WestEddy

Thinking Elko has any trade value is "head over heels". Hitting a HR off a mistake pitch doesn't make somebody MLB-ready. Elko looked seriously overmatched in his at-bats. After being sent back down to Charlotte and called up again, he still had no clue in his 3 pitch strike outs. He did get a decent chance here. He failed miserably. "A chance" doesn't mean 3 solid months of hitting .041 as a starter. Tim Elko is not a major league player, and he has no trade value.

Good accounting of the paperwork the White Sox have before them right now. Our own @ChiSoxFanMike gets name-checked. Offseason Outlook: Chicago White Sox - MLB Trade Rumors

It hit the yellow line after his mitt. Isn't that a HR?

19 HRs in AA or AAA in each of the last 3 seasons. He's an interesting lefty bat who hasn't clicked. There's always that catch.

For real. While the rest of the league plays checkers the Pirates are ... chewing frayed lamp cords?

Maybe for you. Mason Adams is coming back from TJS. Batista is going to pitch in winter ball.

I think Payton Pallette and maybe they're trying to get a longer look at Jarold Rosado? Other than that, they got more guys to protect on the starter side. Mason Adams, Tyler Schweitzer, Tanner McDougal, Conner McCullough, Shane Murphy, Aldrin Batista.

Derek Hill, Tim Elko, Ben Cowles and Bryan Hudson survive the purge.

He said he wanted to go out to take care of himself. Still had 2 years on his deal.

Well, the parameters were $160, and one player. I don't think there's one player who puts this team over the top, and I was thinking he's young enough to grow with this group. Maybe Murakami. Just listened to the FutureSox podcast. Neither of these two are gonna break the bank, most likely.

I always thought this was weird PR. Even while Konerko isn't an extrovert, he is a presence, and Vaughn seems a bit less deer in the headlights than I remember. But the end is still awkward.

Sure. Has he failed at sitting in the stands at a Cannonballers' game? That's all I've heard of him in the last year.

Sure, I'll give you that. But the big bump from a top 3 pick doesn't solve their problem, which is beginning the steady flow of Hispanic talent that won't really start until 2028/2029, and participating in the Asian market, which Getz has promised a stronger presence in starting now. Nobody's arguing that they don't need international prospects and free agents. They've started making the connections they needed to in order to interact with the best talent of each class.

LaRussa's not a GM, nor is he a POBO (Prez of Baseball Ops). He was a good manager and can probably give a good assessment of players in the minors, which is where he has mostly been seen this last summer. If he's in Reinsdorf's ear, maybe he's whispering "Stay away and let Getzie do his job". That works for me.

The flex is that even if he's old school, he's not stupid compared to the people criticizing him.

It's fun to pretend that sitting on the internet and eating Twinkies gives me special perspective about baseball that being a HOF manager doesn't. The guy would take naps in the dugout and still wrung a playoff series out of a group that would disintegrate two years later. .

Oh, MiLB operations. Got it. Still, it's a listicle. Who cares? It would be nice for the team to increase the flow of prospects so that a killer trade doesn't goose them up ten spots, then graduating 2 of those players helps drop them back 8 spots, or whatnot.

Wait, are you talking about OPS for total minor league systems? Like, they had a ranking at the beginning of the season for system OPS (based on what, actually?) and it fell as players were promoted to harder levels? I'd have to say that if you're complaining about that niche a stat, the Sox must be doing well everywhere else that matters.

I had a mnemonic but couldn't remember if it was Johnny Carson or Tony Curtis.

Counterpoint: Curtis Mead kept Vinnie Capra and Jacob Amaya sporting their Charlotte Blues, and out of the White Sox clubhouse.

I don't even follow college football, but I love the memes:

I don't disagree. Back issues limited him last season, and while "above average" in 25, he still hasn't pitched up to the peak he showed with the Padres. Something's going on where 2 years running, now, cromulent looking bullpen dudes come here and live out their "I forgot to wear pants to work!!" dreams. Maybe they're still ironing out the info pipeline, or Katz just wasn't interested in having lesser arms bathe in his wisdom.

You mean they fell 5-6 spots? Precipitous.

Numbers? Let's talk about streets with just a single letter in the name. Avenue L. That's down home, baby.

I think being a poor man's Tanner Banks would take a little work and determination on Steven Wilson's part. I believe Wilson's a nice arm to have. I also believe he's a nice arm to DFA if a more interesting arm comes across the waiver wire in February.