South Side Hit Men

The doubles rate will be more important than HRs for Nick. The ability to hit gaps and make OFers play deeper, to allow his line drives over the infield to drop. His speed will help stretch 1Bs to 2Bs, and hitting the gaps 2Bs to 3Bs.

Thanks for making the image big enough where we can see it. It has to be a challenge for game-feed graphics to accommodate a players like Gaedel or Madrigal. All kidding aside, @Perfect Vision, I agree size should not impact the discussion in terms of playing smart baseball. Hopefully he can add more muscle the next few years to allow increased power / prevent the ability for teams to squeeze him against major league pitching. I believe he will be a quality MLB starter, with his elite contact ability, and good speed. He has played excellent being thrown into the deep end after a single minor league season, and his success this year has been a very pleasant surprise in a season of many. In some aspects, reminds me of Altuve when he came up. He has the ability to add significant stolen bases if the White Sox allows him to run and he works at it at the ML level. He won't hit .380 in his career, but a .300 + BA (and hopefully an increased walk rate as he gains experience) is very valuable.

Appreciate the hitting breakouts. I appreciate the strengths both players can bring to the table. Grandal pitch frames well, and is a valuable left handed bat in the lineup. McCann is better at working with pitchers, especially young ones. The 2019 off-season question was whether Grandal was the best use of limited resources in terms of dollars, current roster, and defensive limitations of said roster based on numerous DH/1B types (Abreu, Vaughn, Parrot, Jimenez (whether acknowledged or not), and soon Vaughn (and Burger if he is every healthy enough to play)). Even if Kopech elected to play, they still could have used another starter and bullpen depth. I still believe due to severe economic uncertainty, and specific to MLB uncertainty regarding revenue / attendance, free-agent spending which actually contracted recently will become heavily restricted, and McCann has a chance to return, at a better higher rate than Yolmer, but still far below what the expectations were pre-COVID. MLB teams will be extremely conservative until Spring Training in terms of spending in light of all that has happened, and will continue to happen, over the next few years.

Sign of a good teammate.

Why clutch at straws? I am a new poster here. Why disparage new signups? I believe we are all White Sox fans here, or that is what I assume when i am responding to a post. Most fans have different opinions regarding the quality of the front office, managers, coaches and players, or lack-thereof. Is that allowed here, or is the pervasive group think I've seen my few weeks here (RR can do nothing right, Hahn no wrong, YG is "Elite", McCann is garbage, Abreu is the true MVP, Anderson shouldn't be in the conversation, some consider Hawk a "professional" announcer, etc). Lots of strong opinions, I have a few as well, willing to have a discussion based on the merits. I've been a Sox fan since birth, and then a few years later in 1975 could provide positive affirmation once I was old enough to have a choice in the matter.

What is his paid salary in 2020? $2M. Period. Why did you cut the quote short? Either have a legitimate discussion, or move on.

That is what he is being paid, regardless of your "feelings". Let's deal with reality, that is his 2020 salary. Perhaps reply to my posts within context instead of jumping on a sentence outside of context. I stated the current economic environment, and the fact it will likely not appreciate within the next six months. Jerry wanted to cut salaries further, much lower than $2M, but the players held firm. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QdJEFEHa6YbLrnNhI7Z3DCZwOEycKPNVVMnkI_eN8zU/edit?usp=sharing

McCann 12-6 in starts behind the plate. Nice to see a professional catcher work with his starter and man the plate throughout the ballgame. Nice game for Dunning and the entire team. McCann Go Bragh!!!

Don't drink and moderate. It was a refreshing pace to see a catcher who, wait for it, actually can catch a baseball and call a good game. Would be good for pitcher development to allow McCann to work with Dunning and Cease for their remaining starts, in addition to Giolitio's starts, , to help with their development, before McCann is told to walk to assuage Hahn's ego and poor roster construction. Wouldn't be surprised if Adam Dunn 3.0 is brought back, because you can never have too many DH/1B.

Well James is taking home $2.0M in 2020, so it's a much higher probability than zero, or $18.0M.

Boyd gave up 3 HRs in 4 IP his last start against the White Sox. Boyd and the Tigers took it to another level today, with Boyd giving up 7 ER in 3IP and the Brewers plating 19 runs in a record setting shellacking. The Sox will miss Boyd for their final season series this weekend, with Skubal (4.70), Mize (6.75) and Fulmer (8.24) the likely starters.

In a world everything lines up perfectly, there would be a good possibility he would get something in the $8-$10M range from a team with limited catching options. I don't see 2021 as that world, especially on the revenue side. There is no world $18M is a possibility. Free Agent catchers, Pre-Covid 2020 Contracts (Full amount, not the fraction they actually received) Travis d'Arnaud ($8.0M) Jason Castro ($6.8M) Robinson Chirinos ($5.5M) James McCann is better than the above players. Unfortunately for him, his free agent year is 2021.

The Sox' 2020 adjusted payroll is $50M. The jury is out on whether fans (full/partial) will be allowed to attend games in 2021. The chance McCann gets a contract with $ above his current deal is minimal, whether here or elsewhere, even if fans are allowed to attend next season. The chance he gets $18M anywhere including here is zero. Owners were contracting free agent spending in a record growth economy, most will reduce spending even if revenues recover simply to keep the profit they didn't earn this year.

The bullpen, beyond a few exceptions, have exceeded expectations. The lack of length beyond the first two starters is hurting the team, with Rodon and Lopez the primary culprits. (2020 IP per GS) + (Most recent 30+ (or max) GS season) Within career norms: Giolito: 6.1 (2019 6.1) Keuchel: 5.9 (2018 6.0) Cease: 5.1 (2019 5.2) Below career norms: Gonzalez 4.3 (2018 5.3) Rodon 2.9 (2016 5.9) Lopez 2.4 (2019 5.6) Rookie: Dunning 4.7 They will need at least one additional starter beyond Kopech next year, or for Rodon and or Lopez to pitch 5+ IP/GS to piece together a 162 game rotation.

White Sox SP: Dane Dunning (R) Pirates SP: JT Brubaker (R) 1. Tim Anderson (R) SS 2. Yoan Moncada (S) 3B 3. Yasmani Grandal (S) 1B 4. Jose Abreu (R) DH 5. Eloy Jimenez (R) LF 6. Luis Robert (R) CF 7. James McCann (R) C 8. Nomar Mazara (L) RF 9. Nick Madrigal (R) 2B

Nope. Only Sox message board previous was WSI, under the same user name. http://www.flyingsock.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=62100 I've said my piece on the front office until this off-season. Peace.

Well if one worked for the White Sox, they could suck at their job for decades, continue to get promotions, and create new positions to promote you two-three levels beyond one's competency, because one level is not how Jerry rolls. The last two seasons (2014-off-season - 2016 off-season) Hahn's two biggest trades while attempting to "win now" (WAR records with the acquiring team) December 2014; Traded Marcus Semien (18.8), Chris Bassitt (4.2) and Josh Phegley (2.9) for Jeff Samardzija (0.3). June 2016: Traded Fernando Tatis Junior (6.9) for James Shields (0.1). Hahn had Top 10 draft picks despite trying to win, and these were his first round picks and next player selected: June 2015: #8 Carson Fulmer (-1.2 WAR), next player selected #9 Ian Happ (4.7). June 2016: #10 Zach Collins (-0.5 WAR), next player selected #11 Kyle Lewis (1.9). Accountability: Blackhawks: John McDonogh Three Stanley Cup Championships: Fired by Rocky Wirtz in 2020 Bulls: Gar Pax (Winning Record / Executive of the Year): Fired by Michael Reinsdorf in 2020 Cubs: Joe Maddon World Series Champion: Contract not renewed in 2019 Vs. Friends of Jerry: Don Cooper (Hired 1988) - Pitchers go to their High School coach because, well what other choice do they have to improve. Kenny "One Shining Moment" Williams (Hired 2000 as GM, after a decade in other Friend of Jerry Roles). Rick Hahn (Hired in 2002, promoted to GM 2013). Hired Ricky Renteria in 2016. Liked him so much, promoted him in 2017 signed through 2020, then extended his contract again in 2019. See draft and trade results above for more of his work.

Seriously, for unlawful carnal knowledge fangraphs. Bottom line is David Stearns and Farhan Zaidi have winning records and playoff success as General Managers, and Rick Hahn has one of the worst records in MLB (517-658 .440). Stearns paid Grandal to go away after last season, and Zaidi didn't consider resigning him once he became a free agent. They both had enough. Catching Records McCann 12-6 Grandal 15-11 The White Sox needed an outfielder and more pitching if they were to compete this year. Their current record is inflated by the heavy dose of garbage the COVID schedule provided. If it weren't for Abreu's recruitment of Cubans and Lucas Giolito's High School pitching coach, the Sox would have finished with yet another losing season. Williams, Hahn, Renteria and Cooper all need to go, a complete redo from top to bottom just like the Bulls are doing. Will they wait for Jerry to finally leave his role, or until this window comes and goes before finally pulling the trigger, which they should have done after 2015? Likely the latter. I have no confidence in Hahn making the moves required to bring a championship. Hahn signed Renteria twice, the second time with an extension. These Friends of Jerry are long past their expiration date.

Grandal is pathetic. Period. Play a real catcher from now on.

God Forbid Mr. "Elite" would bother trying for that one.

Jerry Dybzinski is a better base runner.

He may be the dumbest player I've ever seen.

That was a Dick Diggler performance by Nick, watch the third base coach this time.

Cease not getting through the 6th has led to this.

McCann would have caught that.