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I'm so happy for him. 🥹

You have no clue.

Get the f*** out of my thread.

I dunno about you guys but I think it's pretty sweet to be in first place and also have the first pick in the draft.

Shoutout to @DirtySox for sharing all these scouting reports/tweets and your general draft insights that a lot of us dummies don’t have. Appreciate you.

If Landon doesn’t sign to a friendly bonus they should move Jim’s office to the basement like Milton in Office Space. I’m really dating myself with these references today.

Needed something to replace the Luke Keaschall is better than Miguel Vargas rant.

I have a fundamental understanding of the draft and the draft process. You clearly don't and just knee-jerk all over the place about everything.

It was like 5 seconds ago that teams weren't willing to trade young bats because they were so valuable, and now dumping a young bat with position flexibility, including the middle infield, for a guy who you hope will be as good as Gonzalez is today, is a slam dunk? I feel like Gonzalez could have been a piece in a deal for an SP based on the last few deadlines, so to see him go NOW for hope 3-5 years down the road is just strange.

Quick takes from this trade: Probably Roch tomorrow. Makes the draft even more fun tomorrow. I feel like we got 85 cents on the dollar. I understand why you would think to move Gonzalez, but feel like we are just a bit short considering the season he had. I wonder if this constrains us from being able to trade him for an MLB piece for the backend of our pen. It makes me think that Getz won't be a buyer at the deadline because Gonzalez was a piece you could move. Oh no, Brandon Eisert! ( just kidding) I do like the White Sox prioritizing the draft. Now, please do so with the international market.

After the mariachi performance tonight, I hear there might be a Roch concert before this one.

Yeah I can’t fathom why the below exact same opinions were received differently

Yeah. It’s sports. It isn’t my job. Having former players kids also be awesome would be cool. I like when sports are cool.

Why do you guys come on here and flame like it's 1998 on alt.binaries? At least post some hot celeb nudes to make up for it.

Bro hindsight will come in 2030 for this one.

Mispronouncing the #1 overall pick's last name is HUGE cringe. Jesus f*** Manfred.

There are multiple factors here. I don't expect everyone to like it and I definitely understand the consternation. I think it's important to realize that this front office didn't draft Jacob Gonzalez and he wasn't likely part of their future plans as another LHH infielder despite the breakout. The White Sox just treated him as found money essentially. For him, they create two needed 40-man spots and add essentially $3 million to their pool. If they take a prep guy at 34 at near slot, it's another highly regarded prospect added to the system but it also increases their pool by $1 million with the overage. They went from $18.5 million to $21.5 million. It allows two extra prep swings essentially. This doesn't mean that the White Sox won't be buying. They owe it to the club to buy. This was just an opportunity to sell high on a guy that wasn't in their plans.

The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft officially kicks off today live from Philadelphia, and for the first time since taking Harold Baines back in 1977, our Chicago White Sox hold the #1 overall pick in the draft. With the largest draft pool in history after the Gonzalez/Eisert deal with Pittsburgh, Chris Getz and the front office are sitting on unprecedented leverage. Use this thread to track the picks, debate, and react with the rest of us draft sickos. Shoutout to @Y2Jimmy0 and the FutureSox crew for providing elite coverage for the entire cycle. THE 1.1 RADAR: THE THREE-MAN MIX Mike Shirley has confirmed the Sox have narrowed the first overall pick down to a definitive top tier. While three players are under consideration, it is almost assuredly a two-horse race between Roch and Grady, with a slim outlier chance on Lackey. While I personally order them Lackey, Emerson, Roch, I'm fully on board with any of the three selections. Brief blurbs below for anyone that doesn't pay attention to the MLB draft. Roch Cholowsky (SS - UCLA): 21-year-old Bruins star heralded as the best college shortstop prospect since Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman. A former three-star QB with an athletic 6'2", 200-lb frame, Cholowsky is a slam-dunk shortstop with Gold Glove potential (65 Field/60 Arm), elite instincts, and immense body control. Offensively (55 Hit/60 Power), he pairs crisp bat-to-ball skills with an advanced approach that limits strikeouts, hammering velocity and driving loud pull-side power. He represents the highest-floor franchise piece who could rocket to the majors. Grady Emerson (SS - Fort Worth Christian HS, TX): 18-year-old Texas commit regarded as the absolute best pure hitter in the entire amateur class (65 Hit/50 Power). A historic performer for USA Baseball, the 6'2", 180-lb lefty features a quiet, compact, ultra-efficient stroke that keeps his barrel in the zone forever. Boasting elite barrel feel, an advanced eye, and a clean all-fields line-drive approach, he projects for average-or-better power as his frame matures. He has the middle-infield actions, instincts, and 60-grade arm to remain an above-average shortstop as an elite high-ceiling cornerstone. Vahn Lackey (C - Georgia Tech): 21-year-old right-handed hitter ready to join the legendary ranks of GT first-round catchers (Varitek, Wieters, Bart, Parada). Standing 6'2", 215 lbs, Lackey offers massive defensive upside behind the dish with an elite arm and supreme athleticism (he famously played all 8 non-pitching positions in a single game this spring). Offensively, he exploded as a junior—slashing .397/.519/.772 with 20 HRs. He offers an incredibly dynamic, premium positional ceiling at 1.1. BROADCAST INFO & SCHEDULE **Day 1: Saturday, July 11th (Rounds 1-4)** * **1:00 PM - 2:30 PM ET:** Picks 1-10 | 📺 **NBC & Peacock** * **2:30 PM - 4:30 PM ET:** Picks 11-40 | 📺 **MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV** * **4:30 PM - 7:45 PM ET:** Picks 41-135 | 💻 **MLB.com & MLB.TV** **Day 2: Sunday, July 12th (Rounds 5-20)*** **11:30 AM - 7:30 PM ET:** Picks 136-615 | 💻 **MLB.com, MLB.TV, MLB+ (Free Stream)** **TWITTER LEAKS & SPOILERS:** Picks *will* inevitably leak early on Twitter/X via insiders (Doyle, Passan, Mayo, etc.) before they are read/announced on the broadcast. Posting them in this thread is fine, but use the Spoiler Tag functionality. Spoilers are inevitable. Read/participate in this thread at your own risk if you are going to get upset about it. THE SOX HISTORIC BONUS POOL Thanks to the eve-of-the-draft trade shipping Jacob Gonzalez and Brandon Eisert to Pittsburgh for the #34 overall pick, the Sox have historic financial flexibility: * **Total Draft Bonus Pool:** **$20,489,500** *(The largest single-year allotment in MLB history)* * **Maximum Spend Limit (with 5% overage):** **$21,513,975** * **No. 1 Pick Record Slot Value:** **$11,350,600** * **The Strategy:** Expect the front office to maximize this cash. Pick number 1 won't get slot but will likely break the previous draft record of $9.25 given to Chase Burns/Charlie Condon. I'm personally expecting a bonus of $9.5 to $9.75 million which will afford the ability to re-allocate some of that slot value to further picks. Getting a premium talent locked down at #1 opens up massive over-slot opportunities to buy players away from college commitments at #34, #41, and beyond. ROUND 1 OFFICIAL DRAFT ORDER 1. **Chicago White Sox** ($11,350,600 slot) 2. **Tampa Bay Rays** 3. **Minnesota Twins** 4. **San Francisco Giants** 5. **Pittsburgh Pirates** 6. **Kansas City Royals** 7. **Baltimore Orioles** 8. **Oakland Athletics** 9. **Atlanta Braves** 10. **Colorado Rockies** 11. **Washington Nationals** 12. **Los Angeles Angels** 13. **St. Louis Cardinals** 14. **Miami Marlins** 15. **Arizona Diamondbacks** 16. **Texas Rangers** 17. **Houston Astros** 18. **Cincinnati Reds** 19. **Cleveland Guardians** 20. **Boston Red Sox** 21. **San Diego Padres** 22. **Detroit Tigers** 23. **Chicago Cubs** 24. **Seattle Mariners** 25. **Milwaukee Brewers** 26. **Atlanta Braves** 27. **New York Mets** 28. **Houston Astros** 29. **Cleveland Guardians** 30. **Kansas City Royals** 31. **Arizona Diamondbacks** 32. **St. Louis Cardinals** 33. **Tampa Bay Rays** 34. **Chicago White Sox** *(via PIT - $2,897,400 slot)* 35. **New York Yankees** 36. **Philadelphia Phillies** 37. **Colorado Rockies** THE RUMOR MILL: TARGETS OUTSIDE OF 1.1 While the world is watching who we take at 1.1, the real action and fun starts at #34. These are the players with major helium or heavy late links who could come into play for the Sox subsequent picks. This list is a mix I've compiled from names we've heard from many different publications as well as names discussed and brought up by the FutureSox crew. Tried to blurb a bit on each of the players for those not in the know. Have I missed any? Feel free to call it out below. * **Landon Thome (2B - Nazareth HS, Burr Ridge IL):** 18.6-year-old FSU commit and son of HOFer Jim Thome. While he lacks his dad's massive frame (6'0", 185 lbs), he possesses a gorgeous, simple left-handed swing with loose hands and dynamic lower-half torque that projects plus raw power (55) to the pull side. A pure bat-first profile (50 Hit/55 Power) likely destined for second base due to a fringy arm (45), he has major helium as an impact offensive second baseman drawing Brandon Lowe comparisons. Massive local ties. * **Dominic Santarelli (1B/OF - St. Joseph HS, Pleasant Prairie WI):** 18.8-year-old LSU commit who has been a meteoric riser over the last year. Standing an ultra-physical 6'2", 224 lbs, he possesses elite, jaw-dropping 80-grade raw power with exit velocities north of 113 MPH. He features a short, compact, balanced left-handed swing with direct hands and shocking athleticism that translates to average speed down the line. Defensively, he has soft hands at first base but carries enough functional athleticism to handle a corner outfield spot. A truly intimidating offensive package. * **Jack Slightom (RHP - Lyons HS, LaGrange IL):** A highly projectable 6'4", 202-lb local product committed to Cincinnati. He will be just 18.2 years old on draft day, making him one of the youngest and fastest-rising cold-weather arms in the Midwest. His fastball already sits 90-93 MPH (touching 96) with heavy ride, tail, and elite extension that jumps on hitters. His primary secondary is a high-spin (2,600 RPM) sweeper in the upper-70s/low-80s, complemented by a mid-80s cutter and a developing changeup. High-ceiling 50-grade role projection. * **Carson Bolemon (LHP - Southside Christian HS, Greenville SC):** A highly decorated 19.2-year-old Wake Forest commit and back-to-back South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. The 6'4", 221-lb southpaw possesses a refined, easily repeated delivery, running his fastball up to 97 MPH while sitting 91-94 with a steep downward angle and natural deception. His calling card is a dominant, firm 80-84 MPH power curveball with immense vertical tilt that tunnels perfectly out of his heater path, mixed with an advanced tailing changeup. Composed strike-thrower with a true starter's profile and two-way high school athleticism. * **Dylan Bowen (SS - Hanover Central HS, St. John IN):** An athletic, high-tempo 19.4-year-old Oklahoma State commit from just across the border in Indiana. He features a premium, advanced hit tool (55) driven by elite hand speed, a whippy right-handed stroke, and a mature all-fields approach. A plus runner (55) who plays with bounce and great range up the middle, his quick transfers and low-to-the-ground actions give him a real chance to stick at shortstop, though an unorthodox arm path could eventually push him to second base. A bit older for a prep bat, but a high-floor offensive middle infielder. * **Carter Beck (OF - Indiana State):** 21.0-year-old left-handed hitter from Canada and the reigning MVC Player of the Year. Built like an explosive "barrel of gunpowder" at 5'10", 200 lbs, Beck is a darling of analytically minded front offices. He boasts a plus potential hit tool (55) driven by elite hand speed, hard rotation, and standout bat-to-ball skill that minimizes whiffs inside the strike zone. He pairs that contact with serious juice, posting hard-hit rates that belie his size and peak exit velocities exceeding 111 MPH. An above-average runner (55) who plays center field with his hair on fire, he carries a high-energy profile reminiscent of Daulton Varsho. * **Luke Williams (SS/OF - Franklin Regional HS, Murrysville PA):** 18.5-year-old Vanderbilt commit and one of the most explosive, dynamic athletes in the entire 2026 prep class. After an ankle injury sidelined him for most of his junior summer circuit, he returned to dominate his senior season (.465 AVG, 33 SB) and blew up the MLB Draft Combine—posting an elite 3.54-second 30-yard dash, a top-ranked vertical jump, 110 MPH bat speed, and massive arm strength (95 MPH from IF / 99 MPH from OF). A true 70-runner with a high-intent right-handed swing that projects over-the-fence power (45 Power), his raw, multi-positional tools scream high-ceiling 1st-to-2nd round value. * **Blake Bryant (RHP - Citizens Christian Academy HS, Douglas GA):** 18.9-year-old Clemson commit with a highly projectable 6'5", 180-lb lanky frame. He features a super-quick, athletic arm operating out of a flexible delivery, sitting 91-94 MPH and topping out at 95 with heavy arm-side run that bores directly into right-handed batters. His premier out-pitch is a sweeping low-80s slider that he commands comfortably to both edges of the plate, coupled with a rapidly developing mid-80s splitter that shows huge sinking action. A premier 50-grade projection starter from the Southeast circuit. * **Ethan Bass (SS/RHP - Glenbrook North HS, Northbrook IL):** 18.7-year-old local product and Wake Forest commit who has been shooting up boards. An absolute wizard in the dirt, Bass features a bouncy, gliding defensive profile (55 Field) with natural footwork and a clean arm (50) that makes shortstop look like an art form, giving him potential for a true plus-or-better glove as a pro. A plus runner (55), he is a renowned dugout leader who plays with a "hair-on-fire" competitive motor. Offensively, a recent upright swing adjustment has unlocked a whippy right-handed path with surging pull-side pop (50 Hit/40 Power). He also touches 92 MPH on the mound with a flashy slider, offering two-way intrigue. * **Tyler Putnam (RHP - Battle HS, Columbia MO):** A young, ultra-powerful 18.1-year-old Tennessee commit with a physical 6'5", 200-lb frame. Putnam is an electric mover down the mound with an over-the-top delivery that creates elite extension and carry through the zone. His fastball features elite arm strength, having touched an absurd 100 MPH in side sessions, and he maintains his high-90s velocity deep into his outings. While his strike-throwing is currently streaky and his upper-70s 12-to-6 curveball requires further refinement to stay in a starter role, his raw velocity, stamina, and projectable frame offer an incredibly high ceiling. * **Keon Johnson (SS - First Presbyterian Day HS, Macon GA):** A physical, barrel-chested 18.3-year-old Vanderbilt commit who is an absolute darling for analytical draft models. At 6'2", 195 lbs, Johnson boasts an advanced, disciplined approach with low strikeout rates and elite zone awareness, rarely expanding the chase area. He features a loud right-handed stroke explicitly built to limit ground balls and drive the ball in the air to the pull-side gaps (50 Hit/45 Power). While his high-school shortstop actions and average speed (50 Run/50 Field) may eventually shift his above-average arm to third base, his physical upside and youth make him a highly appealing target. CHICAGO WHITE SOX LIVE PICK TRACKER * Round 1, Pick 1 ($11,350,600 slot): Roch Cholowsky (SS) - UCLA (CA) Signed - $10,350,000 * Round 1 (CB-A), Pick 34 ($2,897,400 slot): Landon Thome (INF) - Nazareth Academy HS (IL) * Round 2, Pick 41 ($2,446,100 slot): Cole Prosek (C/INF) - Magnolia Heights HS (MS) * Round 3, Pick 77 ($1,086,600 slot): Joey Volchko (RHP) - Georgia (GA) * Round 4, Pick 105 ($747,700 slot): Eric Segura (RHP) - Oregon State (OR) * Round 5, Pick 137 ($547,700 slot): Cal Scolari (RHP) - Oregon (OR) * Round 6, Pick 166 ($413,900 slot): Alex Weingartner (OF) - St. Augustine Prep HS (NJ) * Round 7, Pick 195 ($325,100 slot): Clay Burdette (OF) - Xavier (OH) * Round 8, Pick 225 ($256,500 slot): Jayson Jones (3B) - Wichita State (KS) (Senior) * Round 9, Pick 255 ($217,000 slot): Luke Craytor (RHP) - Virginia Tech (VA) (Senior) * Round 10, Pick 285 ($200,900 slot): Matthew Bucciero (OF) - Fairfield (CT) (Senior) Day 2 Late Rounds (11-20 | $150,000 individual Pool Threshold) * Round 11, Pick 315: Kyle Casteel (RHP) - Butler HS (PA) * Round 12, Pick 345: Braden Holcomb (3B/OF) - Vanderbilt (TN) * Round 13, Pick 375: Grayson Fitzwater (1B/OF) - Virginia Military Institute (VA) * Round 14, Pick 405: Isaac Yeager (RHP) - Oregon State (OR) * Round 15, Pick 435: Cameron Johnson (LHP) - Oklahoma (OK) * Round 16, Pick 465: Darin Horn (RHP) - Coastal Carolina (SC) * Round 17, Pick 495: Crew McChesney (OF) - Brigham Young (UT) * Round 18, Pick 525: Jackson Bergman (RHP) - Indiana (IN) * Round 19, Pick 555: Jake Berkland (SS) - Minnesota State-Mankato (MN) * Round 20, Pick 585: Connor Fennell (RHP) - Vanderbilt (TN)

So supposedly Thome didn't take a discount...what the actual f***, dude.

The hot takes are flying. Kind of insane considering how he's ranked by publications. Hope he fucking kills it. We don't even know what the entire class/pool looks like yet.

Oh no the White Sox drafted a highly regarded kid who happens to have a major league dad affiliated with the team.

More:

Late to the party, but hell yeah getting Roch and not overthinking it

I've mentioned it before. But having Bonemer and Roch together in AA/AAA and potentially on the same timeline will be great fun. Might see them both in 2027. Awaits Lip coming in to tell me there won't be a 2027 Season.

You're passionate and well informed, that's a good thing. But you're overrating your own "scouting" and it's clouding your judgment. Congrats you were high on Colson and Sam, big whoop. You're so hell bent on Lackey that you ridiculously have Roch and Emerson ranked like 6th and 7th in this class. I don't think this trade is a slam dunk either, I would have liked a little more return. But the Sox clearly have a plan today and they are trying to maximize it. Willing to give Shirley and Getz he benefit of the doubt and let it play out instead of shitting all over them like a know-it-all is probably healthier behavior,

I'm a bit underwhelmed actually. Need to see the rest of the class.

Happy you found your new hill!

Alright Landon. Do us a solid and take 500K.

I dont pretend to be a draft expert but I dont understand how this is a bad trade. I think some are over valuing Gonzo. I wish the kid nothing but the best.

This would imply jacob gonzalez is a 35 FV player. No one has him rated as that today. This was s%*# process again from a team who has no commitment to winning. Someone else said take a high school arm. Lol. Might as well throw a dart at a dart board a mile away and hope to hit a bullseye. That said, them doing this so they can go acquire a nepo-kid in Thome, is classic dysfunctional white sox. Doesn't matter who is in charge with this org. I dont get the Thome love at all.

This is such a win win for me personally. I get to keep seeing Gonzo in PNC and the Sox hopefully turn 34 into a stud HS pitcher. I get the angst here from some from a value of picks standpoint....but most of you all s%*# on Jacob so hard the last couple years you all sound silly. Gonzo is a guy and if they are willing to trade him....they are investing in Mune and Vargas long term...and that is better than any form of Gonzalez.

I truly think tomorrow they have a shot at turning this into what we will look back on as one of the more special drafts in franchise history!

Not sure yet. They should have quite a bit of money still. I think we're on Santarelli watch. There has to be another swing coming.

FutureSox called this one on their draft preview I believe. Props to them

And wait to see the arms we get with out next two or three picks who will likely all be bigger talents than where they are selected. People seem to be equating gonzo to ONE pick at 34… which isn’t the right way to look at it. Adding that 3 million to our pool should have implications to multiple picks.

I love the Peters story. There's something extra awesome about a guy who defies expectations for an extended period of time. It's absolutely the best part of baseball. Hope he pulls a Quintana and parlays a little good luck at the start into sustainable very-goodness.

Defer their pick until someone washes out from the White Sox, then take that guy

Keep this garbage out of this thread…thanks!

I thought he was just trying to be the stoic dad as the family started getting emotional.

More likely he moves to 3B and Varags to 1b and Mune to DH.

Why is this continually said? Who cares what a prospect who has reinvented his swing and approach looked like before he did those things? I have no idea why people are treating the 34th pick in the draft like it's some huge asset. This team should have been trying to improve the roster today, not acquire another lotto ticket. And for thomes kid maybe? Sheesh, what a disaster. Can't wait to draft andrew dahlquist 2.0!

The problem is people fall in love with draft picks too much. The argument that Gonzalez hasn't done anything until this year is weak. Not all players develop at the same rate. How long did it take Jon Garland before he broke out?

That's typically how draft picks work. You hope they're good in the future. Is Roch Chowalsky good? Maybe one day. Would you trade, I dunno, a 1 WAR player for Roch? He's an unknown commodity, you know, kinda risky. I don't understand this board's new love affair for Gonzalez. It smells like Tim Elko or Jake Burger, overrating the flavor of the month (I wish I looked at this board when Yermin was playing). I liked the pick when he got drafted (nobody else did) and didn't write him off immediately. But he isn't some star waiting in the wings, he's a middling player with no where to play on this team. He hasn't actually been good in MLB, his only professional success is 200 at bats at AAA. He's essentially a replacement level player who will be a good injury substitute for Konnor Griffin, and in two months when Griffin is back in the lineup, the Pirates will have traded a first rounder for a bench player who almost certainly won't challenge Brandon Lowe for starting 2B. In reality, it's a major developmental W to make Gonzalez look semi-useful and get an actual asset for him. It's wise to not lay off the gas on the rebuild by trading Gonzalez for some 5 ERA starting pitcher and continuing to acquire future assets. It's pointless to have in sit on the bench or cycle between AAA and MLB and reduce his value by eating his options. Wish him good luck,

This seems about normal value for a comp pick. There's always some risk when you trade a pre-arb guy. I don't think the league is all that high on Jacob, though. This may very well be a nice sell-high move. Like a lot of things, this stuff always works out if you're able to call your shots. I think Jacob looked a lot like a major leaguer but the ceiling is not super high and we all know his track record up to this season was absolutely horrible, he wasn't even viewed as a starting caliber infielder on Charlotte's squad to start the year.

Gonzalez had no future on this team, so I'm not against trading him. But I thought it would be to help the team compete this year.