caulfield12

See Jeremy Reed...albeit with more athleticism. Still not a pure CFer...although he can play it more than adequately. He’s likely to be a 15-18 homer guy coming up as a rookie at Safeco. In reality, nobody will be shocked if Rodriguez ends up being the best outfielder (with Kyle Lewis in there as well, another outfielder many targeted but has suffered his own series of injuries.)

Well, the White Sox have survived having one of the worst first round draft histories since the late 80’s, minus guys like Sale and TA. That said, regardless of what we think, he’s David Eckstein to TLR already, so he will be in there pretty much everyday. He has always been one of those players who was not going to hurt the team...a complementary piece. If the big bsts do what they are supposed to, it really doesn’t matter all that much. It’s just more magnified due to injuries...we had the same thing with Brian Anderson in 2006, where he got benched not because of defensive issues but simply because the rest of the offense was struggling and they couldn’t afford a complete black hole in the lineup. All we can do is hope for improvements and a continuous process of acclimation...the results following the confidence/braggadocio. He’s not going to be traded anytime soon, regardless of everyones’ criticisms. I’m actually waiting on another VAFAN thread defending him, since picking on Leury or the bullpen/TLR is too obvious at this point. This team was always going to go as far as TA, Robert, Moncada, Grandal, Jimenez and Abreu carried it. At least now with Vaughn, Mercedes and Collins, we have even more options, two most weren’t considering or counting on much from.

His hit tool is spot on: contact, an INCREDIBLE two-strike hitter (something like .350-.400 with two strikes?, best in or close to best in the bigs). So, Nick can hit. Better than expected. The power, first off, who cares. Second, he was asked about this multiple times during the year and says he’s not worried, it’ll come. He asked team vets and they all reassured him it’ll come, a year or two into his career, not to worry. Also, when he was rehabbing his shoulder injury at the alternate site in Schaumburg, Nick took a ball off of the scoreboard during a scrimmage. Unrelated, when I played a sim season (only got into July I think, when the actual season kicked off) during the pandemic delay, Madrigal started the season with my White Sox and had like eight homers in the first half. So, someone in the Out of the Park sim game likes Nick’s power. If there is a worry, it’s that his game instincts aren’t as advertised. He’s said to be a “smart” player, etc., but there were occasions, particularly baserunning, where he seemed very untailored. Sure, rookie mistakes, but Nick was advertised (and drafted) as a guy very ready, with ideal instincts. So, hitting better than expected, feel for the game more raw than anticipated. John: Madrigal got himself injured pretty early in the season. Is there any concern about his health going forward? Brett: The injury was an example of Nick letting his aggression get the best of him. It’s an adjustment for him to not be able to control the game like he’s used to, perhaps even at the college level. He made an aggressive first-to-third advance on a single to center and jammed his arm on the slide trying to avoid the ball. I don’t think there’s concern about his health from that injury; that his aggressiveness might cause some problems in the future, perhaps. https://www.buildingthedam.com/2020/10/15/21506145/beavers-in-mlb-talking-with-southside-sox-about-nick-madrigal-rookie-season-oregon-state-baseball

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/penn-law-professor-predicts-businesses-will-require-vaccination-proof-140423925.html

Same reason Konerko did...force of habit, repeated over a lifetime.

Wonder how much of this is about not signing an extension? Obviously Hahn always referred to him as part of the core when referencing future Sox teams...a bit harsh to blame his having to learn defense on the fly and make adjustments when that’s the whole point of his being up in the first place.

Yermin Mercedes Is The Feel-Good Story Of The 40-Man Roster Deadline It’s easy to be happy for all 108 players, but if you want to pick a player to be especially happy for, celebrate White Sox catcher Yermin Mercedes’s addition to the 40-man roster. Mercedes spent three years in the Dominican Summer League with the Nationals before being released before the 2014 season. If he wasn't a catcher, that likely would have been the end of the story. But because he was a catcher, he'd been brought over to the States for spring training before he was released. (Teams always need large numbers of catchers to catch bullpens at camp). Because he was in the States and had a visa, he was able to latch on to play in the independent Pecos League. The Pecos League is the independent league for baseball lifers. Travel is rough. Pay is absolutely minimal. The hope in the Pecos League is to be signed to a higher-level independent league where there are better facilities and better pay. Mercedes did well enough in the Pecos League to jump to the United League by the end of the season, where he played six games for former MLB manager Doc Edwards and the San Angelo Colts. The United League folded at the end of that season, but Mercedes by that point had caught the eye of the Orioles. Baltimore signed him and sent him to low Class A Delmarva. He showed a solid bat with Delmarva in 2015, but was sent back there for the 2016 season as well. He finally hit his way out of low Class A by hitting .345/.404/.570 between Delmarva and high Class A Frederick in 2016. Mercedes finally made it to Double-A at the tail end of 2017. When the season ended, he’d spent seven seasons in minor league baseball. He’d played 12 games above Class A. And once again he was reminded that he wasn’t really all the wanted. The Orioles could have protected him from the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft by making him one of the 38 players they place on their Triple-A roster. They put him on the Double-A roster instead, which was a declaration that there were 78 other players they would rather protect. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/yermin-mercedes-is-the-feel-good-story-of-the-40-man-roster-deadline/ https://theathletic.com/2501783/2021/04/06/rosenthal-yermin-mercedes-long-road-to-the-majors-ronald-acunas-adjustments-more-notes/

https://www.mlb.com/news/andrew-vaughn-not-a-white-sox-lineup-regular-yet

Cespedes is really something of a long shot to count on despite the headlines. He's a name and potential, not unlike Adolfo.

Yeah, same here. Those last two option years are getting expensive if Jimenez is just going to be a 2-2.5 fWAR contributor due to his poor defense. You have to be thinking that you are going to have to take the same approach as Colorado, get their first...and hope the Giants keep trying to retool on the fly or whatever it is they're doing. With the Dodgers and Padres (especially 2022), it must be pretty bleak sitting in those three front offices, and with the Bumgarner contract now on the books as well. No clue what you do. Gallen's probably your second most valuable trade piece, but you pretty much have to start building around him, SOMEWHERE, right? Locastro has a lot of potential as a speed/occasional power guy. Probably have to trade Peralta. Escobar's getting too old to have much value. Can't believe Merrill Kelly's 32.5 and older than Madison, who seems as if he has been around forever. Of course, you're also looking for a bounceback from Luke Weaver eventually. Their situation is a lot like the Giants, actually. Other than Gallen and Locastro, not sure who I even like much. What can Gallen get you? Without a REALLY established record of success, 72 innings coming into this season...he's not going to have nearly the same value to other teams as a Giolito or Burnes, although you have the cheaper contract/longer control.

On paper. But that's like saying that any team in baseball would take the Tatis, Jr., contract over "on paper." Since that's an issue of a shoulder surgery and 4-6 months out (off-season or shutting down entirely for 2022), and it SHOULD be fixed instead of a recurring problem. But his style of play almost forces you to stick him in CF instead of the middle infield, which would absolutely drive someone like him or Tim Anderson crazy. A large market team would definitely take the risk, but most couldn't or wouldn't. In reality, there are MAJOR concerns now with both players, the main point. They're not just the sum total of their stats entering this season. If you're a rebuilding National League team, you'd almost have to put him at 1B, but somehow I think all of us can just imagine him reaching across the baseline into the path of a runner and doing the 'ol gator arm and having an elbow blown out or some other bizarre injury. Or making a throw to 2B on a double play relay, very hard to picture a strong, accurate throw across the diamond...or home on a relay play for that matter. Or just imagine every team bunting the ball right at him down the line.

And at least get him into Dayan Tank Viciedo shape...or the way Colas looked before all the conditioning/fitness training.

Marte just went on the DL. One of the hottest hitters in baseball the first week. Out until late April with hamstring injury. Owed $36 million for the next four seasons (two option years), so he'd overlap with TA. The problem is that you're going to have to send money with Jimenez because you're basically going to have to subsidize the DBacks, since you're forcing him back into that large AZ outfield and he's extremely likely to be injured again. They already had a terrible experience with Yasmany Tomas. Most importantly, there's only a ONE year advantage to the Dbacks in terms of player control. Jimenez is guaranteed $29 million for the next three seasons, so it's actually ONLY a $7 million difference in guaranteed money through 2024. Another $35 million to JImenez for his last two years, or $6 million (3/3) in buyouts in 2025/26. No way in HELL a National League team can trade their best player in his age 27-30 seasons for a MASSIVE question mark in Jimenez. I'm not even 100% sure I would trade him for Jimenez and Madrigal (as Dbacks' GM)...it might take a White Sox minor league starter like Kelley. It's actually quite similar to the return the Brewers would expect for Corbin Burnes...although I'd give the slight advantage to Burnes because of the importance of TOR starters in the playoffs. The affordable nature of the Marte deal makes it extremely attractive for any middle/small-market contending team in baseball with a strong/deep farm system.

Clearly many teams do/did. Add up the career fWAR for Aiken Kolek and Rodon in that Schwarber draft year.

We would have said the same thing in mid August of Gordon Beckham's rookie campaign. The next White Sox captain to take over from Paulie, Jeter-esque qualities. Yermin has to hit, because he's unlikely to play in the field or catch (rifle arm but lacking in other areas and Grandal/Collins ahead of him.) So far, first big test passed... sustaining that momentum. But llet's wait and see how he does against CLE.

Wait at least 3-4 months before declaring Yermin a fixture in future lineups. I have him on my fantasy team, so quite well aware of what he's done so far and his minor league OPS.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/samson-fernando-tatis-jr-could-miss-the-season-and-president-a-j-preller-isnt-telling-the-full-story/ Theory posited that Tatis will miss most of the season and that Preller is just buying time to get a new SS. Not sure that makes much sense with how much depth they already have at that particular position. Knowing Preller's history with injuries, though...

Sarcasm.

With Urias, Arcia and the ability to get Wong for money and nothing surrendered...Madrigal never made sense. Thanks Brewers’ pen for blowing Burnes’ lead, btw. On the other hand, we might look at Cain as a realistic veteran outfield addition...especially if Jimenez can’t stay on that aggressive return timeline.

Mercedes now 15/25, trying to make a bid for Player of the Week (and then month?) again...

If Buxton’s going to hit 25-35 homers this year, we’re going to need all the offense we can possibly get. Just need to stay within 3-5 games of the Twins until July...then get Jimenez back and 2-3 more veteran pieces at the deadline. Feel bad for Paxton, likely to be headed for TJ after his first start back with the M’s. Never could stay healthy, loads of ability.

Lowered his ERA to 30 now...one more out than last year. mystifying, because he was really good his first two years

Yerminated...almost to the concourse. Had the biggest ovation during introductions as well.

No impact on his ERA, lol.

Starting to sound like Konerko’s final year gift tour...