WestEddy

Murakami already changing the team culture: new bidet in bathrooms. Pacific Rim, indeed. How White Sox are upgrading clubhouse to make Murakami feel at home

FanGraphs clocks in on the Hays and Hicks moves: White Sox Take Two Steps Toward Stinking Less | FanGraphs Baseball This seems a bit extreme to me

The deal isn't quite finished yet. The Sox did get an upgrade from a guy who was already proving hum-drum in the lower levels to a guy with actual stuff. The PTBNLs probably aren't going to be "these two future garbagemen for this one future Kroger bagger". One of the FutureSox guys intimated that the guy we're sending was an org depth guy who had a foot out the door. The guys we're getting back may require roster juggling, so they'll wait til ST to play with the rosters. Some have even suggested the PTBNL track is a way to fully obtain Paez so we get access to his options this season.

I lean into "They must believe in Sandlin (and Hicks)". There's extra PTBNLs, which the FutureSox podcast said could be 40-man guys they'll wait a week to have 60-day IL space. I think the trade's fine, in principle. Take on money to get guys you want. Hicks' ceiling is exciting. So is Sandlin. Maybe that's all you get in these kinds of trades. Take on money and exchange a hittable "soft contact" guy for stuff. I also don't buy into the "Getz turned Austin Slater into Sandlin" spin. They turned Slater and taking on a lot of money into Sandlin. I'm glad Robert's traded. I've tired of the annual injury watch. Hays isn't much better on that front. He hits better, is a corner guy. I'm fine with a dude who has a floor in the majors to back up the experiments. I don't feel that the "I need to steel myself with Jesus to guard against the gayz!!" BS is maturity and leadership, so maybe he just shuts up, plays his 80 games and is real careful during his hug watch. I'm not a pro-scout, so I don't have in depth takes that go beyond what I read. Once a move is made, it's made. If I don't like it, I don't need to keep reminding everybody that Goofball69 really hates that bullpen pickup. Once a guy's on the team, I'm more interested in how he fits in and executes. You can have your argument over the meanings of words with somebody else.

The games are great, flying out of the 20 degrees and snow into 70 and sunny. Starters only play 1/3 to half of the game, then it's all minor leaguers, which is very cool if you follow that. I had found that the games are expensive, now. Everybody else draws better than the Sox. You can watch out for morning games at team complexes. The paper used to give hints at that. Maybe call the team to see if there's a free minor league game in the morning? Players are more available for autographs, and stuff. I've never had the time to do the backfields stuff.

I do not. I don't really see the point of Austin Hays, but they have him. I don't like the DFA of Drew Romo. This trade adds upside in exchange for taking on money. I find Sandlin and Hicks to be an unexciting return for taking on that money. I just don't feel the need to trash a move. And they're already done. My complaining isn't going to undo them. I'll root for the guys they have until they're gone.

I'm not embarrassed.

Austin Hays is also part of that LRJ money.

It's a baseball team. You have no effect on the team, and the team has no effect on you. Being "skeptical" isn't smarter than anything else.

That seems like a really dramatic way for Hays to announce that it's really hard for him to resist gay sex.

Keith Law has the Sox 8th, and the Twins bottom third.

Maybe interest in Ramos is pretty heavy and the Sox can get an arm back.

The White Sox called Brooks Baldwin up on July 1. From that time to the end of the season, he OPSed .793. He needs reps to become a better defensive OF. I don't believe it makes any sense to waste his PAs in AAA. I believe he's secured one OF spot. They have around 5-6 AAA/AAAA guys who can battle for playing time with whatever Mike Tauchman they bring in. Acuna in CF, Pereira in RF, maybe Kelenic makes the team with a strong spring showing.

I can't tell if it's a bunch of dudes on the spectrum who can't let go of an imaginary grudge, an idiot (me) who can't just walk on by and leave it alone, trolls who love to get the idiots going, or all of the above.

Your comment didn't even register with me. You have pretty clear takes and they stand on their own. Somebody isn't encouraged going into this season. Great. Somebody pops in and tells me I have no self-respect because I'm enthused, and clearly tongue in cheek expressing that with the whole "Geek Squad fortifying my A key on my keyboard" joke? I get combative. I'll try to pull that back. (The combativeness).

Making cogent, logical arguments makes one a zombie propaganda slave. Got it.

Broken? If you don't accept that this team is rebuilding, they why are you watching? Why do guys like Ray Ray spend all day pretending to laugh at people following a team that has no good players, will never win 63 games this decade and actively injured all of their pitchers?

Which would still have resulted in a trade. I can't imagine 28 other teams had zero interest in Acuña.

Most of what you say is joking/mocking or making outrageous claims just to argue (Like Vinny Capra being better/more valuable than Shane Smith). Never is a strong word. No, a hum-drum closer doesn't bring back an Ohtani or Judge led package, or a "top player" that you only seem to be interested in. There's a lot going on in the game that may not be of interest to the casual observer.

1) they acquired a few relievers who will help strengthen the bullpen. 2) Exposing Pallette, and the travails of guys like Coffey, Kelley and Adler show that nobody's being blocked 3) most of the acquisitions are low cost 4) Dominguez may well be tradeable for prospects in July I'm not sure how this makes me a zombie propaganda slave.

No, they're rebuilding. That, right there, is a silly statement. If you can't see past the next 2 weeks, then maybe watching a rebuilding team isn't for you. And mocking people who are excited about the incremental moves a rebuilding team is making doesn't seem to be getting you anywhere towards understanding why the positive ones are excited about where the Sox are going. We explain, you argue, then start the cycle over again in a few days.

A team has the ability to multi-task. You've already admitted that guys like Dominguez, Kay and Newcomb won't be here August 4th. The Sox will have paid a percentage of their salaries and bring back prospects. This isn't a science lab. A team can bring along young arms (as they're doing with Taylor, Leasure, Gonzalez, Vasil and 2 Rule 5 kids) and have a few veterans to offer stability in high leverage situations. What I don't understand is that you seem to want to block prospects with older guys who won't be part of the next competitive team. But whatever areas the Sox improve, you then say that's too soon. That's great that you have beliefs. Go apply for a GM position and see how your vision sells.

I think Baldwin can be above average, offensively, then needs to learn his eventual position. Acuña has a high defensive ceiling. If they can straighten him out offensively, he can produce like an average major leaguer.