caulfield12

Thaiss

What other choice was there with the lowest or second lowest payroll in all of baseball?

Except he's now brought FOUR different teams up to championship level. Getz's high point might be fourth place in the AL Central. Might. I'm sure someone will argue his methods are way too expensive...but the second Marlins' championship was built almost entirely around youth.

Davis Martin returning a huge package seems pretty far fetched. Just like Fedde didn't gave a track record but was a Top Twenty pitcher by fWAR at the time of the Vargas trade. We still lack premium prospects at SS and CF. The jury is still out on 2B. Catcher is the one area we do have better young depth than anyone...I guess some might argue the Dodgers.

What rank do we give Ricketts as a Cubs' owner lol? Probably also a C. Unless it's maximizing profits from the local neighborhood and leveraging it for his own personal net worth expansion.

"Someone that you feel can make some starts for you and give you bulk innings, just made this more attractive," said general manager Chris Getz. "We actually did a fair amount of work on [Vasil] this offseason, prior to the Rule 5 draft in which we decided to take Shane Smith. And so, you track situations and the players throughout spring training and when he became available on waivers, looking at the upside that he can bring long-term based on his his ability to be a starter in the future, but also has stuff that kind of aligns with our kind of pitching process that we feel like we can help maximize. So, to have two Rule 5 picks on a roster is a bit unique, but considering our situation right now where we are as an organization, we felt like this is worth the effort." James Fegan, soxmachine.com Looks like the White Sox are VERY concerned about starting pitching depth now behind Wilson/Nastrini/Iriarte/Owen White (if he's still in the org). A reunion with Brandon Drury seems at least POSSIBLE, if not probable. Also, Dane Dunning cut by the Rangers...obvious Venable as well as ex-Sox connection there. Was going to make $2.5 million had he made the club. Unless Dunning is injured, there is no reason at all for Getz to NOT put in a claim for him. In 2023, he had an ERA of 116+, delivered a 2.7 WAR and started 26 games for a World Series-winning team. He pitched in each round of the postseason that year, and he even pitched briefly in the playoffs for us five years ago. Yes, he had an off year last season. But he still would be one of the top starters in our rotation right now. I would much rather have Dunning, who has accomplished some good things at this level, than Vasil. https://soxmachine.com/2025/03/white-sox-opening-day-roster-is-getting-closer-but-not-yet-clearer

This is ALMOST more glowing than when Cabinet members are forced to give "testimonials" on camera about their loyalty/fealty...it's why we need "objective/unbiased" Sox media coverage, most importantly. Record-wise, there's almost zero difference from Grifol in ST last year. And there's still a lot of the same mental and physical errors, failure to throw to the cutoff men or correct bases, failure to advance runners or drive them in from 3rd with less than 2 outs, etc.

C/C- Realistically, it's hard to judge anything until we see what becomes of the Garrett Crochet deal...and WHAT if anything he does with anything resembling a legitimate payroll, which means $80-110 million to spend. And, just as importantly, almost....what he gets back for Luis Robert, Jr. On paper, that Red Sox trade looks like an A-, but the obvious point is we weren't able to pry away Kristian Crawford or Mayer as the first piece. All the other transactions range from F to C/C-, pretty much. I guess Bergolla/Banks is looking pretty decent, so far. Vargas is still a big unknown...need to see signs of progress from Sosa, Colson, Baldwin, Meidroth, Teel, Quero, Braden, Wolkow, etc. BASICALLY, any reasons for hope on the hitting side of things. Would be nice if Zavala rebounded this season, for example. The injury luck with young pitchers has been absolutely rotten.

"The 42-year-old became the organization’s 44th different manager on Oct. 31 and has seemed to be a perfect fit from the first day taking over. It’s not just about Venable being put into big league leadership of this latest White Sox rebuild, but he’s the co-pilot general manager Chris Getz was looking for in the process for now and in the future when the team moves into its contention phase. Venable is a great communicator, knows the game and has an even-keeled but intensely focused nature shown throughout Spring Training." -- Scott Merkin https://www.mlb.com/news/1-important-thing-learned-about-each-team-2025-spring-training Given the opportunity to write about the actual players on the team for this spring training mlb.com blurb...we get this instead. On the plus side, no mention of Michigan or Notre Dame, so there's that.

I'm starting to think the return on investment from Tauchman Slater Taylor and Jankowski would have been better invested into the White House's Easter Egg Hunt "official pro sports team sponsor." Maybe Labor Day, Veterans Day, 4th of July and Christmas sponsorship are still available?

I think Ukraine might even reject the White Sox. They're instead going to rebuild the biggest plane in the world. That would be easier.

Of course, even if those pitchers are ramping up second half 2026 they will all still have innings restrictions in 2027...

Balta and SSHM if Clevinger is waived or traded...

Iowa State getting punk'd so far. Big day for Ole Miss men's and women's.

Retreat is about right...although no unconditional surrender as of yet.

Niko Medved is going to be the hottest coaching commodity if he can knock off Memphis and MD consecutively. Former Drake coach. That connection proliferating on both the men's and women's side recently. Looks like MD pulled it out in the end.

At first I read it as Vagisil. That doesn't bode well for him.

Getz's hands are tied...can only add Tier C/D free agents under $5 million, etc.

Another record probably costs Getz his job. JR would be much happier with a relatively quiet 52-110.

We're not worse than the Marlins, at least for now...quite the rallying cry. Alcantara and Luis Robert and two biggest names on the trade block for now.

Wholesale subs for Sox. Marinaccio just gave up a two run jack to Suarez in other games. Illinois rallying.

Taylor airmailing it over the cut off man... Jeffrey up to 96.

Bases loaded yet again.

McKnight doesn't realize a new pitcher is in there Madison Jeffrey.

Meidroth needs to put that in his pocket with Carroll running... Jack Young's favorite pitch the change up.