Kopech, Gio and Cease are among  the best top of rotation starters in baseball now.

Lynn and Cueto are about as good as can be expected for the bottom of the rotation.

Keuchel is surplsage.

I would make Kelly the Closer.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, chitownsportsfan said:

I must say I really DGAF if he is on some PEDs. Other teams have cheated in an organized fashion, gotten caught and had nothing of any consequence happen. So if Chicago has a "hear no evil see no evil" policy on Cueto's training I really do not care.

I got no issues if Johnny wanted to pop a few flinstone vitamins to get his body refreshed at his old age; I was just saying it feels more possible than other things brought up by GL.

12 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

My only possibly "cheating" thought with Cueto would be PED's; his Velo is higher than it's been in 6 years.

Yeah, I thought I recalled him being 89-90 last I heard, all of the sudden he was pumping 92 and touching up to 94.

1 hour ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Lynn < Burnes

Giolito > Woodruff

Cease > Peralta

Kopech > Lauer

Cueto < Houser

I’d give the Sox a slight edge over the Brew Crew

Both have a Cy Young winner, but the Sox are so good that their winner is their #6 starter.

Obviously, point to the White Sox.

Lance Lynn coming off finishing 3rd in the Cy Young and Soxtalk all the sudden pegging him for bottom of the rotation 

4 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Lance Lynn coming off finishing 3rd in the Cy Young and Soxtalk all the sudden pegging him for bottom of the rotation 

I mean, I don't think anyone thinks he's a #4.  But if we're talking about who you'd rather have in your rotation, me thinks just about every club in baseball would go Cease, Giolito, Kopech (in some order, not really sure which they're all nails) before Lynn at this point.  That said, Lynn would the ace or #2 in the majority of rotations across the league. 

I would agree with the OP that the Sox, when healthy, have the best rotation in the game.   I don't even care who the #5 is, but Cueto has certainly been a pleasant surprise in his very SSS. 

Edited May 23, 20223 yr by ChiSox59

It’s a good problem to have. 

1 hour ago, Tnetennba said:

Lynn isn't even healthy yet, Cueto might just be smoke & mirrors, Cease looks incredible but he doesn't exactly have a long track record of these high level results, and Kopech while also looking incredible last night still has innings limitations to worry about.  In this fraction of an instant they look like a top rotation on paper, but there are too many caveats and variables to declare them the best rotation going.  

Gotta accomplish something first

16 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Lance Lynn coming off finishing 3rd in the Cy Young and Soxtalk all the sudden pegging him for bottom of the rotation 

He’s also coming off knee surgery and no spring chicken, so it’s not exactly unwarranted to be like we gotta see how he looks. 

1 hour ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

My only possibly "cheating" thought with Cueto would be PED's; his Velo is higher than it's been in 6 years.

All I know is there are going to be a few posters in meltdown mode if Cueto pitches 100+ innings with a lower ERA than Rodon this season. If that happens, they’ll probably want the Sox to extend him the qualifying offer this winter.

Edited May 23, 20223 yr by JUSTgottaBELIEVE

21 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

All I know is there are going to be a few posters in meltdown mode if Cueto pitches 100+ innings with a lower ERA than Rodon this season. If that happens, they’ll probably want the Sox to extend him the qualifying offer this winter.

No, because Cueto is 36 and Rodon was 28.

Just now, CentralChamps21 said:

No, because Cueto is 36 and Rodon was 28.

I don’t know man. Cueto giving me those old man Bartolo vibes. Let’s not forget, Bartolo was an all star at age 40 and 43.

36 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

I don’t know man. Cueto giving me those old man Bartolo vibes. Let’s not forget, Bartolo was an all star at age 40 and 43.

Sounds like you will be the one looking for the  QO 

1 hour ago, ChiSox59 said:

I mean, I don't think anyone thinks he's a #4.  But if we're talking about who you'd rather have in your rotation, me thinks just about every club in baseball would go Cease, Giolito, Kopech (in some order, not really sure which they're all nails) before Lynn at this point.  . 

If he's as good as he was last year then I don't see that being true.

Edited May 23, 20223 yr by Buehrle>Wood

7 minutes ago, Chick Mercedes said:

Sounds like you will be the one looking for the  QO 

Nah. I was really impressed with Martin earlier this month. I’d like to see what that kid can do in the rotation next season.

2 hours ago, tray said:

Kopech, Gio and Cease are among  the best top of rotation starters in baseball now.

Lynn and Cueto are about as good as can be expected for the bottom of the rotation.

Keuchel is surplsage.

I would make Kelly the Closer.

 

 

 

Lynn bottom of the rotation?  lol

Does it matter? Are they skipping anyone? When they get to the playoffs, it will be pretty obvious who should start the first three games.

I just had a discussion with a guy on another site and I was saying how good I thought our starting 5 will be once Lynn returns. After Kuechel gave up 6 runs on Saturday the Bronx Bombers were limited to 2 runs in the next 24 innings by Sox pitching, pretty damn good and in Yankee Stadium.

Edited May 23, 20223 yr by The Mighty Mite

In the 1968 WS the other guys had Bob Gibson but Mickey Lolich decided it was his turn and he won three games. Never know who might step up and take the prize.  

1 hour ago, flavum said:

Does it matter? Are they skipping anyone? When they get to the playoffs, it will be pretty obvious who should start the first three games.

Is it though?  I assume Kopech is your 4th SP, but its quite possible he's the best of the bunch.  

Those are five decent starters. Too bad this isn't the old days. All five of those guys cept maybe Cueto if he runs out of gas in the old days could go 8 and leave the closer to mop it up. Or go a full nine. Now they'll go 5 1/3 all season and Sox gotta hope bullpen is good nuff.

I would probably start  Gio, Cease and Kopech in the playoffs before Lynn. They may have more gas in their tanks than the old guy by then.

I’d say this is right IF Lynn comes back and is reasonably close to the guy he was last year.  They’re certainly in the conversation.  

Sidenote, I’d be interested to hear the opinion of the guy who gave the “laugh emoji” as to which rotation he thinks is not only better than the Sox’s, but so much better as to make this laughable.

If he regains his form last year (or something close to it), Lynn may be the best option in the playoffs. Right mentality, and he'll have the freshest arm of any of the comparable alternatives.

19 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I got no issues if Johnny wanted to pop a few flinstone vitamins to get his body refreshed at his old age; I was just saying it feels more possible than other things brought up by GL.

You guys realize that "flintstone" vitamins generally don't help pitchers throw harder? they help pitchers recover faster from their previous starts. 

Hitters now, increase power.

The strain of throwing hard is primarily placed on tendons, ligaments, and smaller muscles which is why arm injuries are prevalent. The bicep muscle is mostly relaxed (not being flexed) during a throw.