cut way down on strikeouts and be a doubles and triples machine. Due to being a switch hitter might be best suited to hitting third in lineup though likes hitting second. Is very close to Jose Abreu and with Luis Robert and perhaps others this team has a noticeably Cuban flare. Needs to improve two strike hitting. All current players need to review Juan Soto's changes with positioning of hands and feet with different counts. Moncada was a pleasant surprise at his natural position of third base. Great athlete. Cutest son in Robinson. LF Eloy Jimenez Big league power with 40 plus every year. Great persona to go with a young player that goes to all fields. Fielding lacks top flight performance but will be a fan favorite with personality off the charts. Tremendous dedication to be the best he can be. CF Luis Robert Rookie Superstud potential. Best WS prospect since Frank Thomas. Saw as a 17 year old amateur and saw the wow of a premium talent with a high baseball IQ. The most talented all-around six tool player I have yet seen in the organization. Major talent and a CF who has chops in the field. Can run, hit, hit with power, field, throw and has the special mind / High baseball IQ / understanding of the game. Once he learns the language and due to his demeanor is going to be truly taken in by the fans in Chicago and across the nation. Pippin/Jordan/Rodman type talent in a different sport. May not be Mike Trout but like Trout at a young age this is what dreams are made of. Was tremendous leading off last year. A natural even if his name isn't Roy Hobbs. Most gifted athlete to lace up a pair of spikes since Dick Allen on the Southside. RF 'NEW' Nomar Mazara (L) trade Still only 24 this is one of the most powerful young hitters in the game. Sox need a LH hitter and Mazara plays RF so he fills two needs. Thing is he has not much improved since coming up but Sox fans and team officials remember all too well the 500 foot HR he hit last year against Reynaldo Lopez that if not for the upper deck might still be going. He is a fine young man out of the Dominican and he speaks fluent English. He has two years left of control. This is the kind of guy KW likes. Will make like $6.5 for 2020. Has a nice throwing arm. Platoon situation for RF. Believe agent is Boras. Very nice soft spoken guy with a good sense of humor. Light tower power ala Jimenez and Robert. May have had a bad thumb last season something that Luis Robert had to deal with. Good OPS of better than .850 of second half of 2019. Has yet to show he can hit lefties. The second #2 acquisition in trade from Rangers for Steele Walker and needed LH bat. Adam Engel Very good outfielder with excellent instincts. Bat is well below average. That said he works very hard and was reasonably competent after going to minors working with Menchinno at Charlotte and did well particularly versus left handers. Possesses good speed and is very athletic. Was a top Ohio HS QB who could have played major college football but opted to Louisville to play baseball. Is he a candidate with Mazara as a platoon player? Engel does not quit. Could be 25th man as backup OF. Possible RF platoon with Mazara but this is poor offensive production player option. Did hit better against LHP last season. Believe a RH RF for platoon is needed. Can play all OF positions. Has once again changed his batting stance, angle of bat and hands in batters box. Plays very hard. Works to improve his game. Good upstanding guy.  C 'NEW' Yasmani Grandal FA (S) ($73M Major FA signing with White Sox). Another Cuban who happens to have a deep friendship and connection to Zack Collins. Was surprised with the signing but Sox now have top catching duo in the game with McCann. Very committed player who has a reputation for being a top pitch framer. This switch hitting catcher was someone on my personal radar going back to his early days. Bold move signing him. Has good power and has caught some of the game's top pitchers for contending teams. The first signing. #1. James McCann In my view the team MVP in 2019. Superior knowledge of the game. Prepare like few others. Solid bat last year. Like how he chokes up on the bat and is willing to go with pitches. Very solid player. Team leader. Lucas Giolito credits McCann so much for his improvement. Will one day manage in the big leagues if he wants to. Super smart player who is as good a defensive catcher the Sox have had in years. Under no circumstances should he be traded. One of the best catchers in the game who knows how to use his footwork to block the plate and is excellent blocking pitches. Was catcher to Verlander and I believe Scherzer for a brief time in 2014 while catching for the Tigers. A good leader who has good skills behind the plate is tough to find. Molina, Posey, Perez, Contreras and few others. Speaks with a southern accent despite being from Santa Barbara, CA and while at Arkansas caught Dallas Keuchel for one season. Yermin Mercedes DH-3B-1B Watch this guy as he can flat out hit and with power and has a high degree of confidence and swagger. A stocky version ala Manny Ramirez. This guy really can hit. Strong throwing arm but has difficulty blocking pitches. Maybe Grandal and McCann can teach him. Keep an eye on this guy in the box. Had 23 HR's last season and 80 RBI's in just 95 games with a .647 SLG and OPS of 1.033 at Charlotte. Go ask Robert and Madrigal their opinions of Mercedes. Ask the team's current and new hitting coach. Had even higher numbers with the Knights than did 2020 ROY candidate Robert. He hits to all fields. One to watch. Highly confident with swagger. DH 'NEW' Edwin Encarncion FA 1B Sox want a value and experienced DH this might be the guy. With more than 400 HR's and more than 1200 RBI's EE has the experience and with some good ball clubs to really add a nice veteran presence and bat in the lineup. Hit some 34 HR's last season in just over 400 AB's. Probably in the $8-12M range. Encarnicion is an experienced asset to a playoff potential team. Some lineup they would have. EE is an established big time power numbers guy who has hit more than 32 HR's for eight consecutive seasons. The fifth. #5 (signed with White Sox $12M with second year club option) Daniel Palka Two seasons ago Palka looked like a coming LH power hitter where the ball just jumped off his bat. Then hit a massive slump last season at the MLB level. Really has no position on the field and might be a long shot option as a LH bat off the bench as a pinch hitter which would be his primary role if he makes the club. Hit 27 HR's at Charlotte last season in 106 games and an .900 OPS. Hit best option is he hits left handed. Is he a 26th man option? Proven pinch hitter from 2018. Not likely. Likely projection opens back at AAA-Charlotte. SP Lucas Giolito SP Went from outhouse to the big house in one year. Turned to his HS pitching coach from Harvard Westlake in Sherman Oaks (same team with Max Fried and Jack Flaherty) Ethan Katz (now with SF Giants) who caught flaws in Giolito's delivery. Dramatic change in where he keeps his throwing arm and release point. It really showed as he made his first all-star appearance. Hid the ball making harder for hitters to pick up pitches. Great confidence and a very nice guy. Wife is studying to be animal doctor at UCDavis. Family were/are in entertainment business. Credits also James McCann behind the plate. Looks the part of being a top flight starter. Really into the mental preparation aspect of the game. Really dedicated himself to be a better player and seeks being excellent. Good student of pitching. Like him also as a person. Nice guy who has class and a good sense of humor. Good teammate. May soon be known as 'The Mentor' as he has helped other pitchers including Lopez and Cease with their motions and preparation. 'NEW' Dallas Keuchel FA-SP (L) Soft throwing control lefty. Former Cy Young but that was some time ago. Would be nice second and likely looking for a minimum of three years. Was with Astros when they won World Series. Uses a classic over the head windup unlike most pitchers today. This lack of stretch of the arm may be a major factor in so many TJ surgeries. Former Cy Young Award Winner. Had the opportunity to discuss my observation/hypothesis with Bob Feller. Agent is Boras. The fourth. #4 (signs with White Sox 3 years for $55M with a vesting option for year four and a total of $74M) Reynaldo Lopez SP A quandary of a pitcher who at times looks like a world beater ace and other times appears to lose concentration and focus and just loses it. Kid seems to want to be good and if the Sox sign FA starters it will be time to shit or get off the pot and move to the pen or be sent in a trade something I do not believe the White Sox want to do. The talent is there plus he has stamina. Maturity is a key and he has deep family roots with his grandparents. Late in the season Ricky Renteria really gave him a talking too and Lopez just looked into his manager's eyes and listened. Seems to be a good young man and has all the talent in the world. Perhaps like Giolito he will breakthrough this season. We shall see. The kid has the talent. 'NEW' Gio Gonzalez FA-SP (L) Former White Sox number one draft choice traded twice in Nick Swisher deal and Jim Thome deal. Has won 130 games in career. Excellent curve ball. Had dead arm last season so we shall see if anything is left in the tank. Spot kept warm until Kopech returns. Good veteran presence presuming his arm is OK. Balances starting staff with a second southpaw. The third. #3 (signs with White Sox one year for $5M) Dylan Cease SP The second piece with Eloy Jimenez in the Jose Quintana deal with the Cubs. At times exhibits ace ability but the consistency with control has not yet been there. Then again Cease was a rookie last year. He possesses one of the best wipe out curves in the game. Has a slow deliberate motion. But key to him is control. Was hit pretty good when he came up but the last part of the season he started getting his act together. Would have been a first round draft choice but had TJ surgery in HS and fell to Cubs in Round 6. With time, patience and experience Cease has the chance to become a top three in the rotation. *Michael Kopech SP (TJ) June. Big time power pitcher. Came in the Chris Sale deal along with Yoan Moncada and Luis Basabe. Very hard worker. Training warrior. One of the hardest throwers in all of baseball. Had TJ surgery last year and is throwing again and is not missing a beat. Thing is when will Kopech be ready to join the MLB club. Spring training may be pushing it to come up with the big league team. I expect we are looking at around June for a call up. Will he be in rotation or pen when he does arrive. If he masters control he has chance to be potential ace. Has an aura who wants to be great. Reminds me of a Turk I grew up with with an independent flare knowing he is good. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte for now. *Carlos Rodon SP (L) (i) I expect to see Rodon as a member of the bullpen when he returns by midseason. Sox will have numerous starters but will not risk injuries. Rodon has a wipe-out slider but has been hurt multiple times. Another factor with injuries to pitchers is that very few wind up any more leading to flexibility issues that lead to DL and multiple surgery stints. Plus Rodon is not built really like a pitcher. Likely projection when ready opens at AAA-Charlotte for now. *Dane Dunning SP (TJ) Sort of a RH Mark Buerlhe type pitcher. Throws strikes. Another TJ surgery. Was the third cog in the Adam Eaton deal with the Nationals along with Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Won't pitch until mid to late season or so it appears. Team has patience to not rush pitchers back from injuries. When healthy likely opens at lower level to get ready and will move to AAA-Charlotte. Jonathan Stiever SP Top pitching prospect originally from Wisconsin where he was a top football prospect who played defensive back. He pitched at Indiana University and was a fifth round draft choice. Has really progressed through the system and ranks so much so that many teammates called him Verlander because his style was so similar to the former Cy Young winner. Stiever is a very good athlete who has developed consistency in repeating his motion. Some believe he may have the highest upside of any starting pitcher outside of the name of Michael Kopech. Watch him as he starts at AA-Birmingham and can he jump up to AAA-Charlotte by mid season? Likely projection opens at AA-Birmingham. Bernardo Flores SP (L) Good command of the strike zone. Nice easy and smooth delivery. Student of the game. Control is key to his game. Since team is so thin on lefties keep an eye on this former Southern California pitcher. Personally like him much more than Konnor Pilkington who does not close his hips or hide the ball well. Since Flores is not a power pitcher he uses his entire body and it is more challenging to pick up the ball. If he stays healthy might make it to the bigs sometime later in the season. If Gonzalez falters due to injury or lack of gas in the tank Flores would be likely call up with Rodon out. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. Kyle Kubat SP (L) Jamie Moyer type control pitcher who went undrafted out of Nebraska signed by the Royals and acquired by the White Sox. Has been a sleeper throughout the minors up until call up to AAA Charlotte last season where he struggled. Then again with the juiced ball who did not get challenged. Still he has shown some strong signs and could compete for a long relief spot start role. Is a character. Could he be a sleeper? Unlikely but one never knows with his rise through the system. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. RP Alex Colome RP Lights out closer with fabulous cutter. He was dominant in the first half of the season. Second half he came back down to Earth. Still Colome is the White Sox best closer since Bobby Jenks. Has ice in his veins and loves pressure closing situations. Got a salary bump up to $10M. Nickname is The Horse and any game that Colome comes in he has a shot to put the game away. If Sox are going to contend for a playoff spot Colome is going to be a key to teams potential success. Aaron Bummer RP (L) Lights out eighth inning reliever who once he found his control became a real pitcher. Bummer was a 19th round draft pick originally out of the University of Nebraska. When Bummer is in the zone which now has become commonplace he is a very good set up man to get to the ninth. Last year in discussions for Pederson his name came up. Amazing when getting the ball in the strike zone can do. (Just signed $16M five-year contract) 'NEW' Steve Cishek FA-RP Submarine pitcher who is a competitive set up man. Last with the Cubs where Joe Maddon relied on Cishek heavily. Solid guy in 7th or 8th inning. The sixth. #6 (signs with White Sox one year for $5M) Jace Fry RP (L) Looked every bit the part of a poor man's Andrew Miller when he came up in 2018. However, Fry regressed in 2019 not hitting his spots plus the opposition started making adjustments. That said this former third-round draft choice out of Oregon still has the upside of a quality reliever. Evan Marshall RP Good pick up going into 2019. Marshall turned in good performance as a seventh inning set up man. Seems to have a rubber arm. Another of the many who seem to have benefited from Don Cooper. Value pitcher. Jimmy Cordero RP Surprise pickup who pitched well as the RH used prior to Marshall and Colome. Kelvin Herrera RP Top bullpen signing last season. Was dinged up virtually all season and was highly disappointing. Was dominant as member of Royals against White Sox. If he can come back to his old self he could be a welcome addition. So far he looks like a bust signing owed more than $8M for 2020. Can he return to his former glory? Would be a welcome bonus. Carson Fulmer RP Last chance ? Trade candidate as throw in at this point. Has been a bust so far. Very small guy. Does not move ball around. Far too easy for a hitter to pick up. Throws a straight fastball that does not move. Questionable control. Seemed like a bulldog but has more tendencies to throw more like a batting practice pitcher. At this point he looks like a bust. Seems very competitive and confident but the results are just to date not there. Has had numerous opportunities and if he is going to make it the clock is ticking with the White Sox and soon their may be no longer a barn for this horse to go back to. No longer is wearing glasses. (If anyone wants the former first round draft choice (#8-) out of Vanderbilt he is available unless he proves himself worthy of one more chance). MLB or claimed as I do not believe he has any more options left. Ian Hamilton RP (i) Top bullpen arm who had a freakish 2019 from side effects of auto accident that affected his shoulder and then was hit in the face by line drive in dugout. If he can come back could be a valuable asset in pen. Hamilton was an 11th round draft choice out of Washington State despite being listed at six feet is a shorter pitcher and not up to the listing in real height in the guide. He has a very good wipeout slider. Bulldog mentality. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. Ryan Burr RP (TJ) Good bullpen piece. Former Arizona State closer and fifth round draft choice. Sox acquired from the Diamondbacks. Throws straight over the top. Had TJ surgery last season. The second half of Hamilton and Burr. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. Matt Foster RP Former 20th round choice out of Alabama Foster is a bulldog who throws strikes. Has a shot at making club at some point next season and maybe out of spring training. Good numbers since entering the organization with reasonable consistency. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. Zack Burdi RP (TJ) Former first round choice out of Louisville and Chicago, Illinois. Had TJ surgery and has not hit his numbers since. I do not like the fact that he does not hide the ball and rotate his hips well but he once threw near 100 mph. Wait and see here. Too many pitchers today do not know how to hide/protect the ball including not having a leg kick making it more challenging to pick up the pitch. Likely projection opens at AAA-Charlotte. Tyler Johnson RP Interesting former fifth round pick out of South Carolina. Unusual delivery release point that can be challenging to pick up for hitters. Missed much of last season. Appears to be top RP in organization. Likely projection opens at either AA-Birmingham or AAA-Charlotte. Codi Heuer RP Former Wichita State starting pitcher who has thrived in relief role. Did not give up HR. Likely projection opens at AA-Birmingham.

Absolutely. Gave me a respect for TA that before wasn’t there... and overall one of the best baseball life stories I’ve read. Thanks for sharing.

Thought this story was incredible. 'We keep pushing forward': The story behind Tim Anderson's promise

Burger retweeted this 4 days ago...

He could be a better hitter than EE but White Sox fans don't seem to believe in his potential.

Yermin is going to be a fine DH.

OMG I feel like an idiot I didn't think there was a video feed so i've been listening to the radio broadcast LOL

How the hell can Yermin's knees hold all that weight while catching? The guy is a DH, plain and simple.

Watching Madrigal this spring, how can you hate him? He controls his bat so well its been a blast watching him. His swings have purpose, right there he easily took the ball the other way.

Yermin is going to hit his way to the major league roster. Stud.

Yermin does it again, RBI double in the left center gap edit: Yermin now has 6 RBIs on the spring.

Would the bad genes guy be......Yermin Madrigal?

Anderson Moncada Abreu EE Grandal Eloy Mazara Robert Madrigal

Do you think they actually bench Abreu for Vaughn or Yermin if he is playing poorly and they are hitting well? Unfortunately, i think Renteria is too braindead/loyal and Reinsdorf is too stupidly loyal to let him be benched.

I just don't think Abreu, EE or Grandal should ever sit vs LHP. I don't like McCann's fit on this roster.

He just turned 27.

I agree with the Trade McCann, keep Mercedes/Collins up. Both guys could be insurance in case EE sucks.

I definitely am in the trade McCann camp. I also was one of the few that had no problem with the White Sox signing him last year. I also would have had no problem with the White Sox trying to extend him if they didn’t have Grandal. But they have Grandal. Grandal is their Carlton Fisk signing, When the Sox signed Fisk, they had signed Jim Essian as a free agent earlier that offseason to be the starting catcher. He serves a purpose now but a small one, A purpose that can be covered by Collins and or Mercedes at a fraction of the cost, and if neither are good enough to be a back up catcher then you find a cheap one somewhere else No need to spend what they are paying McCann for the role he will have especially with what they already have.

Trade McCann and keep Collins and Yermin on the roster.

I actually agree with the low k rate as a negative hypothesis. I think that by definition in order to have a K rate as low as Madrigal you have to be doing one or both of two things: a) attacking early in the count and rarely allowing yourself to get to 2 strike counts b) swinging at pitcher's pitches and making outs some other way. In the end, an out is an out over the course of a season.

McCann's was 132 against LHP, it's not some huge drop off. I could see Grandal getting the start just because it's opening day, but McCann is going to catch Giolito more often than not and get some starts against LHPs. There's no reason to try to push Grandal into catching more than 120ish games.

Bump for JImmy! You are spot on Jimmy, but Madrigal makes the roster. I still feel that way.

Because of limited opportunities is why I don't waste Collins in that role. I wasn't one who was hot for EE. Mercedes has a big bat that would find some spots however. There are really half a dozen guys you could make an argument for.

You aren’t Larry from SouthSideSox are you?

Lol why? Seems like quite a leap.

You should probably re-read my post then. Because that is not what I did. I listed, literally, every Sox system player in the last 8 or 9 seasons who fit the general profile of Yermin: late 20's age (25+), C/1B positional slot, big AAA numbers, no former major leaguers. How on earth do you get "random" from that? What you are saying I should have done, is exactly what I did. On the bolded, do you know why those weren't listed? Because within that profile I just mentioned... there aren't any, other than Phegley, whom I listed. At least on the Sox. I did not look at the other 29 AAA teams but feel free to do so. You will find the same pattern - very few ever do anything meaningful in the majors.

A 150 wRC+ in AA followed by a 117 wRC+ in AAA (SSS) suggests he’s more than worthy of a roster spot. I’d still hold him down for the extra year of team control though.

I don't know what makes people think Madrigal has proven himself worthy of an mlb roster spot let alone an extension. Comparing him to the prospect Kris Bryant was a few years ago is completely laughable.

It would be SO DUMB to use McCann as Giolitos personal catcher.. McCann has one year left and is gone after this year..

I don’t see them benching their big free agent addition unless they plan on using McCann as Giolito’s exclusive catcher.

It is against the rules; I don't know why people keep saying otherwise. It is defined ambiguously so, in terms of contract law, the arbiter has to side with the ownership side because there are no defined terms to determine "readiness." This was an oversight by the MLBPA, but it doesn't mean it should give ownership the right to act in bad faith. It's similar to the players escaping punishment with the sign stealing situation; it "technically" was not against the rules for the players because it wasn't agreed upon within the CBA. It was very obviously wrong, though. I agree the Sox have treated some young guys well - although some would say the Sox are leveraging their exploitation to get players to sign extensions - but that doesn't excuse them manipulating a system in bad faith against Madrigal. Young players should be paid more in general.

I am a very firm believer in acting in good faith as an employer; I think it is a staple of being a quality and respected employer in an industry. I do not feel that baseball FO's are acting in good faith by exploiting service time. Just because something isn't defined thoroughly does not give one an excuse to not act in good faith.

Right, so there are no clear rules against it. There aren't rules against something that is undefined. You can say "serve time manipulation is prohibited!!!" until you're purple in the face, but if you can't define what exactly service time manipulation is, there isn't a rule. You can make tons of arguments that Madrigal should be in the minors to start the year, and until MLB formulates something that clearly defines MLB-readiness, there is no defined rules against it.

There are rules against it, just as an FYI. I don't know why people continue to say there are not; it is written within the CBA it is just not defined in a way that allows the arbiter to side with the players.

Until there are actual rules against it, they should continue to do it because everyone else does it and it would put the Sox at a huge disadvantage to not do it. Sox have done right by their guys giving them unheard of monster extensions before ever having played a game in the big leagues. Punting a prime year of Madrigal for like 10 games in March and April in his rookie season when you have a perfectly suitable guy in Leury to fill in would be straight idiotic. Which is why it won't happen.

It's not bad business when you take care of your own; I would argue the exact opposite. I think it's bad business to exploit your workers and let them know you're doing it. You get Kris Bryant level fall outs between players and FO when you do that. We have all had this argument plenty so there's no need to rehash, but service time exploitation is against the rules and the Sox should stop doing it immediately.

I disagree with the bolded. I don't think that 7th year really matters for someone like Madrigal who likely won't figure to receive a huge payday in FA like Robert or Jimenez would

Anderson Moncada Abreu EE Grandal Eloy Robert Mazara Madrigal Madrigal makes this team.

Still think my man Madrigal will be #9 in the lineup on OD.

Let's go cubs, I hope our Chicago faithful do well on both sides of town!