Chimpton

Most of the posts have been sandwich related!

They spent money but didn't fill the obvious holes at RF and 2b or the need for a left-handed bat, which is what I meant by someone in the FO is at fault if all this money is being spent and still no real success. Hopefully no TLR and a few rebounding players will mean a better season and winning the central but getting beyond the first round of the playoffs would need more than that.

Oh yes I agree this team has the potential to be really good if the players all match their potential or return to anywhere near their best, but equally it would be so typical if that is wasted because they won't spend on anything other than reclamation projects or cheap FAs to fill the obvious holes in the roster.

Sorry to be pedantic but the WS was 2005 and your figures were from 2006, that is why I didn't include it. Either way someone has wasted a lot of money for precious little return!

If they have had top 10 payrolls in all those years, then someone in the front office (Hahn or Williams or both) needs sacking because they haven't actually produced top 10 baseball in those years and only appeared in the playoffs briefly in 3 of those years.

But to answer your question his BA w/RISP was .268 and the team BA w/RISP was .269. Abreu was down from .286 in 2021 and .329 in 2020. So that could support the idea he is in decline but with another hitting coach we could see those figures bounce back.

I can't think of one Sox hitter who had good figures in 2022 with a hitting coach that wanted them to ground out rather than hit for home runs

I'm thinking of next season when age and his lack of general fitness likely to catch up with him even more. If we are relying on a whole season out of him and expecting him to pitch at a good level throughout, then I think that is optimistic. There is a risk he will start falling off a cliff like Keuchal did.

Oh I agree about Clevinger, but it would be nice to see the Sox go after a genuine top of the rotation SP, rather than reclamation projects, but when you have no money I guess you have to buy in the bargain basement. We already have enough reclamation projects of our own in the rotation, and next to nothing other than Martin in the pipeline from below.

Nothing particularly against Clevinger but it is depressing that the Sox are signing a 5th starter level player when they already have Lynn and Giolito who need to rebound or they will be that level and Kopech who is recovering from an operation and needs to improve next season. Apart from Cease the rotation is made up of players who we are hoping to rebound and that is if they stay fit.

Are you sure about that?

And getting injured running the bases!

Do you think Colas will get RF straight out of Spring Training?

That would be great because it means he stayed fit and played 150 games, which he hasn't managed in the last 2 seasons combined. If Eloy and Robert could both stay fit and play that many games, it would make a massive difference offensively; but Robert's 98 games this season is the most either has played in the last 2 seasons.

There were too many real candidates for it to be TLR last time, but that is still who we got, and it is the same clowns doing the hiring again so I wouldn't write off anyone no matter how unlikely.

The only worry is that if they actually do sack Hahn imagine who Jerry would hire to replace him! You would probably get TLR as GM, and his first piece of business would be to extend Garcia's contract!

Sadly not even JR knows what is happening either!

I know where you are coming from as AV needs to be moved to 1B if he is to contribute properly and Eloy needs to be DH if he is to avoid missing half the season by getting himself injured again. I am just concerned that we may regret ditching one of the most consistent hitters in the team, he could bounce back with more power next season. Basically, this whole mess has been caused by bad roster building by the FO that has resulted in so many 1B/DH types and Grandal who is basically a DH now at best, along with Eloy. Realistically I know that not renewing Jose is the easiest option, but it would be hard to see him for another team next season especially if he still produces.

But neither Eloy or AV can be relied on to last a full season without spells on the IL whereas Jose has been fairly robust over the seasons, and as for not being able to hit 20 hrs this season, neither did any other White Sox batter, so should we get rid of them as well?

At least it will be warmer for him in April!

Probably both.

I think those odds actually suggest that even the bookies haven't got a clue who it will be 8 names split by only 5 points in the betting.

Even if they did sign Rodon to a big multi-year deal you just know he would get injured and be a bust, but if he goes elsewhere he would probably win the Cy Young and we will be moaning about it for years to come!

The comedic next manager? Is that to follow the comedic soon to be retired manager? But Mr Burns did a stand-up job for the Springfield Nuclear Plant team so maybe we could lure him out of retirement, although he may be too similar to TLR.

No, I expect Hahn will trade for the same type of players he always does and with the payroll and roster he has his wiggle room is slim at best and I just don't think he is creative enough to do that.