Chicago White Sox

Nope, looks like you were right and that 1st round picks are no longer part of the penalty equation.

Honestly, I’m less concerned about getting the highest pick possible this year (the young guys playing well is far more important), I just don’t want to have a first round pick hanging over head when pursuing free agents this offseason. That being said, I’m more than fine is the plethora of garbage pitchers continue to lose some games for us.

Fucking awesome. Looks like Collins just added a double to his day.

A second bomb??

I honestly have no idea what Hahn is thinking. We’re actually wasting DH at-bats on guys with zero future with the organization. If it’s me, I’d releasing Castillo ASAP and calling up both Collins & Mercedes and letting them spit DH & C duties with McCann. I’m also finding a way to get Mendick in the infield mix. I know that Yolmer is a tremendous clubhouse guy and won’t be released mid-season, but he can definitely ride some pine for the next month and a half.

Honestly, I hate being that guy, but we really needed a loss as we’re getting dangerously close to the 11th pick.

Mercedes HR. Call this dude up.

Good starts so far at AAA: Madrigal - 0/1 with 2 BB Robert - 1/3 with a HR & a K Collins - 1/2 with a BB Mendick - 1/2 with a HR

100% agree.

Capra seems to be pretty horrible at sending guys. I wish there was an easy way to pull the stats because I’d wager we have more guys thrown out at home plate than the vast majority of the league.

I’ll admit I’m hungover as fuck, but this guest announcer is absolutely brutal.

I’m sure Goins would happily take on that extra responsibility in exchange for a major league role.

I can’t believe we keep running Yolmer out there everyday. I’m 100% serious when I say this, but I’d rather take my chances with Goins & Mendick in the reserve IF role next year even if Sanchez took a big discount to come back.

Yup, pretty good first there for Dylan.

Would be great to see Cease take a step forward today.

Arbitration eligible and then a free agent in 2021.

Varnell keeps on pitching well...I know he’s a long-shot due to a lack of stuff, but wish they would have pushed him a little harder. Kid will be 25 next May.

But I guess that’s my point. There are only a handful of starters who are actually sure things. Since 2016, only 30 total starters have amassed 10+ fWAR and only 10 them have amassed 15+ fWAR. Starting pitching has become less durable and increasingly inconsistent, especially in the juiced ball era. Wheeler isn’t one of those 30 starters with 10+ fWAR since 2016 because of past injuries. But he’s on pace for his second consecutive 4 win season and has plus stuff. If I can’t land one of the handful of reliable elite starters in the game like Cole, rolling the dice on a guy like Wheeler who might be on the cusp of jumping into that next tier of starters makes a ton of sense, especially if his past injuries constrain the amount of years he’ll be able to command.

I just don’t get why so many here consider Wheeler “lower end”. He’s 21st in fWAR amongst starting pitchers with at least 50 IP. Yes, he’s nowhere near as good as Cole, but there simply aren’t a ton of dominant pitchers in this juiced ball era and he’s pretty much in that sizable tier below the elite guys. He’d be a phenomenal addition IMO and I think he ends being a better signing than Strasberg or Bumgarner.

I don’t expect all our additions to come via free agency, I fully expect us to add a few pieces by trade as well. That being said, there will be plenty of pitching available in free agency that can help us achieve our objectives. While Cole and Strasberg are probably long-shots, one of Wheeler or Bumgarner would be a huge addition for us (or even Ryu). If we decide to add two starters or a swing-man, there are quite a few less options that will only cost us money. I also think there will be plenty of relief options in free agency for what we’ll need. Point is, no reason to trade assets for pitching when our payroll will be $100M below the league median coming into the offseason. I do think we’ll have to be more creative when it comes to the positional side of things. I absolutely love Rendon, but I think he’s going in high demand, much moreso than Machado & Harper were last year. After him, the star power is really lacking. I love Ozuna’s bat but if his arm isn’t what it once was, he’s a tough fit for a OF with Eloy in the other corner (plus isn’t LH). I think Grandal would be a phenomenal addition and hope they prioritize him, but I could see the Sox viewing him as a luxury with McCann & Collins in place. Not a ton of other guys that warrant big, multi-year deals after that really fit our needs. To me, we’ve got to find one left-handed bat to help anchor the lineup. Grandal would fit the bill, but we may ultimately have to go the trade route to fill that need. After that, I think we’d be smart to prioritize positional guys that will accept shorter term deals and/or offer flexibility. That’s a big reason I like Gennett, because he may very well take a pillow contract, he can contribute at a few different spots, and is left-handed to boot. While less ideal fits, Moustakas & Dickerson could be cost-efficient, short-term stopgaps if you want to buy more time and what you have in Sheets, Walker, and the AA OFs. I guess what I’m getting at is there zero excuse to enter the 2020 season with gaping holes at any position. Add a few big pieces (especially on the pitching side) and then plug the remaining holes with short-term veterans. We need to leverage our financial flexibility to create depth that the organization is currently lacking at the upper levels. It may not be realistic to accomplish all that in free agency, but money should be leveraged as much as possible, even potentially in trades. Hahn will have to be both aggressive and creative, but adding a half dozen good / useful pieces should be more than doable this offseason.

I’d be all for Scooter Gennett on a pillow contract.

Sure, but we have to add one legit bat to the lineup this offseason, preferably left-handed. To me, that’s just as important as adding more relievers.

Yolmer better prepared to take a massive pay cut then.

Zero chance IMO. Outside of pitching, I think RF is our #1 priority this offseason.

Which is exactly what Leury can be if we acquire a legit RF.