2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I don’t see ace upside with Giolito, but maybe a quality #3 starter with a few more ticks and more consistent command.

I ask everyone who doesn't see ace upside with Giolito to please go watch that game from 8/30 vs Boston again. Please. I don't know if it is possible to find it somewhere but watch that game again and tell me there isn't an ace in there somewhere. When Giolito gets ahead in the count and isn't all over the place he's absolutely unhittable. For all of his struggles this year he still didn't give up more hits than IP. If there is a reason for optimism besides the return of his velocity, that is it. 

Listen, there isn't any doubt that Gio was beyond awful this year, but it isn't squinting to see the TOR upside there, especially that he found his velocity again. 

They completely rebuilt his motion, and it is going to take time for him to get the muscle memory down. I think the Sox know this and are willing to be patient, even beyond 2019. 

Edited December 22, 20187 yr by Jack Parkman

10 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Then Rick Hahn needs to be 100% perfect with his player selection and development, and we absolutely can't afford anything like last year's debacles. And health no longer can be an excuse.

 Case study, see Astros ... build it and they will come

1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

Then Rick Hahn needs to be 100% perfect with his player selection and development, and we absolutely can't afford anything like last year's debacles. And health no longer can be an excuse.

I completely agree. We can all agree the purpose of this rebuild is to assemble a team capable of sustained success; ie -  multiple playoff appearances at a minimum standard. That is not going to happen by collecting and mashing together mediocre roster pieces as we’ve tried from 2008 onwards

When i think of “mired in mediocrity” I think of how we’ve started our offseason. Yes, I know they’re complimemtary pieces; but I also know I’ve seen this movie before. As we’ve seen the movie where we miss out on the top tier FAs. 

If we are going to continue entertaining the idea of a championship as the goal, and this rebuild is the key to reaching it, then we need the minor league system to step up dramatically if we’re not reeling in the whales

 

2 hours ago, Orlando said:

How likely is it that Eloy out performs Harper?

Good chance IMHO. 

31 minutes ago, justBLAZE said:

Good chance IMHO. 

In 2019? Very slim. Over the course of the next 5 years? Certainly possible.

FWIW, Yonder was on 670 today and said he's spending Christmas and New Year's with Manny.  Yonder is a fantastic interview.

1 minute ago, fathom said:

FWIW, Yonder was on 670 today and said he's spending Christmas and New Year's with Manny.  Yonder is a fantastic interview.

Yonder coming in clutch.

Yonder also said he's already started training with Abreu.  As for Manny, he said it's obviously Manny's decision but he of course will try to push him to the Sox.

3 minutes ago, fathom said:

FWIW, Yonder was on 670 today and said he's spending Christmas and New Year's with Manny.  Yonder is a fantastic interview.

Yonder could be our 2018 MVP and not play a single game for us.

13 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

I ask everyone who doesn't see ace upside with Giolito to please go watch that game from 8/30 vs Boston again. Please. I don't know if it is possible to find it somewhere but watch that game again and tell me there isn't an ace in there somewhere. When Giolito gets ahead in the count and isn't all over the place he's absolutely unhittable. For all of his struggles this year he still didn't give up more hits than IP. If there is a reason for optimism besides the return of his velocity, that is it. 

Listen, there isn't any doubt that Gio was beyond awful this year, but it isn't squinting to see the TOR upside there, especially that he found his velocity again. 

They completely rebuilt his motion, and it is going to take time for him to get the muscle memory down. I think the Sox know this and are willing to be patient, even beyond 2019. 

One game this past season does not settle any doubts about Giolito.  He was pretty awful all season save for a few stretches.  I'm not willing to give him much rope this season at all

"we're all praying, we're all hoping he comes to the south side"

Edited December 22, 20187 yr by fathom

Unless we want to watch 10-15 more Dylan Covey starts, there aren’t many options to replace Giolito before next season, unless we’re now willing to push Cease hard in what will likely be a fairly meaningless season, competitively.

4 minutes ago, fathom said:

"we're all praying, we're all hoping he comes to the south side"

Is that a direct Yonder quote?

1 minute ago, caulfield12 said:

Unless we want to watch 10-15 more Dylan Covey starts, there aren’t many options to replace Giolito before next season, unless we’re now willing to push Cease hard in what will likely be a fairly meaningless season, competitively.

Nothing meaningless about getting Cease some major league experience given his importance to the 2020 club.

3 minutes ago, Ross Gload Fan said:

Is that a direct Yonder quote?

yes, and he also said something about how him and Abreu talked about the entire 40 man roster has to step up to get "things done" (in reference to the Sox having a good season), including anyone that's coming in with us.

interview in in the 2nd hour and starts around 25 min mark

https://670thescore.radio.com/media/audio-channel/levine-spiegel-bob-nightengale-yonder-alonso-interviews-hour-2

1 minute ago, fathom said:

yes, and he also said something about how him and Abreu talked about the entire 40 man roster has to step up to get "things done" (in reference to the Sox having a good season), including anyone that's coming in with us.

At least it isn’t more of, “oh well if we suck, the talent isn’t here yet” kind of bullshit.

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Nothing meaningless about getting Cease some major league experience given his importance to the 2020 club.

But we also want to be careful with him as we don't want to push his innings load too far. If he takes time to adapt to AAA and doesn't come out and immediately dominate, we might want to be cautious and leave him down through the end of the season.

Just now, Balta1701 said:

But we also want to be careful with him as we don't want to push his innings load too far. If he takes time to adapt to AAA and doesn't come out and immediately dominate, we might want to be cautious and leave him down through the end of the season.

100% agree.  But if he’s as dominant in AAA as he was in AA, then I want him up here for a few months until he hits his innings limit.

With Machado not signing until next year, I wonder if the Sox address the pen before 2018 comes to a close.  Adding Ottavino to be the closer would be a fantastic move IMO.

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

With Machado not signing until next year, I wonder if the Sox address the pen before 2018 comes to a close.  Adding Ottavino to be the closer would be a fantastic move IMO.

Incarcerated Bob (I know, I know!) said we had an off out to him over a week ago. I like the idea of adding him the the bullpen. That slider...

3 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Incarcerated Bob (I know, I know!) said we had an off out to him over a week ago. I like the idea of adding him the the bullpen. That slider...

Seems like a guy who might jump at the opportunity of a closer role.

6 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Seems like a guy who might jump at the opportunity of a closer role.

I dunno...it’s hard to know what motivates a guy, but he’s 33 years old. This is probably his last shot at a big multi-year deal, so I doubt he cares about his role as much as the years/AAV. 

14 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

I ask everyone who doesn't see ace upside with Giolito to please go watch that game from 8/30 vs Boston again. Please. I don't know if it is possible to find it somewhere but watch that game again and tell me there isn't an ace in there somewhere. 

Then go watch a tape of Phil Humber's perfect game.

1 minute ago, South Side Fireworks Man said:

Then go watch a tape of Phil Humber's perfect game.

Not the same. Giolito is 24, Humber was 29 and that might have been the only dominant game he ever threw.