Look at Ray Ray Run

His 100AB running wxOBA on the last day of the season was 314, which is right at league average. Not bad! He was a negative defender who hasn't fared well in the outfield so far, as you pointed out. When I joined the board, fans weren't arguing that players like Brooks Baldwin should be handed a job out of Spring Training. Big league jobs on competitive teams are earned, they're not handed to guys that have proven nothing. 200 Plate appearances? Come on man. I'm still analytical, which is why I'm scoffing at 200 PA's earning a guy a starting nod on a major league team. I never ever said to give up on him too. He should have a right to earn a spot on the team. You're handing him a MLB starting outfielders job with all the flaws you, yourself, point to above. This isn't some elite prospect with loud tools. he was the 25th! ranked prospect in the Sox system last year. I just don't agree with handing a player of that ilk a starting job without truly earning it.

To start in the big leagues at the beginning of this season? Of course not. In 450 career at bats he's a negative player who has been a butcher defensively. He had an xwOBA of 307 last year while being a liability in the field. At most he should be playing himself into paying time as a utility player who can cover IF and OF spots.

Pal, read the quote you're citing. My lord. I'm joking/mocking the money savings, and go on to say it never makes sense, never happens, and isn't a real thing. Have a good rest of the day!

Huh? I've said the exact opposite. The sign to trade strategy almost never happens, never works, and is a fantasy made up by fans. Players don't sign for a market rate and then get dealt for much more 3 months later without fundamentally changing who they are, which rarely happens. They're also human beings so it's a pretty terrible employee relations strategy. I want to sign MLB caliber starters to play and try to win baseball games. The fact that is a foreign concept shows how far your brain has fallen into this perpetual rebuild trap and obsession. Which is really just what shitty owners and teams has sold fans as the reason for being bad.

Conforto is not a MLB caliber starter. Hence why no one is going to sign him to start everyday... except maybe the White Sox. The White Sox aren't rebuilding, they're bad. People should really stop using the word rebuilding to describe BAD baseball teams.

What don't you understand about my position? I believe in investing in the bullpen as the last step of roster development. Not as it being the lynch pin of an off-season for a team who's lost 100+ games repeatedly.

I think Acuna probably deserves a shot to start, but just understanding that he's a pretty limited offensive player. The other guys shouldn't be "given a shot" or handed a starters job anywhere.

Two relievers will participate in about 130-160 innings of 1500ish pitching innings in a year. Relief pitching is something you spend money on when you are looking to maximize the margins while competing. If you want to churn any position during a rebuild, as you stated in another post, you want to churn a bullpen.

The Sox have zero major league caliber starting outfielders right now but you're singing the praises on them acquiring 2/3 of an OF this off-season. Me and you have very different expectations and views of what a big league starter looks like.

Huh? There's nothing fun about not being competitive. These are professional athletes. This isn't amateur sports. I'll give you this, you certainly have watched much more white sox baseball than me the past two+ years. I've also likely watched and followed way more other (non-white sox) baseball than you in that time, I'd guess.

I definitely agree I'm excited to watch him play --- the unknown is always exciting, because you can dream on it. I'm just not going to call the off-season a huge success because they spent 34 million on someone who likely wouldn't be part of the next competitive team. Everyone's been telling me how they shouldn't sign Bader because he wouldn't be part of the next Sox team that was good, yet they're excited about Murakami. Just odd.

I really don't get this attitude about the Murakami signing. Do you think other teams and fans are talking about how signing Jorge Polanco and Cody Pence made their off-season great? Of course not. The worst part of Murakami is if he's great, he probably won't even be here when the Sox are good. There's also a very real possibility he can't cut it in the MLB. The difference between Polanco and Murakami is Murakami's unknown gives him a higher perceived ceiling, but his range of outcomes makes him a riskier signing. The White Sox don't deserve an A or B until they actually spend some REAL cash.

You guys are all really kind. The Sox have signed four players. 2 relievers, a guy who signed for less than Jorge Polanco, and a possible SP. They came in with a bottom 3 payroll despite not being a bottom 3 market or revenue team, and they still have a bottom 3 payroll. I'm not sure how anyone can give this teams offseason a positive grade given their payroll and general investment in the roster. We are just so desperate for something good or positive... They've lowered the bar so low, and it's somehow worked on many fans.

A "great offseason?" Incredible. Jeeze guy, have a little more self respect and higher expectations.

Interesting, I'd say Adley is a step above as of today. Roch has a shot of being right there with a great junior season, but that's all tbd.

Do you like him more than Adley as a college player?

College generational proclamations have probably fared worse than international ones. Salas was a top 10 prospect everywhere after 60ish games as a 17 year old. Certainly only something ive seen a couple times in my life so feels pretty significant. Obviously there's more unknown about a 17 year old than a 20something, but the point just being nothing in baseball is guaranteed... and at least the 17 year old had 70 games of pro ball under his belt. His floor has always been extremely high as he's an elite defensive catcher.

Ethan Salas. I sound like I'm hating on the kid, but I'm not. He's a GREAT amateur player. Last year could also be the best year of his baseball life. He also may even be a great pro one day. Both scenarios have happened 100 times before. The idea He's a top 10 prospect before stepping on a pro field wouldn't be my take. Doesn't even mean he couldn't become one after 40 games, but there are no layups in baseball.

A college player as supposedly a top 10 prospect before playing pro baseball is just comical. The last generational talent in amateur baseball hit .188 in AA last year and is no longer a ranked prospect. The jump from amateur baseball to MLB is just astronomical.

I'm as tough on caleb as anyone, but at this point it's hard to deny the upside. Will he get there? He's got the right coach to get him there if it's possible.

He only had 3 top 100 prospects for the Sox, with Schultz being 96 and Carlson 100. What I will say is I appreciate how evaluators have started to separate themselves from each other, instead of being a hive mind.

For those interested, here were some interesting ones. 1. Konnor Griffin --- this one hurts since we had a shot at him but went with Hagen. 30. Montgomery 44. Bonemer 58. Hagen Smith 66. Billy Carlson 95. Schultz Keith likes the position prospects a little more than others in some areas, but his pitching grades aren't promising for a team who has no pitching.

Is this town prepared for two elite Caleb's?!? Kids got a lot of helium, let's keep that balloon full!

You give me an 80 win team and I'll best-case-scenario my way to 92 wins in a heart beat. You give me a 63 win team and I cant take you seriously or waste my time investing the time into watching.

It's the time of year where people can dream, and I miss being that guy! Seriously. Although having expectations usually means more disappointment, so id rather be surprised. I'm thinking this team is more likely to lose 100 than they are to win even 70.