caulfield12

https://theathletic.com/2576511/2021/05/09/law-the-latest-scouting-intel-on-vanderbilts-kumar-rocker-and-jack-leiter-and-notes-from-a-strange-weekend-in-nashville/?source=freedailyemail

The real keys are Torkelson, Riley Greene and Manning...but Mize has definitely underwhelmed, Skubal, too. Boyd will undoubtedly fetch back something nice but unlikely amazing at the deadline. Hinch must be wondering if he really knew what he was getting into...likely gets one more final shot after this with another team.

Also the Royals, not built to last with that pitching other than Duffy, who can never seem to stay healthy.

Rodon never really even had a sustained period of excellence to return through. More like break-though, but there’s no such category.

Quite similar to Collins in the minors, but obviously Zack with more XB hits in a bandbox like Charlotte...walks, K’s, GIDP, 4-3 rollovers, warning track flyouts.

Not at 85-90% of max velocity for most of the games except against tough hitters or needing a K with RISP.

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-power-rankings-after-week-5?partnerId=zh-20210510-156906-MLB&qid=1026&bt_ee=%2BEAq9KM3g7rwddT1mEdQLq%2BQdIwlkF8hPBmbmcA0GGXPItm2iFzJq7JL%2BoPEY9xy&bt_ts=1620646670992 3. White Sox (Last week #4) The White Sox pitching is on a roll, and, unsurprisingly, that’s translating to lots of winning. Before they allowed three runs in a 9-3 win over the Royals on Sunday, the White Sox had given up two runs over their past 38 innings, and one of those runs was unearned. In fact, when Lucas Giolito gave up a first-inning run on Sunday, it was the first time in a week that a Sox starter had given up a run. That ended a span of 25 1/3 innings, with 10 hits allowed to 97 batters. AL East with four of the top twelve. Indians 15th, KC 18th, Twins all the way down to 22. Still have to believe Yankees are top competition when they get Severino back in the next month. Also, JD Martinez has to be the early favorite for AL Comeback Player. Practically any team could have gotten him this past offseason.

There’s always 2008, minus the Carlos Gomez five tool superstar game they beat Jenks down the home stretch...

Cleveland is a .500ish team unless they go something like 16-3 or 15-4 vs. Detroit. McKenzie has about the same odds as Rodon staying in the rotation all season long.

Gabe Kapler, SFG Not sure TLR can deserve it over Francona when the Indians dumped Hand, Lindor, Carrasco, Carlos Santana, etc. Shaved $40 million off payroll to get down to under $50 million, lowest in the entire majors. White Sox are at roughly $130 million. Just 1/2 game separates them.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/36080/dane-dunning Two rough starts in the middle, but has done better than most 4th/5th starters so far...not walking many.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/chicago-med-torrey-devitto-confirms-233009020.html David Ross seems to be leading a charmed life...for now.

This is otherwise known as the NED YOST THEORY...

After his experience/s the last two weeks of 2020, as well as Game 3 (not even sure RR got to pick the starter)...I'd honestly take Renteria, because he'd keep the team lose/more relaxed. Of course, there's a downside of that "friendliness" in terms of discipline and holding players accountable, being the Bad Cop suddenly isn't so easy when you have established a certain tenor. And it's not like Joe Maddon is suddenly looking like the second coming anymore.

Luis Robert's going to put up a 7 or 8 fWAR, lol? After missing 4+ months of the season? Because I'm not seeing how Eloy would even get close to 2...but let's just say they're inarguably (well, unless you DO want to argue about Jimenez's defensive woes) two of the Top 50-75 players in baseball and leave it at that.

For the Twins more than for the Sox...they could REALLY be buried for good if they got swept and couldn't regain momentum with their best player on the shelf indefinitely.

Vaughn as Alex Gordon? Engel? Hamilton? Leury looks so darn tiny out there, but he makes MOST of the plays he should. For some reason, like him better in center than in LF.

If he could field at that level, Top 3 SS arm in baseball and get 15-20 homers with a bunch of clutch RBI's, sign me up. Barrel-chested, would be the description, low/er center of gravity. https://southsideshowdown.com/2021/05/08/chicago-white-sox-mlb-dot-com/ Someone's getting a little bit carried away about Y.Cespedes making the big leagues this year...

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nightengales-notebook-albert-pujols-final-113924193.html Apparently, Pujols was quite critical of Joe Maddon's managing, fwiw...

No team with Luis Robert, TA, Yoan Moncada, etc., can be "ugly." We're too stylish for that now.

Okay, who does he look like us, please give us an appropriate comp? Just like the fact that he's active and seems to have a good energy about him. Because 98 or 99 times out of 100, those comps go way way overboard.

As long as he hits at least 15-18 homers. We can't get less than 25-30 homers out of the outfield over the course of the entire season. Someone mentioned Naquin...after his hot start, he's come back down to earth, not really sure how much of an improvement he'd be other than his familiarity with AL Central teams/pitchers/parks. Maybe we could steal or borrow all of his "Francona notes" lol.

That worked a heckuva lot better when Jermaine Dye was manning RF.

I haven't seen very many realistic names mentioned. Sure, it would be nice to have Ketel Marte, Mitch Haniger or even Starling Marte, but guys like that cost (significantly) more. The Yankees have a logjam when Voit comes back. Maybe Brett Gardner would be willing to play for the White Sox, but he would be blocked by Vaughn and obviously isn't a CFer. Andujar can play 3B, 1B, and DH as well. It wouldn't be all about LF. And, for the time being, Mendick's going to push Lamb out if he keeps this up. So the goal is to improve the bench one player at a time. Eventually, Leury will be back there as well, Collins obviously shares catcher. Would like to have one more really potent bat off the bench. Of course, if Eloy and Robert come back 100%, this isn't a critical need, either, but nobody knows exactly what will transpire.

Except he really doesn't have control anymore. Eaton and Lynn, 100% TLR adds/suggestions. If he actually did have that power, LaRussa wouldn't be manager, someone like Hinch or Bruce Bochy would.