Do the White Sox role the dice and give either Rutherford or Adolfo a shot at starting in right fielder For the 2021 season or do we absolutely go out and land a free agent?   I’m almost wondering if off season spending needs to be for starting pitching?

Really neither has done enough for that. That doesn't mean they can't ever but they need to earn it by tearing up the minors first.

The sox aren't in a position anymore were anyone who does halfway decent in the minors eventually gets called up, at this point prospects need to earn it because there aren't as many free spots anymore.

Perhaps most important, how do we about shedding Mazara? non-tender? trade?

Joc Pederson seems like an obvious FA target, even f Castellanos opts out (which I doubt), don't think CWS can afford

I'd target Tauschman (NYY), Benintendi (Bos) or Nimmo and dangle Cease or Lopez plus sweetener. All LH hitters capable of playing all 3 OF positions. Engel can platoon vs. certain matchups.

Starling Marte depending on price...

the best thing that Adolfo and Rutherford can do is play great and become trade pieces for bullpen/5th starter help

15 hours ago, Johno said:

Do the White Sox role the dice and give either Rutherford or Adolfo a shot at starting in right fielder For the 2021 season or do we absolutely go out and land a free agent?   I’m almost wondering if off season spending needs to be for starting pitching?

No.  If it is anyone, it will be Engel and Garcia.  The next level guys are probably September arrivals at soonest.

On 10/2/2020 at 12:16 AM, ChiSoxJon said:

Perhaps most important, how do we about shedding Mazara? non-tender? trade?

Mazara has the same value in a trade as I would.. You non-tender him.

I wonder if they are bringing back Mazara. He was really bad but if Hahn thinks it was just a health or mechanics issue he might bring him back and least give him spring and a couple weeks to see if he can bounce back to his 17-18 level 

16 minutes ago, Dominikk85 said:

I wonder if they are bringing back Mazara. He was really bad but if Hahn thinks it was just a health or mechanics issue he might bring him back and least give him spring and a couple weeks to see if he can bounce back to his 17-18 level 

I can't see them bringing him back at an arbitration price.  They might well non-tender and resign him cheaper, but not at something like $6 or 7 million.

2 hours ago, Dominikk85 said:

I wonder if they are bringing back Mazara. He was really bad but if Hahn thinks it was just a health or mechanics issue he might bring him back and least give him spring and a couple weeks to see if he can bounce back to his 17-18 level 

And if/when that doesn’t work, what’s our fall-back plan?  The reality is they’re going to add a different RF because they can’t risk rolling the dice on Mazara when he’s entering his last year of team control.

Joc is a boring yet realistic and completely cromulent choice. 

2 hours ago, Blackout Friday said:

Joc is a boring yet realistic and completely cromulent choice. 

Take him over Mazara at this point though. 

9 hours ago, sox71 said:

Take him over Mazara at this point though. 

But the odds of Pederson producing 1.5-2 fWAR for an entire 2021 season, compared to Mazara?  If they spend the entire budget on Springer, they’re only going to have room for reclamation pitching prospects.  At best, you get someone like Gausman if you buy Springer at peak.

I'm fine with a 100 wrc+, 1.5-2 war guy in RF. 

Could Engel be that guy? He had a really good season but it was a small sample and he was protected (only playing in favorable spots). 

There was a contact and power increase but the k/bb rate is still bad and the hard hit rate while improved is still below average at 33% (I think average is around 35%). 

Fangraphs projections still have him at a terrible 70-75wrc+. 

I still think the Mazara Engel platoon was a great idea by hahn which just hasn't worked. 

I think the Sox should try the same again, get a lefty who can hit righties at a 110 clip and play Engel against lefties. 

That is not the ideal solution of course, we all would like to see a superstar but it is financially feasible. 

Edited October 7, 20205 yr by Dominikk85

On 10/1/2020 at 10:25 PM, ChiSoxJon said:

Joc Pederson seems like an obvious FA target, even f Castellanos opts out (which I doubt), don't think CWS can afford

Pederson has a certain "aura" about him that a lot of teams do not want to touch. He isn't very well liked by either players or coaches from what I've seen.

29 minutes ago, The Hawk said:

Pederson has a certain "aura" about him that a lot of teams do not want to touch. He isn't very well liked by either players or coaches from what I've seen.

His teammates loved him I thought

On 10/21/2020 at 1:59 PM, fathom said:

His teammates loved him I thought

 I'm not 100% sure but his name always comes out in them dangling him as being "available" and that same kind of thing happens when there is a bit of disapproval in the clubhouse. He's had family problems also which are supposed to be based on a medical condition for one of his children and/or his wife. But the bottom line is that whatever is going on, he has spent a lot of time away from the team and when he has played, he hasn't produced at all this year and is useless against left handed pitchers.

    I know that I wouldn't trade for this guy and give up anyone good as a prospect. He's not cheap either.

 

   As an update. I found out the other day that Pederson is liked by his teammates. I was wrong about that. Turns out that he has a brother who I believe has Downs Syndrome and Pederson is a wonderful advocate for his brother and tends to him a lot which his teammates have seen and love him for. I also learned that Pederson has a very young son who has required a lot of medical care for as has his wife which has required him to be away from the team quite a bit. I thought I'd clear that up with the additional information that I just found out about.

Edited October 24, 20205 yr by The Hawk

Is it possible that Rick Hahn is not looking to sign one of the bigger right field free agents because Oscar Colas is officially signing in January and they believe he’s ready to step in no later than 2022?

4 minutes ago, Johno said:

Is it possible that Rick Hahn is not looking to sign one of the bigger right field free agents because Oscar Colas is officially signing in January and they believe he’s ready to step in no later than 2022?

I very seriously doubt it.

Does Adolfo even have a chance to make an MLB roster soon?

 

Colas would be an awesome pick up, by the way.

40 minutes ago, knightni said:

Does Adolfo even have a chance to make an MLB roster soon?

 

Colas would be an awesome pick up, by the way.

He's going to need to have a big year, because we lose our extension on his rights. He's going to be rule 5 fodder very soon if he's middling.

3 hours ago, knightni said:

Does Adolfo even have a chance to make an MLB roster soon?

 

Colas would be an awesome pick up, by the way.

Not with us I'd assume.. Someone else, maybe a flyer?

2 hours ago, bmags said:

He's going to need to have a big year, because we lose our extension on his rights. He's going to be rule 5 fodder very soon if he's middling.

He's on our 40 man roster.. Thus no rule 5