Your 2023 Off-Season Plan

[ChiSox59]

13 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said:

Why isn't the assumption that Colas is the starting RF from day 1?  He got the rust off last year from sitting out.

He is too old to be held back for service time purposes.

That leaves another LH OF bat and maybe 2B.  A defensive LF preferably LHH is about all they are looking for now.

I would love Cueto but I think they go with AAA swing starter similar to Velazquez and some AAAA outfielders that can defend / add speed.

Sox already made their decision on Colas.  If he was going to be here opening day, he would have been up in September.  Its really that simple. 

[Snopek]

“There’s so much talent here, including half a dozen or so still-youngish players who should be part of the organization over the long haul. But when the Sox reached for the top, it’s almost like upper management decided that hanging out at Base Camp was pretty sweet, leaving no need to head for the summit.”

[southsider2k5]

10 hours ago, SoCalChiSox said:

If you're RH, there is NO hill on which you die on. Your job is to give a lawyerly and thoughtful gloss on BS decisions made over your head so as to make chicken s%*# seem like chicken salad.

In exchange you get a very good salary and more importantly job security for life. Sure there may be other GMs that make 3-5m a year and you might be stuck between 1-2m but so what, those checks are guaranteed for as long as JR is around, rain or shine. 

If you've got that gig you don't "die on a hill" ever. You milk it until its absolutely dry. 

You gest, but how many people quit a job everytime their boss tells them something they don't agree with?

[southsider2k5]

20 minutes ago, Harry Chappas said:

Maybe to avoid whatever s%*# show was going on in that clubhouse.  Thinking this way makes me feel better this winter than the thought of watching Sheets/Garcia play RF for a month.  Colas psyche seems rather fragile so I'm not certain how it is going to go.

With Tony at the helm there is no guarantee he would have played him last year.

I'm trying to black out the last two years. 

 

Or they thought he wasn't ready for the bigs yet.

[bmags]

pretty sure Colas will be up day 1. He moved up 3 levels last year, and the whole project bham gave reason to keep him in AA longer. I don't buy the service time stuff, if anything it's just nerves after seeing how Sosa was handled on a straight from AA call up.

Colas needs reps, he got more where he was.

[poppysox]

19 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

You gest, but how many people quit a job everytime their boss tells them something they don't agree with?

With only 30 jobs available in your field...much easier to tolerate some BS.

[poppysox]

11 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

If they added Benintendi next - it may not be flashy but would be another upgrade which fills a real need. 

Benintendi or Kepler would excite me.

[Balta1701]

28 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

You gest, but how many people quit a job everytime their boss tells them something they don't agree with?

Plus, there's no other thread where you've said this, so it clearly makes sense to suggest that this is the only time that Reinsdorf has told him to do something he doesn't agree with. Because if you'd been saying this excuse for years about multiple issues, then it would be clear why the GM should have resigned rather than being stuck in a situation where he clearly can't do his job and decisions were made that ruined his reputation.

[southsider2k5]

1 minute ago, Balta1701 said:

Plus, there's no other thread where you've said this, so it clearly makes sense to suggest that this is the only time that Reinsdorf has told him to do something he doesn't agree with. Because if you'd been saying this excuse for years about multiple issues, then it would be clear why the GM should have resigned rather than being stuck in a situation where he clearly can't do his job and decisions were made that ruined his reputation.

I guess working a new job every year is plausible.

[Balta1701]

Just now, southsider2k5 said:

I guess working a new job every year is plausible.

Because obviously if Rick Hahn were to quit once, he would quit every job he got every single year. 

[southsider2k5]

3 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Because obviously if Rick Hahn were to quit once, he would quit every job he got every single year. 

Those are your standards, not mine.

[Chisoxfn]

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

Plus, there's no other thread where you've said this, so it clearly makes sense to suggest that this is the only time that Reinsdorf has told him to do something he doesn't agree with. Because if you'd been saying this excuse for years about multiple issues, then it would be clear why the GM should have resigned rather than being stuck in a situation where he clearly can't do his job and decisions were made that ruined his reputation.

Not really - if you ultimately like your job - you are regularly going to be in a spot where you and your boss may not agree.  End of the day the buck stops with JR - I presume more often than not JR supports RH and his baseball people and from time to time he takes a different stance and sometimes they convince him and stand on a soap box and bang a drum and sometimes they don't.  That is life and to pretend that the world and your bosses should always agree with you is just nonsense. 

To me the only time you really get on a soap box where you walk is due to more ethical / cultural type of items, not things that are naturally subjective. Maybe you can also have a philosphical difference as well - as in - I want to run the franchise and front office one way and you want a very different way.  

[Chicago White Sox]

3 hours ago, ChiSox59 said:

Sox already made their decision on Colas.  If he was going to be here opening day, he would have been up in September.  It’s really that simple. 

I believe you can earn extra draft picks if you start a rookie on your OD roster and he finishes top 3 in RotY voting.  Not sure that changes much, but still a new consideration.

[ChiSox59]

23 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I believe you can earn extra draft picks if you start a rookie on your OD roster and he finishes top 3 in RotY voting.  Not sure that changes much, but still a new consideration.

He still would have been a rookie in 2023 if they called him up September, though.  

I think it is "possible" the Sox put him on the OD roster.  But it would be another awful roster management decision.  We're talking about like 12 games here.  

[Chicago White Sox]

41 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

He still would have been a rookie in 2023 if they called him up September, though.  

I think it is "possible" the Sox put him on the OD roster.  But it would be another awful roster management decision.  We're talking about like 12 games here.  

This is the same org that cost us a year of Vaughn control for like 19 plate appearances.

[ChiSox59]

4 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

This is the same org that cost us a year of Vaughn control for like 19 plate appearances.

Yeah, it was insanely dumb.  I also don't think it happens if our DH masquerading as a LF didn't tear his shoulder out of its socket in a meaningless ST game.  

Edited November 29, 2022 by ChiSox59

[Bob Sacamano]

3 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Yeah, it was insanely dumb.  I also don't think it happens if our DH masquerading as a LF didn't tear his shoulder out of its socket in a meaningless ST game.  

There were rumors he was going to make the team before that injury happened. The injury just opened up the need for him to play LF and adding Yermin to the team.

[southsider2k5]

2 hours ago, Chisoxfn said:

Not really - if you ultimately like your job - you are regularly going to be in a spot where you and your boss may not agree.  End of the day the buck stops with JR - I presume more often than not JR supports RH and his baseball people and from time to time he takes a different stance and sometimes they convince him and stand on a soap box and bang a drum and sometimes they don't.  That is life and to pretend that the world and your bosses should always agree with you is just nonsense. 

To me the only time you really get on a soap box where you walk is due to more ethical / cultural type of items, not things that are naturally subjective. Maybe you can also have a philosphical difference as well - as in - I want to run the franchise and front office one way and you want a very different way.  

And at the end of the day, by waiting him out, Tony is gone, and Rick is still where he wants to be.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

I wonder if Kelenic could be had for one of our relievers.  Via trade value analyzer (estimating obviously), you could get him for many different combinations.  Lopez straight up, or Graveman + (frees up money) would do it.  I think you'd have to do either of those and I'm sure Seattle is looking for BP.  Doubt they'd give up on Kelenic for one of those guys yet though, though I believe he's as good as gone this offseason. Fun idea.

[hogan873]

With the winter meetings beginning next week, I'd expect to see a furry of trades.  Hopefully the Sox will be involved and so something creative.  As much as I like Hendriks, he's probably the most valuable trade piece that can be backfilled the easiest.  I'm sure there will be several teams looking for a closer/late inning relief that the Sox could match up with to grab some OF or 2B help.

[ChiSox59]

1 hour ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

I wonder if Kelenic could be had for one of our relievers.  Via trade value analyzer (estimating obviously), you could get him for many different combinations.  Lopez straight up, or Graveman + (frees up money) would do it.  I think you'd have to do either of those and I'm sure Seattle is looking for BP.  Doubt they'd give up on Kelenic for one of those guys yet though, though I believe he's as good as gone this offseason. Fun idea.

I am no big Kelenic fan, but I'd do both those deals in a heartbeat and I am not remotely in a hurry to move either ReyLo or Graveman.  Just the upside alone is something that you'd love to bet on.  

[Bob Sacamano]

1 minute ago, ChiSox59 said:

I am no big Kelenic fan, but I'd do both those deals in a heartbeat and I am not remotely in a hurry to move either ReyLo or Graveman.  Just the upside alone is something that you'd love to bet on.  

He also still has an option so you could even pick him up and play him in AAA and still add at the MLB level (maybe someone on a one year deal).

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 hour ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

I wonder if Kelenic could be had for one of our relievers.  Via trade value analyzer (estimating obviously), you could get him for many different combinations.  Lopez straight up, or Graveman + (frees up money) would do it.  I think you'd have to do either of those and I'm sure Seattle is looking for BP.  Doubt they'd give up on Kelenic for one of those guys yet though, though I believe he's as good as gone this offseason. Fun idea.

I brought him up at the trade deadline. Always a possibility.

[Eminor3rd]

7 hours ago, Harry Chappas said:

Why isn't the assumption that Colas is the starting RF from day 1?  He got the rust off last year from sitting out.

He is too old to be held back for service time purposes.

That leaves another LH OF bat and maybe 2B.  A defensive LF preferably LHH is about all they are looking for now.

I would love Cueto but I think they go with AAA swing starter similar to Velazquez and some AAAA outfielders that can defend / add speed.

It’s not a service time thing, it’s that it’s rare that players are immediately consistent key contributors upon their first taste of the big leagues. It would just be a very bad plan to go into the season where you’re “expecting to compete” completely reliant on a rookie who is statistically more likely to fail a time or two than to succeed.

Even if you think the kid is special and very ready, you AT LEAST have to have a substantial hedge. That’s no indictment on Colas; for every Juan Soto, there are like 20 Aramis Ramirezes 

[bmags]

9 minutes ago, Eminor3rd said:

It’s not a service time thing, it’s that it’s rare that players are immediately consistent key contributors upon their first taste of the big leagues. It would just be a very bad plan to go into the season where you’re “expecting to compete” completely reliant on a rookie who is statistically more likely to fail a time or two than to succeed.

Even if you think the kid is special and very ready, you AT LEAST have to have a substantial hedge. That’s no indictment on Colas; for every Juan Soto, there are like 20 Aramis Ramirezes 

Better him than the bucket of $8-$10M veterans.