Kimbrel traded for AJ Pollock

[Capn12]

And actually, I said those were stats for 6 years of Seiya...I was wrong, it was actually 7.25 years, so...yeah.

[bmags]

I hope Suzuki does well and the NPB star to MLB pipeline continues.

I also like Pollock for what he may do this year. 

[FoxForce2]

7 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I don't know I think most Japanese players that come over, non Shohei/Ichiro division are not ready for the speed of the game defensively.

You have any names or examples?

[Chicago White Sox]

29 minutes ago, chw42 said:

Supply and demand. Oakland pretty much holds the last 2 starting pitchers you can get. We really should have moved on Bassitt. 

I would have preferred Gray personally the costs were comparable and he has the extra year of control.

[chw42]

Saw this when reading the LF power rankings at FanGraphs.

Quote

Getting 422 plate appearances and a career-high 137 wRC+ in 2021 from the injury-plagued AJ Pollock was probably much more than the Dodgers could’ve hoped for, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. During his ages 32-33 seasons, Pollock had an .888 OPS with 37 homers and 36 doubles in 632 plate appearances.

So, over the course of about a full season's PAs, Pollock has produced like a 35 homer guy the past 2 years. That's seriously impressive. 

[Capn12]

4 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

I mean, 30 points difference in BA isn't all that similar over a career.

And yes, there would be a risk in signing Suzuki, but who's scouting department do you trust more, the scrubs or this one?

 

I'd still gamble on Suzuki over Pollock for RF.

I venture to say our Cuban scouting has been pretty good, all things considered.

[chitownsportsfan]

Just now, FoxForce2 said:

You have any names or examples?

Iguchi and Fuko right here in Chicago for starters.

[chitownsportsfan]

Just now, chw42 said:

Saw this when reading the LF power rankings at FanGraphs.

So, over the course of about a full season's PAs, Pollock has produced like a 35 homer guy the past 2 years. That's seriously impressive. 

Looking at some highlights and the back of his Fangraphs card I'm pretty impressed. He has good underlying stats too so unless he gets seriously hurt (a risk with any player, 34 or 24) I expect him to produce. He's an actual quality vet, not some buy low guy.

[Chicago White Sox]

29 minutes ago, FoxForce2 said:

But do you trade them both for 3-5 years of an extended Manaea?

I’d definitely pay a little more if I was able to extend him, but I wouldn’t trade both Burger & Sheets for him regardless.  One of them is important depth and a potential replacement for Abreu if he decides to hang them up after the season.

[bmags]

3 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I would have preferred Gray personally the costs were comparable and he has the extra year of control.

Yeah manaea feels like having 2 keuchels but he's probably gonna be fine. i can understand after those playoffs why the white sox want a guy who has command after last years playoffs.

[chw42]

1 minute ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Looking at some highlights and the back of his Fangraphs card I'm pretty impressed. He has good underlying stats too so unless he gets seriously hurt (a risk with any player, 34 or 24) I expect him to produce. He's an actual quality vet, not some buy low guy.

He hits the ball very hard. And he hits balls in the air 60% of the time, which is sorely needed on a team that hits a ton of ground balls. If he's healthy enough for 500 PAs, I can easily see him giving us 25 homers. Big if though. 

[FoxForce2]

4 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Iguchi and Fuko right here in Chicago for starters.

Fukudome had one bad year in the field (2009). Otherwise he was pretty much MLB average.

[bmags]

Just now, chw42 said:

He hits the ball very hard. And he hits balls in the air 60% of the time, which is sorely needed on a team that hits a ton of ground balls. If he's healthy enough for 500 PAs, I can easily see him giving us 25 homers. Big if though. 

great stuff

[maxjusttyped]

I don't think you want to push Pollock beyond ~120 games even if he's healthy all year. There' no way to prove this definitively, but I think part of why Pollock has been so good on a per plate appearance basis is because the Dodgers do a great job keeping him fresh.

[FoxForce2]

Just now, maxjusttyped said:

I don't think you want to push Pollock beyond ~120 games even if he's healthy all year. There' no way to prove this definitively, but I think part of why Pollock has been so good on a per plate appearance basis is because the Dodgers do a great job keeping him fresh.

Pollock and Engel 2021 injury record was somewhat similar. Back and hamstring issues.

[michelangelosmonkey]

6 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

And how old was Fukudome when he came over? And was he healthy?

Pete I think you are missing the point of the White Sox already addressing the long term outfield position...they invested a lot of international money on Cespedes and Colas...they are Cuban which fits into the clubhouse thing...each has huge upside and they are 24 and 23.  The Sox needed a RF solution for ONE year while these two develop.  Why tie up money and positional blocking for 5 years on an equally unproven international player?  The Cubs starting in 2023 will be paying Suzuki nearly $20 million a year for four years.  To extend the window you need to save money on positions...so 2023 Cespedes playing RF at $0 and 2024 Colas playing LF at $0 allows extensions to Gio and TA without going into the tax.  It would be nice to have Dodger/Yankee budgets but we don't and I like the way RH is playing this chess match.  Pollok is a great short term fit.  This rationale is also exactly the reason I think they didn't want Conforto for five years.      

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

1 minute ago, FoxForce2 said:

Fukudome had one bad year in the field (2009). Otherwise he was pretty much MLB average.

but he was a gold glover in Japan, which I think was the point on how that level of defense translates to the big leagues. I think, in general, the japanese position player to MLB pipeline just hasn't been very good. The pitcher pipeline has been much more positive. This is the list I have since 2000: not all had the hype, obviously, but there are quite a few busts on the list. It's a hard transition.

 

So Taguchi	OF
Hideki Matsui	OF
Kazuo Matsui	IF
Tadahito Iguchi	IF
Norihiro Nakamura	IF
Kenji Johjima	C
Akinori Iwamura	IF
Kosuke Fukudome	OF
Tsuyoshi Nishioka	IF
Nori Aoki	OF
Munenori Kawasaki	IF
Kensuke Tanaka	OF
Yoshi Tsutsugo	1B
Shogo Akiyama	LF

[FoxForce2]

9 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

Pete I think you are missing the point of the White Sox already addressing the long term outfield position...they invested a lot of international money on Cespedes and Colas...they are Cuban which fits into the clubhouse thing...each has huge upside and they are 24 and 23.  The Sox needed a RF solution for ONE year while these two develop.  Why tie up money and positional blocking for 5 years on an equally unproven international player?  The Cubs starting in 2023 will be paying Suzuki nearly $20 million a year for four years.  To extend the window you need to save money on positions...so 2023 Cespedes playing RF at $0 and 2024 Colas playing LF at $0 allows extensions to Gio and TA without going into the tax.  It would be nice to have Dodger/Yankee budgets but we don't and I like the way RH is playing this chess match.  Pollok is a great short term fit.  This rationale is also exactly the reason I think they didn't want Conforto for five years.      

This. I think this Pollock move, along with Haseley are the right moves, not only this year, but over the next several years.

Edited April 1, 2022 by FoxForce2

[FoxForce2]

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

but he was a gold glover in Japan, which I think was the point on how that level of defense translates to the big leagues. I think, in general, the japanese position player to MLB pipeline just hasn't been very good. The pitcher pipeline has been much more positive. This is the list I have since 2000: not all had the hype, obviously, but there are quite a few busts on the list. It's a hard transition.

 

So Taguchi	OF
Hideki Matsui	OF
Kazuo Matsui	IF
Tadahito Iguchi	IF
Norihiro Nakamura	IF
Kenji Johjima	C
Akinori Iwamura	IF
Kosuke Fukudome	OF
Tsuyoshi Nishioka	IF
Nori Aoki	OF
Munenori Kawasaki	IF
Kensuke Tanaka	OF
Yoshi Tsutsugo	1B
Shogo Akiyama	LF

I'm not arguing whether or not they didn't make the grade in MLB as hitters or even as clubhouse/dugout guys. But were they busts in the field?

[mqr]

5 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yoshi Tsutsugo	 1B

Remember when this name got brought up every week as a guy the sox need to sign?

[oldsox]

I wonder if Dodgers offered Bellinger first.

[SoCalChiSox]

I think if both Cespedes and Colas can both play at an MLB level that will really help us free up cash for extending the window. That would actually be an elite defensive OF too. You could also then slide Eloy to DH and keep him out of the field entirely with Vaughn at first. 

It's just an issue of whether we only need this 1 yr bridge or if it will take longer

Edited April 1, 2022 by SoCalChiSox

[chw42]

7 minutes ago, oldsox said:

I wonder if Dodgers offered Bellinger first.

As bad as Bellinger was last year, he still has more value than Pollock just because of the upside alone. 

Bellinger was actually decent in the playoffs last year and I wouldn't really take the ST strikeout issues too seriously. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by chw42

[FoxForce2]

22 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I’d definitely pay a little more if I was able to extend him, but I wouldn’t trade both Burger & Sheets for him regardless.  One of them is important depth and a potential replacement for Abreu if he decides to hang them up after the season.

And yes, the extension/new contract on Manaea is the trick isn't it? I like Burger but I'd say he's just Sox-blocked at this point. Sheets LHB is pretty valuable to this team, tough to let him go at this point. Burger+?? might be worth at least a look  by both sides.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

13 minutes ago, chw42 said:

As bad as Bellinger was last year, he still has more value than Pollock just because of the upside alone. 

Bellinger was actually decent in the playoffs last year and I wouldn't really take the ST strikeout issues too seriously. 

I would; we don't agree on this one. Bellinger hasn't been the same since the shoulder injury, and his swing just isn't the same anymore. It was always a very violent swing too and his production was already a bit erratic even when he was good because of his swing length and plane. He might find it again one day, but his spring prouduction to me is really concerning. 

It's similar to how I feel about Yellich - he just hasn't been the same since the knee cap injury (and back injury)

Edited April 1, 2022 by Look at Ray Ray Run