I am not drinking down the entire glass the Koolaid on Kopech just yet but I have sipped a lot of it.  I think he is a potential Ace in the coming years. At worst, he could turn into a Jeff Samardzija  but if he can still throw 100+ he could even transition to being a Closer. Right now he stands at or near the top of our rotation.  So, Rodon, Kopech, Cease, Gio, Reynaldo next season and obviously a few other guys have a shot to make it. This is very good news for our Sox going into 2019.

41 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

 

I saw Fangraphs finally has him at .1 fWAR!  He's a shitty 4th OF on a decent club, if even that.  Fangraphs doesn't think much of his defense.

Saw this stat on Kopech today. He is the first pitcher since 1908 to start his first two major league games allowing only one run with no walks. 

And from CSN Chicago, on Eloy Jimenez since Kopech was called up ,a stretch of 7 games

The White Sox top prospect is hitting a staggering .621 (18/29) with two doubles, a triple, five RBIs and six runs during that stretch. He has a 1.392 OPS during the hitting streak

And from The Loop Sports on Adam Engel

Over his last 30 games, the Gold Glove candidate has batted his way to an impressive .286 average, including a .332 average over his last 15 games.

Also according to the stats @whitesox.com since the all star break Engel is hitting .296 BA .310 OBP .469 SLG .779 OPS in 98 AB

Edited August 28, 20187 yr by CaliSoxFanViaSWside
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And from Sports  Mockery article on Dylan Cease: Titled Don Cooper Thinks Dylan Cease Might Be Better Than Michel Kopech :

“Cease started the season in High-A Winston Salem and moved up to double-A on June 21 after logging a 9-2 record with a 2.89 ERA. But Cease served up better marks at double-A with a 1.72 ERA and four strikeouts shy of matching his high-A total in three fewer starts. Southern League lineups were confounded by Cease and only batted .168 against him. And over his final six starts Cease posted a 0.29 ERA fanning 48 batters in 30 2/3 innings.”

https://sportsmockery.com/2018/08/don-cooper-thinks-dylan-cease-better-than-michael-kopech/

 

Ad from southsidesox.com on Carlos Rodon

He’s now gone nine straight games of at least six innings, three runs or less and five hits or less, which is the longest such White Sox streak dating back to at least 1908.

Also for anyone who missed the broadcast of the game SSS got this from WGN sports who got it from statcast.

Heading into the game, hitters had achieved “barrels” (Statcast) against Carlos Rodón just 4.2% of the time, the best mark in the majors.

 

3 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Ad from southsidesox.com on Carlos Rodon

He’s now gone nine straight games of at least six innings, three runs or less and five hits or less, which is the longest such White Sox streak dating back to at least 1908.

Also for anyone who missed the broadcast of the game SSS got this from WGN sports who got it from statcast.

Heading into the game, hitters had achieved “barrels” (Statcast) against Carlos Rodón just 4.2% of the time, the best mark in the majors.

I really like FIP as a stat, but this is why it shouldn't be taken as gospel.  Inducing weak contact is a skill and something that FIP does not account for.

48 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I really like FIP as a stat, but this is why it shouldn't be taken as gospel.  Inducing weak contact is a skill and something that FIP does not account for.

Someone is finally coming around. I've been saying this for a couple of years. Some pitchers are just good at it. Granted it is not a common skill and can't be universally applied to all pitchers but then again nothing should be.

1 minute ago, ptatc said:

Someone is finally coming around. I've been saying this for a couple of years. Some pitchers are just good at it. Granted it is not a common skill and can't be universally applied to all pitchers but then again nothing should be.

Funnily enough the Sox had one of the best "FIP isn't everything" guys -- MB.  There was some evidence that MB's ability to outperform his peripherals on a yearly basis was at least partially based on his incredible fielding.

On 8/27/2018 at 10:43 AM, southsider2k5 said:

 

the craziest thing about this is that this is not merely since the beginning of July for DeGrom.   This is his entire season.  

 

I have an honest question for those of you who may follow free agent bidding wars/contract matters more closely than I do.  Is there really evidence that big-time MLB free agents (not lower-value, end-of-career type guys) turn down money, and accept clearly lower dollar offers for non-monetary reasons?  When has that actually happened? 

I ask because there is a prevailing belief among fans that we will have to "convince" big-name free agents to come here in some way beyond giving them the best monetary offer.  As in, they have to believe in Kopech, they have to like the direction of the rebuild, etc.  That seems dubious to me.  I think the question of whether we get Manny Machado/Bryce Harper boils down to whether our FO is willing to outbid the competition, but I am open to being convinced otherwise.

37 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I have an honest question for those of you who may follow free agent bidding wars/contract matters more closely than I do.  Is there really evidence that big-time MLB free agents (not lower-value, end-of-career type guys) turn down money, and accept clearly lower dollar offers for non-monetary reasons?  When has that actually happened? 

I ask because there is a prevailing belief among fans that we will have to "convince" big-name free agents to come here in some way beyond giving them the best monetary offer.  As in, they have to believe in Kopech, they have to like the direction of the rebuild, etc.  That seems dubious to me.  I think the question of whether we get Manny Machado/Bryce Harper boils down to whether our FO is willing to outbid the competition, but I am open to being convinced otherwise.

The #1 reason players switch teams is more money.  Everything else is a distant #2.  It can happen for reasons other than #1, but #1 is always money.

39 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I have an honest question for those of you who may follow free agent bidding wars/contract matters more closely than I do.  Is there really evidence that big-time MLB free agents (not lower-value, end-of-career type guys) turn down money, and accept clearly lower dollar offers for non-monetary reasons?  When has that actually happened? 

I ask because there is a prevailing belief among fans that we will have to "convince" big-name free agents to come here in some way beyond giving them the best monetary offer.  As in, they have to believe in Kopech, they have to like the direction of the rebuild, etc.  That seems dubious to me.  I think the question of whether we get Manny Machado/Bryce Harper boils down to whether our FO is willing to outbid the competition, but I am open to being convinced otherwise.

Jason Heyward supposedly took less money to sign with cubs than what the cardinals were offering. 

I think as long as the offers are in the same ballpark than other factors like the culture/chance to win/location definitely come into play. 

 

10 minutes ago, joejoedairy said:

Jason Heyward supposedly took less money to sign with cubs than what the cardinals were offering. 

I think as long as the offers are in the same ballpark than other factors like the culture/chance to win/location definitely come into play. 

 

The Cubs guarantee may have been slightly less, but they gave him a bunch of outs, so if he played up to the contract, it would have been worth a lot more.

7 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

The Cubs guarantee may have been slightly less, but they gave him a bunch of outs, so if he played up to the contract, it would have been worth a lot more.

That's my understanding.  I don't think Heyward is an example of a true "underpay."

1 hour ago, southsider2k5 said:

The #1 reason players switch teams is more money.  Everything else is a distant #2.  It can happen for reasons other than #1, but #1 is always money.

 Depends on the monetary difference. There was an article about Kurt Cousins turning down more money from the Jets to play for Minnesota because of the chance to be on a winning team earlier and some other reasons. The difference however was 90 million vs. 84 million. So while he did turn down the most money contract, it wasn't that much money.

1 minute ago, ptatc said:

 Depends on the monetary difference. There was an article about Kurt Cousins turning down more money from the Jets to play for Minnesota because of the chance to be on a winning team earlier and some other reasons. The difference however was 90 million vs. 84 million. So while he did turn down the most money contract, it wasn't that much money.

Football is also much different because the contracts aren't fully guaranteed.

Just now, southsider2k5 said:

Football is also much different because the contracts aren't fully guaranteed.

This was the fully guaranteed money. That was part of his negotiations as well. 

4 hours ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

I have an honest question for those of you who may follow free agent bidding wars/contract matters more closely than I do.  Is there really evidence that big-time MLB free agents (not lower-value, end-of-career type guys) turn down money, and accept clearly lower dollar offers for non-monetary reasons?  When has that actually happened? 

I ask because there is a prevailing belief among fans that we will have to "convince" big-name free agents to come here in some way beyond giving them the best monetary offer.  As in, they have to believe in Kopech, they have to like the direction of the rebuild, etc.  That seems dubious to me.  I think the question of whether we get Manny Machado/Bryce Harper boils down to whether our FO is willing to outbid the competition, but I am open to being convinced otherwise.

The question then becomes if money is the #1 reason, will the Sox offer the most money? Outside of Albert Belle it hasn't happened. Hahn says the money will be there.

I guess we'll find out soon enough but I'm not holding my breath or betting the house on the Sox signing any of the very top guys.

21 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

The question then becomes if money is the #1 reason, will the Sox offer the most money? Outside of Albert Belle it hasn't happened. Hahn says the money will be there.

I guess we'll find out soon enough but I'm not holding my breath or betting the house on the Sox signing any of the very top guys.

I wouldn't count on it either. However, I don't think it's any of the extraneous factors. I think the y are going to wait to see however the young players develop and then fill in the holes later.