chitownsportsfan

dude that was a nasty sinking two seamer. wtf did dylan covey infect gio with the live arm?

More seriously, Kevan Smith should be the starter, just for the help he brings framing and otherwise on defense.

TA cannot hit breaking balls with any consistency, even shit ones.

That last AB will be on loop in his wing of the HOF.

I think if/when the Sox are good again it's the Tribe I'm most looking to smack in the face.

actually nobody offered him anything more than a spring training invite because he sucks and it's only now that guys are injured that he can claim a roster spot. He's a .5 WAR player, at best.

This Cleveland crew is unlistenable. Pretty arrogant for a team that hasn't won jack shit in 70 years.

It wasn't even close. Giolito got the benefit of one as well. http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/zoneTrack.php?month=6&day=11&year=2018&game=gid_2018_06_11_clemlb_chamlb_1/&prevDate=0611

I am so fucking ready for robot umps. This shit is ridiculous. Missed call after missed fucking call. SETS THE TONE FOR THE WHOLE FUCKING AB. FUCK OFF UMP.

FUCK OFF WITH THIS SHIT. Good lord that ball is 2 inches outside.

Christ on a cookie he actually does look better so far.

The excitement for tonight's game is palpable.

You saw it this off-season. Teams are very smart now with positionional scarcity. Aging corner sluggers are not valued that highly, and why should they be when guys like Palka and Davidson are usually available at league min?

Someone sacrifice a goat on the South Side this afternoon? I guess if Giolito comes out like prime John Smoltz tonight we will have our answer. Mercy. Good news all around on the injury front.

Well that escalated quickly.

I think the needle pointing up was just the needle bouncing off the bottom of the guage.

Stone said it was the best this year according to Cooper. Show me, ya know? Come out and execute when it matters.

It blows my mind that someone that witnessed the Adam Dunn signing (signed at 31 coming off a bWAR of 2.5 and a 260/356/536 slash line) and then proceeded to put up NEGATIVE .9 bWAR (including a -2.9bWAR at age 31) in his time with the Sox wouldn't be worried about a corner slugger aging poorly. Come on. I'm not in the camp that thinks he'll age badly, but all players age and giving guaranteed money to any player after 31 should make fans at least a little nervous.

I feel like you just made a pretty good case that at least on field, Jose Abreu is completely fungible come 20-22.

I think a big part of any extension would be an agreement on his DH/1B splits as he ages. If Jose wants to stay in Chicago he should be open to becoming a full time DH and only playing 1B once or twice a week.

Just dump him. Take an A ball lotto ticket and move on. The opportunity cost of keeping him is going to prevent the Sox from getting a long look at Palka and Leury. Ideally he comes back from the injury in two weeks, plays well for a few weeks (or doesn't fall on his face) and he's moved. Man, hard to believe we are already almost into mid June.

He's going to take Thompson's ABs so that's good but overall yea I'm totally with you. Avi is what he is. He's like a bog standard 2 WAR RF. He reminds me a lot of Melky. Except Melky in his prime was able to produce a few more good seasons than Avi has so far.

I'm sorta inclined to think like @southsider2k5 that his hit tool will age rather gracefully but at the same time he'll be even more pigeonholed as a slugging DH and if he loses power, he's going to have a hard time getting to 3-4 WAR on hit tool alone. Given Jose's place in the Sox' history (as a Cuban, as a Latin ambassador for fans and players) I'd like to see him stick around, but it's not an easy decision.

Stone was talking about BABIP and how much he loves it and I was just dying for Jason to ask him "so what about Avi". Was a shame that Jason didn't follow up with that.

Wouldn't be opposed to it but wouldn't be thrilled either going out to 2022 fully guaranteed. Obviously it makes sense to gauge interest in him at the deadline before entering negotiations but say for argument that the offers were pretty underwhelming (nobody offered a top 100 guy) and the Sox and Jose are looking to get a deal done... How about three years, 65 million ('19,'20,'21, so you're hoping for about 3 WAR a year and paying full freight on it) with a vesting option at 500 PA for 2022 at 25 million. If he's healthy in 2021 I'd have to think he's productive. I don't know if I value his leadership as much as yourself 2k5, but it is worth something and if there isn't a good trade to make I'd be fine paying market rate for him, just don't go past 2021-22.