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Opening Day 26-Man Roster


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2 hours ago, vilehoopster said:

A couple things before hand. I see Gallo being this year's Mousotakas, cut before the season starts.

Last year Cease got traded before ST was over because he was really great in ST. I don't see that with Robert. He'll be completely unmotivated like he was as the trade deadline approached last year; this nick or injury and chasing balls low and away. He'll be starting in CF for the Sox, and we hope he shows something so we can trade him at the deadline. 

So, here's my lineup, (not so much bench pieces). 

1. Vaughn at 1st 

2. Drury at 2B. He will be this year's DeJoung. The Sox will hope he has 10 or 12 home runs by the deadline and they can flip him. Then it's Sosa

3. At SS will be Rojas to start the season. All this talk from Merkin and the Sox PR people that Colson has a great chance to leave ST as the starting SS is total BS, and the fact that they're all saying it, makes me really think it is BS. They want that extra year of control. When the time is over, then he'll come up. 

4. Vargas at 3rd. Rojas will be the back up with Vargas doing some 1st and DH. 

5. in LF, a platoon of Fletcher and Stater. 

6. In CF, Robert until the deadline and Getz will be forced to give him away because his stats will be less bad than last year, but still not very good for him. Then Taylor. 

7. LF - Benintendi

8. At catcher:  first Lee and Thaiss. The two minor league guys will be up after the all-star game.

 

Starting pitching -- I am really concerned with this. I keep hearing on various podcasts that it seems likely at Perez will be our opening day pitcher. If this is true, the rotation is in horrible shape, horrible. What is Perez? The 3rd, 4th, or 5th starter on a team with a real rotation? If we can't get, at least, two starters clearly better than Perez, our rotation will be terrible. I don't know; maybe the Sox will have him as their opening day starter to give him some false credit so we can flip him later. 

This is who I see as the Sox best starting pitchers in order: 

a. Cannon

b. Martin

c. Perez

d. Wilson

e. Burke

But if anyone knows me on this board, I am a huge Thorpe fan. If he is not injured,  (that is a big if) I see him as the ace of the staff when he comes up, maybe after a 3 or 4 weeks. 

I don't know about the bullpen. Let me use the same logic for Anderson as I did for Perez. If Anderson is our closer more than a few weeks into the season, the bullpen must be and will be absolutely terrible. 

 

So that's my opinion. 

I hope a lot of this lineup stuff doesn’t happen.

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On 2/14/2025 at 6:58 PM, 46DidIt said:

Lee, Thais,

Vaughn, Sosa, Meidroth, Baldwin, Vargas, Rojas,

Benintendi, Taylor,Tauchaman,Slater,Fletcher

Is my prediction on the batter side

Perez, B. Wilson, Martin, Cannon, Thorpe

Karinchak, Anderson, Booser, Berroa, Varland, Shuster, Ellard, Burke

I think Wilson was promised a starting role until he’s traded, based off nothing other than I think he could have signed somewhere better for as much or more had he accepted a bullpen role. Only makes sense for Perez or him to sign with Sox if they believe they are in line for starts imo. Burke in swing role depending on Thorpe’s availability.

 

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Iriarte’s K rate dropped over 30% in 2024.  Fegan has pointed out that some mechanical issues caused his 4 seamer to be more sinker like.  If they can get his fastball shape to return to form, then he’s a guy who could certainly factor into the rotation at some point this year.

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Updated with Steamer 600 wRC+ and fWAR projections:

Lineup:

  • 1B: Vaughn (111 | 1.2)
  • 2B: Sosa (95 | 1.8)
  • SS: Baldwin# (91 | 1.9)
  • 3B: Rojas* (95 | 1.9)
  • LF: Benintendi* (105 | 0.9)
  • CF: Taylor (74 | 0.7)
  • RF: Tauchman* (109 | 1.8)
  • DH: Vargas (104 | 1.6)
  • CA: Lee (74 | 0.1)

Bench / NRIs / Reinforcements:

  • IF: Meidroth (107 | 2.9)
  • CA: Quero (97 | 2.3)
  • CA: Teel (94 | 2.1)
  • IF: C. Montgomery (80 | 1.3)
  • OF: Slater (97 | 1.2)
  • IF: Amaya (77 | 1.0)
  • CA: Thais (92 | 0.8)
  • IF: Ramos (92 | 0.8)
  • IF: Drury (93 | 0.5)
  • OF: Colas (88 | 0.1)
  • OF: Fletcher (82 | 0.0)
  • OF: Gallo (87 | -0.1)
  • OF: DeLoach (84 | -0.8)
  • IF: Dalbec (79 | -1.0)
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  • 2 weeks later...

Updated 26 man roster projection:

Lineup:

  • 1B: Vaughn
  • 2B: Rojas*
  • SS: Baldwin#
  • 3B: Vargas
  • LF: Benintendi*
  • CF: Taylor
  • RF: Tauchman*
  • DH: Sosa
  • CA: Lee

Bench:

  • BC: Thaiss*
  • IF: Amaya
  • OF: Slater
  • UT: Drury

Rotation:

  1. Perez*
  2. Martin
  3. Cannon
  4. Burke
  5. Wilson

Bullpen:

  • CL: Anderson
  • SU: Varland
  • SU: Berroa
  • MR: Clevinger (🤮)
  • MR: Booser*
  • MR: Murfee
  • MR: Gilbert*
  • LR: Smith
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55 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Updated 26 man roster projection:

Lineup:

  • 1B: Vaughn
  • 2B: Rojas*
  • SS: Baldwin#
  • 3B: Vargas
  • LF: Benintendi*
  • CF: Taylor
  • RF: Tauchman*
  • DH: Sosa
  • CA: Lee

Bench:

  • BC: Thaiss*
  • IF: Amaya
  • OF: Slater
  • UT: Drury

Rotation:

  1. Perez*
  2. Martin
  3. Cannon
  4. Burke
  5. Wilson

Bullpen:

  • CL: Anderson
  • SU: Varland
  • SU: Berroa
  • MR: Clevinger (🤮)
  • MR: Booser*
  • MR: Murfee
  • MR: Gilbert*
  • LR: Smith

I'd be pretty surprised if Luis Robert is moved prior to opening day 

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13 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I'd be pretty surprised if Luis Robert is moved prior to opening day 

For now, I’m going to assume an end of Spring Training trade.  I just get a bad feeling that Getz is going to sell before the season starts if he gets any halfway decent offer.  And unfortunately, I think someone will when it’s all said & done.

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47 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

For now, I’m going to assume an end of Spring Training trade.  I just get a bad feeling that Getz is going to sell before the season starts if he gets any halfway decent offer.  And unfortunately, I think someone will when it’s all said & done.

I just have no reason to believe that a deal is coming. 

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24 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I just have no reason to believe that a deal is coming. 

I think this ends up being just like the Cease situation with someone coming in with a just compelling enough offer at the last second to get a deal done.  Obviously that’s pure speculation on my part, but I think at least one GM will become a bit desperate as we approach OD and make a play for Robert assuming he’s healthy and looks good.

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20 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I think this ends up being just like the Cease situation with someone coming in with a just compelling enough offer at the last second to get a deal done.  Obviously that’s pure speculation on my part, but I think at least one GM will become a bit desperate as we approach OD and make a play for Robert assuming he’s healthy and looks good.

Hopefully this is what happens cuz you know what’s going to happen if he makes it to the season — he won’t make it to the trade deadline healthy.

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Anyone else feel like Teel may get a chance on the OD roster with a strong spring? It also allows both catching prospects to work every day at either MLB or AAA.

I forgot which thread it was posted in but that write-up sounded really good on him to where I'm in on him winning RoY lol I'm in on him at +4000 odds

Edited by Bob Sacamano
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1 hour ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Anyone else feel like Teel may get a chance on the OD roster with a strong spring? It also allows both catching prospects to work every day at either MLB or AAA.

I forgot which thread it was posted in but that write-up sounded really good on him to where I'm in on him winning RoY lol I'm in on him at +4000 odds

With the upcoming labor battle, we’d be incredibly smart not to unnecessarily burn service time on guys that don’t need to be on the OD roster.  Wait three weeks and get the extra year of control for any prospect of note.

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11 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

With the upcoming labor battle, we’d be incredibly smart not to unnecessarily burn service time on guys that don’t need to be on the OD roster.  Wait three weeks and get the extra year of control for any prospect of note.

If you're going to keep him down, I would keep him down long enough to where it seems like he couldn't win RoY though. Because then he gets the full year anyway.

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31 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

If you're going to keep him down, I would keep him down long enough to where it seems like he couldn't win RoY though. Because then he gets the full year anyway.

That’s fair.  To be honest, a half season in AAA is probably reason timeframe for him anyways.

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Updated 26 man roster projection:

Lineup:

  • 1B: Vaughn
  • 2B: Rojas*
  • SS: Baldwin#
  • 3B: Vargas
  • LF: Tauchman*
  • CF: Taylor
  • RF: Fletcher*
  • DH: Sosa
  • CA: Lee

Bench:

  • BC: Thaiss*
  • IF: Amaya
  • OF: Slater
  • UT: Drury

Rotation:

  1. Perez*
  2. Martin
  3. Cannon
  4. Burke
  5. Wilson

Bullpen:

  • CL: Anderson
  • SU: Varland
  • SU: Berroa
  • MR: Clevinger (🤮)
  • MR: Booser*
  • MR: Murfee
  • MR: Gilbert*
  • LR: Smith
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3 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Updated 26 man roster projection:

Lineup:

  • 1B: Vaughn
  • 2B: Rojas*
  • SS: Baldwin#
  • 3B: Vargas
  • LF: Tauchman*
  • CF: Taylor
  • RF: Fletcher*
  • DH: Sosa
  • CA: Lee

Bench:

  • BC: Thaiss*
  • IF: Amaya
  • OF: Slater
  • UT: Drury

Rotation:

  1. Perez*
  2. Martin
  3. Cannon
  4. Burke
  5. Wilson

Bullpen:

  • CL: Anderson
  • SU: Varland
  • SU: Berroa
  • MR: Clevinger (🤮)
  • MR: Booser*
  • MR: Murfee
  • MR: Gilbert*
  • LR: Smith

thoughts:

Berroa's out for a bit, right?
Anderson's position would seem mighty tenuous.
I wonder if they're stretching Gilbert out as a starter. 
Tristan Gray strikes me as an alternate for Amaya. Looked capable at SS, and hits for power. 

Edited by WestEddy
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So who are we thinking will open the season as the 5th starter?  I got Davis, Cannon, Perez, & Burke as locks.  That leaves the following as options:

  • Bryse Wilson
  • Shane Smith
  • Jario Iriarte
  • Nick Nastrini
  • Tyler Gilbert
  • Mason Adams

I’ve been thinking Wilson would be a gimme all spring with Thorpe out, but now I’m starting to think that someone else could snag this role.  As much as I’d like to see an actual kid grab that spot, I have a weird feeling that Gilbert somehow ends up the victor.  Just feels like Smith profiles better as a multi-inning reliever and Iriarte & Adams could probably use more time in AAA.

Nastrini is a little bit of a wild card here and his Statcast numbers yesterday were pretty decent.  I could see him making a case for some sort of Opening Day role.  But right now, my money would be Wilson or Gilbert and I’m sort of leaning towards the lefty given we actually went out and traded for him.

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