southsider2k5

I mean if we get a starting 3B out of the dude, that's a win there. I was thinking more of Smith and Schultz in that.

From the looks of his velos over those starts, he is throwing much harder at that point. More K's, but also a lot more walks. His HR rate didn't change, meaning he was still getting hit about as hard.

Mildly surprised to see no one rated higher than a 50 FV. That kind of reinforces the idea that no one sees a superstar in the system.

The "elite K rate" thing is smack in the middle of a lot of other noise. It didn't change his HR rate, and it about doubled his walk rate, leading to no actual change in his expected performance. I previously said, I think his peak is a #4 starter, but I do think he has some consistency work to do to get there.

This right here. I have no idea what he will bring, and what role they put him in, but not replicating the mistakes of the past for a cheap arm is the most important part. It puts another guy into the mix for a team that sorely needs good innings, well, everywhere. At the very least, he should help a pen that really, really needs it.

And his HR/9 rate didn't really change, so when he was in the zone, he was still getting hit for as hard of contact. Could he figure it out? Sure, he's got some raw stuff, but figuring out the balance here is what keeps a lot of guys from becoming solid major league starters.

If this is the same thing you posted yesterday, his walk rate doubled, and his expected ERA was almost identical to his previous 8 where his K rate was about 50% less, meaning his wildness was probably giving away what he gained in Ks.

His change up wasn't the problem. It was fastball location which sets up them swinging at the change. No one swings at the change if they know it is coming.

It has also become a meme that Chris Getz knew the entire organization was going to fall apart because he was left such a horrible, horrible mess that he couldn't have possibly done better than the worst team in the history of baseball, so in that world, why keep Luis Robert vs trading him after his amazing breakout year?

I have no idea where EXACTLY they are looking as of now. I will also mention that they are testing as we speak a southern Spur to the same line, depending on where they are looking. I will say if it is north, walking distance probably isn't further than you walk from a metra at 18th for current Soldier Field.

I really get the feeling they now have to move him for SOMETHING after the latest signing.

They do have a train line that goes right through Hammond.

I know Hammond's Mayor decently well. He will give away the farm to get the Bears there. Literally anything he can do, he will. I would also bet money that our Governor would back up the truck for something like this, as we love giving billions in abatements and relief to things like data centers, which provide little to no jobs and economic activity, so a football team wouldn't be much different. I don't know how much the Bears want to leave Chicago, but I will promise you that Indiana will bribe the hell out of them to do so.

The Rays would have traded him years ago, like we should have.

Exactly. They don't think much of the pitching they currently have both at the top and the guys in the minors if they are this serious about more pitching with the position player situation they have as well.

That tells me what the Sox think of the current pitching situation as they are still thin in position players overall, but especially in the OF.

The Mets should be able to put together a prospect package to rival this with position players. If the Reds package is accurate, it is very Frozen in that it is totally Fixer Uppers.

It would also fit the pattern of post hype prospects.

They do have a couple of interesting young Latin OFs that could be interesting.

This dance was done last year and failed because the Sox wouldn't pick up payroll, so what has changed? Do the Reds have payroll space, or are the sSox willing to pick up cash?

Getting past the ridiculous "hate" speech, again if you are looking at 2026, stuff doesn't typically fully come back until the year after a pitchers return from TJS, which makes that 2027, and for many it never comes back fully. Again the window of being good in MLB is so narrow when you don't have a plus fastball, and Thorpe is way below average in terms of velocity. His control has to be about perfect, and it wasn't while he was here, even before his injury, that is unless the Sox pitched him nine game with an injured ligament, because his stuff is pretty narrowly consistent across his starts. Dude has some of the best velocity of this season on his cutter and change in his last start. His 4 seamer was in the upper middle of his starts, and his slider was also in the middle of his velocities.

Amen to that.

For Burke and Kay I think their ceilings are #4's. Thorpe obviously has a weirdly high ceiling, but he HAS to be pinpoint in his control for it to happen, and so far he hadn't been able to do that. Add to that this being his first full year off of TJS, and I wouldn't look for much from him at least this year.