Chicago White Sox

Steamer 600 projects Mayo at 1.7 fWAR vs. 1.9 for O’Hearn, so theoretically it’s all very close. That being said, the Orioles love having too much depth so it’s not completely out of the world they would keep both. And it’s still very early and it’s possible they move one of this off-season. If fact, I wouldn’t be that surprised if they are trying to use Mayo in a package to acquire a TOR starter.

Him becoming a 3 win player doesn’t mean he will be one as rookie.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with DeLoach challenging Fletcher for the RF job and Seymour for the DH role. Bring in multiple options into camp and see who Venable, Fuller, and the front office ultimately like. Hell, maybe even Colas rises from the ashes and forces his way into the mix.

Moncada overcame those issues though and put up some really nice seasons. His eventual downfall had nothing to do with initial struggles.

The adjustment going from AAA to the majors is massive. I don’t think he has anything left to learn in the minors from a hitting perspective, but it’s clear he will need to continue to develop in the majors. How long that takes remains to be seen. But zero reason not to pick up O’hearn’s option given he’s worth more that and can be traded if needed.

I think he could be there at 2.1 though. Just hard for teams to carry a limited player like him, which would help our chances of him slipping. But yeah, hems the type of guy you roll the dice on at DH over say Zach DeLoach.

You’re on the money. And I’m not trying to hate on the Ward idea, but just trying to illustrate how inflated PCL numbers are. IMO, I’d rather with a pitcher with the 1.1 and then snag someone like Bob Seymour at 2.1 who is a far more limited player but one with huge power and who could possibly be a strong side platoon option at 1B / DH

You are really anchoring off a dude’s first 46 plate appearances.

Yeah, would be interesting to see.

And don’t get me wrong, I can understand not wanting a 1B as the centerpiece of a Crochet trade, but acting like a 3 win 1B is somehow not valuable is what I’m really arguing against. Over the past three years, there have been 70 to 80 positional players each season who achieved 3+ wins. That’s less than three players per team in an average year. I get we all want a potential star as the centerpiece for Crochet and we should certainly push for that, but I think there is considerable value in getting a legit stud middle of the bat that can anchor a lineup for six years that doesn’t fully get reflected in WAR.

Pick your fighter! Figures below 2024 PCL stats for both players. Player A: 19.9% BB % | 17.3% K % | .276 ISO | 1.006 OPS | 151 wRC+ Player B: 7.9% BB % | 27.1% K % | .285 ISO | .860 OPS | 103 wRC+

Mayo is going to draw a lot more walks than Burger and I think he’ll eventually be a 40 HR hitter. I think he’s going to be a legit impact bat when it’s all said and done. Being a 1B obviously caps his value, but I think he’ll end up being a 3+ win player year-in, year-out.

Thanks for sharing this. That being said, I’m not overly concerned about his long-term potential at 1B as most of his errors at 3B have been of the throwing nature.

He was terrible where? In his 21 starts for Norfolk or the two starts for BAL?

Seems like there are quite a few interesting arms in this draft. Right now, I’d say Bryan Magdaleno and Eiberson Castellano are both guys I’d consider at 1.1. And honestly, I wouldn’t be against us taking two players in this draft if things go the right way. For example, if Christian Franklin (OF, Cubs) went unselected in the first round I’d definitely add him to the OF mix with the AAAA guys and see if Fuller can tweak his swing to get more loft.

The Sox have the 1st pick in the draft and will almost certainly select someone. Who do you want the Sox to take? Below is an article that outlines some of the top players available for selection. https://www.justbaseball.com/prospects/rule-5-draft-preview-which-prospects-will-be-selected/

Based on scouting reports, videos I’ve seen of him, his athleticism for his size, and the fact he can play a bad, but passable 3B. Why do you think his defense at 1B would be bad? You are the first person I have ever seen make that claim.

His defense at 1B should be fine. You seem to be undervaluing his bat because of strikeouts.

I think this will end up being a very wrong statement.

Will they be willing to give up Mayer or Campbell as the headliner?

So you will ignore the fact there are really valuable RH 1B in baseball because the one we drafted failed?

There are things you can rip Katz about certainly, but pretending it’s his fault the roster has gradually lost talent over time and/or guys have lost stuff due to age or injury is a bit much.

I think he realizes he needs to capitalize off his Y24 season and push for an extension now or risking losing out on a ton of money. I’m expecting this to be similar to what happened with Glasnow to the Dodgers, but not with it being a requirement to the trade since he stills comes with two cheap years of control.

They have new ownership…they can afford guys like Montas. The question is can they afford guys like Burnes on a long-term deal.