the next Disney/Rookie 2 inspiration...pitched in Charlotte and for Astros, claimed by multiple teams in 2024

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-twins-alex-speas-tiktok-pitcher-carlos-correa-injury-spring-training-tv-schedule/601225207

"Speas retired after the 2021 season, disappointed he didn’t meet expectations after he was a second-round pick in 2016 for the Rangers. He coached Little League baseball in his hometown for a season, after he lasted three months working in a sales job. The kids he coached, knowing his background, begged to watch him pitch. When he finally relented, his first pitch was 97 mph without any warmup throws, which turned into a TikTok video that garnered more than 170,000 views."

https://nolanwritin.com/posts/a-former-youth-baseball-coach-helps-texas-rangers-to-a-sweep-of-the-rays-01h5r14966ep

Crazy transactions list

https://www.mlb.com/player/alex-speas-666208

Edited February 20, 20251 yr by caulfield12

"Alex Speas, 26, made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers last season and pitched in three games. Speas didn’t pitch well in two innings, allowing three runs and five walks. He was claimed off of waivers by the White Sox in October and has spent this season in Charlotte with the Sox Triple-A affiliate Knights...Speas has a fastball that tops out in triple digits and averaged 98.9 mph in his short stint with Texas last season, but he primarily relies on a cut fastball that averages 91.9 mph. Speas had a whiff rate of 40.4% on his cutter in Triple-A in 2023."

 

But we couldn't use this guy with the worst pen in baseball???...neither could the A's, but the Astros and Red Sox both saw something with him last year.

And it's not like age 25/26 is old compared to some of the relievers we actually traded for this off season...

I got nothing but love you Caulfield, but my god do we need to get you a headline editor.

And why is Alex Speas thread worthy at the moment?

Edited February 20, 20251 yr by Chicago White Sox

31 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I got nothing but love you Caulfield, but my god do we need to get you a headline editor.

And why is Alex Speas thread worthy at the moment?

Maybe nothing becomes of him.

But Tobias Meyers was in our system and now he's the number 3 starter for the Brewers...cost controlled at that.

It seems like every year it's a Romy Gonzalez or Luis Gonzalez who contributed for another team....but never for the Sox.

Or about eight relievers we traded away who all ended up pitching in the post season.

Is it always just bad luck or random ocuurrence?

That every single "future star" from the Hahn rebuild was struck down by injury, non-performance, off the field problems, etc.

 

It feels like the only positive counter-examples are Luis Robert in 2023 and Cease in 2022...followed by disappointing seasons that eroded their trade value.

Fedde was a coup...until Vargas, but it somehow led to Edman and Kopech starring for LA and winning a WS.

The only thing to go right in the last 12 months has seemingly been Garrett Crochet...and that trade couldn't bring back a Campbell, Meyer or Anthony.

Is there a curse...?

 

I mean...we train at Glendale with the worst record in baseball history in the rear window...juxtaposed with might Ne one of the greatest collections of talent on one team and a WS winner in two of the past five years now.

Even the Mets in 1962 were an expansion team and enjoyed incredibly strong fan support for their new franchise.

Tobias Meyers cycled through the Orioles, Rays, Giants and Indians systems before he pitched 13 innings in Charlotte with a 15.92 ERA and 3.3 WHIP.  Feel like that is more of a hat tip to Brewer's system than slight to Sox.   

3 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I got nothing but love you Caulfield, but my god do we need to get you a headline editor.

And why is Alex Speas thread worthy at the moment?

Forget it, he's rolling.