caulfield12

Lopez isn’t going to fetch much on the trade market, but provides significant value as a future closer if they move on from Graveman and/or Kelly. They especially need insurance due to Hendriks’ lingering health concerns. Moving Graveman makes the most sense, as nobody would take Kelly without money or prospects coming along with him. You do have to have a heart to heart with Abreu about this year, a possible trade to a contender, and a conversation about the future as well…retirement is probably not in his plans with how he’s performing recently. But you never know. Dump Pollock for salary relief…unless you’re spending so much or trading so much it’s counterproductive. Lynn had something like the highest amount of fWAR of any AL pitcher going back to 2019 entering this year. He’s back to the 93-95 mph range now and his stats are deceptive because of the way his last start ended. You’re going to have to choose between the returns on him and Giolito. There’s no point in attempting to contend next year if you trade both those guys and Cueto. Maybe you even offer Cueto an extension for 2023 if you’re not getting what you want on the trade market. Going into 2023 relying too much on Martin or Lambert is a recipe for disaster. If that’s the plan, it’s a foolhardy one. Finally hire someone to work specifically with Burger at agility, defense and getting him into the best shape of his life for 2023. You can’t move on from Moncada, Jimenez or Grandal, so there should be a legit back up plan at one of those spots. You also need to see what you have in Carlos Perez, Haseley, Yolbert Sanchez, Sosa so you can make some determinations for next year on guys like Engel and Zavala as well. You need to see if either Zavala or Perez could handle 60-65% of the workload, with McGuire as backup for 2023.

Drake LaRoche got married?

Yeah, he was reliable until he suddenly wasn't. That foreshadowed his 2021-22 seasons. We did lack a reliable third. Cease wasn't there yet.

He couldn't be worse than Banks or Sousa as a LHR.

Neither was Alexei Ramirez considered a Top 100 prospect when he came over. Nobody knows because he basically sat for three years. That's a ton of rust. The one certainty at this point is that Cespedes shouldn't be blocking his path. Robert is...they will keep him in CF as long as possible for projecting trade value but he's far more valuable to the Sox as a viable LH option. And because they're not going to pay up for Conforto or Nimmo.

But the difference comes down to huge starting pitching depth, and having enough of a roster to cover for the loss of two stars (Machado back again from ankle injury) for 3-4 months. Arguably they have come together and played better without Tatis as every player has had to contribute. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/pivot-point-now-contending-the-padres-have-traded-the-equivalent-of-a-40-man-roster/ The Padres arguably made bad to terrible trades for Snell, Clevinger (5 current starters on the Guardians plus Quantrill) and even Urias/Lauer for Grisham now looks pretty bad as well that would have gotten Hahn fired multiple times at SoxTalk. The farm system allowed them to absorb all those trade losses and still keep CJ Abrams, Hassell, Campusano, Weathers, Morejon, Lamet and Baez for depth/trades. They had enough talent on the 40 man they gave away the Orioles' SS Mateo for nothing. And that list doesn't include this year's Paddack/Pagan for Rogers, who will be a LHR reliever nearly everyone pursues in FA...as well as the trades for Sean Manaea and Adam Frazier last TDL.

Giolito

Or they’re implicitly arguing he wasn’t actually ready but they were “forced” to bring him up early due to organizational depth issues. So they can block him again with another from outside? Idiots.

None of the other four outfielders at Birmingham should be blocking Colas. Cespedes is barely hanging in there at the periphery of the Top 30. Only his name recognition has any impact, but that and the money they likely wasted on/invested in him has nothing to do with Colas, either. Sunk cost. The White Sox will eventually promote him simply so they can argue in the media he’s close enough to the big leagues so they don’t need to tie up long term money with a LH corner outfielder in FA.

It’s not like Hinch has done all that much, but there’s no way he could have been THIS bad. If only they gave Terry Francona a shot, and it has been multiple times they could have given him the job. Same with Leyland. We can’t even identify the talent within the organization, let alone externally.

Still sticking with 109 wins?

It would be more interesting to interview KW to see if he’s aligning with Hahn, TLR or now trying to separate from both. It’s quite obvious Hahn and LaRussa are going after each other in ways both subtle and not so subtle. Would frankly love to see Hahn asked how he would manage a pen and lineup as decimated by injuries and non performance as the Sox active roster the last 4-6 weeks. Other than less Leury and sticking with more of a set lineup, no obvious answers stand out. Two or three weeks ago, Burger and Pollock seemed critical and Harrison was on his way to a DFA. Now he and Sheets have taken on added importance, but the team overall is just kind of floundering along without completely sinking into the depths.

There is one legit superstar in Ramirez, a constantly injured star in Correa who might only be around for one season, three could-be stars in Buxton, Robert and Witt, Jr. and then tons of question marks surrounding the Tigers.

Cease has the highest whiff rate of ANY AL pitcher on a single pitch, his slider.

Another trade they’ll lose. Then we will one again wonder why we have no (competent) starting corner outfielders. The Guardians keeping the Twins from running away will force Hahn into the trade market out of desperation to save his job/roll the dice.

How does making emotional decisions work on Wall Street?

Fifth win in one week in their final at-bat for Guardians. Naylor pulled one barely foul that would have been one of the longest walk off homers in stadium history. Six starters and F.Reyes the result of just three trades, Lindor/Clevinger/Houston for Straw. That Rogers trade for Paddack/Pagan coming home to roost, although Rogers has had some implosions of his own. Also a bit crazy Archer is out-pitching Bieber ERA-wise this year, but so is Cueto. Yankees series this weekend becomes biggest for CLE in five years at home, starting with Gerrit Cole. Twins get the pesky Orioles.

Guardians have had an incredible FOUR ninth inning comebacks against the Twins in the span of one week. If those games all went against them: Minnesota +16 White Sox/Guardians -4 10 GB Instead, it’s 2 GB and 6 GB for the White Sox and still not out of it yet.

The White Sox have been featured on TMZ more often since TLR came onboard than ESPN.

Nobody cares about semantics and phrasing. This is not TMZ. What they do care about is the relationship between the team and player, and bringing him back into the fold more than alienating him further. Social media at best is going to reflect a small part of the story. Probably more of just a cry for help or attention when he is feeling lonely or isolated for whatever reason.

He was hunting hits because the jackass manager said he’d only get playing time if he was producing a hot streak offensively. 12 at bats to determine that he was suddenly scuffling? Zack Collins got hundreds of at-bats. Of course, first round draft picks always get the most rope to hang themselves with.

So he’s only 50-75% pissed? Guess we will see if he’s back in the lineup in the next day or two. If it’s longer than that, probably not the greatest development for both organization and player.

Sure, but 2000 through 2012 still looks a heckuva lot better than 2013-2022.

If you’re getting lower levels minor leaguers, then what is the point in keeping Cease and Kopech since those acquisitions wouldn’t make an impact until the second half of their walk years. They still basically have to be all in again for next season. Sure, you can deal Giolito or Lynn, Hendriks/Graveman, Pollock for salary relief, Cueto and Abreu will bring some value…but they’re pretty much stuck with the core of the assembled roster for 2023 as well. There’s no way you can anything resembling fair value for our struggling core players or Grandal…and you’re still being forced to put your faith in Hahn who has already screwed things up at least twice in the past decade with only two playoff disappointments to show for 3 1/2 years of fanbase patience.

One is already on the Cubs.