9 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

Would it also be THAT shocking if Baldwin is in Charlotte or something? It's not like he set the world on fire when he was here. 

I could certainly see Ramos and maybe Baldwin starting the season in AAA. And it's a distinct possibility that Vargas has 3 months to hit. It also looks like Sosa has played more SS in Caracas this winter than 3B.

4 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

I could certainly see Ramos and maybe Baldwin starting the season in AAA. And it's a distinct possibility that Vargas has 3 months to hit. It also looks like Sosa has played more SS in Caracas this winter than 3B.

Yeah, I guess I wasn't considering Sosa as a SS, but if he's there then that clears up a lot of the jam.

AAA gets a bit messy, but you just have to let that sort itself out.

17 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Rojas is not really a SS though.  If you play him at 2B, you are blocking one of Sosa, Baldwin, or Meidroth.  At 3B, he’s blocking Vargas, Ramos, & Sosa.  Those are the only spots we have multiple young options that actually need playing time.  Those five dudes are going to lose a lot of at-bats due to this signing.

And I’m not trying to be a hater either.  I didn’t dislike the Tauchman / Slater additions as none of Fletcher, DeLoach, or Colas have done enough in AAA to be handed an opportunity.  That’s not the case with several of the guys mentioned above.

Why can’t Rojas just be a guy who plays everywhere to give guys a day or two off per week? Then nobody’s “starting spot” is really being blocked, and Rojas will get plenty of playing time. 

21 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Again, doesn’t “they need to find out rather quickly who can hit” mean specifically that Rojas is in the way? As a veteran he will get at bats before Sosa and Vargas.

I'm willing to say we'll see are you ? More ABs may not means he'll always be taking them away from Vargas and Sosa and it's a long season so what happens in the 1st 6 weeks of the season may not happen as much after that.

All you see is Vet gets ABs blocking youth. Getz had to promise him he'd start to sign with the Sox. Situations are fluid. He ' ll probably rotate in at 1st base too. 1st,  2nd, SS , 3B,maybe a little LF.

7 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I'm willing to say we'll see are you ? More ABs may not means he'll always be taking them away from Vargas and Sosa and it's a long season so what happens in the 1st 6 weeks of the season may not happen as much after that.

All you see is Vet gets ABs blocking youth. Getz had to promise him he'd start to sign with the Sox. Situations are fluid. He ' ll probably rotate in at 1st base too. 1st,  2nd, SS , 3B,maybe a little LF.

Last year, they just ran out of bodies. They picked Amaya up off the waiver wire, and he pretty much was their starting SS the rest of the way. 

15 minutes ago, SoxBlanco said:

Why can’t Rojas just be a guy who plays everywhere to give guys a day or two off per week? Then nobody’s “starting spot” is really being blocked, and Rojas will get plenty of playing time. 

Again this is what he SHOULD be.  But recent vintages of roster management haven't looked like this.  Getz has very actively put mediocre veterans in front of young players who should be playing, even those ones he acquired recently.

42 minutes ago, PaleAleSox said:

Yeah, that's totally what he got in the Crochet deal. 

Acquiring Lopez, Fletcher, and Rojas shows that he still values slappy little scrubs like himself.  All guys that could be replaced internally with equally bad players, so why bother?

Edited January 2, 20251 yr by WhiteSox2023

5 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Again this is what he SHOULD be.  But recent vintages of roster management haven't looked like this.  Getz has very actively put mediocre veterans in front of young players who should be playing, even those ones he acquired recently.

Exactly.  That’s what he would’ve been for the other interested teams.  We will use him as a starter at 3B.

6 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Acquiring Lopez, Fletcher, and Rojas shows that he still values slappy little scrubs like himself.  All guys that could be replaced internally with equally bad players, so why bother?

Judging by the fact that Rojas would have had the best WAR on the team last year for hitters, it appears he can't be replaced internally. 

Also, once again - that is not what he acquired in the Crochet deal so obviously he does not "value" that.

I actually am on the side of being ok with Rojas. He's reliable positive WAR year in year out, and you have to at some point have a guy like that.. after last year, you cant really pretend those guys are in large supply. As far as blocking young talent, im sure Sosa, Meidroth and Baldwin will have plenty of PAs, especially post trade deadline. Baldwin might be opening day SS for all we know.

Sosa is out of options though so honestly he may not even be in this org a full year anyway.

Edited January 2, 20251 yr by Fielder Jones

Let me play Devil’s Advocate and it is about development. Ramos is a decent defender who has lapses throwing the ball. Sosa is pretty bad at 3b and a knucklehead at 2b. Vargas is brutal wherever he plays. The Sox have like 15 young pitchers they are gonna try and develop over the next 2 years. What if you have a plus defender at 3b to take platoon at bats and some late inning defensive replacement innings? Might that not help the pitchers develop? Ramos, in particular has massive platoon splits. Is it so bad to ease him into mlb at bats? I think this is a decent signing that may reflect a desire to have some of the Sox B/B+ prospects earn their time rather than just handing it to them. Plus, I would love to see Vargas DH/1b only. He is a hazard with a glove in his hand.

2 hours ago, Baron said:

Seeing Lee starting at catcher again makes me feel a little nauseous. 

We have two of the top catching prospects in all of baseball likely starting next season at AAA.  Lee’s hold on the starting catcher job will be short lived, but you might as well use that playing time in interim on him.

8 minutes ago, Timmy U said:

Let me play Devil’s Advocate and it is about development. Ramos is a decent defender who has lapses throwing the ball. Sosa is pretty bad at 3b and a knucklehead at 2b. Vargas is brutal wherever he plays. The Sox have like 15 young pitchers they are gonna try and develop over the next 2 years. What if you have a plus defender at 3b to take platoon at bats and some late inning defensive replacement innings? Might that not help the pitchers develop? Ramos, in particular has massive platoon splits. Is it so bad to ease him into mlb at bats? I think this is a decent signing that may reflect a desire to have some of the Sox B/B+ prospects earn their time rather than just handing it to them. Plus, I would love to see Vargas DH/1b only. He is a hazard with a glove in his hand.

I think for many it boils down to:

• Rojas in a vacuum - good signing, makes sense
• Rojas as part of a trend that began last year - concerning

Vargas sliding into the 1B/DH also helps alleviate (similar to Sosa at SS like @WestEddy pointed out). I guess we need to see how Venable juggles this.

If everyone plays their traditional positions, things get messy. If not, maybe we're cooking.

44 minutes ago, Quin said:

Yeah, I guess I wasn't considering Sosa as a SS, but if he's there then that clears up a lot of the jam.

AAA gets a bit messy, but you just have to let that sort itself out.

Meidroth also started more games as SS than anywhere else last year.

Did this guy get his name from Tolkein or what

 

 

17 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

We have two of the top catching prospects in all of baseball likely starting next season at AAA.  Lee’s hold on the starting catcher job will be short lived, but you might as well use that playing time in interim on him.

It's just going to be me counting the days until his replaced. 

1 hour ago, fathom said:

This also likely ends the Lux rumor

Why.  This guy is the very definition of a utility player.

10 minutes ago, Quin said:

I think for many it boils down to:

• Rojas in a vacuum - good signing, makes sense
• Rojas as part of a trend that began last year - concerning

Vargas sliding into the 1B/DH also helps alleviate (similar to Sosa at SS like @WestEddy pointed out). I guess we need to see how Venable juggles this.

If everyone plays their traditional positions, things get messy. If not, maybe we're cooking.

There's never going to be a better situation than now to let the kids play as much as possible. What were doing is going to end up with us giving up on someone and seeing them blossom somewhere else.

7 minutes ago, Baron said:

It's just going to be me counting the days until his replaced. 

I don’t see why. He’s a good catcher with some power and decent running ability

5 minutes ago, 46DidIt said:

I don’t see why. He’s a good catcher with some power and decent running ability

Are we talking about the same player? 

7 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Why.  This guy is the very definition of a utility player.

You are right.  Lux is definitely a better player.  But why does Lux make sense for this Sox team?  With only two more years of control, are you thinking that Lux will produce more like he did in the second half of last season and will be flippable for prospects, or is he a guy you would want the Sox to give a contract extension to?

5 minutes ago, Baron said:

Are we talking about the same player? 

Yeah. At worse he’s a pretty good backup catcher over the next few years. 

Out of everything wrong with last year's team, it's hard for me to complain about Korey Lee.

4 minutes ago, 46DidIt said:

Yeah. At worse he’s a pretty good backup catcher over the next few years. 

He isn't good at framing, defense or hitting. So I guess our definitions of good are different. 

1 hour ago, Lyle Moooton said:

What the f*** are you going on about? Rojas is a an actual decent major league player, and the fact that teams with aspirations of contention wanted him should tell you he should have trade deadline value. 

Sure, contending teams wanted him as a backup / utility-man, due to his good glove but weak bat.  Meanwhile, Rojas signed with our lowly non-contending White Sox.  Why?  Because he was likely told he would get plenty of playing time.  The Sox will no doubt overexpose him as a full-time starter.

Edited January 2, 20251 yr by WhiteSox2023

5 minutes ago, Baron said:

He isn't good at framing, defense or hitting. So I guess our definitions of good are different. 

Well he is good at defense and rates more highly than Quero there, so that must be where you’re mistaken. If anything, long term, Quero is moved from behind the plate and Teel/Lee are your catchers

Edited January 2, 20251 yr by 46DidIt