caulfield12

He works counts when he doesn't put the first ball in play because that's the result quite often when he makes softer contact...so the average of pitches/PA is still going to be lower (3 point whatever, compared to almost 4 pitches for the average MLB PA), but there are two stories coming into play....the whole "Nicky Two strikes battling back from 0-2/1-2/2-2 to full counts and running up pitch counts storyline vs. the putting the first or second ball into play because of bat to ball ability/lack of selection on which pitches he can drive, etc.)

Slackers!!! C'mon, brahs and baes!

1) Trade for Jonathan Gray of the Rockies (FA after this year, only $6 million contract) or German Marquez. Marquez is a mess right now, so there's probably not a match, but he has the extra years of control. Depends on scouting/Katz assessment. Willing to trade ANYONE not nailed down in the organization, other than Burger (have a sneaking feeling his bat and 3b/1B glove will come in quite handy eventually)...plus the Rockies already have McMahon for third. Obviously, Reynaldo Lopez would be one to ship out, along with ANY minor league pitching. Depending on their feelings about Cespedes, the Rockies could definitely use another outfielder as well in the future. 2) Bring up Alec Hansen, DFA/outright Marshall or Ruiz and allow the two former OU teammates (Gray/Hansen) to work together again. Hope to catch lightning in a bottle. 3) Buy out the rights to QB/CFer Kyler Murray (the third OU connection) from the A's and let him play everyday at Winston-Salem. Play up the PR spin and marketing connections to two sport standouts like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Tim Tebow and Eddie Alvarez (haha) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multi-sport_athletes Prepare for total world domination with an OF in 2024 of Murray, Vaughn, Jimenez, Robert, Cespedes and Colas. 4) The key point. Start working with the agents for Lynn, Gray and Rodon (difficult with Boras Corp.) on an extension for 2-3 seasons. Likely 3. Can use that leverage to see if you can get Giolito to bite on an extension as well (with the leverage of knowing you will get at least 1/3 or go the route of 1 or 2 qualifying offers for Lynn/Gray/Rodon), although with his extreme volatility doubt JR will be offering $125 million in light of the Danks fiasco. Of course, those qualifying offers (if they survive CBA negotiations) would get some potentially useful compensation back if only one of the players accepted (you could see them working behind the scenes with Rodon to offer knowing Boras will politely decline will chasing after the 2-4 year deals on behalf of his client.) If you can trade for Marquez, you already control his rights for 2 1/2 seasons in a prototypical "Jose Contreras/change of atmosphere or scenery deal." JUST $26 million for 2022/23 combined, so you're protected by the $2.5 million buyout (otherwise $16 million in 2024 with two Top 5 Cy Young finishes, which any organization in baseball would be extremely elated to pay $16 million in exchange for.) 5. With three OU players in the fold, this doesn't mean you also need to go after REAL Steele Walker (yet another OU player), just in case Hahn had that hankering for a reunion. This also allows you to take a little more time and strategizing in terms of converting Crochet to starting (knowing you can throw Colas into the mix in 2022-23.) 6. With Kyler Murray playing baseball, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Nicky Two Homers/Two Strikes Madrigal, the Yerminator, the Burger Baconator, "even more Cubans (Colas adding to the LHR corps with Bummer/Fry/Crochet)," Michael Kopech, etc., you suddenly have the most entertaining/interesting team in all of baseball (yes, ahead of the Padres shockingly) and krush the groove out of the Cubs and Marquee Network with playoff appearance after playoff appearance so boring it's like being an Atlanta Braves fan in the 90's and early 00's. Ricketts needs to sell off developments in Wrigleyville to raise cash for 2024 run, JR buys them all out and reallocates the profits from yuppie Cubs' fans from the NW Suburbs and grandmothers from Des Moines, Peoria and South Bend to the White Sox "war chest/coffers."

Freaking Refsnyder the next in the Piranha Tradition (TM pending). 6/8 so far on the year, starting out like the Baconator.

It was a graft from Abreu or Kopech's pony tail...maybe we need to trade for Jonathan Gray, he has a mini ponytail or what almost looks like a pig or rat tail, lol.

Now tied with Orioles at 23rd in MLB homers. We don't have to here about how we're last anymore, but still producing plenty of runs. Passed the Tigers and Royals too.

Pineda's just the guy to do it. Which is fine, because we historically struggle against him. Shoemaker must be looking for any excuse to go onto the IL instead of pitching WED.

Yermin vs. the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Donatello'ed into the stands. Did he hit it even further than 485 feet this time? He still has the longest MLB homer of the young season.

45.9 EUPHUS registers at MLB.com Game Day. That's funny. I can at least throw high 70's at age 51.

Especially since he will hit FA one year earlier, great job Hahn, haha... If only we had spent money on some additional depth...we would still have Vaughn in 2027. But we saved $3-5 million in the short term, amirite?

Was dubious about playing him at 3B, but that might even work if we didn't already have Mendick, L.Garcia and Burger, haha. Who needs Carlos Sanchez? ONLY GATORADE/General Mills or Quaker Oats!!!

HOT TAKE: He's going to go on a homer "tear" and end up with at least 5-7 on the season.

Mandick and Nick Madrigal would be the correct answers, followed by PGAer Greg Norman and Fed Ex/DHL/UPS

Updated RS/RA differentials: 1. CWS 73 2. Houston 56 3. LAD 49 4. Boston 45 5. SDP 42 6. Toronto/SF 36 8. TB 20 Cardinals +14, Yankees +11

Darn you AV, let runners in scoring position with less than two outs twice tonight. Stone Pony is coming after you man. He blames you for superimposing the scantily-clad girl in the Twitter picture the other day (celebration in front of Sox dugout, Moncada ACTUALLY showing emotions and not Cyborg.)

Bonus Question: Which relatively obscure Caribbean island was Alexander Hamilton born on (nobody knows his exact birthday/date)???

Biggest Madrigal Fan: Poppy Biggest worrier: Jack Parkman (sorry for two nominations) Best masking policy Cole Beasley impersonation: Greg775

White Sox now at +70, Astros at +56 for MLB overall lead, Dodgers +49.

Got to love SoxTalk, two weeks ago: THOSE WHO WISH TO MURDER...(fill in the blank player/coach) Now, it's THOSE WHO WISH TO MURDER (playfully) our broadcasters. Maybe the Stone/Moncada "controversy" can make it to local/regional/national media as well....? That would make Stone Pony look like even more of an ass, if that's possible.

Just wait until Benetti or Stone say that he looks "older, more grizzled or mature" than most rookies...

Vaughn's our doubles-hitting machine (aka Nick Castellanos) the last month.

He made it look too easy....should have been grindier like Madrigal/Eckstein to score points with the fans at home. Of course, when Luis Robert makes everything look effortless in CF, that's a totally different story.

Should have hustled to get down on the ground with one knee, glove tip touching the ground and prepared to field it with two hands...that lackadaisical non-Tom Emanski and Fred McGriff-approved flashy gold chainsy type of defense just won't fly.

Stone is doing the one thing even JR, Hahn, TLR and Renteria couldn't...unifying the Sox fanbase in common cause against his "Rachel Phelps from Major League the movie" jealous nonsense.

798 OPS Getting closer and closer to the .915 from two years ago, which puts him Top 5-7 in all of MLB if he manages to repeat that accomplishment again.