caulfield12

You forgot that a claim here blocks Collins yet again, so the “conspiracy theorists” can make hay with the fact that the organization keeps figuring out ways to prevent him from being on the big league roster again in favor of Castillo, AJ Reed, Matt Skole, etc.

Tyler Flowers would be another example of a player they gave up on who went on to improve elsewhere...ironically, with his original/drafting organization, the Braves (who actually seem to know what they’re doing.)

And he’s actually not locked in right now, despite having a recent hitting streak (usually just one hit per game.) On the defensive side, he’s now up to 18 errors...most of them made since he returned in June from the hamstring strain, and the majority have been made on throws he shouldn’t have made to start a DP or forced because his arm is one of the best in the sport and he loves to show it off. That said, he usually makes 2-3 highlight reel plays per game, so it all cancels out. He’s going to have to learn when to throttle it back, but that will come from play more meaningful games, rather than just playing out the season well below .500.

And Montas, and Phegley...

Yeah, we got hit with that “superpen” idea where it was supposed to be visionary (really started in 2014-15 and with Royals and usage of A.Miller) but now every team has 6-10 guys between the mlb and milb rosters that throw 96-103. Not exactly extracting surplus value. (And you just know when we actually need Colome to save games that matter, his conversion rate will be in the 60’s or 70’s instead of 85% and above.) Of course, half of those guys in our minor system were wiped out by injuries or underperformed. Not taking advantage of the Robert overspending year, not following up in the two years since with anything besides fake Tatis. Dominican operations still in shambles. No Asian talent in a decade. it just goes on and on, and all adds up to mired in mediocrity, if you can even describe that as close to a .500ish ballclub. Watching Buehler sucks, just knowing that scouts were looking at all the Commodores games that spring and summer. Predictably, Hahn would argue ten other teams missed as well from where Fulmer was drafted to the Dodgers’ spot. That he was simply the best college pitcher/hitter their scouts bird-dogged that season, not unlike what we have heard about Collins, Burger, Madrigal and Vaughn.

I hear you. Was shocked to see Muncy playing second base with pretty decent mobility the other night. Not only do the Dodgers hit with their draft picks, but guys like Muncy, Chris Taylor, Turner, Kiki Gonzalez, it’s uncanny. But they can do it with consistency. It’s almost like Madrigal and Robert played so well this year that it’s making Hahn falsely believe he can get away with his “incremental augmentation” plan of Type B/C free agents because we have a bigger base or foundation of young talent than just four players (Eaton, Sale, Q, Abreu). We’ve doubled it to eight, essentially. But those final “over the top” pieces...or even supplemental moves to upgrade where you’re getting 1.5-2.5 fWAR out of RF, DH, 2B, etc., those remain especially elusive. After all this “tryout” time, three full seasons, the only useful pieces to come forth (after the obvious headliners) are Leury Garcia, maybe Fry, Bummer and McCann.

19 times 1 or zero runs. 18 times just 2 runs. 115 games, that means 32% of the time or 1/3 games you will be bored out of your mind...not exactly a great thing in the entertainment industry.

I’d go with Ketel Marte this season.

They’ll trade Merrifield for Madrigal. They’re not going to accept a Rutherford or Basabe like return.

I guess it was mostly 2015 that he was hurt, but he missed 41 games in 2017-18 as well. We need guys who can consistently stay on the field 150-155 games per year...in fact, it’s one of the biggest raps on Moncada right now. This idea of signing Rendon for let’s say $180-240 million also is predicated on the concept of getting a top of the rotation caliber pitcher for Madrigal. Good luck with that. You just pointed out every reason the White Sox won’t sign him, he’s too good and now they’re committed to Madrigal, Anderson and Moncada. They’re much likelier to fill holes at other spots, in fact, Moncada at 3B and Giolito are the only huge bright spots on the roster statistically. i thought he was already 30...at any rate, he will be 30 next year. Hahn is all doublespeak now about “augmenting” blah blah blah, there’s just no way in hell they will go after Rendon. Why? They could have had Machado at age 26 and passed...makes no sense in terms of everything we’ve heard this year. "You look ahead to the future - if you just go strictly internal, which won't be the case - but if you look internally at Giolito, Lopez, Cease, Kopech, Rodon, Dunning, Lambert, Jonathan Stiever. You've got five really good ones in there, and you're insulated, as well, against potential injury," Hahn said during the White Sox Talk Podcast on Thursday. "That said, when you have championship aspirations, you are going to have to augment that. "Whether it's the biggest name on the free-agent market or whether it's solid, mid-rotation guys to help stem the tide of any losing streak or give you a reliable output every fifth day, those have value. We like, once healthy, where this organizational starting-pitching depth is going, but we at the same time know if they all click, augmenting it externally makes sense, as well." https://sports.yahoo.com/white-sox-developing-lucas-giolito-225015811.html

Even then, if you just put up big power numbers and have nothing else to your game (high OBP), like Palka’s 2018 season...you’re also not of much use, either. In many ways, Madrigal is the exact opposite of this entire trend, which is why it’s not surprising some are already hoping to trade him and move Moncada back to second and sign yet another (injury-plagued) free agent in his early 30’s to the biggest contract in team history to play 3B.

Probably just didn’t feel confident swinging the bat...looking to get bailed out by having the bunt on.

Why is Alex Gordon the solution at his age based on one season out of his last four where he actually came close to earning his salary...? Relying on him or Collins or whatever seems pretty desperate.

It makes you appreciate how much better the Sox were when Brian Anderson in the lineup posed similar problems for the organization. Engel and Cordell are just two more in a long line of Torii Hunter Lites.

Meanwhile, the Cubs add a guy like Castellanos and he suddenly looks like Hack Wilson. At any rate, advanced metrics will tell you that Castellanos, Puig and Mazara are what they are...pretty much, and that Ozuna is the only one with real 5ish fWAR upside to his game. Other than a pretty left handed swing, smacking Sox pitching around and his former prospect status/age...Mazara has very little going for him. He’s a name, I guess, and not in his 30’s. (PS Heck, if you at Texas, Profar, Odor and Mazara all failed in becoming studs but at least they’ve been a .500 and above team, overachieving most of the season and now fading with Gallo out. Adding Minor and Lynn were smart moves, too.) (PS 2, Our old friend Hector Noesi has started two games for Miami, sporting an 8.18 after today’s outing.)

Entertaining the cars driving by...and their passengers. Buehrle loved that dude, and was willing to take a salary cut to keep him around.

Based on this season he gets a rather large raise...it has been the concern all along with Yolmer, that they would eventually get expensive for their production level and value to future Sox playoff teams, but Leury at least deserves it this year and is the perfect bench player on a really good or even great team.

We can NL blame this all on Lillian. If someone thinks Mazara is going to turn his career around with this staff...welcome back to 2013-2016 Sox baseball. Then, you have guys that look like Gold Glovers for one season like Yolmer and Engel...but in subsequent years look like they’ve forgotten how to play, but we still have to hear over and over about defense because their offense is so pathetic/putrid.

Hahn has continued to profess the team's intention to be aggressive this winter. Whether that means a big-time free-agent signing or a big-time trade acquisition remains unknown, but there's an expectation of meaningful activity that could go a long way toward getting the White Sox into the winning portion of this effort in 2020. There will surely be skepticism that the good times could come that soon, and there are plenty of question marks in this equation. There's excitement about Kopech's return from Tommy John surgery, but his next start will be just the fifth of his big league career. Robert and Madrigal will be getting their first tastes of the majors. Growing pains for those young players - like the ones Giolito and Moncada went through in their first full major league seasons - would not be unexpected. Meanwhile, despite a good run of late from Reynaldo Lopez, questions exist about his consistency. Despite showing flashes of his star ability, Jimenez is going through those aforementioned growing pains in 2019. Despite All-Star appearances, Jose Abreu and James McCann have gone through second-half slumps, though both players had more success on the just-completed road trip through Philadelphia and Detroit. Despite a recent offensive adjustment that's working well in Triple-A, Zack Collins struggled in his brief big league stint earlier this season and still faces questions about his defense. These are all valid concerns, and it's possible they could conspire to push winning time back another season for the White Sox. https://sports.yahoo.com/white-sox-ready-win-2020-181511660.html

Can’t see Vaughn being up until August...and then you’re right back in the middle of the same service time debate. They will either have to add at the deadline or bring him up if they’re in roughly the same position the Giants were in at the deadline. No more wasted seasons can be tolerated. Fall short of the playoffs, fine, but at least put yourself in the best position to win, which is the same thing a number of other mid market teams (even the Jays, who are well out of any race) are doing.

They need to sign at least three “quality” players to three or more year contracts...something like the Robertson/Cabrera/LaRoche trio and trading for Samardzija offseason, in terms of potential impact of incoming players. (Except not have any of the moves work out well.) It certainly can’t be the equivalent of just Todd Frazier or Jeff Keppinger again.

Why not Dish or DirecTV?

Except a Boras and Lozano are bitter enemies...but still wouldn’t be a shocker, obvious ties to SD.

Two steals, two walks, 2 RBI double and another excellent defensive play... https://www.mlb.com/video/tatis-jr-s-smooth-stop All three plays last night were better https://www.mlb.com/video/tatis-jr-s-great-all-around-game This was just one game...five highlights https://www.mlb.com/video/tatis-jr-on-leadoff-hr-defense

Adolfo today or tonight? DNP? Moved to full season team?