WestEddy

I would hope that if they're dealing Carlson or Bonemer, they're getting somebody way better than Holmes or Detmers. I think stocking the system with 3 high-ceiling prep bats and a handful of college power bats allows them to loosen their grip on guys like Bergolla, Shelton or even Wolkow (Zavala, if anyone cares?).

I don't know if you're agreeing or not. Not getting the #34 pick loses them Thome, obviously. Knowing Thome wanted to sign at a discount was like drafting $544k to spend on other picks. Without the #34 pick, they lose that $544k, but then they have to get less creative on one of the #2, #6 or #11 picks. Yes, they'd still draft someone cheaper in those slots, but with lower ceiling.

The only evidence anyone is providing that the Thome pick isn't great is that his last name is Thome. They got a legit 1st rounder at #34 who gave a huge discount on the bonus. The discount allowed them to push better talent down at one slot, and pick an appropriate "best talent available" for another (instead of punting a pick to pay for the rest). Realize that with each ensuing pick, it gets harder to grab back $544k through signing bonuses. Seriously, should they have walked away from that because a couple of grouches will pretend it's a bad thing? The more I look into this, the better the Gonzo trade looks for the Sox.

The Sox didn't have the 35 pick. Thome would have been gone by 41. They wanted Thome Thome got them an extra $400k (plus $144.8k overage) by taking a haircut on his pick; an extra 544.8k to the pool. No Thome pick probably requires another 5th year senior at a $7500 bonus out of the 7th slot (or higher). Without Thome's money, they can't sign one of Prosek, Weingartner or Casteel. So, picking Thome got them Thome and the ability to go full slot in another pick, #4-#7. In reality, it's Gonzo for Thome and one of Weingartner or Casteel, then Scolari or Burdette instead of a cheaper 5th year SR. Thome and two slot upgrades. For Jacob Gonzalez, and an upgrade on Brandon Eisert.

OMG!! Can we stop drafting and developing future Royals, please?!?!?

I've never heard of someone gaining weight or ODing from listening to a single song too much.

Also, one thing we haven't had in, like, forever is a surplus group of prospects that other teams crave and will ill-advisedly jump at, like Pittsburgh just did with Gonzo. And the tradeoff isn't "Gonzo for Thome". It's Gonzo, plus the overall #1, a bunch of shrewd scouting/negotiating signings - for 3 crazy good prep bats, a very interesting prep arm, Volchco and a bunch of fliers on insane college power bats". If we wind up maxing out a half dozen interesting prospects from this class, that's the jackpot.

Oh, sure. I'm 62. Me and my buddies get together for a weekend of drinking, cards and steaks. We throw on the iPods, and it always comes back around to Elvis Costello, Steely Dan, Zep, Bowie, Clash - all stuff that shaped us in our teens. I'm weird, tho. Music's like a drug. I'm always looking for that odd song that hypnotizes me for a week, where I have to play it non stop because it strokes something in my cerebellum. I can rock out to TP's Freefallin' anytime, but that song just doesn't scratch that itch, anymore. Sure, there's stuff I've really tried, and just can't listen to. Trap rap. I'd give Chief Keef a listen, still do, but that, and a thousand other similar songs - I can't tell any of them apart. So onto Fela Kuti and Tabu Ley Rochereau.

Gonzo never sniffed the top 100. Lux had top 5 prospect pedigree. They're not comparable. Jim Callis was amazed that Gonzo was all the Pirates could get for that pick. Lux also wasn't traded on the eve of the draft. Supply and demand.

Jim Callis on the trade, starts at 9:25, if it's not cued up right:

He got bent over a tree stump, where he grabbed an overflowing pot of gold that will enrich the White Sox for the next ten years. We should all get bent over like that. LOL.

It's like we want everybody we trade to quickly be exposed as garbage, and everyone we trade for to be diamonds in the rough who turn into instant All-Stars with one overlooked tweak. Gonzo's a good kid. I hope we come to regret the trade right up to and through his HOF induction. Landon Thome is a first round talent who took a haircut to play for the Sox. Right, let's pass that up because a few people don't want the Sox drafting kids of Sox employees. "Remember, that one time didn't work out, so we should clearly pass on a first round talent giving the Sox a hometown discount."

And wasn't it feedback that pitchers don't really like throwing to him? If the pitchers don't like him, and after a hot week, he'll normalize back to his regular, big league .546 OPS, find another name to yell out. The Cardinals just DFAed a RHH catcher. Maybe he's a guy.

Yeah, it feels too good to be true. He's not old for AA. The trepidation reminds me of Karl Pagel, back in the day. Hit 90 HRs for the Cubs' upper levels over 3 seasons, and they gave him 3 big league plate appearances over 2 seasons. Karl Pagel Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Roy Hargrove was a jazz trumpeter whose career spanned the 1990s through 2010. Says Wikipedia: Roy Hargrove - Wikipedia New music keeps your mind young.

Reinsdorf has extended starting pitchers. When it came around to Giolito and Cease, both of them were more interested in free agency, I believe. No, JR doesn't want to give out 10/$400M deals to 31-year old pitchers. I don't blame him.

It just doesn't get any easier.

See, right there. The Blue Jays use their challenge to overturn a call. The White Sox have none left to turn that call back to a ball.

Maybe they'll put a claim in on recently DFAed Yohel Pozo.

They no longer have top spot on the waiver wire.

If you get it, binge Bates Motel. One of my faves.

I was jeered for being "overly exuberant" and predicting anything north of 70 wins. Find yourself a woman who's as obsessed with you as some of these guys are with the notion of Chris Getz failing.

Are we actually arguing that while with the White Sox, Mead received no coaching that helped him develop as a hitter? Maybe somebody can direct us to the site where baseball teams keep all of the transcripts of every conversation the coaching staff has with every player so we can comb through them and "prove" that Curtis Mead received any coaching here that he put to good use. LOL.