Seems like all the assholes are flocking to Saint Louis this offseason. Par for the course for that franchise. 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/cardinals-to-sign-keynan-middleton.html

Career fWAR 0.2: https://www.fangraphs.com/players/keynan-middleton/15264/stats?position=P

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by South Side Hit Men

I think “asshole” is a bit harsh.  He was just honest about a dysfunctional team.

Refresher link for reference:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38147621/ex-white-sox-reliever-keynan-middleton-rips-club-no-rules-culture

Didn't realize he was from Nairobi...middle distance runner.

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by caulfield12

8 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

Seems like all the assholes are flocking to Saint Louis this offseason. Par for the course for that franchise. 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/02/cardinals-to-sign-keynan-middleton.html

Career fWAR 0.2: https://www.fangraphs.com/players/keynan-middleton/15264/stats?position=P

You're silly. He was right.

This is the same guy whose mother or whatever bitched the White Sox cut off his free baby sitting service after he was traded and then trashed the organization.

https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-white-sox/keynan-middletons-mom-said-the-white-sox-kicked-his-kids-out-of-daycare/
 

I’m glad the toxic duo are now with the Cardinals. Both sucked on the White Sox and beyond, with the other one giving up four home runs in a playoff inning. This guy sat out the final month in New York, finished the season with a 0.1 fWAR (doubling his career total).

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/diamondbacks-make-playoff-history-with-four-home-runs-in-one-inning-off-of-mlbs-most-homer-prone-pitcher/

“History”

- Hawk Harrelson

 

 

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by South Side Hit Men

Calling out a toxic environment doesn’t inherently make one an asshole. 

Hopefully the Cards understand they have agreed to provide daycare services in perpetuity for Middleton's children and any children he has in the future. 

47 minutes ago, Tnetennba said:

Calling out a toxic environment doesn’t inherently make one an asshole. 

I disagree. Players don't want to be called out in public, they want it kept in the clubhouse. Same should apply to them. 

17 minutes ago, ptatc said:

I disagree. Players don't want to be called out in public, they want it kept in the clubhouse. Same should apply to them. 

Some players may very well want to know that an employer is crap before they have to decide on working there.

24 minutes ago, ptatc said:

I disagree. Players don't want to be called out in public, they want it kept in the clubhouse. Same should apply to them. 

But Middleton didn’t actually name any names specifically.  I remember he said one reliever was falling asleep in the bullpen but he never said who it was.

Besides, multiple players came out and said similar things as Middleton once they were traded from the Sox.  It sure sounds like it truly WAS a toxic environment.

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by WhiteSox2023

30 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Some players may very well want to know that an employer is crap before they have to decide on working there.

Sure they do. But again if the player doesn't want to be called out in public they should handle this privately as well. They can talk to players or agents without doing it publicly. 

If you want to be treated a certain way you need to treat others that way as well. 

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by ptatc

25 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

But Middleton didn’t actually name any names specifically.  I remember he said one reliever was falling asleep in the bullpen but he never said who it was.

Besides, multiple players came out and said similar things as Middleton once they were traded from the Sox.  It sure sounds like it truly WAS a toxic environment.

There is no doubt it's true. But if you don't want to be called out in public than you should do it to others including the organization. 

57 minutes ago, ptatc said:

Sure they do. But again if the player doesn't want to be called out in public they should handle this privately as well. They can talk to players or agents without doing it publicly. 

If you want to be treated a certain way you need to treat others that way as well. 

Kenyon Middleton is going to have a hell of a time telling everyone in the big leagues that he feels he and his family was not treated fairly by the White Sox behind the scenes. That's a lot of phone calls.

19 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Kenyon Middleton is going to have a hell of a time telling everyone in the big leagues that he feels he and his family was not treated fairly by the White Sox behind the scenes. That's a lot of phone calls.

Word gets around. It's still not a good way to do it. 

Should an organization State publicly that a player was out too late and hungover so he couldn't play? Should they say he is an ass and wouldn't listen to coaches. Should they say he is sleeping with his teammates significant other and isn't a good teammate? These are all things other teams may want to know before they sign him. 

These are all on par with saying the culture is bad or team is bad so don't play for them. 

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by ptatc

3 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

This is the same guy whose mother or whatever bitched the White Sox cut off his free baby sitting service after he was traded and then trashed the organization

 

 

She showed up to the in-game daycare play room with the kids AFTER her husband was gone and had begun bad mouthing the organization.  

5 hours ago, Tnetennba said:

Calling out a toxic environment doesn’t inherently make one an asshole. 

Lance Lynn sucked at his job, Kenyan was mediocre at best. Especially the vastly overpaid Lynn who was neither physically or mentally prepared to do anything but eat, drink and b**** since they handed him the rushed extension after which he pitched like s%*# ($36M with a negative bWAR 2022-2023).

When shitty employees who suck at their jobs point their fingers and badmouth their co-workers on the way out the door, it speaks to their character. They left no doubt they also played a role in any clubhouse toxicity, perhaps a key role.

They ran to the press and AJ and aired dirty laundry. Dallas Keuchel conducted himself in a similar fashion. Dallas’ mother also got involved. All three need to look first in the mirror, and if they had any integrity or character, would apologize to their former teammates both for their actions and for the two starters their primary role in the failure of the Chicago White Sox, including crapping the bed in the lone playoff games they were entrusted. The two starters should also apologize to the fans for getting $100M and performing the absolute worst among the starting staff when it mattered most in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. The Sox would have advanced in 2020 if they had a decent start in Game 2.

Time will tell what, if anything, the Cardinals get out of these two. Hopefully the other 38 men on that roster are prepared for what these two are bringing into their clubhouse.

 

Edited February 2, 20242 yr by South Side Hit Men

6 hours ago, Tnetennba said:

Calling out a toxic environment doesn’t inherently make one an asshole. 

All those guys who "called out" the toxic environment were seemingly the ones who helped foster it. I'm thinking Lynn, Kelly, Middleton specifically. All three guys are older than 30, veterans who have been around a while. They were supposed to be the ones to lead by example or be vocal in the way they displayed only after leaving the team. Yet rather than behaving like leaders, they whined that there were none; but only after they were out of the organization and wouldn't have to back up their words (which they wouldn't be able to. they're all garbage at baseball, the phantom napper wasn't tipping their pitches.). 

The way they left seems a little cowardly to me, like they were trying to blame their terrible play on forces beyond their control rather than take some accountability for their individual performance and for the culture of the clubhouse. Compare that to Gio, who probably got shafted the most by this team, and isn't trashing his former teammates or the fans. I think a part of the reason he got paid like he did is that he's a consummate professional and doesn't look for excuses or to blame others. Gio tried to actually lead his teammates, albeit maybe not so successfully.

7 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

This is the same guy whose mother or whatever bitched the White Sox cut off his free baby sitting service after he was traded and then trashed the organization.

https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-white-sox/keynan-middletons-mom-said-the-white-sox-kicked-his-kids-out-of-daycare/
 

I’m glad the toxic duo are now with the Cardinals. Both sucked on the White Sox and beyond, with the other one giving up four home runs in a playoff inning. This guy sat out the final month in New York, finished the season with a 0.1 fWAR (doubling his career total).

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/diamondbacks-make-playoff-history-with-four-home-runs-in-one-inning-off-of-mlbs-most-homer-prone-pitcher/

“History”

- Hawk Harrelson

 

 

I hope someone packed the big fella a nice friggin lunch after that inning

1 hour ago, wegner said:

I hope someone packed the big fella a nice friggin lunch after that inning

Lance Lynn earnings in his 30s: $97M including 2025 buyout ($107M if 2025 option picked up for his age 38 season).

Lance Lynn Postseason ERA in his 30s:

• 2018 11.58
• 2021 12.27
• 2023 13.50

4 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

Lance Lynn earnings in his 30s: $97M including 2025 buyout ($107M if 2025 option picked up for his age 38 season).

Lance Lynn Postseason ERA in his 30s:

• 2018 11.58
• 2021 12.27
• 2023 13.50

To this day, I'm amazed in 2021 that the Sox had Lynn start that playoff game in Houston when he had been awful there AND he had pitched well at Guaranteed Rate. Most likely doesn't matter but it was still a very stupid decision imo.