chitownsportsfan

Abreu embraces mentor role for fellow countrymen.

get hyped https://mobile.twitter.com/NBCSWhiteSox/sta...7658625/video/1 almost forget about Moncada sometimes. Very excited to see if he can put something up like 260/340/450 this year with solid defense and at times electric baserunning (or maybe boneheaded). If he can already establish himself as an above average regular in his first full season than the sky is the limit.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Feb 17, 2018 -> 12:19 PM) https://mobile.twitter.com/ChuckGarfien/sta...871019130380288 cool.

QUOTE (wrathofhahn @ Feb 17, 2018 -> 12:36 AM) Everything I've read indicates he is a ++ runner with an average arm sort of your prototypical good defensive CF. The problem with Tilson seems to be his lack of power so yeah why not bring him in and see what you have. We sort of know what Engel is. the problem with tilson is that he's like plato's forms. I'm not sure he exists outside of our minds.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 16, 2018 -> 10:21 PM) I think he’s a pretty safe bet to be a 2 WAR player next year. I believe in him being an above average defender and his mix of speed & power offer should make him a just slightly below league average hitter. It’s the complete lack of walks that’s holding him back at the moment. If he could even get to a 5% BB rate he could be an above average starting SS. I’m not overly optimistic about that, but he’s still young so you never know. Yea he needs to be about +10 runs with the glove because like you I really don't see him ever hitting much more than 270/300/430. Maybe he could have some years around 290-300 in his prime. His strike zone command isn't going to ever get better. It's incredibly rare to see at the MLB level. Avi is the same.

QUOTE (cjgalloway @ Feb 16, 2018 -> 04:19 PM) fantastic Sox need TA to turn into a clubhouse leader and 2-4 WAR guy. I'm certainly rooting for him. He showed a little bit at the end of last year once he was able to put the adversity behind him. The thing about TA that intrigues me is his defensive tools are absolutely elite. I've rarely seen a Sox SS with such range -- Ramirez included. His arm is average but he has a lighting quick release and as noted his range is as good as I've seen here. He's gotta cleanup the "lazy" (more of a repetition issue imo but it comes across as lazy) routine errors he makes rounding off balls and throwing on the run. Hopefully with more experience he learns to just slow down, field the ball under the brim of his cap, square, and fire. None of this "ole" s***.

QUOTE (FT35 @ Feb 16, 2018 -> 12:21 PM) Yes and no...you're right about the physical aspect--those comps don't really serve a good purpose. But when you're trying to analyze a prospect's game and you can put a big leaguer's skill-set out there as a comp--it helps people understand the type of player they are shaping up to be. It's not a good gauge of certainty, but it gives people ideas. The Moncada/Robinson Cano comp was a good one as long as you don't look at Moncada and expect him to turn out like Cano. The short, compact swing compares well, the skill set compares well--the stat range compares well (solid average, good batter's eye, some pop) and the potential for stardom compares well. It gives someone who might not follow prospects a little baseline in their understanding and expectations. When they see a name like Robinson Cano linked to Moncada's name (and not Yolmer Sanchez), they think...hmm...he's not your average prospect and has a pretty high ceiling. As long as you treat comps with that mindset, I don't mind it. The way you know player comps are valid is that you know when there's a bad comp! Tim Anderson doesn't comp to Frank Thomas but more people nod when you say "Orlando Cabrera." When Billy Hamilton came up--you didn't see many Rickey Henderson comps even though they were both stolen base kings because there was no power/consistent average component to Hamilton's game...the comp was always Vince Coleman--which is still a pretty decent comp. yea well said but just to add onto the Moncada and Cano thing -- it's the swing. Moncada, at least from his favored left side, is almost a dead ringer for a young Cano, especially when he turns on one.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Feb 15, 2018 -> 03:10 PM) He still is this phase as far as I can tell from all reports. He is only playing catch. He's not into an actual throwing program. I just took it from his comments "free, easy, no pain" that he will be starting his program soon. I thought he'd be in the "hasn't picked up a baseball yet" stage and still doing his rehab.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 15, 2018 -> 01:21 PM) Daryl Van Schouwen‏Verified account @CST_soxvan 1h1 hour ago Carlos Rodon playing catch again today, first back to back in rehab. ‘Everything felt good. Just felt healthy—for once.’ Throwing free, easy, with no fear, he said. I've been cynical as hell on his situation but this is really great news. That he's throwing near full bore (relative to the time of year) is highly encouraging. Obviously the proof will be in the pudding (his performance and innings load) but I was fully expecting him to be still on the "no timetable for starting baseball workouts" program at this point.

Not that I care, but I think Yolmer might be on the "smoothies" regime, dude is THICK: BP clip

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Feb 15, 2018 -> 12:06 AM) I think they want Engel to win the job because of his defense and athleticism, but unless that bat finds a way over the Mendoza line, I think we'll be seeing lots of Leury Garcia in CF. Yea I agree but I hope the org finds a role for Leury regardless, need more info on him. He has more talent than Engel could dream of overall with his ability to play SS/CF etc and perhaps hit 270/330/420. I'm high on Leury. I think the sox found something there. If nothing else he's probably a really awesome utility guy, like top 5 in the league. Engel strikes me as a guy that's out of baseball in a few years. Maybe one out of two timelines he turns into a cromulent 4th OF borderline 1.5 WAR starter.

QUOTE (JPR @ Feb 14, 2018 -> 10:54 PM) I just want the guy to become that prized gem many MotownTiger fans saw him to be. $6/7 mil...that's nothing. He has Adam Eaton 5 tool potential. Let's see that this year. I feel like we've entered bizarro soxtalk where Avi has more fanboys than haydurs entering spring. I was long a fan boy but he's really not shown a sustainable foundation for stardom. Solid starter? Perhaps. But at the end of the day the dude is probably a 2 WAR RF in the time of Eloy. He's going to get a lot more expensive. For myriad reasons, even if he duplicates his 4 WAR season he's still not going to be a Sox much longer.

QUOTE (bmags @ Feb 14, 2018 -> 09:37 PM) According to Hahn in the athletic, he implies the players filed for numbers lower than they were giving the White Sox. to avoid arb? makes sense then. I don't think it's a big deal at all. Yolmer laughed it off today. There's no hard feelings. That's what the agent is for.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 14, 2018 -> 04:49 PM) Cuban corner. I like it. Sounds like a new food option at the Rate.

hey can you merge my thread here? thanks SS2k.

Some good quotes as usual from Fegan's reporting: Yolmer on being the first player to go to arb in years: Miguel on Omar Narvaez: Cease on being invited to his first big league spring training: More at the link for subscribers: https://theathletic.com/241236/2018/02/14/l...training-opens/

QUOTE (wrathofhahn @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 02:32 PM) Oh that makes more sense. Just wanted to be clear because Halladay was by all accounts a family man and was only married once from 1998 till his death. Halladay was on morphine at the time of his death. He was battling some demons as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 02:29 PM) https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-mlb-star-pitche...-151448624.html Wow, good luck in witness protection dude. There's no way he has the fortitude to do the time. He's going to sing. Sounds like he was part of a pretty big operation and you know they want they guys he bought from.

Great content as usual guys. Someone else will have to make the "Going to Glendale Spring '18" thread as I tragically I won't be going this year. Plenty of good advice for those that are though, if any questions need answered. I believe the first full squad workout is a week from today. I'd imagine the Sox are going to be pretty lenient with fan access this year, given all the prospect hype. Love to get some first hands reports.

QUOTE (knightni @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 11:35 AM) Millionaires with disposable income can get into "investment" opportunities with the cartels. Who knows how deep some ex-players could be in these things. yea this could be the start of a great book. I wonder if Esteban will sing. If he's handling that much "product" directly he's pretty deep in but not deep enough (or smart enough) to only be "the bank".

QUOTE (Wanne @ Feb 9, 2018 -> 03:14 PM) I honestly don't get why areas that get heavy tourism dollars aren't more acceptable to dropping a "tourism tax" Dollar or two on a room...or rental car. Can't believe San Diego didn't do that to keep the Chargers. For some reason I think some Maricopa County judge shot down the "tourism tax" after it had been in affect for a while...and said they had to refund money from the car rental/room tax. Said it was "unconstitutional". Not sure how you can randomly describe that particular tax as unconstitutional and not others. I never did get an answer to that. Probably something about out of state residents paying for in state revenues. Not a lawyer. I was in the Tampa area this fall and drove by the Trop -- it looks about as bad from the outside as it does from the inside. It did seem pretty well located, right next to major roads and the freeway. I think the Florida experiment has been bad for MLB it just doesn't seem like with all the other recreation available to people down there year round that coming out and supporting baseball teams is something the locals are inclined to do.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 8, 2018 -> 02:27 PM) This seems stupid and short-sighted to me. From what I understand, the relationship between player and front office is (unsurprisingly) nearly always strained after going through these hearings, as the player has to sit there and listen to the front office's lawyer try to convince a judge that the player isn't worth what he wants. When the numbers are substantial like in Avi's case, I can see it. But there's no way that's worth a hundred grand. The only explanation I can come up with is that the White Sox have instituted and communicated some sort of "no exceptions" policy when players don't accept their offers so as to make it seem more impartial when they refuse to negotiate and/or to dissuade players/agents from offering aggressively with thie intent of negotiating a deal that squeezes some extra money out. Maybe this makes sense in the long run, but it sure looks dumb in this isolated case. damn bro you ninja'd that on me! Thanks for your input on the Yolmer case. It seems odd at first glance.

Maybe I have to remember my SSS account and ask larry but can anybody (SS2K? Balta?) answer why the Sox went to arb with Yolmer over 250k? That just does not seem like the Sox. Are they setting precedent for all the prospects coming through that will be arb eligible in 3-5 years?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 7, 2018 -> 07:28 PM) They did a hearing? Whoa. They submitted offers less than 250K apart you'd think they could have just come to an agreement. Kinda odd, no?

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Feb 6, 2018 -> 01:41 PM) mikecws91 1:12 Listing Zack Collins as a 1B is fightin' words! In your eyes, what are the odds he sticks at catcher? 25% maybe? Kiley McDaniel 1:13 I think he's mid career Carlos Santana. Bat you want in the lineup, 1B/DH and maybe once a week at catcher, more of a 3rd catcher than a backup since you don't want to wear him out multiple times a week. From the chat today. well we'll take that...