Chicago White Sox

It’s amazing that @Look at Ray Ray Run can’t admit he was at least partially wrong about Getz and instead calls the 4th best team in the AL mediocre.

Is this a serious post?

Eisert & Gilbert are fine as emergency depth and won’t be here long. I don’t get Richards though…feels like someone who could be replaced by Peoples. Also, it’s a bummer both Gonzalez & Berroa are hurt as those two could really make a defense in the pen.

Has Charlotte started playing today?

Acuna has no options left, so will need to clear through waivers (which may just be likely).

Looking at our team right now, the weakest positional guys are Acuna (-0.7 fWAR), Benintendi (-0.5 fWAR), Quero (-0.4 fWAR), & Hays (-0.3 fWAR). Ignoring Rikuu, every other active player is positive fWAR on the season and has a wRC+ above 100. Periera fits the billing whenever he comes back. The infield is incredibly strong right now with Colson & Murakami on pace for ~6 fWAR, Vargas on pace for ~5 fWAR, & Meidroth on pace for ~3 fWAR. These guys are also playing almost every single day, so the role of a backup infielder is going to be highly limited. For context, players other than the four above have combined for 74 total plate appearances at those four spots. That’s about 213 plate appearances over a full season. There could be an opportunity to sit one of Chase or Vargas against tough righties and increase that figure, but I don’t think you want to rush Gonzalez up only to ride the bench the bulk of the time. Gonzalez doesn’t play the OF, but I will address the current situation briefly due to broader considerations that impact him. Right now, our OF has combined for a total of 0.4 fWAR. However, this is highly misleading. Peters is currently on pace for a 3.5 win season as the strong side of a CF platoon thanks in large part to his defense. Hill is a perfect platoon partner for him with a 142 wRC+ against LHP, but he also serves value as a late inning defensive replacement and pinch runner. Get rid of Acuna’s negative production and CF looks very solid overall. Antonacci is also playing pretty much everyday in LF and is currently on pace for a 2.5 win season. That production is coming entirely against RHP, although I think we should continue to expose him to LHP and see if he can improve there. RF is the problem spot at the moment. Grichuk & Pereira are both LHP killers and I think there is a chance Everson could be an everyday guy with time (but comes with risk). We lack a capable LH option at the moment as I am skeptical of Rikuu being more than just a minor role player. We also have Hays who has been both bad & injured this year, but who has a history of dominating RHP and being slightly above league average against LHP. If he ever can get healthy, his ability to play most days would prove very useful somewhere in the OF (or even DH), but that looks questionable at the moment with multiple injuries & setbacks on the year. I still believe Braden will be ready for a shot around the All Star break and that would give us an option for RF who can hopefully handle RHP. Ultimately, the point above is there is a path to a productive OF, but one that is heavily reliant on platooning and will be very crowded. This makes Benintendi as our primary DH even more challenging. He is never going to hit enough to be more than replacement level there. Cutting bait on Andre and using the spot to rotate multiple guys through makes sense. Gonzalez could certainly get a lot of run there, but it also opens up some time for Murakami & Vargas there which provide Jacob more chances in the infield. It also allows some of the OF guys to rotate through there as well, which could be a big positive for Hays’ health. TLDR - Cut bait on Acuna & Benintendi and eventually free up the DH spot for a rotation that would include Gonzalez.

I love that Getz actually valued having respectable depth in AAA and went out and acquired major ready guys who were part of a roster pinch. Both Peters & Pereira were smart pickups on that regard and cost basically nothing.

As I posted in the other thread, Benintendi is the one who needs to go eventually if he can’t turn up the offense a ton. He’s essentially unplayable in the OF and he’s not hitting enough to be a regular at DH. If you cut Andrew, this offense has a chance to be substantially by year end: Lineup: Antonacci, LF (L) Murakami, 1B (L) Vargas, 3B (R) C. Montgomery (L) Teel, CA (L) B. Montgomery, RF (S) Gonzalez, DH (L) Meidroth, 2B (R) Peters, CF (L) Bench: BC: Romo (S) / Quero (S) OF: Hays (R) / Grichuk (R) OF: Pereira (R) OF: Hill (R)

Sandlin’s start was incredibly promising, but still just one appearance. At a minimum, there is some real stuff there to dream on and the makeup appears to be strong. I agree with this take. Hicks move still looks smart, but hard to connect it directly to the Luis Robert trade.

Right after the All Star break is my guess. Where would he play right now? He would definitely be an upgrade offensively over Acuna, but it also doesn’t make sense to call him and force him into a tiny bench role. Let him cook for another month or so and reassess in mid July. Maybe by then we find a way to open up more playing time for him.

I think it’s very probable that Roch is on the Major League roster at some point next season. Not a guarantee, but three of the top 7 picks from the 2024 draft were up in the majors by the very next season and 2 of the top 3 from the 2023 season as well. I don’t view Rich as a guy who automatically needs a full minor league season of development.

Right now, given the lack of OFs, I am assuming Sam sticks in LF. That could obviously change, but I am starting to think Roch is the eventual successor to Meidroth.

The Sox did eat quite a bit of Keuchel’s money. Given how low the payroll is right now, maybe Jerry will do the right thing for once and accept a sunk cost.

I think Benintendi is somewhat the blocker for Gonzalez. I think once we get to the All-Star break there becomes a real chance that they consider cutting bait on Andrew and open up the DH for a rotation that could include Gonzalez.

I excluded him just due to expected ETA, but it’s possible he reaches next year and adds to the (good) problem.

This infield situation is going to be fascinating next year. We have a SS who is on pace for 6+ fWAR, a 3B on pace for 5+ fWAR, and a 2B on pace for +3 fWAR. Throw in Roch, Gonzalez, Burgolla, & Baldwin and there simply isn’t room for them all even if you assume Antonacci sticks in the OF.

Gonzalez might be legit now…feel nervous saying that, but it’s starting to get hard to ignore the numbers home park be damnded.

Great news!

They originally wanted him in the Hicks trade

His xERA for yesterday was 1.37 per Statcast with a xBA of .141. So yes he got lucky, but not nearly to the degree you are suggesting.

Way too early to write of Smith. Obviously in hindsight we should have taken a positional guy, but that doesn’t mean Smith can’t be a damn good pitcher for us.

Hill & Acuna out and lineup reshuffled.

And the lineup has changed: Antonacci, LF (L) Murakami, 1B (L) Vargas, 3B (R) Montgomery, SS (L) Meidroth, 2B (R) Peters, CF (L) Grichuk, DH (R) Nishida, RF (L) Quero, CA (S)

Feels like we need to change this lineup now. No way Acuna should be playing at minimum and I’d definitely move Antonacci back to the leadoff spot.

Aren’t we facing a RHP today or is he just opening?