South Side Hit Men

In addition to Lorenzen, I would really like to see if the Sox trying to bring in Syndergaard, Cueto and or Rich Hill. All could have some upside, and most beyond say Noah gives the team a decent chance to put up 100 + innings, which is the primary concern the Sox are facing at this point with the loss of Cease, the demotion of Kopech, the inning limitations on Crochet, and the unknowns they are facing with Fedde, Soroka and Flexen. Really don't want the Sox to be forced to rush one or more prospects beyond a couple spot starts because of a lack of depth.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/latest-on-michael-lorenzens-market.html Yankees and Sox with continued interest. He has previously declined $5M-$7M one year offers. Interested in a two year deal similar to Erick Fedde's ($15M) or better, or a one year deal similar to Lynn ($11M) or Gibson ($13M). Those two are delusional Cardinals offers similar to the final year Wainwright / Molina deals that I don't believe any other club would sign, especially at this stage. Have to think he's picking the Yankees if left with a similar offer with the White Sox, so they will need to go two years to lock this down, which isn't unreasonable since most of their pitching prospects won't be ready until 2025 or beyond.

The Sox will need several players to get accustomed to The MLB in 2025, successfully make adjustments, and then make the next step in 2026. Supplemented with a few solid FA signings the team could at least contend for the AL Central. They need to get to the point where that is the minimal expectation, and it might not happen under Jerry/Tony/Getz, but hoping we get another sudden change in a year or two like they did last August.

What's next, John Wilkes Booth Bobblehead Night.

Obviously projections will fluctuate based on performance and injuries over the next two years, but this is what we have for public projections today. Significant work, additional acquisitions and several breakouts to show significant improvement between the 2026 Chicago White Sox and 2024 Chicago White Sox. Updated 2026 projected team controlled fWAR (2026 MLB Age) Major League Minimum Contracts unless otherwise noted in green. Top 30 White Sox Prospect Rank on 3/14 Position Players: Catcher: 1.3 Quero (23 #5); 0.3 Lee (27) First Base: 1.0 Vaughn (28) Arb 3; -0.2 Sheets (30) Arb 2 Second Base: 0.6 Sosa (26); 0.4 Rodriguez (25 #17); NR Mogollon (20 #25) Third Base: 1.4 Ramos (24 #4); 0.5 Baldwin (25 #27); NR Herrera (19 #26) Shortstop: 1.1 Montgomery (24 #1); 0.5 Shewmake (28); -1.5 Gonzalez (24 #7); NR Burrowes (21 #24) Left Field: 1.0 Benintendi (31) $17.1M; 0.5 Burke (25) Center Field: 3.8 Robert Jr. (28) $20.0M; 0.9 DeLoach (27); NR Zavala (21 #6) Right Field: 1.0 Fletcher (28 #16); 0.1 Colas (27); -1.0 Veras (23 #28); NR Wolkow (20 #14) Pitchers: 2.6 Drew Thorpe (25 #3) 1.5 Jonathan Cannon (25 #11) 1.4 Nick Nastrini (26 #8) 1.4 Ky Bush (26 #20) 1.4 Mason Adams (26 #22) 1.4 Jared Shuster (27) 1.4 Davis Martin (29) 1.3 Jairo Iriarte (24 #9) 1.2 Sean Burke (26 #23) 1.2 Jonathan Stiever (29) 1.1 Shane Drohan (27 #30) 1.0 Jake Eder (27 #10) 1.0 Prelander Berroa (26 #19) 1.0 Josimar Cousin (28) 1.0 Kohl Simas (26) 0.8 Chase Solesky (28) 0.7 Garrett Crochet (27) Arb 3 0.7 Jesse Scholtens (32) 0.4 Jordan Leasure (27 #18) 0.4 Deivi Garcia (27) 0.4 Touki Toussaint (30) Arb 3 0.3 Bailey Horn (28) NR Noah Schultz (22 #2) NR Peyton Pallette (25 #11) NR Grant Taylor (23 #13) NR Seth Keener (24 #15) NR Tanner McDougal (23 #21) NR Juan Carela (24 #29)

Rather give Lorenzen $6M AAV over the next two years than the $12M over one season given to Clevinger last year. One of the good things about Getz is avoiding the stealing from next year’s budget buyout gimmicks Hahn relied on.

I’m done if Getz brings him back until there is new ownership and front office. Clevinger’s s%*# wasn’t public when Hahn signed him. It is now. He is a pariah across MLB, same as Bauer, Franco, Puig and Urias; and rightfully so. It was good when the Sox flushed him and Daryl Boston. No need to go down that path ever again.

Tony La Russa hired Josh Barfield for his first post player job in Arizona. Tony also worked with Brian Bannister in Boston. Until he is gone from the org chart and has no further professional contact with White Sox staff and management, my gut says Tony continues to have major influence with what is going on at 35th and Shields.

That was and will likely remain for some time my favorite White Sox game since Ricky was fired, and Lucas pitched this gem.

They both were equally worthless and detrimental to the short and long term.

Kopech and Crochet should both have been building up as starters in Charlotte that year. Tony was the primary driver of this plan, with no one here to stop him.

This is my choice, but wasn’t a poll option. Jerry will be happy that Getz will continue to lower payroll and may keep it below the league TV / MLB.com payout of $104M and growing for the rest of Jerry’s life. He ha more than enough revenue to cover organizational staff and book substantial guaranteed annual net profit before even counting his RSN revenue and other non baseball related White Sox income. (317) White Sox Organization Chart (20) Senior Leadership 7 Board of Directors 13 Officers (Also Includes Jerry) (37) General Administrative 5 Administrative Staff 12 Accounting 5 Business Analytics 6 Central Support Services 6 Data Processing / MIS 3 Human Resources (71) Baseball Operations 2 Amateur Scouting 20 Major League Medical Staff 34 Major League Operations 6 Major League Training Staff 9 Minor League Operations (128) Marketing, Public Relations & Sales 13 Advertising & Marketing 5 Broadcasting 9 Community Relations 10 Community Relations Specialists (Ex-Ballplayers) 13 Corporate Partnerships 6 Design Services 8 Digital Communications 9 Media & Public Relations 51 Ticket Sales & Ticket Office 4 Youth Baseball Programs (61) Stadium Operations 14 At Your Service (Jerry owned “security” firm ) 4 Clubhouse Staff 11 Game & Video Presentation & Scoreboard Operations 32 Park Operations

Appreciate what Dylan has brought over the years to the Chicago White Sox. Hope this is a win win trade for both teams, and Dylan continues to pitch superbly throughout the rest of his career.

If your phone (IPhone 8 or higher with OS 16), Android (OS 8 or higher) and or PC/TV device is compatible, you can watch televised minor league games, listen to all radio or web broadcast MLB games with no blackouts, plus watch on going in game highlights and live look-ins via MLB Big Inning for $29.99 / year under the At Bat subscription: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/subscribe I have iPhone 7, so can’t use on phone, but may still subscribe to watch Charlotte and Birmingham games via PC, assuming the website doesn’t make me disable my VPN or ad blockers, which is likely a pipe dream. The Minor League games are far more important in terms of the White Sox’ future, especially considering the players Tony/Getz/Pedro will likely roster to open the season. Also won’t have to listen to the new Hey Now! PBP Guy or a salty Steve Stone either, always a plus.

James Fegan write up: https://soxmachine.com/2024/03/white-sox-dylan-cease-trade-reaction/ Money quote:

It's literally the only thing of substance Jerry said beyond the Ohtani Free Agent tampering he said during the shitshow press conference.

Benintendi is the dust on the floor you can't see at the picture resolution.

Most fans like to cheer for the best players in the game, historic players. Not a fan of permanently tanking and flipping anyone with a pulse for the next 30 seasons. Would like Robert to remain a Sox for life. The team will need dozens of solid players, so if they can win and he be a part of it great. All these tanking trades over the Reinsdorf era has added along the margins, at best.

Death, Famine, War, Pestilence, I think they bring in Lorenzen if Jerry can afford to do so, or maybe some other low cost pitcher as well, but can see Crochet starting up here and Kopech perhaps working out of the bullpen to start the season if he doesn't turn things around his final few starts in Spring Training. Don't see the Sox (or possibly anyone) bringing in Clevinger despite his 2.2 fWAR last season.

Jerry said he hired Getz to win now, so have to take him at his word.

At this stage, a B or C grade would be reasonable. Would like to hear from the A, D and F voters. Thanks for setting this up. Can you change the settings to view what everyone voted? I know this is an option when you initially establish a poll, but not sure if you can change it mid-stream. Full disclosure if you can't or decide not to, I voted B.

Twenty-four of the fifty-nine elected players which played for a single team did so under the Free Agency era, only three retiring before 1981 (Gibson, Oliva and Robinson). This despite the much shorter playing window (1871-1974 for pre-Free Agency vs. 1975-2018 for current eligible inductees). Free Agency (1975 Season): In Jeff Bagwell (Houston 1991-2005) Johnny Bench (Cincinnati 1967-1983) Craig Biggio (Houston 1988-2007) George Brett (Kansas City 1973-1993) Bob Gibson (Saint Louis 1959-1975) Tony Gwynn (San Diego 1982-2001) Todd Helton (Colorado 1997-2013) Derek Jeter (New York A. L. 1995-2014) Chipper Jones (Atlanta 1993-2012) Barry Larkin (Cincinnati 1986-2004) Edgar Martinez (Seattle 1987-2004) Joe Mauer (Minnesota 2004-2018) Tony Oliva (Minnesota 1962-1976) Jim Palmer (Baltimore 1965-1984) Kirby Puckett (Minnesota 1984-1995) Jim Rice (Boston 1974-1989) Cal Ripken Junior (Baltimore 1981-2001) Brooks Robinson (Baltimore 1955-1977) Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia 1972-1989) Willie Stargell (Pittsburgh 1962-1982) Mariano Rivera (New York A. L. 1995-2013) Alan Trammell (Detroit 1977-1996) Carl Yastrzemski (Boston 1961-1983) Robin Yount (Milwaukee 1974-1993) Solid Chance Jose Altuve (Houston 2011 - Current) Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles N. L. 2008 - Current) Mike Trout (Los Angeles A. L. 2011 - Current) Potential Buster Posey (San Francisco 2009-2021) Joey Votto (Cincinnati 2007-2023) - Needs to not return to MLB for Toronto or another team. Lou Whitaker (Detroit 1977-1995) Teams without one or more single team Hall of Famers who have played since 1975: Original 16 MLB Teams (1901 - Current) - Philadelphia / Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (None) (1948 - Current) - San Francisco Giants (Mel Ott 1926-1947) (1951 - Current) - Chicago White Sox (Luke Appling 1930-1950) (1959 - Current) - Cleveland Guardians (Bob Lemon 1946-1958) (1970 - Current) - Los Angeles Dodgers (Don Drysdale 1956-1969) (1972 - Current) - Chicago Cubs (Ernie Banks 1953-1971) Expansion Teams (1961 - Current) - Washington Senators II & Texas Rangers (1961 - Current) - Los Angeles Angels (1962 - Current) - New York Mets (1969 - Current) - Montreal Expos & Washington Nationals (1977 - Current) - Toronto Blue Jays (1993 - Current) - Miami Marlins (1998 - Current) - Arizona Diamondbacks (1998 - Current) - Tampa Bay Rays PS - Red Faber was the third life long White Sox inducted into the HOF, joining Luke Appling and Ted Lyons.