Balta1701

While $60 million comes off the payroll after this season (Abreu, Kimbrel, Keuchel, VV), with reasonable estimates, it is easy to see how most of that money has already been spent, as a whole bunch of guys have their salaries go up. Moncada - $13 million to $17 million Robert - $6 million to $9 million Eloy - $7 million to $10 million Anderson - $9 million to $12 million Bummer and Hendriks go up by a million each Then you have guys who are still in arbitration Giolito goes up by probably $3 million Engel and Lopez would go up by $1-2 million each. While those might not be picked up, they may also not be easily replaced (How much is a backup/UT player this year?) Then you have important guys hitting arbitration for the first time: Kopech, Cease Collins/Mendick/Ruiz if any of them are still around. With reasonable guesses for the arb guys, it's easy to see how the White Sox have $165-$170 million in payroll already committed for 2023, maybe a little higher to fill out a 40 man roster. So right now, perhaps there's $20 million in salary decrease between this year and next year, but a majority of the money coming off the books is already being redistributed, and that's before talking about Abreu if he decides to come back.

McHugh’s career earnings so far are only $16 million. Anyone really think he turned down substantially more money to play in Atlanta?

Yankees and Red Sox both miss the playoffs.

I can’t believe he hasn’t yet.

If your infielders are consistently poorly positioned or just bad, you will first notice it through Aaron Bummer.

Because he had a 76.1% ground ball rate last year.

Bummer gets an insane number of ground balls still. Those balls are supposed to be stopped by fielders. They commonly aren't, because putting fielders where ground balls might go betrays the unwritten rules of the game, or something like that.

Sigh, and it starts in the 10th inning too.

Apparently 3 managers without playing experience are in the Hall of Fame, including Earl Weaver. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/mgrnon.shtml#:~:text=Joe McCarthy (1926-1950),National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The other thing to think about is how likely it is that someone on the bench or in the lineup is on the IL by the end of April, which could absolutely open up a more permanent spot.

I'd say it seems incredibly likely he gets one of those spots and we see how things go to open the year.

There was a report last week that the players and owners were still chatting about that rule and it was still possible as something that could come back, but never a full report of an agreed framework.

Josh Harrison gets into a fight with Dallas Keuchel/Craig Kimbrel for reasons that are completely baffling, leaving the latter to retire from baseball midseason?

Some of these don't seem particularly bold. #8? C'mon man, push it a little bit.

For at least a month this year, Reynaldo Lopez is the White Sox’s best starter and Velasquez is their best setup man. 4 AL Central teams finish above .500. 3 make the playoffs. Jake Burger gets 50 starts at 2b. Zack Collins is the White Sox’s starting catcher in the playoffs. The White Sox are in the top 3 teams for games lost to the IL.

Anyway, Cespedes has seemed impressively competent on defense. That might hold?

Guys I can’t remember was Courtney Hawkins ever good in the spring?

It’s 2 weeks past the end of the lockout, half way through training camp,2 weeks to the start of the season, 98 or 99% of offseason player movement is done, and the White Sox are stuck with an expensive guy on their roster they don’t want and who doesn’t want to be there. There are no non-disappointing acquisitions left.

And admit publicly that they made a mistake?

$36 million to do that, and over the tax line.

Treinen, Hudson, with Graterol as a setup man is a pretty solid start.

I do find it ironic that David Price produced better than Dallas Keuchel last year. Price also seems to be their 6th or 7th starter if I’m counting right?

Which are?

So if this team needed to address its weaknesses, what’s the deal with the defense?

Here’s the weird thing - the fact that RF looks like a mess right now probably means it will be another spot that is their worst ongoing problem once things start.