Chicago White Sox

Jack you need to settle down here. There is zero reason to draw this conclusion. The Sox most likely want these guys to just get some rest (physical & mental in Hansen’s case) and come to spring training next year healthy / refreshed.

That .709 OPS is 16th amongst SS’s, so pretty much average. Add in plus base running and above average defense and he can be a very valuable piece. And let’s not forget he’s 25 years old and came into this league incredibly raw. He should get better.

I find it more likely Reinsdorf approves making a winning offer to Machado or Harper than Corbin. The Yankees are going to be all over him and he’s going to a get contract in length that we’ve been typically unwilling to consider for pitchers.

No, the goal of a hitter to help the team score runs. Getting on base and making less outs is a big part of that, but so is hitting for power and using plus speed to get yourself into scoring position. Also, saving a run is just as good as creating a run. Evaluating a SS based strictly on their OBP is an incredibly flawed way to look at things. His lack of patience may prevent him from ever being a star, but he is most definitely a valuable player already with plenty of room for growth. He is the lack thing on this roster we should be worried about at the moment.

If Lopez can resurrect the curve for good and command the changeup, Lopez will be a quality major league starter.

Remember when Balta said Abreu wouldn’t be a worthwhile upgrade over Bird...whoops.

Swing & miss on a fastball right there.

I wasn’t able to watch the first two innings, but I’m sure scouting reports are telling guys to key on Lopez’s fastball. That is 100% Cooper’s fault for letting Lopez rely on it thus much in a rebuilding season. The good news is Reynaldo has been able to make an adjustment in-game and successfully use his offspead to combat the Yankees approach.

With is fantastic! But the fact Lopez basically abandoned his curve all year, his bread & butter breaking ball in the minors, and has not only brought it back but has also been able to command is the most important takeaway from tonight IMO. Why Cooper had him stop using it in the first place is beyond me.

Fuck yes!!

Three pages and no one has mentioned Lopez is using his curveball finally and it actually looks pretty good. That’s a fucking revelation and greatly improves his chances of being a quality starter.

I think the Yankees blow their wad on pitching, with Corbin being a strong possibility.

Whether he can ever regain his top prospect form remains to be seen and quite frankly I’m still skeptical. Having said that, he’s clearly shown signs of sustainable improvement and to me look like he can at least be a quality #4 starter going forward. And that’s awesome given where he was just a few months ago. Hopefully he can continue take steps forward though.

Here’s my offseason prediction: Sign Manny Machado to 10/$350M deal Sign J.A. Happ to 2/$30M deal Sign Daniel Murphy to 2/$23M deal Sign Leonys Martin to 1/$9M deal 2019 Opening Day Roster: 1. Moncada, 2B 2. Machado, 3B 3. Abreu, DH 4. Jiménez, LF 5. Murphy, 1B 6. A. Garcia, RF 7. Anderson, SS 8. Narvaez, C 9. Martin, CF IF: Sanchez OF: Engel UT: L. Garcia BC: Castillo #1: Rodon #2: Kopech #3: Happ #4: Giolito #5: Lopez CL: Burdi SU: Hamilton SU: Fry MR: Jones/Vieira MR: Bummer/Frare MR: Covey LR: Stephens I’d also look to add a veteran RH reliever on a one year deal, but couldn’t come up with a name off the top of my head.

Agreed. I think it comes down to us or the Phillies. Both franchises have financial flexibility and are motivated to add a star.

I know I’ll be in the minority here, but I think we have a solid chance of landing Machado.

So you want to tank again?

I’d take McCutchen over Avi if I could do it on a one year deal.

-100%?

Fair points, but three things worth mentioning. First, I believe we’ve undergone some major changes in our pro scouting department. Second, we have both a ton of financial flexibility & minor league reinforcements on the way. When we had our little free agency bonanza a few years back, we basically had no fall back if those guys failed. Third, over year old 30 veterans are much cheaper than they used to be. Overall, I think there is far less risk trying to execute such a plan now than in years past.

I really like FIP as a stat, but this is why it shouldn't be taken as gospel. Inducing weak contact is a skill and something that FIP does not account for.

Based on everything I've read/seen, Jimenez seems like a guy that would be open to an extension. I mean, he turned more money as amateur to sign with the Cubs because he liked the color blue. We just got to hope that black, gray, & white have grown on him.

This is not what I would do, but what I think the front office will do. Part of this may be to build some excitement / optimism heading into the off-season and improve our chances in free agency. Again, not saying I agree or disagree with that, but the front office was exploring options to acquire Machado last off-season. They're clearly willing to think outside the box to improve their chances of landing a whale free agent no matter how small the odds might be. And having both Kopech & Jimenez up and productive sure makes this team a lot more attractive when they're trying to sell joining the White Sox over teams.

Hopefully this is Shields' final start with the Sox and he can end his tenure on a high note! Go Sox!!!

I think Eloy is called up for Friday's game against the Red Sox.