Imagine that it's early November of 2016. You are Rick Hahn, and you are planning on rebuilding.

 

However, you are given the following, and only the following information to try and change your mind- in 2017:

 

-The Narvaez/Smith platoon is actually not a total offensive black hole, and they hover around a .700 OPS

-Jose Abreu puts up his best season since 2014

-Yolmer- (or Carlos, as of November 2016) Sanchez becomes a very solid utility infielder with some pop

-Matt Davidson's HR/162 game pace is 37

-Melky's season is very similar to his 2016 season

-Avisail Garcia comes out of nowhere to become an all-star, playing passable defense while slashing .325/.372./497/.869

-Leury Garcia becomes a competent hitter

-Chris Sale remains Chris Sale

-The Sox on paper feature one of the best bullpens in the game, barring potential rebuilding trades

-Free agent signee Anthony Swarzak ends up being a stellar reliever

 

With only the above information, would you have changed course?

Oh, I really like this scenario you've laid out Jose Abreu.

 

Based on the info, I would be tempted to go for it one last time with Sale and Q.

 

 

Davidson at .216/.261/.455 84 wRC+ and -0.8 WAR shouldn't really be considered a plus, he's fallen pretty hard.

 

Also even with the above we get a wildcard at best and then we need to rebuild anyway, but this time we have fewer assets and the assets that remain have less value. I'd still rebuild.

Edited September 14, 20178 yr by OmarComing25

Davidson at .216/.261/.455 84 wRC+ and -0.8 WAR shouldn't really be considered a plus, he's fallen pretty hard.

 

Also even with the above we get a wildcard at best and then we need to rebuild anyway, but this time we have fewer assets and the assets that remain have less value. I'd still rebuild.

I agree about Davidson, which is why I purposely only included his home run rate. It's all about what you leave out

Imagine that it's early November of 2016. You are Rick Hahn, and you are planning on rebuilding.

 

However, you are given the following, and only the following information to try and change your mind- in 2017:

 

-The Narvaez/Smith platoon is actually not a total offensive black hole, and they hover around a .700 OPS

-Jose Abreu puts up his best season since 2014

-Yolmer- (or Carlos, as of November 2016) Sanchez becomes a very solid utility infielder with some pop

-Matt Davidson's HR/162 game pace is 37

-Melky's season is very similar to his 2016 season

-Avisail Garcia comes out of nowhere to become an all-star, playing passable defense while slashing .325/.372./497/.869

-Leury Garcia becomes a competent hitter

-Chris Sale remains Chris Sale

-The Sox on paper feature one of the best bullpens in the game, barring potential rebuilding trades

-Free agent signee Anthony Swarzak ends up being a stellar reliever

 

With only the above information, would you have changed course?

 

I think based on what you wrote, yeah they absolutely would have scrapped the rebuild idea. And we all as Sox fans can be thankful that they didn't have this information to scrap the rebuild - because the rebuild is looking pretty awesome at this point.

Sale and Q would be looking mighty good in a wildcard game. You get in the 7 game series and anything can happen. Sox bullpen probably would have imploded as had been the pattern in previous seasons, however. Good closer but the setup guys probably would have imploded.

You left Eaton off the list again lol. I'm very thankful they decided to rebuild when they did. You probably don't end up with Yoan, Kopech, Jimenez and the haul from the Nats. You just have no clue who would have been available. I'm done looking back...like what lies ahead.

Imagine that it's early November of 2016. You are Rick Hahn, and you are planning on rebuilding.

 

However, you are given the following, and only the following information to try and change your mind- in 2017:

 

-The Narvaez/Smith platoon is actually not a total offensive black hole, and they hover around a .700 OPS

-Jose Abreu puts up his best season since 2014

-Yolmer- (or Carlos, as of November 2016) Sanchez becomes a very solid utility infielder with some pop

-Matt Davidson's HR/162 game pace is 37

-Melky's season is very similar to his 2016 season

-Avisail Garcia comes out of nowhere to become an all-star, playing passable defense while slashing .325/.372./497/.869

-Leury Garcia becomes a competent hitter

-Chris Sale remains Chris Sale

-The Sox on paper feature one of the best bullpens in the game, barring potential rebuilding trades

-Free agent signee Anthony Swarzak ends up being a stellar reliever

 

With only the above information, would you have changed course?

No, if we just go by who you mentioned that's 8 position player ,a good bullpen and 1 starting pitcher. Since you need 5 or at least 4 good starting pitchers . I would have to conclude that you are only giving me the good and leaving out the bad. Rebuild

You left Eaton off the list again lol. I'm very thankful they decided to rebuild when they did. You probably don't end up with Yoan, Kopech, Jimenez and the haul from the Nats. You just have no clue who would have been available. I'm done looking back...like what lies ahead.

I left Eaton off intentionally to try to sweeten the case for going all in. I agree with you on the rest

No, if we just go by who you mentioned that's 8 position player ,a good bullpen and 1 starting pitcher. Since you need 5 or at least 4 good starting pitchers . I would have to conclude that you are only giving me the good and leaving out the bad. Rebuild

 

There are other factors. If they went for it, they would have added some vets for sure. Avi might not even have been brought back. They might have made the playoffs, they might not have made the playoffs, but the guys everyone, including myself, were absolute on, wouldn't have played much, so you wouldn't have seen Yolmer or Leury or Avi look like actual major leaguers. Davidson still pretty much sucks, but you could have made some money off me saying he would have hit 24 more homers in the major leagues a year ago. Time will tell with their young players. This week they all look great, next week there may be a thread or two about worrying about if they ever amount to anything. The path was chosen, hopefully weeks like this last one become fairly normal.

Rotation still would not have been good enough with all that said. Rodon and Burdi still would have gotten injured. They had no pitching depth in high minors before trades. And I doubt Avi would have figured in their plans if they went for it again.

Edited September 15, 20178 yr by soxforlife05

If I were Rick Hahn I would have resigned as the White Sox GM. He has been the worse GM in modern White Sox history. (post 1951) He has been a flop as the GM. Between his lousy drafts, trades and free agent signings he should hang his head in shame and leave the scene. Being a lifelong Cubs fan he should try to hook up for another job at Wrigley Field.

If I were Rick Hahn I would have resigned as the White Sox GM. He has been the worse GM in modern White Sox history. (post 1951) He has been a flop as the GM. Between his lousy drafts, trades and free agent signings he should hang his head in shame and leave the scene. Being a lifelong Cubs fan he should try to hook up for another job at Wrigley Field.

 

If I were Rick Hahn I would have resigned as the White Sox GM. He has been the worse GM in modern White Sox history. (post 1951) He has been a flop as the GM. Between his lousy drafts, trades and free agent signings he should hang his head in shame and leave the scene. Being a lifelong Cubs fan he should try to hook up for another job at Wrigley Field.

 

Your post is bad and you should feel bad.

Your post is bad and you should feel bad.My post is bad because Hahn has done a bad job as the White Sox GM.

 

Rebuild no question.

If I were Rick Hahn I would have resigned as the White Sox GM. He has been the worse GM in modern White Sox history. (post 1951) He has been a flop as the GM. Between his lousy drafts, trades and free agent signings he should hang his head in shame and leave the scene. Being a lifelong Cubs fan he should try to hook up for another job at Wrigley Field.

 

Your post is bad and you should feel bad.

 

Given his posts and conspiracy theory nature, I don't know if he knows how to feel bad.

 

Typical garbage and tripe from him.

Given his posts and conspiracy theory nature, I don't know if he knows how to feel bad.

 

Typical garbage and tripe from him.

That was way harsh Ty

I think we should be nervous about Beck and Covey.

 

Maybe Coop can fix em.

I think we should be nervous about Beck and Covey.

 

Maybe Coop can fix em.

 

They are beyond fixing....WAY beyond it.

That was way harsh Ty

 

I know and that's not like me, I don't get a kick out of writing things like that. It is simply not polite but the constant refrain about the Sox 'tanking", the Rick Hahn is a Cubs-fan tripe and the constant JR comments has driven me over the edge.

 

I can understand the frustration and embarrassment but what he is posting goes way, way beyond anything even remotely reasonable.

 

It has to be because he's trying to get a reaction. If he is as long of a Sox fan as he claims he is, he should know better...if he doesn't know better then he knows very little about the franchise or its history.

 

I'm not the biggest JR fan out there, he's done some good things for the franchise and he's done some things that leave you scratching your head and wondering how he made his money to buy the team in the first place...but even I can't take seriously some of the stuff he writes about him.

 

Guy is either very dense or a troll in my opinion.

Edited September 19, 20178 yr by Lip Man 1

Not that it helped the Sox, but pretty much this same front office recognized the talent Jason Grilli had and he was a dynamite reliever for a few years. Given, it didn't really click for Grilli until 7 years after the Sox took him, but the point remains.

 

Beck and Covey are probably nothing, but all kinds of weird guys turn into great relievers for no reason in particular. They can throw hard. May as well see what they can do.

I'm not the biggest JR fan out there, he's done some good things for the franchise and he's done some things that leave you scratching your head and wondering how he made his money to buy the team in the first place...but even I can't take seriously some of the stuff he writes about him.

Such as?