WestEddy

James Fegan reports that Rojas is about to start a rehab stint this week.

His yearly splits show no RHB activity in 2024 or 2025.

Yes. Says Fangraphs: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/chicago-cubs-top-37-prospects/ 20. Gage Workman, 3B Video Drafted: 4th Round, 2020 from Arizona State (DET) Age 25.3 Height 6′ 4″ Weight 220 Bat / Thr S / R FV 40 Tool Grades (Present/Future) Hit Raw Power Game Power Run Fielding Throw 20/20 50/55 30/40 55/55 60/70 70 Relegated to third base because some of his college teammates were really great shortstop defenders, Workman has successfully moved up the defensive spectrum as a pro; he is now an above-average shortstop defender and a 70-grade glove at third. Workman’s footwork and actions are incredible for a player his size. At a long-torso’d 6-foot-4, he has remarkable body control and an impact arm. There are old scouting tropes about big-framed hitters and switch-hitters tending to develop late. Workman was both. He struggled to make contact for his whole career and struck out 38% of the time at Double-A in 2023, a terrifying rate. In 2024, at age 25, Workman made real progress in this area. He ditched hitting from the right side and his 27.5% K% was the lowest since he was at Low-A; he hit a BABIP-aided .280/.366/.476 with 18 home runs back at Erie. He has above-average raw power but is still whiffing a ton, especially against breaking stuff, and he’ll likely continue to strike out so much that it limits his big league role. But with the Cubs corner infield situation currently up in the air, he has an opportunity to play such great defense that he wins the job at the hot corner coming out of camp. His long-term role is as a strikeout prone utility infielder.

Made sense to me...

Jankowski traded to the Rays?

And I can say that right back to you. Let it go.

The bigger point everybody is trying to make is they hate Chris Getz, and they're besides themselves that everyone they encounter doesn't parrot the words in their heads. It's really that simple. And you can save the "we're sad because baseball guys are losing" trope for another day. It is a rebuild.

1) I don't want Amaya on the team 2) I also want Palacios gone 3) Robert is doing so bad, his OPS+ is one lower than Palacios' 4) Tauchman is better than Palacios 5) I note that Maton hasn't done much of anything 6) f*** it. Start Dalbec at shortstop, just to keep Amaya off the field Why won't he say the same things we do? I mean, we make fun of him and everything!! LOL.

That's quite the quiverfull of misinterpretation. There is no possible way to read what I wrote and come away from it thinking I'm justifying anything.

Praying for Tauchman's hamstrings. He can't replace Palacios soon enough, but I look at B-R and see that while Palacios' OPS+ sits at a meager 54, Luis Robert's hangs just below at 53. Also, Nick Maton's 2 early season HRs are doing a lot of the heavy lifting on his 80 OPS+

Keep starting Dalbec at shortstop, and DFA Amaya. I'm all for it.

It's like having your best power-reliever pitch the first inning, and get the best three hitters out the first time. Every at-bat is equal. Runs scored or saved early count as much as those scored or saved late.

Better defense for the top of the order, more times, and a better hitter against the bullpen, probably worse pitchers than the starter.

You said never. Flip out at the man in the mirror.

Yes, he has.

Yes. I don't know if the time the Cubs had him in the majors would apply to the Sox, now.

Couldn't find an Ellard/Eisert string, so this'll do:

There's still a lot of swing and miss in Workman's game. It's a worse issue than Canaria. They have to roster him at least 90 days (I don't know if they can count the days on the Cubs' 26-man) before they play with phantom injuries to get him some minor league work. There's a couple of steps to outrighting him, but if they're able, they can work with him for a season. The prospect ranking dudes don't seem sold on him. I initially said yes, but the same kind of player comes across the wire a few times a season.

Fangraphs says he's an "above-average" SS. If they're going to roster Amaya as long as possible, why not try to get this guy past 90 days on the big league roster, then whether through phantom injury shenanigans, or whatnot, they can option him next year and bring him along.

From Fangraphs: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/chicago-cubs-top-37-prospects/ 20. Gage Workman, 3B Video Drafted: 4th Round, 2020 from Arizona State (DET) Age 25.3 Height 6′ 4″ Weight 220 Bat / Thr S / R FV 40 Tool Grades (Present/Future) Hit Raw Power Game Power Run Fielding Throw 20/20 50/55 30/40 55/55 60/70 70 Relegated to third base because some of his college teammates were really great shortstop defenders, Workman has successfully moved up the defensive spectrum as a pro; he is now an above-average shortstop defender and a 70-grade glove at third. Workman’s footwork and actions are incredible for a player his size. At a long-torso’d 6-foot-4, he has remarkable body control and an impact arm. There are old scouting tropes about big-framed hitters and switch-hitters tending to develop late. Workman was both. He struggled to make contact for his whole career and struck out 38% of the time at Double-A in 2023, a terrifying rate. In 2024, at age 25, Workman made real progress in this area. He ditched hitting from the right side and his 27.5% K% was the lowest since he was at Low-A; he hit a BABIP-aided .280/.366/.476 with 18 home runs back at Erie. He has above-average raw power but is still whiffing a ton, especially against breaking stuff, and he’ll likely continue to strike out so much that it limits his big league role. But with the Cubs corner infield situation currently up in the air, he has an opportunity to play such great defense that he wins the job at the hot corner coming out of camp. His long-term role is as a strikeout prone utility infielder.

The Cubs DFAed Gage Workman. Wonder if the Sox would just swap him out for Amaya. Workman's a good-glove SS, looks like he'd hit better than Amaya.