tray

SSHM : Good points there. Concerning the decision they made to keep Vaughn down to not start the clock.. I am not in agreement with Hahn's decision to keep Vaughn in Schaumburg instead of letting him play. If he had played that could have established his value to the 2021 Sox or to other teams in a potential trade. Collins could have been brought up to get more at bats as well. Instead, he also remains something of an unknown quantity. Although it was not an option, think about the difference Kopech's value might be now if he had a decent season or even half of a season. Most of us were complaining that Mazara and EE kept getting at-bats. Steve Stone (at least on Twitter) panned the decision to keep running Mazara and EE out there. We know that decision was not entirely up to Renteria or maybe he just realized that a lot of money was spent on those players and he did not want to show up Hahn by benching his boys. So....given similar circumstances would TLaR feel that he has to put guys in the line-up who are under-performing just to kiss Hahn's ass?

I am concerned about Robert injuring himself when he runs full speed and dives for balls in the gaps. Its' fun to watch and important to the outcome of certain games, but, is it worth a possible injury that takes him out for weeks or months or for an entire season? I would rather see Robert limit his exposure to injury by holding up if he can't get to a ball on his feet, then just run it down and hit the cut-off man. I recall that Avi G adjusted his approach to balls hit in front of him after he injured himself on a dive....after his injury required surgery. The other possibility would be to try Robert in RF in Spring Training to see if he can take advantage of his strong arm while minimizing high speed, risky dives for balls in the gaps. Engel is decent defensively and showed that he can really smash the ball. I think he is too valuable to sit on the bench where Renteria had him all to often. At some point during the season Hahn should have admitted that he screwed up by signing Mazara and EE , then made some obvious moves to rectify those mistakes (bringing up Vaughn and Collins and telling Renteria it was fine to start Engel in RF). It may be that Renteria felt an obligation to the org. to keep sending Mazara and EE out there to help justify Hahn signing them to contracts. Hopefully there will be better coordination next season between the Manager and the FO.

This is ridiculous.

How the General Manager take charge and arrange player interviews with Tony and sit in on them ?

Hahn should really be doing some player outreach since he already knows the players and their agents and can do the introductions. But no, he has a carmine derrier and ran for cover after Tony was signed. Oh poor me....a little Catholic self flagellation. You know what... maybe JR should fire Hahn and make Stoney the GM. It looks like that would make for a more coherent and cohesive organizational structure...at least at this point.

The Sox could have selected Kelenic instead of Madrigal in the Draft , Now you can't get Kelenic unless you give up a boat load of talent. The Sox should have released EE mid season and let Vaughn at least DH. If Vaughn raked...even for 20 or 30 games, he would at least have maximized his trade value.

I liked Jarred Kelenic as LH outfield prospect in the the Draft. He is a LH bat that can play Center or RF. I would trade Vaughn plus Kopech (or Vaughn plus Cease and Collins) for him. I also still like Benintendi, even though his value has diminished some. Either one could thrive in the White Sox line-up.

Steve Stone, GM. Replace him in the booth with AJ.

I'm tired of hearing about Rick Hahn. He has had his share of hits and misses like any GM. Maybe it is time for a new GM that can co-exist with the Owner and Manager and has experience signing the type of players that will make this a World Series team.

Hahn better not even consider any moves without consulting with Tony.

When you are twenty five you have arguably 4-5years of experience as an adult. ...arguably in the sense that you are using your teenage experiences as a frame of reference to place perspective on things. Major league players are mostly twenty somethings who could benefit from others experience, if they are willing to listen and learn. Ironically, some of the harshest critics of TLR do not appear to have an open-minded bone their bodies. Read your own posts when you have a moire sanguine moment to reflect on what you have said. Ray - give it a rest man.

Al Capone used to count his enemies like that.

LaRussa is there to provide some stability when Hahn and KW leave. Their days are now numbered. Neither one will coexist too long with Tony.

Ok son.

Age provides qualities that a lot of young people lack - experience, wisdom and good judgment, among them. Our culture is one where young people no longer respect their elders and discount the value of their life experience. As an older Sox fan I find many of the comments here to be closed minded, short-sighted and on some levels, offensive. Do you also think Steve Stone lacks baseball knowledge because of his age ? As Steve "Mongo" McMichael once reminded a group of vegetarians that were chiding him about the health risks of the fast food on the menu at his restaurant: "You're gonna die too, you know." How about giving the age thing a break ?

Hahn should have been fired after the LaRoach fiasco.

. JR is a Billionaire because he is pretty smart. So relax withe the ageism and over-reaction. Hahn needed to be checked or fired. This is a check on him and possibly a predicate for sending him packing. I happen to like the chess move. Check. Now wait for the next move.

Maybe a GM that knows how to pot the final pieces of a championship team together should be considered. (Not a crew like (EE, Mazara, Cishek, Gio Gonzo) . Time is of the essence. Dare I suggest Theo Epstein ? If Theo interviews with Jerry, Jimmy's balls might explode.

Hahn made some bad moves last year (EE, Mazara, Cishek, Gio Gonzo) and failed to make any player moves during the season. Also in terms of judgment about Managers, Renteria probably should have been gone before the 2020 season. I don't want to dwell on ancient history but where was Hahn when LaRoach's kid was in running around the clubhouse and the practice field? Where was Hahn when Sale cut his jersey and refused to pitch? KW had to deal with those situations. Hahn is a blowhard who bragged that he could be a GM for the next 10 years. Hahn continues to promise multiple championships ....an almost unattainable goal in the modern era of baseball. The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers even have a hard time doing that. Cubs have one in what might be a 1,000 year stretch. Maybe Jerry no longer trusts Hahn to pick a Manager and wants to do what any good owner would do - consult with several people he knows and trusts - baseball people who have experience at various levels of management Jerry is trying to get this right. His first instinct was to not trust Hahn. I applaud him for that. Hahn is more of an accountant CFO type. OK good business executive bad baseball GM. Maybe the process should be to fire Hahn and bring in a new GM that Jerry has more confidence in moving forward.

The reply to your very well thought out response is that: 1.My thinking is that Robert's arm would be a more effective defensive weapon in RF than it is in CF. (Although your reference to KG Jr. made me think of his throw in the Black-out Game). 2. Robert had a few awkward plays going back to the wall and timing his leaps. That is Engel's thing or one of the things he excels at. 3. It is entertaining to watch Robert cover both gaps and dive for balls, but in in order to mitigate his risk for injury, switch him to RF with Engel in Center. 4. I don't see Engel as a corner outfielder. Hee looks like a decent CFer on the lines of Aaron Rowand. Engel has paid his dues, and I think he deserves a shot as a starting CFer during Spring Training 2021, if the switch with Robert is considered. Engel proved that he can hit the ball a long way and had a few clutch blasts. He also seemed to cut down on his sing and miss. 5. Hypothetically, let's say the Sox could acquire Byron Buxton. Wouldn't we then agree to put Buxton in CF and Robert in RF ? Engel is not in that category, but I am trying to illustrate that positioning players should not be something that is set in stone. Many people didn't realize that Moncada could make all the plays at 3rd so well until they switched him there. Now he is one of the best 3rd basemen in the game.

If LaRussa is hired, Hahn will be on a short leash...and he won't have any leverage to fire LaRussa. Anyway, there will be some changed dynamics in the organization, especially if LaRussa picks his own people

There were a lot of people who squealed when some us us suggested moving Moncada to third base in order to free up second for the eventual arrival of Madrigal. They argued that second base was Moncada's "natural" position. Others suggested moving TA to CF. None of those suggestions were crazy when they were made. Sometimes you just have to see how a player adjusts to a position and make a talent evaluation from there. . Fast forward to Spring Training 2021. I would like to see Engel start in CF and Robert in RF for a few games ....just to see how that works out. Just try it. Long term, I look at Luis Robert as a prototypical RFer. He is a big man who might put more weight/muscle mass on in coming years. Practically, I do not want to see Robert diving for balls in both gaps at high speed. I want to minimize his risk for injury by playing him in RF and that is where his plus arm would be more valuable. Engel has developed into a full time major league player...as a center fielder. Just my two cents. More cents: EE and Mazara are toast. Bring Leury back , try to sign McCann, and try to sign Cespedes.

I wonder if if Dan Plesac would be interested in managing the Sox. I think he might. A midwest guy who loves Chicago, pitched for the Cubs and wanted to pitch for the Sox. And while I am on the Plesacs, I really like Indians starter Zach Plesac but I don't think the Sox have players that they would be willing to trade for him.

Given that the buck should stop higher , at least as high as the GM. Rick Hahn should have done something about LaRoach instead of waiting for KW to confront him. Rick Hahn should have confronted Sale when he refused to pitch and cut up his jersey in defiance. This year, Hahn should have told Renteria to stop running Mazara and EE out there. Hahn should have offered to bring up Vaughn and Collins or should have just done that. Yes, the Manager gets blamed for a lot, but the guy that pulls most of the strings is the GM who is charged with executing the plans and policies of the Owner.

Y2JO: Hahn has no leverage and realistically he knows that the Sox would not miss a beat if he quit. I am enjoying the suspense created be the mere suggestion that JR might be meeting with LaRussa.