Balta1701

I think you’re probably right that the difference between good and bad strategically is probably a couple of games, but I think there’s an extreme case of that where the difference between bad and awful is bigger than the difference between good and bad. Just as a relevant recent example - how much damage did the Injury List Insanity do to the White Sox last year? This wasn’t just flipping one or two games at the margins, they literally subtracted 1 a full win from Robert by playing him when he needed to be on the IL, based on win probability added. Had they just put him on the IL for 6 weeks, that’s an extra WAR they didn’t lose from the team, and that was just 1 example of it this season.

If the Padres announcers are accurate, Hader had never thrown a pitch clocked at 100 before the playoffs this year. He’s now thrown 7, at least 3 tonight.

This...doesn't seem to be on the subject of why the Astros might hire him without doing a big search?

A couple weeks ago Maddon specifically said that one of his complaints was that he got a mid-game note from the GM's office to take Trout out of a game that had already become a blowout to try to give him time to get over an injury, and was very much incensed at the notion of a GM interfering with on the field decisions like that. This feels very much like a thing that wouldn't happen in the White Sox's organization.

Well, one of them probably won't pitch until the 9th.

coughs

What would have been a better deal, $140 million for Wheeler or $55.5 million for Keuchel?

The Astros would absolutely be well justified in keeping someone on their staff as their next manager when that person combines being a highly sought after candidate for other teams with a measure of stability for their current players. This is especially the case if they're also potentially replacing their GM.

Ironically, the White Sox have something of a recent history of having managerial fires that go completely against what Rick Hahn says he is looking for.

I would strongly guess that Correa's next contract will have a lower yearly total and more guaranteed years than his Minnesota deal.

I don't see a reason to be outraged or disappointed today. There will be plenty of time for that if and when it happens. No benefit for wasting the energy on a report.

You sorta passed over the issue I asked about though. I'm well aware Conforto based on his career numbers has outplayed those guys, but there's those two injury-riddled and then missed seasons in 2021 and 2022 we have to worry about. In 2021 his OPS against righties was only .792, and it was a measly .582 against lefties. If he plays to his career averages that's great, but what gives you confidence that his career numbers are the only ones to look at and 2021 can be fully discounted?

Does Melky Cabrera count since he was a switch hitter? If so, then 2021 Conforto < 2016-2017 Melky Cabrera with the bats. Does Daniel Palka count as an OF? I'm genuinely not sure, but 2021 Conforto < 2018 Daniel Palka. Those are in addition to Eaton. I totally get why the White Sox would do a move like that. It makes sense given their budget and their situation. It's a reasonable gamble. But unless I'm reading this wrong, your post has a degree of certainty in it that I don't understand. You say "he would be this" as though it's not a gamble at all. Are you really 100% confident that Conforto can have a bad 2021 due to injuries, miss all of 2022 due to injury, and will then come back as the 2017-2020 .860 OPS hitter? So confident that you can guarantee Conforto will put up a .800 OPS? I would like to know what gives you that confidence to say that he would be, do you know something about his injuries that I don't?

I seriously doubt there is any smart deal for Arizona that involves them sending out a prospect.

Seems like a big factor in Marte's 2021 performance being pretty rotten was a number of injuries including more than 1 hamstring pull. But the good news is the White Sox have an excellent record of keeping people healthy lately.

That's one way to do it, just interesting that you first said we need a "strong LH OF" and then allowed Conforto to fit that description.

If they have only $25 million to spend, how do you solve the riddle of needing 2 positions but having money for 1?

As of right now, the White Sox have $145.1 million Guaranteed. Using the arbitration projections that just came out, I wound up with them at $168.7 million counting arbitration guys - they can get that down a tiny bit by declining Ruiz and Mendick, but only $300k for each one they decline. Then, to fill out a 26 man roster, there's an extra $5 million to cover the rest of the roster. So, as a starting point, they're probably close to $173.8 million, give or take an arb guy. If their number is $200 million, they have $26 million to spend total this offseason.

This just isn't true. When he first came up, every ball he hit was crushed, and he teamed that with a solidly patient approach at the plate. He definitely needed coaching on that as he got himself in trouble with strikeouts at first, but he looked like an absolutely dynamic player.

If we just got to make that excuse this year that would be one thing, but this is a team that has made the playoffs for 10 straight years, regularly wins 100+ games, and has 1 title. That's sorta low performance, all things considered.

He seems like a guy who is great at keeping his team motivated and ready during the season and then never pushes the right buttons in the postseason.

Wife and I now are betting on which game ends first, the one in the 5th or the one in the 15th.

But note that the playoffs are filtering out certain types of teams. How much of this has been won by power? How many impressive defensive performances have we seen? How deep are these bullpens going?

It pains to admit this, but the Cubs.