caulfield12

https://www.mlb.com/news/dark-horse-mvp-candidates-for-2022 Luis Robert -- White Sox Key stat: 155 OPS+, 3.6 bWAR across 68 games in 2021 Robert has only 124 career games on his big league resume, and those 124 games have had a little of everything: a tantalizing flash out of the gate in August 2020, a severe adjustment curve that September (.409 OPS) and then a scintillating sprint to the finish after he returned from a torn hip flexor last August (1.011 OPS, 12 homers in 43 games). So why do I see MVP hardware for Robert in Year 3? His power has been special from the start (118 mph max exit velocity, 43% career hard-hit rate). He made pitch-tracking history with how much he cut down on whiffs from 2020 to '21. He’s shown elite defense from the jump (+10 Outs Above Average, eighth among center fielders since 2020, in spite of all the missed time). And he’ll be a key cog on a White Sox club that should have baseball’s easiest path to a division title. We’ve already seen the five-tool potential of "La Pantera." Why not an MVP Award that arrives ahead of schedule?

They're not going to trade Lamet right now, that's crazy...they have too many question marks in their rotation and bullpen to countenance that.

As we hypothesized why the Meadows trade was never going to materialize...Kiermaier would have been the salary they were looking to exchange. So we can certainly compare Pollock, Suzuki, Conforto, Pederson, Avi, Rosario, Soler, Meadows, etc., and see who was right and who was (preliminarily) wrong just six months from now.

Because many keep spelling Pollock incorrectly!!!

Twins' announcers (that are a lot more knowledgeable than Tom Hamilton in CLE) want Pollock in LF, Jimenez at DH and Leury/Engel/Vaughn in RF...predicting that Jimenez will get hurt again or injure Robert, who they compared to the Bad News Bear CFer making all the plays by cutting in front of the worthless corner guys...tifwiw. Twins also likely to go with 16 pitchers until May 2nd.

On the plus side, when Jimenez gets hurt, we can put Pollock back in his natural position, Sheets at DH and the dreaded Leury/Vaughn platoon in RF! I seem to remember VaFan getting called out for being overly positive, which, at the time, was the contrary opinion. I suppose the board reverts back to "Hahn is a demi god" until the next (perceived) bad trade or injury. Honestly, not sure what "dick ripping" even means, but I'm sure it's meant to put critics "back in their place" or something like that.

Well, the main point is putting someone where they are most comfortable playing. We still have a bunch of round pegs and square holes in Eloy, Sheets and Vaughn with Abreu on the roster. At least until they're traded away. Collins, although not sure he will get a shot anywhere unless they mercifully jettison him into space from Charlotte's roster.

Pollack is a former UGA linebacker, not to be confused with a fish or AJ. Definitely not to be confused with polack, a pejorative for Polish people.

Next to zero trade value until he proves himself to be healthy. Which will likely never happen at this point in his career.

In RF? Well, we will just have to wait and see how Pollock does with his six career games there and about a week to adjust. Sort of like Andrew Vaughn last year. Of course, playing a new position and having a history of hamstring problems...

We'll try a baseball GM argument then. No Kimbrel option, QO to Rodon, sign Joc and platoon him in RF with Engel (where they are both comfortable/experienced), sign Eduardo Escobar and invest the savings into a starting pitcher such as Manaea and backup catcher better than Ciuffo with those aforementioned savings. That leaves Leury as the primary backup everywhere, but not starting where he shouldn't. And no Harrison. The fWAR for that particular combination will work out at least 3-5 points higher than what we're actually applauding. And a comp pick back from the Giants to boot. And more left-handedness in the normal 70% of the time lineup as well. You can really win a World Series with that team.

This goes back to the initial argument of no Kimbrel option, sign Joc and platoon him in RF with Engel (where they are both comfortable/experienced), sign Eduardo Escobar and invest the $10 savings into a starting pitcher. The fWAR for that particular combination will work out 3-4 points higher.

Just wanted to see how Archer did...not well. Twins seem most concerned about who they will rotate at 3B and LF. Larnach sent down. I do find it amusing I know more about the Twins despite being 13 times zones removed compared to what the professionals paid to announce games know about one of their top rivals merely a state away.

Thought so...so it's not like there isn't going to be a learning curve here for someone. They're not dumb enough to suddenly switch Eloy to RF one would hope. I'm assuming Friedman discussed this issue with Pollock before the trade went down.

Except we need the Scorpion King.

First thing the Twins' radio guys said was Pollock in LF, Eloy at DH and Engel to RF. Of course, they also have TA7 as a free agent after this year, ignoring all the options in his contract. Btw, how many games in the last five years does Pollock have in RF?

Calling out everyone because we finally traded Kimbrel is almost something I would expect here in China...where expressing contrary opinions publicly gets you disappeared. Did you also have a go at Balta, Ray Ray and Two Gun Pete, by the way? You can't buy trust, you have to earn it through actions and things like eventually winning a freakin' playoff series first.

Please send me his contract extension details as soon as they become available...

Ewwww. TMI.

That would be worse than the Crochet pitching plan. Let's try not to mess up every single first round draft pick this decade (well, other than Anderson).

But there was a three year age difference, and Suzuki is not a prototypical slappy looking hitter (neither was Fukudome, for that matter). Totally different style of player. But it always come down to the ability of Japanese players to adjust to 95-102 MPH pitching...when the average over there is upper 80s and low 90s. And it did take Ohtani some time for everything to click. We don't have those two years to wait around.

Supply and demand. Last finishing piece on the market, starting pitching-wise, for a number of months.

If you trust in your intl. scouting, no Kimbrel option and Suzuki was the answer. Of course, if they are right on either Colas or Cespedes, it's absolutely perfect timing with Pollock...and they arguably trust Cubans over Pacific Rim talent. But get it wrong and you could be starting all over again in a barren FA market next offseason.

So, let me get this straight. Just because we finally dumped Kimbrel on someone, we now should be elated with the front office potentially rupturing the relationship with one of our most important young players and a team leader to boot? Makes perfect sense.

Just thinking the odds of Pollock and Harrison repeating 2021 at their age don't usually break in favor of the Sox. Then you have Abreu at 35 as well. This year has to be the year to break through. But for that money, just a 2ish fWAR out of the third OF position would be fine. Same with 2B. Just can't be a total black hole.