South Side Hit Men

https://www.mlb.com/news/jake-diekman-white-sox-trade White Sox 'excited' for Diekman to join bullpen Veteran lefty, acquired via trade with Boston, is another high-leverage, late-inning option I'm somewhat concerned with his 44 appearances this year. Kimbrel had a similar heavy workload before coming here.

I wouldn't dump everyone, just make one or two moves so you have the financial room to acquire a starting RF, a starting 2B, a starting C and a starting pitcher. Would try my best to compete in 2023, with 2024-2025 being clean years in terms of the bad remaining contracts. I don't see Jerry going $210-$220 with in stadium revenue likely decreasing in 2023.

If I'm brought in to clean Hahn's mess, I'm coupling one or two solid players with one or two shitty contracts this offseason. Dodgers - Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly (if they are passing on $30-$40M AAV Turner, Correa, Bogerts) for 2-3 solid play now young players. Marlins - Eloy, Pollock and Sheets for a starter. Liam Hendriks has a solid contract for a team not worried about the Luxury Tax (either far above it or not close to it). If I was hired this morning, I'd flip Cueto, Harrison, Lynn, Lucas, Liam, Graveman, Anderson, Eloy, Burger, Sheets for solid players ready in 2023-2025.

Yeah, Chicago is a good city to be in for the Summer. Didn't include Saint Louis because it's a solid baseball city. Brewers are a good team, but doubt any athlete is eager to live in Milwaukee. If this was the NBA, would include Chicago, Milwaukee and others on the list due to Winter.

Padres would eat his salary 2023-2025, likely have to pony up part of 2022 at this point. For a free player, don't see why not. I'd guess at least half of those teams are on his list.

I would maximize the pain in dumping Hosmer. With Washington gone, at least one of these ten cannot be rejected this season by Hosmer. Toronto (Canadian taxes, likely on his list) Pittsburgh Kansas City Detroit Cincinnati Cleveland Minnesota Oakland Baltimore Washington Colorado

He has a 10 team no-trade this year, wonder if the Sox are among the nine others covered. They have two months to dump him to one of the twenty possible teams. https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/nl-west/san-diego-padres/ full no-trade protection from 2018 to 2020, limited no-trade protection thereafter allowing Hosmer to block deals to 10 clubs (earns 10-and-5 rights after 2022)

What? Jerry isn't telling Hahn who to sign. Now Tony may have influence, but Hahn is given a budget and has spent it poorly for a decade now. Even while tanking he was signing $8M-$10M closers. He is to reliever fetishes as Quentin Tarantino is to foot fetishes.

It is raining Eric Hosmer Mean Tweets:

@wegner White Sox, La Russa and Reinsdorf mocked in Polish (Laughing at the who string)

"Dropped call"

Credit to @Dick Allen for referencing this article in the past. https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/whitesox/ct-xpm-2013-07-28-ct-spt-0728-white-sox-chicago-sports-20130728-story.html

Well at least @caulfield12 will have a good day today.

Jerry is allowed to make any decision he sees fit. It is in the general partnership agreement. He is the managing partner, and he will not have to consult the other minority shareholders to add or shed players.

I'm looking for a quality bomb shelter in case Minnesota drops a neutron bomb this afternoon by acquiring Carlos Rodon.

Three of the Four Horses of the White Sox Apocalypse assemble for the Trade Deadline, Monday, August 1, 2022. Pictured Left to Right: The White Horse (The Antichrist); The Pale Horse (Death) and the Black Horse (Famine). Chilling at home, staying far away from these jackasses: Kenny Williams, The Red Horse (War)

It is just over 10 hours until the Trade Deadline. Do you know where your GM is at?

"Fung is Winning. Winning is Fung."

Malcolm Nunez (AA) is now 11th on the Pirates Top 30 prospects. Oviedo is a 24 year old middle reliever, pitched well this season, had brief callups during age 22/23 seasons. The White Sox equivalent would be perhaps Andrew Dalquist and Davis Martin. https://www.mlb.com/prospects/pirates/ https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/oviedjo01.shtml

Cueto and Liam could net strong returns tomorrow, Tim and Lucas the two biggest younger players not controlled past 2024. Personally I'd trade Eloy in the offseason if he can finish strong and you can land a solid return. Was jonesing for an Eloy & Mercedes for Lopez trade last offseason based on Kim Ng's interest in both players and Miami's excess pitching.

I'm old enough to remember folks saying the Cubs' closed window wasn't good enough (One WS Win, 2014 LCS , Three Division Titles). Good Times

It's a good sign Kopech was able to pitch well despite losing his catcher. I think Narron has done a good job working with Zavala this season which allowed this to happen. I see Zavala catching 40 of the last 60 games unless he gets hurt.

What they should have done is kept working Grandal in Arizona or Schaumberg until he was actually physically able to catch more than twice a week, and also healthy enough to swing a bat for power. Perhaps his eyes / response time have declined to the point he is now both a negative hitter and catcher/defender, but at this point I suspect health, or lack thereof is playing a role. I understand the urgency at this stage of the season, the call that it's better to have XXX at XX%, but there are just far too many guys playing at reduced capabilities, and the remaining healthy players are also asked to take it easy to avoid further injuries. A team cannot be expected to win with this approach, and it's the approach Tony has taken since July 2021. The team was going all out the first three months of 2021, even with key guys out (Eloy, Robert). They need to return to that approach.

I think nothing changes until a competent external FO is hired, who then hires a manager, and they bring in a new staff. Marco Paddy and Ehtan Katz are the only two people in the organization I would consider keeping among publicly known/discussed personnel. I think there is a solid chance Jerry finally steps down or passes by November 2024, and change should occur within 1-2 years after that happens. In the meantime, I'm not spending a penny.