Chicago White Sox

Definitely could happen. I guess I’m hoping Reinsdorf ultimately keeps the payroll mostly flat worst-case scenario given his advanced age. That may be very optimistic of me though. FWIW, Merkin’s initial “5 questions for the off-season” article did not hint at a nightmare outcome and he is usually the first one to plant those seeds.

MLBTR’s off-season outlook for the Sox: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/10/offseason-outlook-chicago-white-sox-12.html Pretty good assessment of the team and our needs. One thing of note is if we tender contracts to Giolito, Cease, Kopech, Lopez, & Mendick we’re looking at ~$167M in payroll commitment for 18 guys. Throw in six minimum salary guys in Vaughn, Colas, Sosa (or Romy), Zavala, Lambert, & Crochet (or AAA random arm) and you’re probably sitting at ~$172M. That would leave us somewhere in the $15M to $30M range to add a starting OF and a 5th starter. Personally if I were Hahn, I’m targeting Kodai Senga for the rotation. Let’s say he gets a deal slightly higher than what Kikuchi got from the Mariners due to him having no posting fee and call it 4/$64M. If we’re being optimistic, that would leave ~$14M for an OF and with that money I’d sign Conforto to a pillow contract. To me, that’s about as best as we could do and that might be pushing things financially. Also, while I’d prefer Nimmo over Conforto, I really think we need to add a quality 5th starter. A foursome of Cease, Lynn, Kopech, & Giolito could be elite but the latter three all carry legitimate risk. Even if Jerry would approve a Nimmo signing, you’re probably looking at a scrap-heap #5 type starter then.

I’m not against gradually building him up, but just think money will be tight and Hahn may pass on further IF additions. Assuming we add an OF in free agency and call up Colas early on to start in the other corner, we’ll have Zavala, Pollock, & Leury as bench locks and with Mendick & Romy fighting for that last spot. I’d love to DFA Leury and sign a legit LH hitting infielder if Jerry were willing to stomach the cost.

I just meant he’s not a guy whose overall numbers are greatly inflated by crushing LHP.

Promising numbers against RHP at both levels then

They are AA I believe. Any idea where we can find his AAA splits?

Yeah probably, but figured Boras would push for some RF playing time even if all Conforto is getting is a pillow contract.

I don’t think you can make him a platoon player right off the bat though. I can’t find his AAA splits, but he was just as good against RHP in AA as he was LHP if not actually a little bit better. It might take some time, but I think the deserves a shot after his stellar 2022 season.

Assuming we go cheap and sign Conforto (sorry Nimmo fans), this would be my lineup against RHP: Moncada, 3B# Anderson, SS Vaughn, 1B Jimenez, DH Conforto, RF* Robert, CF Grandal, C# Colas, LF* Sosa, 2B Obviously dependent on Moncada getting his OBP back to .360+ like @CentralChamps21 suggested

Laumann was actually pretty solid. Drafted Sale, Anderson, Semien, Rodon, Bassitt, Hudson, Bummer, etc. He was a huge improvement from Schaefer and better than his replacement Hostetler IMO.

I get the manager won’t be the hitting coach, but Long would certainly help us get back to a more power / OBP oriented approach. And never having to see someone like Leury bat lead-off again would be a dream come true. Also, if Long is the guy, I’d be good with Katz, Hasler, & Cairo returning. I think the former two have generally done a good job on the pitching side and Miguel might be worthwhile to keep around in something capacity (doesn’t have to be bench coach). I see zero reason to keep any of the rest of them around.

One last quote from Long in the Athletic interview:

Sounds like they’re keeping Boone.

Here is a quote from Kevin Long that supports a more modern approach to hitting: Here is a quote from Frank Menechino:

This is from an interview with the Athletic on how Kevin prepared for joining the Phillies.

Don’t think Frank will coming unfortunately

I’d be very pleased with Long given the rumored alternatives.

?

If it’s not Long or Espada, then hopefully we get a decision this week. The World Series doesn’t start until Friday, seems like we could sneak in a Getz announcement beforehand ?

You’d hate a Kevin Long hire?

Yeah, it’s very clear to me that Jerry is the root of most of our problems. I do think we see a transformation once he finally sells the team (assuming it’s not to his son). To me, this franchise should be a powerhouse and it has operated so unlike how good businesses do for so many years. Invest in a consistent, quality product and people will want to consume it in droves. Unfortunately, Jerry is a “can’t spend a dollar if I only have 50 cents” type guy and will never budge from that sort of operating principle. Just got to hope Mellody Hobson & George Lucas or whoever ends up buying the team will let its employees run without too much interference while also holding them accountable. And yeah, plenty to be excited for back in Chicago beyond just the Sox. Just wish the Sox would do me some favors as I work to get my sons interested in the team and professional baseball in general.

Good point on not needing to move fast on the inside guys. If it’s an internal hire, I do think Getz is far more likely than Thome. We got to pray it’s somehow Kevin Long though.

No

If this Northbrook Bob guy is to believed and the Sox have already ruled out Espada, you got to think there is already someone in mind for the job. And if there is someone in the mind for the job, you think Hahn would accelerate a hiring decision to avoid competing with the Marlins or Royals unless said candidate is part of a playoff team. And if said candidate is a part of a playoff team and it’s not Espada, then it’s got to be Kevin Long right? Optimistic me says it has to be him, although the pessimistic me can’t quite shake the Getz rumor. Hiring him and promoting KW Jr after acknowledging the organization has been too insular would be such a White Sox set of moves.

I’ll give Brooks Boyer a lot of credit. He wrote me a lengthy, well thought-out email back when I voiced my frustrations over the SoxFest cancellation. While he didn’t explain the reason for the decision (he simply said the traditional SoxFest didn’t make sense for the club this year), he did push back on my cowardice accusations, albeit in a very respectful way. And while I don’t fully buy that, perhaps there is more to the story than just avoiding accountability after a horrible season. Regardless, he really is one of the good guys in the organization and truly wants to put together the best fan experience possible. Unfortunately, there are clearly limitations being part of a Reinsdorf owned operation.