WhiteSox2023

Sure, and maybe Getz is targeting guys like this as third or fourth pieces. But I guess it doesn’t matter what we think. Maybe Getz thinks the team can be competitive in faster than 3-4 years, which is why he may target the more finished 24 year old prospects.

Yeah, it had to do with them being injured every other month. What good is a productive player if they can’t stay healthy? And when one of those guys is a DH and still can’t stay healthy… I seem to remember that Cease was considered less risky from an injury perspective than Kopech because he already had TJ surgery before the draft. Kopech had the monster arm but it was obvious he was going to pay for it eventually.

I wouldn’t want Westburg as the headliner in a Cease trade but I’d take him as a second piece. Sure, I wish he was a bit younger and his service time wasn’t already started but if he started at 2B for the Sox in 2024 and tears it up, you could always deal him for prospects as well. We also wouldn’t have to watch 500 wretched at bats by Nicky Lopez.

Sure, but that’s partly because our ownership is cheap so our GM immediately gave them both “cheap” contract extensions knowing that would be the only way he would retain them long-term, but it was also before he knew how prone they were to injury and how the guaranteed money would, ummm, not exactly motivate them going forward? Regardless of how you view Moncada and Eloy, they each made the majors and had a successful season or two. If you have faith that the Sox of all teams are going to pick out the right 20 year old A ball prospects that are for sure to make the majors and be successful, you are more of a gambler than I am.

So the Orioles put it out there that Getz’s price is too high?

Moncada and Eloy actually made it to the big leagues though. Picking from among much younger prospects and they may end up being guys that never even make the majors.

One reason is that there is more risk with younger prospects that don’t have consecutive years of success in the minors. Guys like Kjerstad and Westburg are obvious targets. Do you have any faith that the Sox of all teams would actually pick the right younger prospects with any percentage of success?

Nicky Lopez was a top Royals prospect because he could actually hit in the minors, to go along with his good glove. His career minor league line is .296/.379/.403/.782. Similar to Madrigal, the slappy slap game works in the minors but not in the MLB. Lopez has now had plenty of time in the majors (5 seasons) and has proven he just can’t hit well in the bigs, which is obvious from his .249/.312/.319/.631 career MLB line. Westburg is 24 and had a career minor league line of .278/.371/.506/.877. He may actually have HR power in the majors, unlike Lopez who has zero. Westburg only has a total of 208 career MLB at bats. While his 208 rookie at bats were mediocre, it was still better than anything Lopez has done recently, and he still has the opportunity to improve. It is far too early to make the assumption that Westburg couldn’t be a big upgrade/difference maker over the pathetic Nicky Lopez, who is the acquisition equivalent of burning $4.3 million dollars in your fireplace for this current Sox team. I do agree that I would rather acquire someone younger than Westburg whose service time hasn’t already started in any Cease trade.

This is what I think. JR just wants the huge boost in franchise value that an agreement to build a new stadium brings, prior to selling.

I was thinking 2016 Sox double play combination of Jimmy Rollins in his last season before retirement and the “never was” Brett Lawrie.

Is this a serious post? I agree with your first sentence but Lopez is a pathetic and embarrassing starting infielder for any major league team, just like DeJong. Both were backup infielders last year and DeJong was cut by two teams. No other team in baseball would be planning to start one of these bums on opening day, much less both of them. To compare Westburg to Lopez is pretty far out there. Westburg will improve. Lopez is what he is, a slappy no bat infielder with a good glove, and as he gets older his glove will disappear.

The current stadium isn’t exactly in the greatest area and no one still knows how a bullet was zipping around the stands. The parking would be a concern though, but it doesn’t seem to matter much to Cubs fans. More people would commute via the CTA and Metra.

“Are you Sheeting me?”

It looks very strange jutting up so closely to some high-rise buildings.

Pritzker also commented on this new rumored Sox ballpark this morning. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/pritzker-weighs-in-on-idea-of-state-subsidies-for-possible-white-sox-south-loop-ballpark/3331403/?amp=1

This was from last year. https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2023/02/17/billionaire-jb-pritzker-benefited-from-tax-breaks-but-he-doesnt-think-the-chicago-bears-should/?sh=1bd63c8039c4

“Thank you for your support, @Balta1701. Jerry is just waiting to announce me as your new PBP broadcaster at the Winter With The Sox event on Janu… AND THAT’S A DRIVE INTO DEEP LEFT FIELD BY CASTELLANOS!!!”

$$$ that Jerry won’t want to spend. The running theme of all the pitchers Getz acquired is that they were cheap. I think Lorenzen will cost more per year than Fedde’s $7.5 million salary, even if he only gets a one year deal. i think the plan is to start with this mediocre rotation of vets and replace them with the young starters from Charlotte if they falter.

This is the Sox we are talking about, not other teams. Anything bad that can happen, will happen and their luck with injuries has been absolutely awful over the past few years.

Touki is your Lorenzen in Getz’s eyes.

I think Getz is crazy if he’s willing to risk potential injury and/or another down first half of starts for Cease. Getz could get lucky but I don’t think it’s a smart play. The risk outweighs the reward in my opinion.

How much do you think he’s going to get? He’s made $4.5 million in each of the last two seasons. And is there another team that would give him a starting outfield job, rather than a fourth outfielder gig? Also, Taylor’s value would be a bit wasted in RF as opposed to CF. Are you moving Robert to RF so Taylor can play CF?

Perfectly stated.

Imagine creating a 40 minute podcast trying to justify the baseball team you cover acquiring Yasiel Puig as your starting RF. I’d probably be looking to change careers.

These two clowns actually get paid to cover the White Sox and they think the answer to RF is 33 year old Yasiel Puig who hasn’t played in the MLB since the 2019 season? Well, I guess so. Hopefully they replace Garfien right after they find a replacement for Benetti.