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https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/driveline-baseball-buys-pitching-sensor-company/ I'm sure this won't be a viral post, but thought it was worth noting that Driveline BAseball acquired Motus Global. Driveline is pretty popular and we know about it, but Motus Global was where Ben Hansen worked as VP of Biomechanics and Innovation. Ben Hansen was hired by the sox to be there Senior Biomechanical Engineer, as excellently detailed by @Y2Jimmy0 in the article below. That hire was a bit under the radar, but I'm not sure it isn't as big a move forward for this organization as Driveline's Boddy moving to Cincinnati. It is excellent to have someone this familiar with the new tech and how to instruct with it in Hansen. http://futuresox.com/index.php/2020/02/03/brave-new-world-white-sox-enter-the-realm-of-biomechanics/ Massive kudos to Getz as well as KW and Hahn for finally putting pieces into place here. If you are into the player development news for the sox, this winter has been incredibly informative. There is also this great piece from Fegan: https://theathletic.com/1577744/2020/02/05/fixing-fegan-an-up-close-look-at-how-two-white-sox-coaches-can-help-hitters/ https://theathletic.com/1563110/2020/01/27/we-look-at-the-numbers-every-day-white-sox-tout-technology-usage-in-scouting-player-development/

You’re the only person on the planet to do this.

Here are Mazara’s splits against RHP from June to August after some approach changes and before going down with oblique & thumb injuries: .333/.382/.593/.975 (143 wRC+). Yes, that line is partially fueled by a .400 BABIP but the. 260 ISO is legit and that led to 15 2B’s & 8 HR’s in about 165 plate appearances. I’m not looking to do a rah-rah post here and I was plenty upset about the Mazara trade at the time, but that was before we added Encarnación to help anchor the middle of the lineup next year. Now with EE in the fold, I’m far more willing to gamble on Nomar’s update. This was a kid who got a $5M bonus and was consensus top 20 prospect in the game before reaching the majors. There is no doubting the talent and while I am with the group that argues age isn’t a skill, the reality is there is still plenty of room for growth when you are still just 24 years old and were brought to the major at an incredibly young age. Again, I would have preferred Joc over Mazara all else being equal, but the org has made it’s move and is not going to pay even more to acquire a redundant player in Pederson. IMO, we should give the front office the benefit of the doubt here and see how this plays out. The Sox are betting on on their own evaluations and if they’re right this could be a big win for us. If not, go ahead and rip them shreds after the season for going with a questionable RF option when the rest of their moves were geared towards winning now. For now, my primary concern is them using Nomar as an everyday guy. At bare minimum, I think he should be a useful strong side platoon RF, but the kid can not hit LHP and the org better not cute here by over-exposing him. Giving him everyday at-bats is a recipe for disaster and I wish he had a more proven platoon mate than Engel to avoid such temptation.

There's no such thing as garbage time for guys who have millions of dollars on the line.

I love how easy it is to cast stones. None of us know Puig personally but a lot of us are acting like we know how he acts in a closed clubhouse for a 180 games (ST included). I have a feeling if he signed here that he would be an instant fan favorite. My personal opinion though. I'm all for it. Keep the game fun.

Im petrified. Please do so

They need to be eliminating playoff teams. The MLB regular season is a league of attrition. It's so damn long that to expand the playoffs would diminish an already diminished product. Go back to AL/NL East/West. Forget the wild cards, divisions, inter league play. Best four teams in. The best four teams over the course of a long grueling summer. Not whoever got hot in September.

I hate it.

You can't have a 6 month season and let 14 teams in. It's rendered completely pointless. I don't hate on Manfred and most of MLB as much as most people, and generally encourage them be thinking outside the box, but this idea SUCKS

Major league baseball counts them as prospects

I have Eloy and Robert over him.

What if I said I have driven (gasp) over 110 mph with my wife I the car. What now, goalposts back where they belong? Or only if it's my mother with me. your opening statement against the addition of Puig has been heard loud and clear! And I still wouldn't mind him as an extra outfielder, and I'm not nuts

I think this is part of the point. Is a guy who is difficult person in and out of the clubhouse going to sit on the bench and not cause issues? Is he going to be happy that he doesn't get to play and won't be able to get another large contract while sitting on the bench? Is it worth having a guy like that on the bench?

He doesn't fit is an okay argument -- I guess. He doesn't fit because we're rolling the dice on a Mazara revival and you want to fully test that out over 500+ AB -- fine then he doesn't fit. He doesn't fit because his splits favor the same side as Mazara? Fine. But he doesn't fit because he's somehow worse than Mazara? Not sure about that. I'd take Puig over Mazara. Hell who are we rolling out as our 4OF and at what cost? Leury? Engel? He's not good anymore? MiLB deal?!!! ST injury depth?!!! And how did you come up with that? Once he suited up with Cleveland he hit .297 wtih a .377 OBP, .800 OPS. He stole 20 bags on the year.. hit what, 25 dingers? And that's MiLB to you? just not sure how that doesn't equal a $2mm contract in your book. I mean we signed Jon Jay last year to a $4mm deal ... people have been in favor of several million to Yolmer to play backup ... we're paying Leury $3.25mm to be a nobody UTIL. how Puig isn't an upgrade to Engel or some other 4OF is bananas to me. How we can be making such a dismissive argument of Puig at ... 1 year and 4mm contract to be our 4OF compared to what ..... Engel, Leury, etc? Come on ... this is a guy who has been to an all star game, finished top 20 in MVP voting twice, really doesn't strikeout all that much ... has a career .350OBP, .823 OPS, can steal bags, has a nice arm in the OF ... but meanwhile we're paying Leury $3.25mm this year ... we don't have $3.25mm for Puig, but Leury is okay... sure. SMH. Leury stats .256/.292/.649OPS, 23 CAREER home runs ... This is such a Sox mentality it hurts. I can't wait to rid this team of Engel, Leury, Yolmer types. They are all replaceable and nobodies in the grand scheme. Fine people i'm sure ... but just take a step back ... let's say right now we didn't roster any of Leury/Engel/Puig and all were free agents. You can have Engel at 1 year and $600k, Leury at 1 year and $3.25mm and Puig at 1yr and $4mm. What are you taking?

I don’t remember who it was, but I was arguing with someone last offseason that Moncada’s strong September in 2018 was a good sign because he was using a completely different approach, and all I got was, “it doesn’t matter because it was September”. Sure enough, it was basically the same approach he used in 2019. In other words, I totally agree that 165 PAs is a SSS, but you can’t throw them away when a new approach or other significant changes are being employed.

Any team picking their opponent just seems odd to me.

Give it 5 years. I'm only half joking but the "springs" in the upper midwest seem to be turning into summer more often than not now. not great for cherry trees but not bad for baseball.

I'd love, love to see Mexico City and Montreal added.

This would be the third Wild Card expansion, the Sox would have benefited 0 times from the first two. That's how pathetic we've been. Now that it looks like we might finally be good and heading for sustained success, I don't want more playoff teams.

Go away Manfred.....

Sox are gonna be picking their opponent alot this decade eh?

Good lord. I can't stand Manfred but dragging the sport into a modern format by getting rid of the AL/NL schism and expanding the playoffs is a worthy goal.

We’re headed to 32 teams, 2 East Divisions of 8, 1 Central Division of 8, and 1 West Division of 8. The Sox and Cubs will play at least 13 games every year, and baseball will become worse. I fucking hate Manfred.

Sure does minimize what it means to be a playoff team.

You said that the 2019 Sox could beat the 2019 Astros in a seven game series. That is not the same as beating a team 4 out of 7 during the regular season. Teams prepare much differently for a post season series.

Hate it! This is about revenue and nothing else. They really need to stop fooling with the game.

This parts fine. I just can't get past letting 47% of the teams in playoffs in a sport where the 2019 White Sox are able to beat the 2019 Astros in a 7 game series.

I kind of loathe the NBA style "everyone gets in" mentality. It really dilutes the regular season importance. I know I sound like a crabby old person but I think the butter zone was 4 per league for me. 3 division winners a 1 wild card. I see why they expanded but it should still mean something to get in.

If you also start brawls in your workplace, ignore your boss and tell everyone a at your workplace that you're lazy and aren't going to work very hard then, yes. That's his point.

I went to grab lunch and came back to this ..? yikes. I really dont even care about Puig much. Like 50/50. I'd give Scooter Gennett $5mm, then I'd give Puig $5mm and after that I'd just keep the team the same ... that's the order I'd do. He's not even my first choice of who I want left in FA. However outcries like yours don't make any sense to me. 22 years old.. 110mph. Not crazy to me. Second -- where do the goalposts move? Because you keep talking like i changed the speed limit to 100mph and got all bent out of shape about it. It's just another bizarre argument in an already bizarre argument. Dude -- you need to reread stuff.. You went off on a strange tangent about 100mph and how people are changing the argument and then adding in the mom part... just a very strange exchange in this thread that has nothing to do with baseball. Below is what i said ..... "Also not sure why 110mph in a 70mph zone is mind blowing to you. He was a 22 year old kid. I'm sure you've only gone the speed limit in your life. Hell i'll accidentally hit 90mph not paying attention on 55 when there's no traffic -- and that's in a shitty V6." This board sometimes .... it's more maddening than fun. My stance is Puig = better then pedestrian Leury or Engel. Worth upwards of $5mm for a season. Would rather have Scooter Gennett at same price. Also am okay going into the season as is, just think it's worth to add on. Now I'm going to go drive 111mph to my moms house to prove a point to myself that anyhting i do for the rest of my life is not worthy of anybodys praises and that i can not morally come back from it. I might as well drive right to prison and think of my transgressions.

Pitchers and catchers cannot report soon enough.

We're really discussing speeding with his mom in the car? Lol I'm an asshole for flying going over 100 on an empty highway with both my parents in the car coming home from Tennessee?

I just.......I can't in good conscience sit here and be like "I don't want Puig because he drove really fast with his mom in the car once" lance briggs fucking wrecked a Lambo and ditched it so he wouldn't get a DUI and all I ever worried about was him making tackles. This shit doesn't bother me like it does you. There is nothing he has done that has shown to be so detrimental to the team that he should be considered radioactive. He is a prick, there are a lot of them in baseball @ron883 you couldn't handle all these mod powers

There is a ton of conjecture And projection in this thread based on very little. His clubhouse cancer stories are pretty interesting given that they went to the playoffs and World Series every season he played with the Dodgers as well as finishing in first place. So if he was a disruptor he certainly didn't disrupt as many teams as I'm told he did. he is a replacement level player. The Sox aren't looking to Make him the starter and the face of the organization if he signs, he plays when Mazara doesn't or if another OF needs a day off. I don't think it would be much more than a prove it deal, which should easily be dumped if the guy actually causes all these problems. and no, I don't care that his agent fired him or that he publicly feuded with Mattingly.

Do you know the difference between left field and right field, or are just re-defining them?

Yah he isn’t good anymore. There is worse insurance to Eloy injuries and Mazara not improving, but Puig makes so little sense as an actual bench bat. If he’s OK coming in on a milb deal, servicing as ST injury depth and then start in AAA, that’s one thing. But handing the guy a guaranteed contract, even if only a couple million, doesn’t make much sense.

I thought of it from the player's perspective, not the fans. From the players perspective 1B and 2B are on the left side of the IF. That's where I thought everyone was discussing. I thought this whole discussion was about 2B.

He doesn't fit. And I've been banging that drum all winter. Grandal supposedly vouched for Puig with the FO too, and yet he remains unsigned. Puig the name =|= Puig the player. Teams seem to have recognized this, even if posters here can't.

He doesn’t. If he wants a minor league deal, sure. But he’s not a good fit for this roster at all.

Very excited for this. I’ve said it a few times, but FutureSox is absolutely best in class when it comes to White Sox minor league coverage. I pay for a Baseball America subscription and I truly believe you guys have surpassed them with your knowledge of the system & detailed write-ups. Also, for the FutureSox Patreon, is there a way to donate more than the $2/month? I wanted to go up a little given the new website and the loads of content we’ve getting recently, but couldn’t figure out how to exactly.

But he will get to face the Tigers and Royals a lot more than he faced the Sox.

I'd only sign him if Abreu signs off on it and only after Abreu has an in-person one-on-one with Puig. May sound ridiculous but I think Jose knows the personalities and clubhouse hierarchy better than even Renteria and would be able to properly evaluate the risk/reward of signing him. No offense to Grandal but dude should probably spend at least a week in the clubhouse before his endorsement counts for shit.

Just because he hasn’t cheated or done something criminal does not prevent him from being a selfish prick who created drama within the clubhouse.

One could also make a valid argument that Puig could do much more damage to our club than our current right fielder could ever do, even if that current right fielder fell apart completely. One could also make a valid argument that our current right fielder has a much greater upside without any of the potentials downsides.

Have we tried unplugging Twitter and plugging it back in.

You guys are nuts. All I want is to win but you want a circus freak show too. I'm all for fun but understand this. If the Sox get Puig it's because everyone else decided to look the other way while he was drowning . If he does one little thing to rock the boat he will be thrown back into icy cold water filled with sharks without hesitation. You'll be singing a different song when someone break Moncada's arm in a bench clearing brawl started by our swaggy team. This isn't the NFL quite yet. The 49ers ended up looking like morons dancing and posing in the end zone after the interception. I told my friend watching the game with me WTF are they doing this game isn't over yet. 21 straight points by KC later they were losers. Winning is still the most fun you can have.

Vera likely falls in the same range as Thompson/Dalquist

Joc Pederson and his .233 career batting average would project to be the best OF on the White Sox next year.

Yes.

Calling any half of a season “garbage time” is one of the most boggling statements I have ever seen on this site. And citing something as a SSS does not make something a bad argument unless one is stating something with absolute conviction based on that data. I have never once argued that Nomar will be a stud, I simply showed his stats after making some approach changes to show that maybe there is reason for hope for him. I have no strong convictions either way, but I do think when evaluating young players that SSS’s should be taken into consideration given the fact that development isn’t linear and things oftentimes can just suddenly click for talented young guys. Finally, to say approach changes rarely work out when we’re in the middle of the juiced ball era is just silly. Mazara has elite power potential and even small tweaks could have huge dividends. Again, no promises there, but it appears he was starting to improve his fly ball rate last year and that’s a big start.