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All I know is, no matter what I'm going to enjoy this season more than 2023. Zero expectations, no chance for dissapointment.

What in the world are you talking about? Your need to constantly carry water for this org has you spitting more word vomit than Pedro Grifol.

Brooks "West Eddy" Boyer over here...

My prediction for how this season goes: The White Sox surprise by hovering a couple of games under .500 for the first half of the season, led primarily by a monster first half by Yoan Moncada and a surprisingly healthy Eloy Jimenez. As the summer grinds on, poor managing by Pedro Grifol, faltering pitching, Eloy's inevitable injury, and selling off of Moncada and other flippable veterans cause the Sox to fall off and wind up with a total of between 69 and 73 victories which is still much better than most expected.

You are very likely correct. He's a smooth talking corporate bootlicker who will do or say anything to get the gig. Dude gave them all the confirmation bias they wanted in interviews and also dropped big hints that he would be a "cheap date" which prolly led to JR giving Hahn a wry smile and an affirming nod of the head on the other side of the interview table. Pedro is a fucking loser, but then again this is a fucking loser organization so it's a compatible marriage.

Desperately searching for gotcha moments in defense of this clown org must be so exhausting.

2nd half will be more enjoyable. Montgomery ,Ramos, and hopefully 2-3 other young guys to watch.

I think it is what Autumn said. Shaw makes the roster as the extra reliever until Nastrini is needed. You can DFA him in a week or two when Nastrini starts, and Shaw very likely clears and accept an assignment to Charlotte and you don't lose any depth. If you do that with the other experienced NRIs (Knebel, Cousins, Leone, Barlow, Anderson, Woodford, Kuhl, Keller), the risk of them rejecting the assignment is probably much higher, so you're actually losing depth going that route. I would actually do exactly as the Sox are here, I think it is the right move (assuming Nastrini doesn't make OD roster).

This is going to be a long-ass season, not necessarily because the team will be bad, but because the fanbase is so toxic. We have a right to be mad after last year. But I'm tired of thinking and talking about it. I want to focus on some of the new guys we'll see this year and watch their development. I honestly believe this team will be better than last year's team. Not dramatically better, obviously, but more enjoyable to watch.

Only because they can't draft any higher than #10 in 2025. Its isn't meaningless. It's a team that has definitely tanked, depriving its fans of entertaining baseball, which MLB has started going to great lengths to avoid. Even many of them can't get to 100. 100 wins would be great. Would you throw cold water on that and say it too is a meaningless line people have drawn?

1. Yes, Martin Maldonado can be a downgrade from the catchers spot last year, because he was worse than the White Sox’s catchers last year. Imagine Grandal except he also doesn’t walk and you have to constantly hear what a great job he’s doing, that’s what Maldonado was last year. Hopefully Lee can do something with this opportunity. 2. Nicky Lopez had an OPS last year 30 pints lower than Elvis Andrus last year .630 is not “way less bad” than .660. 3. Note how much of your concept Is “maybe they will all break out this year”. That was supposed to be a part of their competitive team last year! We heard that all the time. Maybe it happens this time, but with this coaching staff and the GM having no control over rushing people upwards I will believe it when I see it. 4. You’re right, that bullpen performance last year was unusually bad for the resources put into it. However. Same coach, same pitching coach, less talent. Will count it as improved when it is improved. 5. The Sox have some downside risks too. Luis Robert was their only real contributor last year, and he counts as injury prone and likely difficult to coach. Room for improvement if healthy the whole year, but where are they without him or if he slows down a tiny bit? 6. The White Sox had fewer WAR and a worse run differential than the Royals. They only wound up in 4th place because they were a little lucky and the Royals were unlucky. That could repeat this year, they get lucky and it carries them to 65 wins, or a team with better talent could also drop into the 50s, even if you believe they have better talent. I’ve seen way too many people give credit to a GM who was making poor moves that made people feel good only to proclaim no one could have seen issues coming when they happened. So personally, I still think they’re crap and the jury is out on whether they have learned any lessons from how they got into this mess. That last part is all I’m interested in this season, and the rushing guys upwards who haven’t earned it does not give me any confidence.

1. Not the White Sox 2. Not the White Sox 3. Not the White Sox 4. Not the White Sox 5. The White Sox

TBH this worries me more than any of the signings from their winter. This is a lost season, and it really doesn't matter what the active roster looks like outside of rushing kids. But if you get a bad rep, it will hurt you once the team is good.

Seems like a leap to make the assumption that they were trying to acquire another free agent or trade target. They just signed Grossman (yes, opposite side of hitting platoon) but likely just didn’t want to pay Pillar $3 million and saw an opportunity to save $2 million. Look at the rest of the Sox bench. No one else is making anywhere near that kind of money. I realize Stassi is no longer making the opening day roster due to injury, but the Braves are paying the majority of our originally planned backup catcher’s salary. Their starting SS DeJong is making a paltry $1.75 million. Remember the talk about the Sox being interested in Lorenzen or Clevinger due to trading away Cease’s $8 million salary? Where did those talks go? Once one of those options signs elsewhere, you just pocket the payroll? What kind of one year deal would Montgomery be willing to sign for at this point? He would be a great flip candidate. But it sure seems like the Sox never planned on spending Cease’s freed up $8 million to begin with. This offseason was about cutting payroll, so $2 million more for a bench player was deemed no small amount and Getz took the opportunity to cut the payroll even more.

Min 80-82 Det 78-84 Cle 75-87 Sox 64-98 KC 59-103

I'm glad you feel this way. I agree with you. I think its going to be a great 2024 season for the White Sox.

You would cry too if it happened to you.

I hate the manager more, talk about unlikable, the guy is a complete asshat and has no business managing a MLB team.

Sox should hold a raffle. 25$ a ticket. On August 1st, the winner gets to fire Pedro personally in front all the other ticket buyers. All proceeds go to Sox charities. It will be the largest donation they've ever received.

I hope Lee takes this opportunity and runs with it. With Maldonado and Stassi, nobody should be guaranteed a spot.

Most of the decisions people are complaining about deserve the complaints. Not just “complaining about everything.” It’s a really, really dumb organization.

I agree that service time for non-elite prospects shouldn't be a huge concern. I am not too worried about Nastrini service time one way or the other. But we're talking about like 3 starts in a rookie season versus potentially 32 starts when Nastrini could be a very good major league pitcher. When your team is projected to lose 100 games, losing little bits of value around the margins doesn't make a lot of sense to me, personally. But I am not all up in arms about it either.

We have an owner unwilling to pay for pitching unless a young player is dumb enough to sign a JR special extension. When we have a promising young pitcher we need to squeeze every year out of him that we can because if he's any good he will leave in FA.

People: Please don't rush the guy with a 4+ ERA at AA and AAA, especially because you'll be losing a year of service time for a notoriously penny pinching owner. WestEddy:

On one hand, I completely understand they can't come out and say "We have no talent and we aren't spending money, prepare for a lousy season." On the other hand, I really feel insulted that they are trying to blow smoke up the fans ass that this is a competitive roster. I get it, don't come out and say were fucked but man at least don't pretend that this is even remotely close to a good roster.

Please stop talking Pedro…

I am excited about the upcoming season. I am extremely curious about how the Sox starting rotation is going to do. Yes, the rotation could crater, but I am very curious to watch, and I think our 1st three could be good/ solid. The fact that Touki isn't in the rotation looks like a step up to me. I am completely buying the improved clubhouse thing is going to show a better product on the field. Do I think the Sox will be good? No, but I think the team is less bad than last year in every way, every way. People complaining about the bullpen. It can't, just can't be worse that last year's. People complaining about the weak bats for our two catchers, how can the bats be worse than Grandal and Selby? I expect a huge upgrade in offensive production from the two outfield corners, not good, but much less bad than last year. And the defense, all around will be way better. I am confident that Vaughn wil take a clear step forward with his bat. NIcky is a big step up from what we've had at 2nd base for what seems forever. Is he great? No, but again, way less bad. People freaking out about Sox 6 thru 9 batters in lineup. Have we forgotten how terrible Sox 6 thru 9 batters were there last year, and the year before, and year before. It's gonna be the same; why freak out over it for the upcoming year? I'm going with my Ghostbuster quote from before, "There definitely a very slim chance this White Sox team could succeed". I'm going with and hanging onto that very slim chance. I'm a White Sox fan and I'm excited for the season to start.

Yeah, it's not worth brining him back to save a few million but potentially lose a hundred million of future reputation value. That was some amateur penny pinching s%*# that should be above a respectable organization.

The White Sox are gonna be a team players bang down the door to join so they can experience financial fuckery.

82-85 feels about right. We will win the division with that rather pedestrian win total. Looks like a scrappy bunch that will play fundamentally sound baseball. Good depth on the bench and at Charlotte. If Robert, Moncada, and Eloy live up to potential...we win the Central with ease. Both Vaughn and Sheets will look much improved I predict. Pitching is always a question but Soroka, Fedede, and Crocket have potential to be very good. Bullpen looks serviceable and I think the addition of Matt Wise and Bannister might pay dividends. Much improved defense up the middle should help the entire staff look better. The new coaches and veterans will add to a renewed spirit of comradery IMO. Anxious for OD and an entertaining season ahead.

You have to think that there is a warning sign hanging over the white Sox org due to the way things have been done, and when JR pulled the rug on Hinch and went with TLR it went noticed. Couple that with the results over the last two years, and you have to think that has adversely affected interest in the job to the point where guys (who just wanted that job so bad it didn’t matter where it came from) like Pedro were the ones who were in the final group that Hahn/Kenny chose from

"We want you on the team but don't want to pay you 3 million. Admitting to gaming the system is likely some sort of MLBPA violation so I won't say more. Maybe you'll hear from me in a couple days though"

Play him! He had a good spring and deserves to play over the 37-year old, 2023 worst catcher.

They need to bring back celebrity deathmatch for just such occasions

Start him you coward

So he'll get lit up in Charlotte, but is ready for the major leagues. Whatever youre on, I want some. I say keep him down in Charlotte until his dead arm period is over, then he can be ROY and possibley CY Young. Dude dominated Spring Training.

You're absolutely right, I don't really understand why they couldn't just throw Toussaint out there for 3 weeks and then drop him for Nastrini.

But there's no path to winning now. It's totally foreclosed. At absolute best, they could win 70 and even that is highly unlikely, so if Pedro thinks Nastrini will help him save his job he's wrong. The only reason Pedro wouldn't be fired is JR doesn't want to pay 2 managers at once.

All they have to do is speak in very broad general terms, "this is a work in progress, we aren't where we need to be or want to be yet..." That simple concept seems to be beyond their understanding.

Because they honestly believe they will win games? And think they are way smarter than they really are? IDK.

Good call. I just tossed $20 on Mariners U87.5 Wins on DK.

I hate this team already

I put $20 on the under for the White Sox win total in Vegas this weekend. I got 61.5 wins.

Crochet Soroka Fedde Nastrini Flexen Good lord, we're going to see some bad baseball.

You say this like a challenge

Its going to be a great White Sox 2024 season.

I guess we can put our expectations for the year in this thread as well. I've got only two: 1. Don't lose 100 games. 2. Hope some players have good first halves so they can be traded for something useful at the deadline. Such is the state of things.

This what a JR joint does to you. It rots our fan brains to make us accept s%*# like this. Read to the end. You're now arguing it was a *good* move (or at least good process) to offer a 3 million dollar bonus (because it didn't involve a guarantee or a roster spot) to a player that at 35, has absolutely zero upside and should the make the 26 man would take ABs away from players that might actually be on the next decent Sox team. Three weeks later when said player is released, nobody, literally nobody, not even a contender seeking that coveted "solid vet backup" for the league min signs him -- and now in a stroke of brilliance the Sox get the pleasure of putting him on the 26 and 40 man rosters without paying him the three million! That's fucking genius. 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 it's obvious they think Pillar is a good add.