WestEddy

LaMond Pope got the memo, too. In today's Trib: Chicago White Sox: Offseason additions — and areas to address Kelenic leads off an "off season additions" piece. Nothing interesting, just recapping the off-season for people who don't follow the off-season. Build new friendships, to replace the old friendships...hmmm I wonder why he needs new friends?

I first became aware of Jayson Stark when he was on the staff of the annual Bill Mazeroski Baseball Prevue magazine, in the 80's. That publication kept me in stitches, and pulled me through every team preview with witty writing. But like every artist who suddenly becomes "aware" of themselves and tries to turn in an album or movie that taps into all of their own quirks, Stark really started leaning on the quirky. Most home runs for a guy with a Z in his name. Entire columns of that sort of filler felt clownish. Maybe I just grew up. Stark's still a good writer, but I really don't seek him out anymore. That said, he just wrote an article in The Athletic explaining his ballot. He voted for 9, and left Buehrle off his ballot. He explains: My 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot — change is coming to Cooperstown - The Athletic I guess it's reassuring that he does give great thought to his ballot and can explain every vote and omission. But for his refusal to pick Buehrle...clown.

Yesterday's Rosenthal column at the Athletic floats that the Rays are still looking for catching. What I’m hearing about the Orioles’ interest in Justin Verlander, and more MLB notes - The Athletic Didn't that three team trade for Lux happen about a month ago?

The amount of fluff pieces on Kelenic in the local media tells me he might be a bigger part of the Sox' plans than we anticipate. White Sox' Jarred Kelenic ready to show swing improvements at spring training - Chicago Sun-Times Give him an honest shot to make the team. Please don't hold him up as some exemplar of experience in growth.

Heyman says that Cardinals and Mets are also interested in Griffin Canning. Paywall. No link. New York Post. I'd imagine the Sox would look elsewhere. They don't seem to like to be in a crowd when they're pursuing a player.

Yeah, they count wins and losses differently. A city of drunken bro-dudes being able to walk around a street for an eveniong with throw-up on their shirts, high-fiving all the other drunks is just a by-product of the real game.

At this point, I'm ready to roll the dice on a platoon of Pereira and Kelenic/Peters/Harris/Conner/Nishida

Rather, let's deal a newly realized elite Robert to the Mets.

Baty is a better fielder at 3B than Vargas.

I think the Sox have been intrigued by the possibility of LuisAngel Acuña in CF. Baty has played LF. Baty could also push Vargas into the OF.

Yankees willing to add multiple opt-outs in their Cody Bellinger pursuit | New York Post behind a paywall. I don't subscribe. MLBTR has a big write up White Sox Interested In Michael Conforto - MLB Trade Rumors

Trump will pardon them.

You know? He seems to act much differently on SoxMachine. Here, when challenged on his ..."posting", he'll throw up a lot of dust about "who will be the closer on the 2030 team"? When it doesn't really matter. Rosters are fluid. You just need to provide the fluid.

Rudy

This is an article I found while researching something else about how MLB allowed non-affiliated minor league clubs to participate in the amateur draft. Only 4 teams did in about 25 years. The Next Pick Goes to … the Miami Miracle? Independent Minor League Teams in the Amateur Baseball Draft – Society for American Baseball Research

Gardening is tough, and the ladies at the retirement center had a couple of years on him.

The guy we traded Eloy for who then retired

Now the Cubs can trade Matt Shaw, they have his replacement

MLBTR does a huge story exploring where the Pirates can turn for a bat, and they don't even include a blurb on Luis Robert. Yellow journalism, I tell ya. Where Can The Pirates Turn For Another Bat? - MLB Trade Rumors Old friend blurb:

Luis Alvarado born on this date in 1949. Alvarado was part of the return (along with Mike Andrews) from the Red Sox in 1970 for Luis Aparicio. Luis Alvarado Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Is that more than Marco Paddy's last years?

Good SoxMachine article on Kelenic's set-up change: Jarred Kelenic comes to the White Sox with a swing adjustment already in the works - Sox Machine

Are the White Sox working directly with Pro Day? It's a company founded by 2014 15th round Sox draftee, Ben Brewster. Interesting. Here's How Tread Athletics Became a Leader in Baseball Training