caulfield12

Right now, we’re in a bit of flux, aren’t we? Probably something in the vicinity of 5-6, but perhaps as many as 7 games out when the Twins face the Yankees the first week of June. Then the schedule will turn and really start bearing down on Minny, hence the Sox being the FG probability favorites to win the division by about 5%. But what is the actual direction of this franchise? I suppose right now the short term storyline is simply waiting on Lynn and Jimenez, but every minute the clock is ticking on the veterans, especially Grandal and Abreu. Maybe they’ll come around. Who knows? But this (still) feels almost more like a team in transition than one prepared for a deep playoff run. Jimenez and Moncada to a lesser extent are BIG question marks…Giolito is another with the extension tabled and perhaps gone for good, then Kopech brilliant but who knows how many innings we can push him? We are starting to see the outlines of a great playoff rotation, but there are just so many remaining issues to be resolved. Biggest is whether TLR can somehow improve. He’s showing some signs on outfield defensive replacements and McGuire, but there are the baffling lack of late PHing moves, bizarre lineups and rest patterns, starting Vaughn and Sheets in the same outfield. Just feels like a CLOUDY overall franchise forecast. In the end, we really won’t know enough about this team until July or August when all the parts are assembled and the TDL has passed.

It's certainly going to be quite a bit more than Sal Perez...a similar stature player for his franchise but one not as nationally acclaimed and as Anderson is. Sal Perez doesn't make a game cover. Plus, we already have the failed Giolito extension numbers to look at. If we are not investing in Gio, Anderson or Robert (for various reasons)...you only have Vaughn, Cease and Kopech left. The Kansas City Royals have given six-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez the richest contract in club history, a four-year, $82 million deal that begins in 2022. The contract includes a club option worth an additional $13.5 million and has a $2 million buyout for 2026.

“This guy is -- he’s as good as anybody playing at that position, and one of the best players in baseball,” said manager Tony La Russa. “So he deserves the recognition, and he deserves the respect. When somebody disrespects him, well, he should get upset. I know I would. Point is, when you talk about how special he is, think about the game he had under those circumstances.” https://www.mlb.com/news/tim-anderson-homers-white-sox-sweep-yanks-in-doubleheader?partnerId=zh-20220523-610734-mlb-1-A&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20220523-610734-mlb-1-A&bt_ee=ch2rtDrTQg6DCCWi3dQilTt%2BsDak0hYI31wyue16SjxGnFbkTw4JNyteSmi1Lzh%2F&bt_ts=1653316916644

Don't mention credit default obligations with the stock market like this lol.

Another thing...you're going to pay TA $26.5 million in 2023-24 when you are about to pay Moncada $49 million for 2024-25. That won't sit well at all if Yoan continues to be the player he has been since 2020.

Then 8 by roughly $175 million including two remaining option years versus TWICE that for Lindor (obviously two years longer and starting at 27 rather than age 31/32 season)??? Lindor's not THAT much more valuable than Anderson, errors be damned. He certainly wasn't/isn't based on his play in 2021 and so far this season.

It's like knowing whether JR will still be alive or not, lol. If we at least advance to an ALCS one of these next three seasons...that's one aspect of it. And obviously how he looks physically, wear and tear on his body from playing SS and running the bases. He will become more of a power guy and less someone who steals 20-25 bags over time. Obviously his range at SS will matter a ton, too. The overall money would decrease by 15-25% for 2B vs. SS as well. I would put the odds at somewhere between 25-40% likelihood if I was forced at gunpoint to come up with a range of probability.

Should put those quotes on Yankees' boards. A lot of fans were totally writing off the Yankees last year before they went on a massive winning streak last August almost right after the FoD game. Fwiw, only the second series of the season they have lost.

Lindor signed that ten year deal when he was 27 years old. In baseball terms, that's a massive difference from signing beginning in a year that someone turns 32. You can argue it would take another year or two, making it 7 years rather than six, and $225-250 million rather than something in the $340 range Lindor got over ten. But comparing again, Years 27-31 would/should be the last five prime years of Lindor's career, whereas Tim perhaps would already be declining by 32 and you're paying quite a bit for past production. $12.5 and $14.0 million are already options years for 2023-24, so you can look at it like 8 years for around let's say $225-230 million...or 9 years for $250-270 million. That would be through 37 OR 38 years old. But I don't see him quite reaching much more than mid $200's in the end. That's basically overpaying him ala Konerko for his past value to the team, leadership and so he could retire a White Sox. Counting on a low first rounder to be a regular player is a bad bet in Sox recent draft history, though, unless you are TA7 himself or Chris Sale. They were much higher first rounders, too. To summarize, counting on Montgomery to take TA's spot is even a bigger risk than counting on Colas for RF in 2024.

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-power-rankings-2022-week-7 The rest of the field of 30: Padres (8) Angels (5) Rays (9) Twins (10) Giants (7) Blue Jays (11) Cardinals (12) White Sox (13) Braves (14) Red Sox (21) Cubs fell from 22nd to 24th, fwiw. Guardians 17th, Tigers 27th, Royals 28th.

Ummm...just because you're over 50 years old doesn't mean you necessarily believe TA7, Vladdy Jr., Soto, Acuna, Jr., or Fernando Tatis, Jr., are bad for the sport. Actually, quite the contrary.

https://www.mlb.com/video/check-out-anderson-s-home-run-x0262 Creator Cuts/Field Level view of TA7 homer...will probably get his critics riled up by spending so much time with the "quiet down, that's all folks SHHHHHHH....." gesture. "Luck, like love, is unlimited. The more you share it, the more there is to go around. You will not lose your place in the world if other people are no longer marginalized." Theologian and activist Keith Magee

Won't last very long, because the BoSox are playing like a completely different team and eventually we will run into a VV or Keuchel start mixed in there. Cubs bouncing around from 5-9 games below .500.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=21,d White Sox position players 24th in fWAR...the whole team (2.4) isn't much different than TA individually 21st in WRC/25th in OPS/26th BABIP

What is combined pace for the rest of the team (position players)? 6-7ish?

In the interest of "fair play," I'm sure Jeff Passan will mention this when he writes his obligatory column about this over the next week or so.

Well, that's normally African-American, Hispanic/Latino/LatinX or Hispanic-American, Asian-American and Native American.

Freddie Prinze, Jr.? Actually, Uribe is probably my all-time favorite "complementary" White Sox player...especially in terms of personality and how he was beloved by his teammates. I think Mark Buehrle even was willing to take a pay cut one year just to keep him around. That guy could drive a runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs with the best of them, seemingly better than even Crede at that one aspect. Great great plus arm and excellent range. Had that one year after the trade where he was flirting with .400 after two months. That insane Montreal game we somehow lost where he had around 8 RBI's (pretty sure we messed up a bunt at the end) and it was started by one of the most unforgettably over hyped pitching prospects (Arnie Munoz). Shaped like a combination of a spark plug and weiner dog. You could always identify him on the field just by that alone. One of the most unorthodox/distinctive RH swings and follows throughs in recent memory. Surprising pop/power.

The only arguments against this were 1) the sad ending of Konerko's career with the White Sox, and 2) the fact that we jettisoned Magglio, C-Lee and Valentin in 2004-05 off season in order to bring in a ton of veteran players that were cumulatively at about the same cost as those three veteran favorites. But when you have a position player like that, and not a pitcher (and we all understand the economics of the Buehrle move and what it was made at that point in his career), you almost have to do it. It's not unlike the Red Sox with Betts (obviously he's an MVP caliber guy) or the Yankees letting Judge walk...Rockies with Arenado, etc. So with all the bitterness and recriminations about the Sox endings for numerous Sox players under the JR regime, you (I will repeat myself again) HAVE TO DO IT. Even if you're selling the team...and especially if you want to keep it in Chicago forever and/or build a new stadium (eventually).

That doesn't exactly fit with his extreme fitness routine, but, sure....why not? I mean, he's a Latin American player. Promoting Dos Equis...would need to add a grizzled/grey beard and a fedora, though.

Well, obviously...seems they were fairly close, though, just guesstimating. Isn't there a HR tracker thing somewhere online?

With all the uncertainty about TLR and Abreu and Giolito, it seems like this would be the biggest move that Jerry Reinsdorf could possibly make to demonstrate his commitment to the White Sox competitive window and franchise in general. Send a signal to all of baseball he's going to play his entire career for the White Sox. Obviously, emotions are high after this weekend. We know all of his flaws on defense, losses of concentration/focus and his lack of walks. You can add hitting with RISP in the early going this year as well. BUT...BUT...BUT He's the heart of the team and the clear leader now, there's no question about it. The most high-profile national identity or recognition level as a player, as well. Far and away the most marketable player on the team. Heck, he already has his own mini-series/YouTube documentary, right? TA7 will turn 32 years old (June 2025), fwiw. 2 1/2 more years remaining on his current contract, including option years. The last time we had a similar situation, we kept Paul Konerko and jettisoned Mark Buehrle...but that was the TAIL END of the 2005 championship team's run, and the manager of that team was also leaving simultaneously under questionable (at best) circumstances. I'm going to argue that with a TA extension it has to be at least 6 years and roughly $200 million...although the White Sox might start discussions in the $175 range. If you're not planning to extend Lucas Giolito, and you want to show your commitment to a winner, you make this move. (That obviously doesn't mean JR will follow this advice and he might consider the "opportunity cost" of paying that out for an "aging" speed-based player too onerous. Whatever happens, it's going to play a massive role in determining the future of this organization, as the odds of retaining Luis Robert on his current trajectory are pretty much slim and none.)

And can anyone figure out what happened to Anderson's home run ball that went into the corn last August ended up? HoF? Or did a private fan/collector end up with it? Guess it probably somehow ended up with MLB and then Timmy?

Did he hit that ball in almost exactly the same place as the FoD game?