WestEddy

I think one big problem the KW/Hahn rebuilds had was they relied on one of each position. Traded for 5 starting pitching prospects, a LF and a 2B, drafted (in the 1st round) a 1B, 2B, C, 3B, signed a CF out of Cuba, and that was it. If you look at the Dodgers' top 30, they have multiple SS's coming through the system, multiple catchers, etc. I'd have no problem with the White Sox prioritizing the stock piling of catchers, SS's and CF's. All the eggs aren't in the one basket of a 1st rounder correcting the hitch in his swing, or whatnot.

Fangraphs has him as about 14th best in the league in defense, ranking between Carlos Correa and Gunnar Henderson.

oops. thanks

I guess reconstructing the 2023 White Sox bullpen is one way to illustrate the concept of "you can switch entire teams, and they'll still beat you".

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/braves-sign-reynaldo-lopez.html

Does anybody know what "let it eat this year for the team" means? Did he mean "let it out"?

But I think other teams have plans, where the White Sox really never looked like they did. Other teams' front offices have their own conceit about their strength and conditioning, and would probably plan to get 300-400 PA's from Eloy, filling in with a deeper bench and minor league system. The Sox' rebuild seemed to rely on one guy for each position, and hope some 15th rounder steps up to fill in the bench and bullpen. A deep system seems to have 2-3 ranking catchers, shortstops or centerfielders.

I'm just hungry for names, at this point. I know some here have warned me to not take this guy too seriously.

Nice write-up at SoxOn35th, exploring 10 possible returns in a Dylan Cease trade. https://www.soxon35th.com/10-potential-trade-packages-for-dylan-cease-this-offseason/

Roster Resource at Fangraphs has that info, pretty easy to read. https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/white-sox

Aren't Scherzer and Verlander getting $40 million per?

Bummer may have talent, but he now qualifies as a project. He's been progressively shittier for 2 seasons. I'd rather the Sox got Ohtani and Trout for Bummer. But realistically, this is probably what was on the table for him. Everybody has been saying the White Sox have to get 3-6 project starters to fill out their rotation. They just got two.

Didn't Trayce Thompson and Clint Frasier already declare as free agents? Beyond that, I'm not sure what non-tendering Cease, Kopech, Crochet or Vaughn would accomplish.

Cease could bring back 2 top 100 prospects and Robert 3. That would give them 8 in the top 100. The Orioles and Cubs have 6 each. Their systems are much deeper, though. Certainly top 3-5.

The problem is, that package doesn't exist for most teams. Robert has to return at least 3 top 100 prospects plus 2 or 3, with one of them top 5, and the 2nd a top 20.

Well, Graveman got them a backup Catcher, and Middleton brought back an interesting A-ball arm, and both of those pitchers were way better than Bummer.

Amen. The Sox used 8 starters last year. They're probably going to need to sort through about a dozen starters to get 5 reasonable arms that have us limping to the All-Star break. They just acquired a veteran and a AAA arm. And they got a glove-first utility guy. And they got an interesting A-ball pitcher. What's not to like?

Nightengale gushed that the trades are about to happen before the 5:00 EST deadline. One happened. LOL.

Eder and Mena protected. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/11/white-sox-select-jake-eder-cristian-mena.html

I'm guessing only Mena and Eder. Veras might last as a DH, and I think Thompson would get rocked, even in planned usage.

Here's one to grab

There was a season under Schueler, when the Sox grabbed a half dozen Rule 5 guys to sort through in Spring Training, and Jerry had quite the problem with paying the $50k fee on each player. He shut down that practice, going forward.

The problem comes in starting Carela's clock a year or two too early. Wilfred Veras is probably just too far away from the bigs to stow on the 26-man roster all season. I'd also think the Sox would like to keep the 40-man lean and mean, not only for the Rule 5, but also to be grabbing up relievers other teams are trying to slip through waivers.