Chicago White Sox

I did leave Chicago because of this team. That’s a true statement. I fully get the anger of being a White Sox fan. I am guilty of it as much as anyone. But I also like discussing the White Sox and looking for reasons to believe things will get better as long as we’re being objective. And I have no issue with anyone disagreeing with moves as long as they state reasons that aren’t simply “because the White Sox suck”. Your view on Nevin was completely warranted. But there handful of posters who simply s%*# on everything and a couple others who just do drive-buys and don’t really add anything to the discussion. That’s as bad as the non-stop Getz excuse making. I 100% get being skeptical of everything. Until Jerry dies, we are a competitive disadvantage and will have to get lucky to ever win a championship. And Getz may very well be the total boob we all thought he was when first hired. But that doesn’t mean things still can’t get better in the near-term. The amount of low hanging fruit throughout the org is vast and even a subpar GM hire can make significant improvements by bringing in smart people from the outside. Just go to the over / under thread and see some of the takes there. Losing 121 games takes both a lack of talent and being unlucky. Getz does not deserve a free pass for this year’s s%*# show of a team, but it’s ok to acknowledge that the team will likely be better next year without doing all that much. Unfortunately, that level of discussion & debate gets completely lost in the wake of all the hate and spin from both sides.

I am pissed off too…everyone should be. And I just called out the posters who try to justify every past & present Getz action. Clearly he was not qualified for the GM job and I will argue that until the end of time. And I have been very critical of his trades since becoming GM…the track record is very bad so far. All that being said, he inherited an organization that is broken to its core and that will take time to fix. He has made some interesting outside hires in several key positions. He is making major investments in foundational areas like pro scouting, international scouting, player development, & analytics. Whether those moves will untimely work out remains to be seen and people have a right to be skeptical…I myself am skeptical. But once we get to the point of saying that nothing will ever work out because we are the White Sox we eliminate any chance of actual discussion and that is my major beef.

And that would be a perfect example of certain posters being willing to say anything to justify what Getz does. This issue definitely goes both ways.

We will, but you only have so many major league roster spots. We will likely need to rely on guys like Nastrini, Bush, & Iriarte (and eventually Adams) to make a lot of starts. We also have Shuster & Scholtens to fill in as necessary. I think that should be plenty with a couple AAAA type signings.

This board is getting worse than Congress with its extremist views. Either you must hate everything the org does no matter how trivial in order to get the rage out of your system or you must spin everything that Getz does in a favorable light regardless if it has sound backing to it to help retain some level of hope. This board used to have great discussion and now it’s just non-stop whining & spinning by the same group of posters 24/7. Unfortunately, those of us who are angry AF at the organization but still want to give Getz a chance (even if 100% undeserved) can’t have good honest debates on moves as the loudest posters disrupt everything with their relentless pessimism or optimism.

I don’t see a reason to sign Flexen at this point. Wilson will likely compete with Smith (and others) for the #5 spot coming out of spring training. Loser will likely be the swing man to start the year. Scholtens will be at some point. And then you have a ton of arms in AAA right on the cusp. If you want to add more SP depth, I’d do so on a minor league deal and not sure Flexen is going to be game for that.

So does he report into Janish then? And aren’t amateur scouting and player development separate functions? I guess I’m guess I’m confused by his involvement in both unless he’s actually an Assistant GM.

You’re right on Batista. I had thought he spent more time in Winston Salem last year but my memory served me wrong. He’ll open up in High A for sure. Not sure who gets knocked out or if they go with a six man, but Gordon, Peppers, McDaniel, etc. are all behind the big four there and I’d prioritize McDougal over those guys as well due to his age and stuff.

Good bet and you will likely be rewarded!

Many of these guys will flame out, but they also need opportunities before doing so. The issue isn’t that we can’t acquire better SP prospects, it’s that acquiring a 45 FV and pushing someone like Batista to a minor league bullpen doesn’t move the needle much.

Not if he returns to 2023 form, which is very much possible

We have tons of cap space, a top 10 pick, and two good 2nd rounders. We should be able to materially improve both lines if Poles executes right. Not saying we will, but it should be doable.

I’ll be honest fathom, I wasn’t buying what you were selling on the payroll, but so far the dumpster diving is 100% in the bargain bin. I expected at least one signing for $5M to $7M for the bullpen, but so far that looks unlikely.

He said his fastball could grow two inches, not his height…part of the reason I wasn’t sure what he was talking about.

What in the world are you talking about?

Regardless, that is some serious minor league pitching depth and I’m not even showing everyone. Also, it shows why adding more SP prospects at this point is diminishing returns. Yes injuries will happen, but there are other guys who can easily claim those innings. From here on out, our focus should be on adding high ceiling bats.

I will admit I really struggled on that Kannapolis rotation. There are a ton of guys who could theoretically slot into spots and I don’t who they feel is ready to move from the ACL (or even DSL) and which college relievers they just drafted who they plan to convert to starting roles. I also have no idea what’s going on with Lecombre and if he could possibly factor into the mix.

So wanted to get people’s thoughts on what they think our rotations throughout the org will look like come Opening Day. Here are my best guesses at the moment: White Sox: Davis Martin Jonathan Cannon Drew Thorpe Sean Burke Bryse Wilson AAA: Jairo Iriarte Mason Adams Ky Bush* Nick Nastrini Wikelman Gonzalez AA: Noah Schultz* Juan Carela Riley Gowens Tyler Schweitzer* Aldrin Batista High A: Hagen Smith* Grant Taylor Seth Keener Tanner McDougal Lucas Gordon* Low A: Ricardo Brizuela Justin Sinibaldi* Mason Moore Luis Reyes Christian Oppor*

Booser or Fajardo?

With the Phillies signing Kepler and trading prospects for Luzardo, it feels like a Robert trade is probably Reds or bust IMO. I do think there are some different combinations that could work there. Otherwise, I feel like you probably have to hold him to July. I could see the Phillies coming back to the table then given how rough their offense looks right now. And obviously other teams will have OF or CF specific needs eventually.

Caba and Boyd going back to the Marlins.

I agree with everything but that last line. Not sure age matters all that much when it comes to Booser’s future trade value. If he can become a legit, high leverage LH setup man he will have plenty of value at the deadline and should return plenty. Maybe you won’t get full value on the remaining control, but you’d certainly get more than a Farjardo caliber prospect. The big question is can the Sox get more out of Booser and my biggest issue right now is the price to get that opportunity is far from a nothing.

Fajardo just missed Baseball America’s top 30 list for the White Sox. It’s going to be fascinating to hear Getz try to rationalize this one. Anytime a rebuilding club trades an 18 year old arm with good stuff who they just signed and who performed well will raise a lot of questions. Again, you have to be confident there’s something extra you can unlock in Booser and can spin him for much more at the deadline if you make this trade. Otherwise, it really does feel like you’re selling low on Fajardo as even the same level of success in complex ball would enhance his trade value. That being said, I do want a GM who will attempt to create value by thinking outside the box and Booser certainly fits that billing. Just nervous here given Getz’s atrocious trade record when he’s more or less buying a piece. The entire Bailey Horn sequence of moves remains bizarre to me as there was plenty of 40 man garbage to get rid of before selling Horn off for cash. It’s very clear they missed on their evaluation of him, which is strange since they should have known him well, but also a sign that Bannister isn’t going to be flawless. Unlike with the Fletcher trade, which I hated right from the get go, I will wait and see how everything shakes out with Booser before making too harsh of judgements. That being said, my early gut tells me never to trade legitimate prospects for relievers when rebuilding and instead target rebound candidates via the waiver wire and free agency.

He’s 19th on Pipeline’s current top 30 list for us…not sure if it’s actually up to date though.