caulfield12

There's no way to objectively PROVE anything, since scouting/drafting/evaluation are separated from development. But if the White Sox record in development is "league average" by any standard you want to apply, then we've just set one of the lowest possible bars for what is considered average. But I'm sure that there will be some arguing TLR was a better manager than average in 2022...while the majority who watched all the games would say he was one of the 2-3 worst of all-time Sox history. However, the Fangraphs article posits the backed up with statistical evidence argument that the Sox had the very worst replacement players (aggregated) than any team in modern baseball history. You can blame Hostetler, KW, Hahn, JR, Jeremy Haber...that's the magic of this organization, avoiding responsibility for being held accountable for poor results for much of the past 18 going on 19 years since the World Series.

Our Baghdad Chuck.

This stupid storyline of attempting to compete on the fly keeps colliding with reality...that youngsters aren't good enough or simply aren't ready. Of course, Getz has NOTHING invested into Lee's success, personally. But if that's the plan, you have to sign a legit RFer and a legit back end of the bullpen option and someone with more pop in the middle infield. It's all pretty much academic if this is the 2024 rotation on the field (current roster), MINUS Cease. It also is a bit ironic that the guy who COULDN'T beat out 2023 Maldonado is still buried behind him on the very worst team in baseball entering the season, going from Houston, arguably the most successful of the past decade, along with LAD.

Stassi has 102, 88 and 87 and 82 games played (the four highs, one from 2022) during his most productive career seasons 31 GP in 2020, so basically half again. Will be 33. Just very skeptical of an aging catcher coming off nearly a full season off at that age, but maybe we'll all be shocked. But it seems they realized that Lee wasn't a realistic option for the start of the year...wanting to avoid getting TOTALLY buried in the standings like 2023.

They must have had a SNEAKING suspicion that Lee wasn't going to be able to hit over .150 again and that all the defensive gaps (other than throwing arm strength/release) were going to be a massive detriment to the young pitching. THAT and the fact that going into the season with a relatively older catcher in Stassi coming off an a "missing" season probably wasn't the greatest strategy...especially if you look at average number of games caught. White Sox better just move back their outfield fences to the deepest Old Comiskey distances ever recorded...

What next, the Sox had an 8% increase in attendance because a majority of female fans thought he was handsome/charming as well? The Kirk McCaskill of his (brief) Sox generation. Does Getz get credit for that, too?

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-free-agency-blue-jays-181812032.html The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the teams potentially in the market for free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, but they’ve reportedly made another move Tuesday, inking Kevin Kiermaier to a one-year deal. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Jays are closing in on a deal that would pay Kiermaier roughly $10 million for the upcoming season. Would have been a solid flip candidate and helped shore up the outfield defense with two GG'ers in Robert and Kiermaier playing next to each other...theoretically helping out the youngish pitching staff as well. Guessing the Sox were hoping for a $7-8 million deal, or maybe they were never interested at all, not wanting to move Robert out of center and Kiermaier being much better suited for that spot as well? Then again, ANYTHING's better than the Vaughn/Sheets/AB/Colas/Eloy of 2022 and 2023. Health always one of the biggest questions, and inconsistent offense and simply being near/er the end of his career as well. https://sports.yahoo.com/yankees-acquire-rhp-cody-morris-175809468.html Often-mentioned Sox OF acquisition target about 2-3 years ago. Not quite sure if this is enough for them to move on from Oscar Gonzalez, but MAYBE. In the mix, at least.

Could it be Marty34 back again? Stubborn intransigence in the face of overwhelming evidence is a similar trait.

Somehow they got those two sides twisted around...much like Tyler Flowers. As a plus for Seby, the defense held up for 2-3 months to give him around a 1.0-1.5ish fWAR, but then the offense just totally cratered. He also had his one offensive run (not including 2-3 run homer games) in 2022 when he looked passable for at least half the season while hitting, but it was unfortunately a mirage in the desert. (Of course, the White Sox failed to get much defensive improvement out of Narvaez and Yermin, and Grandal continued to regress, partially because he just aged out, but it's certainly not like they were the team you selected to "fix" that aspect of your overall game, not at all.)

Eduardo Escobar would be another. Carlos Martinez's son had a decent run for the Cardinales. Chris The Dragon Devenski.

Vera was expected to be a future rotation mainstay when he signed...and the White Sox had had an excellent record with Cuban signings until Vera, Yogurt Sanchez and Cespedes. Just ran out of low hanging fruit and had to compete with the rest of baseball for that diminishing rate of return. Tatis' brother would be another...although not Cuban. Those injuries happen with pitching because of the elevated rate of volatility...that's why mid market teams need 2-3x minor league depth to fill holes over the course of a season.

Sounds like Ilitch Jr. and Steinbrenner's son...the next generation is more risk-averse.

Wonder if it's one of those cases where he can make more money per word...although with the Sox current situation, readership for these types of "rehash where we are and how we got here" articles must have a diminishing rate of return at this point. That said, at least half of baseball is failing the Hot Stove League test of motivating their fanbases at this point.

Wasn't there a Fangraphs article that was posted about a month ago posit the argument that replacement players for the White Sox this past season put up the collectively worst fWAR in the history of the modern game? Not even sure what that had to do with guys like Delmonico Palka or Leury or Zavala looking semi-useful for stretches of individual seasons... I mean, Tray Thompson Week 1 with the LAD looked like Brock Purdy until he ran into the Ravens yesterday.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/breer-daniels-made-lot-ground-014025849.html J.Daniels picking up ground on Maye

Not in that generation of players...the offensive numbers were just so off the charts, and the fact that he was just an average defender (minus range, but great at scoops out of the dirt) and kind of fell completely apart there at the end of his career. Like Buehrle, very good but not quite great.

At least they're Oakland A's colors...

Just had a really fun AZ/Florida Atlantic game over the v weekend that went into 2OT.

We really should credit the leap in Yermin with his independent league play in Texas. The goal of any system is 2+ fWAR players being produced. None of those guys mentioned could consistently play at that level or we would have gotten something worthwhile back for them. McCann and Narvaez did quite well...but they gave up on Omar because of his defense. We saw that with Semien Burger Narvaez and numerous others. Or simply forcing guys into positions where they didn't belong, like Vaughn and Shields in the OF. Well we did try to play Avi Garcia in CF. Guess even he will counted as a success by some.

Not to mention Steele Walker and Adolfo. We couldn't even develop a single 1+ fWAR outfielder. Well, Alex Call was close at one point last year...but Sox take zero credit there. We simply have more Bassitts and Semiens that got away than the other way around.

The way most look at is who became significant contributors at the major League level that were not expected to on the day they were drafted or acquired via trade...? All of those guys who graduated to the bigs from 2017-19 were really elite prospects...enough to get the system ranked at the top of the sport. The best we can say is we had some influence on Cease and Dunning...but once again those were all high picks originally. Where the Guardians have destroyed the Sox is picks after the first round. The White Sox haven't even gotten much out of any of their second round and supplemental picks. Think of it like Iowa football turning multiple 2-3 star recruits into NFL stars. You almost never see it in the NBA...but the White Sox have just been abysmal at even getting the majority of first rounders to stick as permanent fixtures. Partly on JR, but partly on development too. We don't have a single player other than Montgomery you would confidently predict would be a $100+ million contract someday...well, Robert as well, but nobody has ever credited Chris Getz with developing Luis...it's more about not getting in the way of his raw talent and trying to change him. We just drafted another first rounder in June that nobody can seem to figure out how to fix his swing/approach/lack of pop with a wooden bat. Another example. Burger and his wife arguably had more to do with his success than the White Sox...who believed in him so much they let him play in a collegiate summer league without supervising him.

Except Getz wasn't in charge of the Sox minors then...

Some expect Rodriguez to end up in in the $40-45 million range. Way too expensive for the Sox, especially if they're not sure he can even be a starter in the majors. The Sox have done well with Rodon Cueto Scholtens Santos...but nothing sustainable long term.

How many of those players were actually ready for the big leagues and were actually legit prospects? Not a heckuva lot. Some would say it was the least talented if roster after the TDL moves of any team in modern Sox history.

Have you actually looked at Wacha's numbers last year or watched him?