Chicago White Sox

We have $40M in salary committed next year for an entire 26 man roster and that’s with Robert as our CF. There should be $40M to $50M to spend just to maintain our current payroll. Do you actually think we will go backwards in payroll next year?

#2 spot?

You think a team full of mostly youngsters is not going to get better?

Exactly my point in my last post you probably haven’t seen yet. But the lineup is mostly full and actually has some depth behind it. Doesn’t mean you couldn’t upgrade, but we’re not going out and signing 1.5 win players to block guys like Sosa, Vargas, etc. Pitching is a different story as I think it would be prudent to add a legit veteran SP (even if of the rebound variety) and some relievers, but I pray to god the org realizes now that allocating 30% of your payroll to the bullpen is a bad resource allocation strategy.

Right now, this is the projected positional group for next year: Lineup: 1B: Vargas 2B: Sosa SS: Meidroth 3B: C. Montgomery* LF: Benintendi* CF: Robert RF: Tauchman* DH: Quero CA: Teel* Bench: IF: Mead OF: Robertson* UT: Baldwin# BC: Lee Honestly, add one legit corner OF and move Benintendi to the bench / part time DH role and I’d be good with that lineup in a transition year. With further growth from the kids, it could be decent. Obviously I’d be open to other upgrades, but I’d probably give the kids one more year to see who takes steps. You also would have Ramos and possibly Antonacci as contingency plans at some point in the year. As for the bench, Robertson would move down to a AAA depth role with Andrew demoted. Mead competes with Vargas and Sosa at 1B & 2B respectively. Baldwin fills in everywhere and gets more playing time when there are injuries. Lee sits on the bench and dreams of one Teel / Quero get injured mid game so he can save the day. Honestly, I’m not sure any major upgrades are needed there. I just don’t see where you “spread the wealth” here.

So negativity for negativity sake…got it

How many holes do you see that they would spread it around on? They basically have a full lineup of positional players now in place. They can probably fill 4/5 of a rotation with ease. The bullpen certainly needs help, especially if Taylor ends up staying there. But realistically, they’d have like $45M to spend after Robert if they just want to maintain the current payroll.

Candidly speaking, they should add to the team this offseason. Too many young players on the roster now to throw away a full year of service time on all of them.

You really think we’re going to have a $40M payroll next year?

Again, go look at the free agent OF market and tell me who you’d like them to spend on money on.

His xwOBA is still .343 which is well above average.

Those should be the moves.

He’s got a s%*# arm…definitely a 2B/1B profile.

Sounds like you got the data…prove me wrong.

The OF market is brutal…is much better the following year.

What now??

I have been saying and doing those things. And yes, as I mentioned previously, I think there is real value to be had by acquiring certain post hype guys who were once high-end prospects (think 55 FV types) who haven’t been given extended runway. I don’t have empirical to back up the claim, but I also think there are a lot of guys like this who never get those additional chances to fail because their teams were good and couldn’t afford to give them the playing time to work through their issues. This kid is at like 330 major league plate appearances despite spending parts of five years at AAA. As a rebuilding team we can offer up playing time and see if that final piece of development in the majors is all that is missing from him becoming a useful piece. So yes, I think this might be a unique market inefficiency that we are afforded from being so bad.

Yeah, he had a left wrist fracture in 2023 and some other more minor stuff over the years.

It’s 356 career plate appearances

I’m sorry buddy, what’s your beef with the “former top prospect” angle?

BA Grade: 50/Medium Track Record: The Rays acquired Mead from the Phillies in the November 2019 trade that sent Class A lefthander Cristopher Sanchez to Philadelphia. Sanchez blossomed into a solid starter for the Phillies in 2023, while Mead is ready to break into the Rays’ lineup in 2024, so the trade may prove to be a win for both teams. After missing time in 2022 with an elbow injury, Mead missed almost two months with a wrist injury in 2023 after being hit by a pitch. He dominated the Triple-A International League upon his return, made his MLB debut in August and started both playoff games for the Rays, driving in Tampa Bay’s lone postseason run. Scouting Report: Mead is one the Rays’ best pure hitters. He has the rare combination of above-average plate discipline and exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Mead looks to pull or go up the middle to do damage, but with two strikes the Australia native shortens up and pokes the ball to right field. He has plus power potential, though so far it has led to more doubles than home runs because he hits balls to the power alleys. Mead feasts on fastballs. He’s not a very adept breaking ball hitter, but he recognizes them and doesn’t chase. Mead’s well below-average arm is an issue for him at either second base or third. He has solid short-area quickness and a solid first step. His hands are average as well, but if he has to leave his feet, go to his knees or move away from his target, he struggles to get anything on his throws. The shift restrictions help him at second by eliminating long throws from short right field. The Future: Mead’s bat fits in Tampa Bay’s 2024 lineup, ideally as someone who bounces between second and third base, depending on where fewer balls are expected to be hit. Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 30

Former three time top 100 prospect who is still young - seems worthy of a gamble on a guy like Houser

We do?

Post hype?

That dude got traded to the Yankees