caulfield12

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/white-sox-vs-red-sox/2024/09/06/746912/preview There's zero reason to even play the first five hitters tonight. Protecting playoff race integrity lol? Trying to goose Robert's offseason value every bit they can?

That was the weird thing with Grandal last year....it's like they were more afraid to give Lee and Perez at bats down the stretch. Still not even sure what Lee is at this point.

The worst part of course was spinning Kimbrel's parallel QO as a victory somehow, which led to Pollock, which then of course led to the Benintendi signing and therefore throwing roughly $90 million combined into the wind. If the minor leagues could simply have produced a measly corner outfielder...no need to force a deal with AB or add one more year than even the Yankees were willing to go.

Moncada whatever...but both Sheets and Lopez at this point? It's as if they hardly ever concerned themselves with the actual consequences of guys like Sheets Vaughn and Palka in the outfield. Or whether Pollock was still an everyday outfielder period, for instance.

Now throw in Rodon Bassitt Dunning Montas Kopech Hudson, etc.

https://global.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/41134118/2024-mlb-awards-watch-september-mvp-cy-young-rookie-year Crochet 5th, Sale 1st, Lopez 5th, Cease 8th

https://nkytribune.com/2023/07/dedicated-to-baseball-laumanns-are-opening-new-facility-d-bat-in-hebron-for-year-round-activities/ Here's what Laumann and son are doing now that he's out of professional baseball scouting work...

https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-gene-watson-returns-as-vp-assistant-gm-major-league-scouting Thought this was interesting...

How in God's name did DiPoto get a contract extension?

Except he lost that somewhere between CLE SD and the surgeon's suite. He was never near that 95-96 touching 97 range with any consistently.

The problem is control as usual, hard throwing guys like Iriarte and Berroa have pretty erratic (at best) control...Bush Nastrini and Eder don't seem special in any way at this point. "Iriarte, 22, split last season between High- and Double-A. He notched a 3.49 ERA and a 2.84 strikeout-to-walk ratio, all the while punching out nearly 27% of the batters he faced. Iriarte has a good fastball-slider combination that he delivers from a low three-quarters slot. He does have a long arm stroke that helps explain why he's struggled with his command. Last year, he walked a batter every other inning. The winds of change have impacted the profile and expectation of the starting pitcher position in recent years, meaning that Iriarte still has a chance to be a mid-rotation starter." "Zavala, 19, split last season between High- and Low-A. He hit .243/.391/.406 with 14 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Those marks don't jump off the page, but it is worth noting that he was more than three years younger than his average opponent at both levels. Zavala is a left-handed hitter with a big leg kick and above-average raw strength. He has struggled with strikeouts throughout his professional career, and his swing-and-miss tendencies could cap his batting average upside. Zavala is young and established enough to foresee him developing into a starting outfielder, likely in a corner." CBSsports.com All I see here is K's, marginal power for a corner OFer who's going to be a stretch to play CF regularly...and then dealing with any big timing mechanism like a large leg kick is even more challenging for Sox hitting coaches.

But did Getz and/or JR actually listen to them still?

No bullpen pitcher had a breakthrough except Leasure (for part of the first half.) The breakthrough were all players with new organizations. No rookie/2nd year player has distinguished themselves to the point of being a guaranteed starter for 2025. Not Baldwin Ramos Vargas Fletcher DeLoach Julks Colas Sosa etc. Maybe maybe maybe Korey Lee will get 50-60% of at bats at catcher again as the default holdover.

At least he's consistent/resolute....comfortably predictable.

Don't forget Southside Hit Men as well...

Can we somehow make Narvaez or McCann victories by Chris Getz, lol?

Reminiscent of the days when WSI would ban/exile almost anyone with a negative viewpoint and quickly assign labels like "Dark Cloud" to more pessimistic posters...obviously, nobody is forced/coerced to respond in any way. CALI might be the only one this year who really sticks out as attempting to be more positive in the face of the tsunami of criticism, but I think even he might have temporarily surrendered.

[Fegan] Chris Getz said the influx of ex-Royals is more about relationships with individuals. “[Moustakas] wants to prove that he can still go out there and be a productive Major league player, knowing that he has that baked into his mindset right now, I felt like this was a good idea.” Just a refresher on the fascination with all things KC...

https://m.facebook.com/WhiteSox/photos/chicago-white-sox-professional-scouts-john-tumminia-and-daraka-shaheed-join-form/10151343431058298/ https://www.recordonline.com/obituaries/pnys0370579 https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-scout-john-tumminia-sets-up-clinics-c211884800 John Tumminia was one of the most experienced scouts and passed away in 2022. (99% sure his daughter married Ben Cherington, as well.) He partnered with Shaheed (fired today) to do all kinds of charity baseball camps in the US and across the world, such as Africa and Central America...

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/767953/2019/01/15/how-white-sox-scouts-determined-eloy-jimenez-would-be-their-next-big-star/ Someone said that's basically half their pro scouting department.

We could always send someone down to the Dominican to write a first-person report about this academy that's suddenly supposed to fix everything nearing fifteen years after Wilder...but now with a Cuban Connection reliance that has completely left the building. And still almost zero presence in Asia.

Ivan Bubbling Calderon RIP

During his tenure in Chicago, Paddy has signed four Top 15 international prospects which includes outfielder Micker Adolfo (No.2) in 2013, outfielder Yoelqui Céspedes (No. 1) and right-handed pitcher Norge Vera (No.15) in 2021 and outfielder Oscar Colás (No. 5) in 2022. Colás is currently rated by MLB.com as the No. 95 prospect in all of baseball. (this didn't age well) Paddy, a native of Panama, also was involved in the signings of first baseman José Abreu in 2013 and center fielder Luis Robert in 2017. Abreu was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 2014 and Most Valuable Player in 2020. Robert earned a Gold Glove Award following his rookie season in 2020. Prior to joining the White Sox, Paddy served as the director of Latin American operations with Toronto from 2007-11. He spent 14 seasons in Atlanta’s organization as an area scout (1993-2002), assistant director of player development (2002-03) and director of Latin American operations (2004-06). mlb.com

Sheets has already locked up DH next year, or Julks? Yikes if that's the case.