ChiSox59

Rooting for ReyLo.

You love SSS, and hate defense, line up balance and OBP.

He’s better than what we have, so long as Ricky doesn’t act like he’s an everyday player.

Yet you say the Sox should have spent the Grandal money on a RF in FA that didn't exist. You've yet to explain how you would have better spent that $73M, and how you then fill the catcher position moving forward once McCann is a FA following 2020, other than suggesting Castellanos who is a just a terrible fit for this roster.

JFC. I am not making excuses for the organization. I just said I was disappointed in the Mazara acquisition in the comment you were quoting. I knew he wasn't a long term solution. I was a huge proponent of going after somone like Nimmo instead. The Phils Harper to a $330M a year and half ago. Would he look great in RF on a 15 year $350M+ contract? Yeah, he would. But I've moved on. There were no good RF FA options last offseason. They were all horseshit fits - so rather than jamming a square peg into a round hole with someone like Castellanos, they acquired Mazara in hopes of finding something with a guy that was still just 24 years old and was a former elite prospect. It doesn't appear the Mazara experiment is going to work out, but the strategy behind the move was fine when considering the other options. So long as they move on after this season and actually plug RF with a legitimate player as we move into our real contention window - ideally one that plays good defensive, is a lefty or switch hitter and one that gets on base - I am OK with it.

Where did I say someone would pay substantially more? I said there would be teams willing to take on the balance of the existing contract.

Mazara is and was a stop gap. I didn’t like the move then and I don’t like it any more now. But I know it’s just a stop gap. Signing Castellanos, who is a low OBP and bad defensive slugger wasn’t the answer. He would have fit right in with the rest of the team tho! Let’s run out 9 poor defensive free swinging right handed sluggers and see how it works out! That should work our great for a young pitching staff.

I honestly don’t think a 20 game sample of any kind is enough to make MLB gms ignore a decade sample size of being elite. this whole topic is comical to me.

I think plenty of teams would be “willing to take on” that deal right now. I don’t think he has much surplus value but let’s not act like 4-6 fWAR catchers suddenly grow on trees.

So who has this magical RF solution in FA you speak of? The Sox tried to sign SP. He took less money to sign in Philly and they ended up getting Keuchel instead. I agree they need to add another SP next offseason; but not at the expense of Grandal.

Who was the better fit? We needed OBP. We needed power. We needed a left handed batter. Who was the better fit? Grandal is and was literally a perfect piece for this roster. Again, a punchless 15 game stint in which he is still bordering on elite at getting on base doesn’t change that, no matter how much you try to speak it into existence. McCann mostly regressed back to the guy he had always been after the ASB last year. I like James. Dude is a great ball player. But he’s no where close to as good or valuable a player as Grandal.

Engel still sucks against righties. That hasn’t changed. He shouldn’t be playing against RHP. Admittedly Nomar hasn’t been good against RHP either in 2020 SSS, but there is a decent track record there.

Actually, all things considered, I think MLB is probably pretty pleased with where things are. I was not confident at all this season would play to conclusion before it started, or within the first week. At this point, I'd be kind of shocked to see the season cancelled before its conclusion. I also think the second bolded is a wild take. Sure, this isn't your typical season, but the Sox learning how to win and getting playoff experience will be incredibly important for the future. Confidence is a huge thing, and the Sox playing .580-.600 ball and getting a playoff series win or two would be huge for the future. Winning the Covid Cup would be an enormous step in the right direction, and to completely discount that is a quite a hot take.

Engel is a very good defensive OF - but he cannot hit RHP at all. Career .201/.260/.313 hitter across just under 800 PA. Mazara is a career .270/.336/.457 hitter against RHP across 1650 PA. BIG difference. The platoon works fine, but obviously isn't a long term situation.

I agree - it was definitely worth the gamble. He could still figure it out a bit, but probably not enough to retain him after 2020 for 1 more season of arb in the $8-9M range. Also, I am not ready to completely give up on Adofo. I think he still has a chance.

I feel like Mazara has been fine defensively in RF. I think you start Adam in RF against LHP, and keep running Mazara out there against RHP. I've said it when he was acquired and still believe it now - Mazara is only going to be here for a season. He is going to be non-tendered, and the Sox will move in another direction in RF in 2021. I'd stay far away from Pederson, and alot of teams will be interested in Springer, but I feel like you have to at least put your best foot forward there. Sox just get so right handed again with Springer - perhaps re-exploring acquiring a Mets OF is the best bet.

Grandal was quite literally the single best FA fit for White Sox last off-season, and it’s not really even close. The Sox are full of low OBP free swingers froM the right side. He adds lineup balance, high OBP (still at .350 despite the tough start!), and fills the hardest position on the diamond for 4 seasons, 3 of which McCann was not under control. A dinged up and punch less first 15 or so games after a 4 month hiatus doesn’t change any of that.

To be fair, it’s only a handful of posters that clearly don’t understand SSS or pay attention to much around the game that doesn’t involve the white Sox.

Lol. James McCann isn’t getting $14M AAV in a multi year deal. Zero chance.

He played 153 games last year, 140 the year before. Yes, some at 1B and DH. But he should be catching most of the time and DHing or playing 1B when he’s not. Obviously with McCann around, he can’t catch 90% of the games. But in future years, he should come close to that. The guy is really fucking good and he needs to play.

The one benefit to no McCann in the future is that Grandal then should catch 145 or so games, which is exactly what he should do.

No chance? I think he’d be lucky to exceed $10M on an AAV basis. $18M+ is going to be really hard to turn down.

Is the current taxi squad roster published somewhere?

I think the obvious answer the final question is that the Sox are crazy thin in both the IF and the OF as far are bench players go once Leury went down.

He can....not sure how well. But with Engel back, seems less important. Ideally Engel plays RF against LHP so you can sit Mazara, but then if Engel needs to play CF because Robert needs to sit longer, neither Delmonico or Gonzalez are great options in RF against LHP. Doesn't make a ton of sense really. I'd have preferred throwing Micker out there in RF against the lefty today. But realistically, we're quibbling about the 28th man that will likely be gone in a couple days, so not going to get too worked up.