The Hawk

I have to ask. What in your minds has Hahn done badly? I have to say that I am shocked about that opinion.

He'll be tendered. He was sick. What are you thinking to do about Moncada? The same kind of thing? Try and trade him because he had Covid and didn't produce except defensively?

Too many? Not enough? The thing about Vaughn is, he's going to be a raw rookie next year just like Robert was. What he does hitting wise is unknown as it is for all rookies.

I'm against changing the rules of the game because the players won't adapt. Adapt or be replaced by someone who will adapt. Shifts have been done in baseball before throughout history. To me this may be the unions talking because they are afraid that the player performance is suffering. Well, to me that is tough. Anyone ask the pitchers what they think about changing the rules regarding defensive positioning? What is next? Maybe if a hitter has two strikes on him, they bring a tee out and let the batter hit off of a tee?

I believe that Cease's problem is pretty much mechanical while Lopez thinks too much and nibbles. I feel sorry for Rodon because he has had arm troubles off and on for a long time. He'll basically have next spring training to either sink or swim in baseball methinks.

If they ban shifts it is ridiculous. Let the players learn to adjust because to do anything different is interfering with the fabric of baseball. What's next? flattening the mound? Bringing the fences in some more? Let the hitters use the SamME Sosa autographed corked bat?

I think re-signing Colome should be a priority first of all. He's been a top three closer for several years now and shows no signs of deteriorating skills. Hoping for someone to slide into a main closer's role is a risk that I wouldn't take especially once the play-offs start. I bring in Mercedes to be the back-up catcher and DH him also as I do not think Collins can hit major league pitching and is no great shakes as a catcher either. I would love to keep McCann also but with Vaughn coming onto the scene, he will need at least 250-300 ABs next year. I've already stated that I'd keep Mazara and platoon him with Engle as well as Engel spelling Robert and Jimenez when needed. I really want Bauer as the number one priority and a heathy left handed end of the rotation starter. I question if JQ will fit that health requirement but the available inventory of veteran left handed starters are all pretty tweaky right now so its anyone's guess.

I think that in today's baseball world, you pretty much have to really look a bit different at players who were sick or didn't perform well during this silly season. Things were just plain different from spring training all through to where we are now. I just don't worry about what kind of performance the White Sox will get out of right field next year and whether they pay couple of guys $5M or $7.5M really doesn't mean much to me

I just don't think that we need to add a right fielder. They have plenty of offensive talent on this team. They need pitching and that should be without a doubt the focus for winning the entire thing next season.

I'm kind of an "odds" guy when it comes to especially young talent and I think that the "odds" are that somewhere out of Dunning, Cease, Lopez, Burdi, the two 100 MPH arms, and other guys waiting in the wing, one or two of these guys are going to turn into quality major league starting pitchers. There was a reason why the White Sox drafted these guys and paid them major bank to sign after all. I think also that the average fan doesn't realize that young pitchers need time to mature and develop and that virtually none of them are ready right away. Its a tough process and some luck physically is involved. These guys are no different.

The thing is that they do not need to have above average players at all positions. Very few teams in the history of baseball have had that. The Sox, to me, are only a couple of solid starting pitchers away from being the favorite to win in the AL.

I agree which is why I love Abreu so much and also his influence on some of the younger hitters like Jimenez and Anderson. McCann became an all-star also by learning to hit the other way, especially with two strikes.

I'd be willing to let him go to arbitration and bet that he loses in it. The guy averaged 20 home runs a year for four straight years, got strep throat and got weak and never recovered from it. The way that I look at it is that the odds are that he will rebound well next year when he gets his strength back and Adam Engel is as good a defensive outfielder as there is in all of baseball. They need starting pitching as in a Trevor Bauer type guy.

What do you think he is doing wrong?

Yeah, I think that the guy just was unlucky with his arm injuries. I think that he has very good mechanics.

I'm happy for Mendick because he can add that to his baseball resume when he hangs things up. He had a really good season defensively and played three positions while doing it. A batting slump at the end came up to grab him but he had a good over-all season.

I am talking about a guy facing a shift in which there is basically one guy(the pitcher) within 100 feet of the plate. If a guy cannot bunt a ball against that kind of a shift, they shouldn't be playing baseball for cripes sake. Another thing, if you do this a few times, then the defenses have to adjust accordingly and they lose the advantages that their shift gives them.

No what?

I hope that they go hard after Bauer. That would give them three quality starting pitchers which I believe they will need to be a favorite in the American league. Adding an end of the rotation veteran lefty starter would be nice to have. That is about all that they need to add in the off season. Re-signing Colome would also be a priority in my book. The guy just knows how to get outs under stress.

We will just agree to disagree then. He was sick and I don't think he ever recovered. The same thing with Moncada. He never was right physically either. Look. Mazara is far from an above average hitter but he is an average right field offensively historically. And the notion of having a platoon of Engel and Mazara is not something that is going to hurt this team offensively because the rest of the line-up is so good. If Moncada and Mazara come back to where they were before this silly season this Sox offense if going to set offensive baseball records that may never be met again.

I totally disagree with your assessment in the above. They kept playing Mazara because they thought that he'd regain his stroke and he did show some improvement at the tail end of the season. As for hating Hahn, I love Hahn both the trades he makes and the signings that he has done of Latin players. You say that this is a league of "superteams". The Dodgers haven't won a World Series since the late 80's. Are the Yankees a "super-team"? I don't think so. Look at the Rays. Their entire salary equals just two of the Dodger's players and one is a pitcher on the wrong side of 30 years old. I am excited about the White Sox and what they are doing, including looking for a new manager and pitching coach. This was unexpected and I am pleased about that firing also.

I don't think so. Not when you talk about over-all offense and defense. Mazara will come back as a hitter and I don't think that Engel will go down offensively. I really think that Mazara really never got well physically and it ruined his bat speed.

I think that a platoon of Engel and Mazara will be okay next year. Engel is also a great defensive outfielder and Mazara I think is better than average over-all.

That's absolutely right. The thing that is obvious to me is that virtually no one except a few utility type guys even know how to bunt. ITs ridiculous. Hell, they don't even have to drag bunt. Just put the ball on the ground either side of the pitcher and you've got a base hit. I'm telling you, that if I were in charge of a major league team, every damn player in my entire organization would be taught how to bunt and that includes the big name hitters.

I really don't think that they will have to spend a lot of money going forward in the next couple of years. They will not re-sign EE and probably not McCann along with a couple of others. But they do need to sign a top notch starting pitcher and not go cheap with it. A decent left handed starter would also be good at the back end of the rotation. They're set I think batting order wise with Vaughn joining the club. IF anything, barring injuries, their everyday line-up will be better than last years and that is an understatement really. If they hit on one of their young starting pitchers this team will be very special and the favorite going into next season to win the AL.