caulfield12

More mentions of Kershaw not throwing hard anymore are desperately needed. Home run saved by 1-2 feet. Story of Sox last 2-3 seasons. Day late and a dollar short.

1/26 no bueno

Quero power!

Pages gifted it.

Swing change mention #1.

Taylor

Venabthe at his age would still be in the top 50% of Sox hitters in the lineup against Kershaw.

The current lineup tonight has just four future members of the Sox if you still include Vargas. The dual catching prospect tandem was supposed to be the strength of this team...for the future. But has it really worked out that way? And they're still 1 1/2 to 2 years away with their next legit hitting prospects in A ball with AA almost barren unless you're a huge Bergolla/J.Gonzalez fan. Just lots of frustration with a 4-5 year rebuild bundle together with a highly uncertain payoff...especially with the labor impasse blocking yet another FA class as well.

36-126 current pace

https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/2025-draft-prospect-kayson-cunningham

The Pirates have really been quite productive the last 10-15 years in producing solid prospects...but have unfortunately ended up trading 75% of them away in the end, especially young pitching when you think of guys like Glasnow Musgrove and Taillon.

The Rays officially completed a trade on Saturday that sent Glasnow, outfielder Manuel Margot and $4 million to the Dodgers for young starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca. Glasnow then signed a five-year, $136.5 million extension with Los Angeles. Obviously the trades ending up with Kopech and Edman on their roster. For Mookie Betts, The Red Sox received from the Dodgers outfielder Alex Verdugo (L.A.’s top prospect -- and MLB's No. 35 -- a year ago), shortstop Jeter Downs (their third-highest ranked prospect on the 2020 Top 100 list, at No. 44) and catcher Connor Wong (No. 28 on the Dodgers' 2019 year-end list). "The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced their trade to acquire Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals in exchange for a prospect haul of Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Donovan Casey and Gerardo Carrillo." https://dodgersway.com/posts/5-trades-the-dodgers-regret-making-under-andrew-friedman-01h50amjsssg/5 And another that predates Freidman. "The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired four-time All-Stars Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, former 20-game winner and World Series MVP Josh Beckett, infielder Nick Punto and cash from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for first baseman James Loney, pitcher Allen Webster, infielder Ivan De Jesus and two players to be named later. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement." Just a few examples.

Brooks/Brooke Fletcher

This year it's basically a minimum of $145 million and up to be a legit playoff contender. Or you have to be the Rays continuing to excel in the face of adversity, like stadium/team sale/relocation issues and Wander Franco's downfall.

After Teel and Taylor graduate...looks more like a #8-12 system, especially with the ongoing uncertainty over Schultz/Smith and the big hole in the system from #8-12 where only Wolkow is making any solid progress. Braden's also hit something of a wall in High A, and god only knows how Colson turns out at this point.

No...although some power out of them was counted on in future projected lineups. If you eliminate bad months...almost any player can look like an All Star. Mike Tauchman...if he hadn't missed 40-45 games for instance. But then his numbers would never hold up with everyday playing time. If we can eliminate one month...the Padres would still be in the WC race and Tatis Jr. would be at a mid 900s ops instead of just 820ish.

How many great outfield defenders don't run well...or at least at league average speed? Btw, how did Rojas go from near Gold Glove level in Seattle at third base to whatever he is now?

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?stats=bat&lg=all&type=8&season=2025&month=0&team=0&pos=ss&qual=50&pagenum=2&pageitems=30 Clear plan is Chase Meidroth at SS, where he's 21st out of 48 players...with the two very worst in the majors being Amaya and Capra. Along with Vargas, we now have two "average" players...although many are now starting to question whether Vargas even sticks at third. Great....just six more to go, Assuming you are penciling Quero and Teel in at catcher.

This Sox team lacks forethought and any semblance of cohesion. Just try to avoid them until 2028. While you're at it, envision future rosters wrapped in big spools of yellow "caution Chris Getz at work here" tape.

"Chris Getz's commitment to improving the White Sox defense did not need a market forces explanation to be understood. Defensive specialists are less expensive to acquire than their offensive counterparts, and the Sox signaled they were dialing back their payroll from the outset of the offseason. Their positional group of the last few years was littered with unfulfilled Faustian bargains to enable an offense that was supposed to bash their way out of trouble. This tension even manifested itself at the individual level, like Tim Anderson trying to make up for being error-prone with his range/athleticism, or Yasmani Grandal's pitch-framing countering his blocking and other clunky elements of his operation. If the White Sox cannot be significantly better in the standings in 2024, focusing on glove work could at least make them less of a tough hang. It made sense, even if it's not team slogan material. But within minutes of trying to dial back the focus on his GM Meetings comment of "I don't like our team," the new White Sox chief baseball decision-maker provided a memorable snapshot for explaining his defensive-minded ethos. "In the offseason, when I began conversations with potential free agents and agents of pitchers, there was hesitancy to come to the White Sox because of the defense, so that led me to really be proactive in improving that," Getz said. "I wanted to be an attractive place for pitchers to want to pitch here." It rang a loud bell if only because this is certainly a complaint I had heard before on the beat, when pitchers who thought they'd be on a contending team in 2022 were finishing the year with a 34-year-old AJ Pollock pressed into center field duty behind them. Beyond that, defensive issues would quickly create an identity crisis for the Sox going forward." And where are we now exactly...1 1/2 seasons later??? https://soxmachine.com/2024/02/chris-getz-white-sox-defense

Kenny Lofton had eight years of averaging around a 6 fWAR. Belle Ramirez and Thome were absolute monsters. Robert Alomar made the HoF. Alomar Jr. was a perennial All-Star. Even Carlos Baerga would be a superstar compared to anyone on this year's Sox roster.

Why are we talking about Robert as if he's suddenly going to be on next year's team? Who is going to replace the speed of Robert and Taylor in the outfield...exactly?

You changed the topic to be about his offensive "greatness," not me. His lack of ability to play and his defensive metrics (including lack of foot speed) turn him into something much less than what you're describing.

Are you really arguing that you want Luis Robert's $20 million contract option picked up for next season? They don't carry over from year to year. What next, Fletcher next season will equal Robert and Taylor's stolen base totals? Where is the speed going to come from exactly?

Availability availability availability. He currently has a groin strain issue...which is what tends to happen to mid 30's outfielders. "The biggest issue has been his availability, as he began the season on the injured list with a strained right hamstring. He played just three games before heading to the injured list for a second time with a right hamstring strain, which caused him to miss about six weeks of action in April and May. Still, Tauchman managed to be the only White Sox player in the top 10 at their position in Monday's updated All-Star voting ballot. He came in at seventh among American League designated hitters." Of course that's the result of the Sox and Rockies league-wide joke of fans deliberately casting the starting lineups of both teams with votes to an extent. How could someone with less than at-bats be worthy of legitimate All-Star status? Let's just call it the anti or reverse Indiana Fever ballot stuffing phenomenon in the WNBA.