caulfield12

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds 6.7%??? Cubs’ radio team just called PCA home to third base fastest in MLB history, lol…a bit of hyperbole there.

Last year there was a huge buzz around the team this time of the year…2024, on the periphery of competing but not really in it, Bellinger and Morel and Hoerner off, looking to subtract instead of add at the deadline, PCA showing a number of his major warts. Basically it’s Imanaga to get excited about.

As long as they miss the post-season again…

Cannon, Flexen, Davis Martin, Bush…who do they go to next? Nastrini? Toussaint? Iriarte? Adams?

Lovely situation when your two most important players are stuck with the organization and vice versa. Stockholm Syndrome?? 77 pitches has been limit over the last four times out, 3 2/3’s. Trying to let him get the feel of going a full season for another 6-7 weeks might be at the point of backfiring or being counterproductive psychologically.

Can’t let him go to 35-40 pitches in one extended inning… Get him out of there. This isn’t doing Crochet any good. Second game of season with multiple homers. Philly 3.

Ooops, 96-97 but that was a cutter at 89-90. Poor Grady.

Must have made the determination that totally shutting down for months and months before 2025 would be MORE likely to result in injury…in consultation with multiple doctors, Crochet, agent, family. PTAC would present the case, surely.

Ryan and Stewart with all kinds of health issues threatening Twins’ postseason drive.

Rain delay… Burger up to 737 ops, 20th homer.

Symbolically separating the vets and then the four newer guys at the bottom…basically stating he expects more leadership from the established/veteran guys from this point onwards. Not sure that comes from Robert or Benintendi, but maybe Grifol never once talked to either guy about it?? Sox this season have attempted to force Vaughn into the role as well. But it certainly hasn’t evolved naturally or holistically.

“It unfortunately takes more than six to eight months to turn it around and feel like you’re headed in the right direction,” Getz said. “I certainly understand the skepticism of the direction we’re going based on our Major League club right now. I feel very good about where we’re at and where we’re headed and what we’ve accomplished so far, but without question, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be finished.” mlb.com Didn’t want to waste a year, that quote will be forever tied around Getz’s neck thanks to JR…

Profar and Winker. Follow the Royals’ path with the likes of Lugo/Wacha. Some of the SD pitching pickups like Estrada in the pen, platoon hitters like Solano and castoff pitchers like Martin Perez (another version of Chavez).

Not unquestionably after last season…

I think Baldwin isn't going to the flash above average arm or range for SS. Ultimately seems like a poor man’s Whit Merrifield. The big problem here is that Baldwin Sosa and Vargas all profile at second as hitters and likely their best defensive spots, although one could debate Sosa at third. Just not seeing what plus tools he possesses. More like the 25th/26th guy on the roster. In a perfect world, you still have Burger just to watch some actual credible offense, but hope and pray Montgomery hits enough for third with offseason back strengthening, then you have your 2ish fWAR 2B out of those three aforementioned names and possibly Jacob Gonzalez. (Have little to no confidence in Vargas or Sosa, though.) I would give Ramos 3B to start the season, until/unless someone can take it away, which might not be all that hard. He has completely fallen off the map, but not so long ago was on the periphery of Top 100. If I could get someone like Adames or HS Kim or Brendan Rodgers…that would be the best position to stabilize on the field, and add one veteran leader. But Jerry won’t authorize the spending. Julks? Hope you can find someone better. Just let Lee keep getting at-bats at catcher until someone takes the spot away.

Okay, you’re rooting with your heart as much as your brain. How many OTHER Kyle Hendrickses are out there? The profile is just like finding Madrigal successes on the position player side with that particular profile. The irony is that player (and offensive impact) was there all along in the OSU outfield, even though he received the least amount of attention from scouts.

Carlos Correa has to be a big concern on the backside. Buxton already had that risk baked into his extension. CC did take about a 25% haircut already with all the concerns coming from the two teams originally interested in signing him to massive deals. You also have to wonder how all the Dodgers current struggles with Betts, Matsumoto, Glasnow…will cause a rethink there. Then again, the lack of premium talent other than Soto and perhaps Sasaki (that won’t be a fiscal as much as PR battle) are causing 15-18 teams to chase after a diminishing talent pool with so many guys locked up earlier and earlier before.

Hanser Alberto crashing into Tim Anderson… Just can’t remember the last time a perennial All-Star (best combined AL batting average over four combined seasons overall) and marketable franchise player just completely fell apart in his late 20s or early 30s without a MAJOR injury involved. Even a year ago, other teams were willing to trade for him…at least to Rick Hahn. From DQ MLB the Show to Field of Dreams and now HERE…??? More shocking than all the other top prospect failures because of his established baseline.

Without stars, you’re not going anywhere. We might have ONE. Might. Robert or Crochet. Whether Smith Schultz or Montgomery might one day make it…remains to be seen. Odds are in favor of just one turning out like expected or projected. And that’s being generous. The White Sox problem has even more-so been finding those complementary 2-3 fWAR guys that fill up half the lineup card, at least ideally. But if you look at Witt, Jr., Jose Ramirez, Skubal, Buxton/Lewis/Correa, divisional rivals are all much deeper in top end talent at the MLB level, and Minnesota CLE and Detroit all have stronger farm systems as well.

Sometimes it’s quite normal to lose objectivity when you’re too invested in young players succeeding. When you invest all your hope/faith/belief in a homegrown Colson Montgomery or Gordon Beckham or random name being a key cornerstone building block. When every Grant Taylor looks like the anchor of the best rotation in 2027 MLB the Show. The failure rate is just so high…just look at the 1999/2000 and 2016/17 groups that briefly had #1 rankings.. And those two groups had 3-4 times the talent than what is in this current system. For fans who grew up in the mid to late 1980s, well we might never again see a talent injection like those historic years that seem like a fever dream they are now so remote.

“It will always be a bit telling that when the Royals were looking for a manager going into 2023, they hired somebody else’s bench coach instead of their own one who’d been with the organization for a decade. Instead, they threw in with Matt Quatraro, who’d been part of one winning team after another on the staffs of top managers Terry Francona in Cleveland and Kevin Cash in Tampa. Quatraro’s first Royals team went 56-106, even worse than the Sox. But now the Royals are winning, in wild-card position as they soar miles above preseason win projections. Clearly, the Sox hired the wrong guy. Pin that on former general manager Rick Hahn, who was so sure Grifol was a home-run hire he struggled to contain his glee. Pin it on former vice president Kenny Williams and — what’s his name again? — Jerry Reinsdorf, the big cheese, too. Grifol’s dismissal was overdue. Then again, for months now — and especially during the obscene 21-game losing streak the Sox finally snapped Tuesday — a segment of the fan base has been wondering what the point even would be in firing the on-field manager in a bigger-picture production that has made the Sox organization a laughingstock. It’s a completely fair question without a completely satisfactory answer. Also, some thought Grifol should have to finish the season so the abysmal results would stain his managerial record and not someone else’s. That’s just petty. Funny, but petty.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/08/08/white-sox-pedro-grifol-fired-grady-sizemore-chris-getz-jerry-reinsdorf?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=080924 Sports Newsletter&utm_content=080924 Sports Newsletter+CID_b4812df04b87c42f8947c049b90ba7e1&utm_source=cst_campaign_monitor&utm_term=READ COLUMN&tpcc=cst_cm

Realistically, Colas Sosa Ramos Baldwin Vaughn (last shot), maybe Jelks, Quero/Lee, Fletcher, Benintendi (stuck with for now)…there should be a young player at EVERY position. Complete youth movement other than AB and maybe a veteran 3rd catcher to help mentor the pitching staff but not at Maldonado or Stassi dollars. Then you have Montgomery, Elko, Ja.Gonzalez…starting off in AA/AAA. Quero for the first 2-3 months but might as well play him when he’s remotely close because he’s unlikely to be a core guy who gets an extension because of limited power (see Narvaez) but you just never know. Finally, the dance over when to trade Crochet for a premium position player return without getting him hurt again…and might help to remember Robert is still stuck with us and vice versa.

Adam Dunn in 2011 has to be right up there for worst Sox FA deals…stabilized a bit in 2012, eventually dumped, but that one season was NY Times historically bad. Of course we now know about the health complications with his kid and also trying to play through I think it was an appendectomy as well.

Montero Bogaerts Abreu Baez Benintendi Rendon Bryant Corbin Zimmerman Strasburg a lot are going to say Tatis Jr., but already worth 2.5 fWAR for this season and will likely play at least 30-35 more games https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10104748-ranking-mlbs-worst-free-agent-signings-of-the-last-10-years

https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/40755055 Inquiring minds, and Ron, want to know…