Free Tim Elko (Back in Jail)

[tray]

10 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Man, would you calm the f*** down for once on this site and just read something and not overreact to literally everything you read like this?  I was talking about VAUGHN getting every chance.  Not Colson.  Colson was the hypothetical in this situation that Cali is using, who also is flailing and failing and has been moved DOWN to correct his problems

Odd thing to say for you as one of the cabal of sarcastic naysayers here .  Dude is not overreacting, you are.

[Kyyle23]

11 minutes ago, tray said:

Odd thing to say for you as one of the cabal of sarcastic naysayers here .  Dude is not overreacting, you are.

Tray, nobody cares.  Not even gonna passive aggressive laugh emoji you.  

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

20 hours ago, Tnetennba said:

It would take a GM as incompetent as Chris Getz to trade *for* Andrew Vaughn. Poor defensive 1B who have never cracked an .800 OPS and are trending downward for the second consecutive season are in such high demand afterall.

But but we might be able to get another Trey McGough who I actually had hopes for this season but has now apparently retired.

https://southsideshowdown.com/white-sox-prospect-retires-trey-mcgough-promising-pitcher-eloy-jimenez-trade-2025

[WestEddy]

14 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I think we were talking about Vaughn not Montgomery.
Montgomery was just an example I used to show how Getz is spewing nonsense about data regarding a player they already have 4 seasons of data on and also using it to disrespect Elko's merits because of the difference in their draft positions while he spews talk from the other side of his mouth about building culture and accountabilty.

Feagan p**** footed around it instead of calling it out.

Got it. Vaughn was supposed to be veteran ballast that supported the .450 OPSes of guys like Sosa and Vargas as they got their footing. I thought they should have left camp with an Elko/Colas platoon for 1B. Sosa would suffice, also. 

I like the idea of Elko, but I think that in the long run, and short run, pitchers would figure him out, and he'd almost look like Vaughn, a league average hitter at a position that calls for increased production. 

[caulfield12]

7 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Got it. Vaughn was supposed to be veteran ballast that supported the .450 OPSes of guys like Sosa and Vargas as they got their footing. I thought they should have left camp with an Elko/Colas platoon for 1B. Sosa would suffice, also. 

I like the idea of Elko, but I think that in the long run, and short run, pitchers would figure him out, and he'd almost look like Vaughn, a league average hitter at a position that calls for increased production. 

We know exactly who Vaughn is.

At this point we pretty much know what Sosa is as well.

Elko deserves the opportunity to at least fail and get scouted/figured out.

If for no other reason than to provide hope to all the rest of the underdog/underappreciated players in the system who look up to Shane Smith Vasil and ever so briefly G.Workman.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

23 hours ago, WestEddy said:

Tim Elko was picked in the 10th round of the 2022 draft. His bonus was $35k. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Tim Elko knows what he is and isn't becoming "alienated" by waiting for Vaughn to fail out, get injured or be traded. 

All true but you are saying what he was in 2022 while maintaining his character points since those are good traits built into who you are.

But now he is also among the best hitters in minor league baseball. Isn't this exactly what you hope to happen especially when he plays the position of a guy who is failing so miserably ?

I don't have a clue as to how he'd do once called up but LFG !!!

Stop handing out attendance rewards for Vaughn . He's already earned a good enough pension and has $5.8M  - minus taxes to cope with being demoted.

[WestEddy]

21 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

We know exactly who Vaughn is.

At this point we pretty much know what Sosa is as well.

Elko deserves the opportunity to at least fail and get scouted/figured out.

If for no other reason than to provide hope to all the rest of the underdog/underappreciated players in the system who look up to Shane Smith Vasil and ever so briefly G.Workman.

I would think that Vaughn has the month of May to pull his s%*# together and hit. If he does, maybe he's gone in trade, if he doesn't, then they take a hard look at Elko. I don't think Vaughn is so overpaid that if they DFAed him, another team wouldn't take a flier for the $4.5M that they'll catch his hot month. 

I have no idea what this narrative is you're trying to establish about minor league players becoming disenchanted with their life choices because of the bottlenecks of talent that they've competed in from 9 years old on. The ones who are so easily demotivated were weeded out in Freshman year of high school.

[WestEddy]

12 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

All true but you are saying what he was in 2022 while maintaining his character points since those are good traits built into who you are.

But now he is also among the best hitters in minor league baseball. Isn't this exactly what you hope to happen especially when he plays the position of a guy who is failing so miserably ?

I don't have a clue as to how he'd do once called up but LFG !!!

Stop handing out attendance rewards for Vaughn . He's already earned a good enough pension and has $5.8M  - minus taxes to cope with being demoted.

They're not keeping Vaughn on the major league club because they're afraid for his psyche. Yes, there's the 1:3 pedigree, but there's also that reservoir of immense, untapped talent. 

I'm all for a swap of Vaughn for Elko right now. Dalbec earned the same shot that Elko did, so they'd have to DFA Amaya, or even slap Slater or Varland on the 60-day IL. But I do understand that the org isn't all that sold on Elko as a a long term piece, and that they're going to let their plan for Vaughn play out to the end before they make any move. And even then, there might be a few guys in front of Elko to fill Vaughn's spot. 

 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 hour ago, WestEddy said:

Got it. Vaughn was supposed to be veteran ballast that supported the .450 OPSes of guys like Sosa and Vargas as they got their footing. I thought they should have left camp with an Elko/Colas platoon for 1B. Sosa would suffice, also. 

I like the idea of Elko, but I think that in the long run, and short run, pitchers would figure him out, and he'd almost look like Vaughn, a league average hitter at a position that calls for increased production. 

You can't have preconceived notions though. What if he actually adjusts to MLB and does well ?

He's the type of guy you love as a GM . Look how far he has risen above expectations already.

Fans love an underdog. Mark Buerhle was beloved. Fans loved Palka and Yermin Mercedes and Carlos Quentin. Producing from humble beginnings is what Murica is all about.

Edited May 3 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 hour ago, WestEddy said:

They're not keeping Vaughn on the major league club because they're afraid for his psyche. Yes, there's the 1:3 pedigree, but there's also that reservoir of immense, untapped talent. 

I'm all for a swap of Vaughn for Elko right now. Dalbec earned the same shot that Elko did, so they'd have to DFA Amaya, or even slap Slater or Varland on the 60-day IL. But I do understand that the org isn't all that sold on Elko as a a long term piece, and that they're going to let their plan for Vaughn play out to the end before they make any move. And even then, there might be a few guys in front of Elko to fill Vaughn's spot. 

 

The plan for Vaughn has already played out. The present has become the past and Vaughn is not the future . We have lots of proof of that already. We have zero proof that Elko is not the future .

There is no harm in swapping them out right now. Vaughn might be more valuable if he can put up Elko type numbers in AAA but I don't think he can. It's foolhardy at this point. Resigning him this year was a stretch.  You gave him 30 games at the top level after 4 years of it already. Give him special attention in the minors. Reward players who earned it.

Unless JR has mandated Vaughn stay on the 26 , it's Getz's call and he's been talking out of both sides of his mouth way too much.

You either mean it when you talk about merit and accountability or you're full of s%*# and that talk means nothing when a  high draft pick who has failed in over 2000 MLB PA over 4+ years is favored over a low draft pick who has shown he can rise above his perceived level of ability.

Edited May 3 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[Lip Man 1]

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/05/02/white-sox-tim-elko-andrew-vaughn-brooks-baldwin-prospects-minor-leagues

[WestEddy]

1 hour ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

The plan for Vaughn has already played out. The present has become the past and Vaughn is not the future . We have lots of proof of that already. We have zero proof that Elko is not the future .

There is no harm in swapping them out right now. Vaughn might be more valuable if he can put up Elko type numbers in AAA but I don't think he can. It's foolhardy at this point. Resigning him this year was a stretch.  You game him 30 games at the top. Level after 4 years of it already. Give him special attention in the minors. Reward players who earned it.

Unless JR has mandated Vaughn stay on the 26 , it's Getz's call and he's been talking out of both sides of his mouth way too much.

You either mean it when you talk about merit and accountability or you're full of s%*# and that talk means nothing when a  high draft pick who has failed in over 2000 MLB PA over 4+ years is favored over a low draft pick who has shown he can rise above his perceived level of ability.

I believed they retained Vaughn in the off-season, as he's an acceptable, replacement level 1B. They could have saved a couple million by seeking out a Rowdy Tellez, or reasonable facsimile, but they know what they had in Vaughn. With the way the Sox unceremoniously let TA and Yoan walk, I doubt there's any inner-politics over keeping Vaughn on. 

If Vaughn came out and raked like June of 2024 (.337/.371/.561) for a couple of months, he's a valuable commodity. They're probably also threatening the Twins for 4th place. I'd imagine they're giving him until Memorial Day to do anything. That's a fair 1/3 season sample size to make a decision. I agree with you that they could cut him now, and nobody would care. As I've said, I was ready for them to move on this last off-season. 

I'd imagine that if Elko's exhibiting a new approach, they'd like to make sure it's ingrained, and he's not going to start expanding the zone after his first three 0-5's. Believe me, I want him on the Sox as much as everyone here. I just think there's a strategy that goes beyond an owner or GM unwilling to admit a mistake, or even dumb, blind optimism.

[socksless joe]

Too late to worry about Vaughn's psyche. Pretty much destroyed that playing their first round draft pick in the outfield as a rookie. Let him work things out on Charlotte or with Colson. Bring Elko to Chicago with only a firstbaseman's mit.

 

[WestEddy]

54 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2025/05/02/white-sox-tim-elko-andrew-vaughn-brooks-baldwin-prospects-minor-leagues

Quote

White Sox fans want Tim Elko, minor-league masher teammates call ‘Captain,’ on the South Side — stat

This is a weird headline, as the people here who seem to know have mocked me for even suggesting that fans wanting a player promoted could ever translate to a small bump in ticket sales. 

[WhiteSox2023]

4 hours ago, WestEddy said:

This is a weird headline, as the people here who seem to know have mocked me for even suggesting that fans wanting a player promoted could ever translate to a small bump in ticket sales. 

It is a weird headline because Duber never really provides evidence in his article about how he knows fans want Elko called up.  He could have said “White Sox fans on Twitter” or “White Sox message boards”.

I bet most average Sox fans don’t even know who Elko is.

[caulfield12]

5 hours ago, WestEddy said:

This is a weird headline, as the people here who seem to know have mocked me for even suggesting that fans wanting a player promoted could ever translate to a small bump in ticket sales. 

TBH Colson Montgomery coming into OD as the starting SS might not even have bumped you 300 fans with how  poorly he looked and how hard he fell from the majority of Top 100 prospect lists.

Otoh we have stabilized at losing just 5-10% of the remaining fanbase per 100-121 loss year rather than 15-25% tranches due to something called Mathematics/Statistical Probabability.

[DoUEvenShift]

 

 

[hi8is]

19 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

 

 

I believe it 100%

[flavum]

19 minutes ago, hi8is said:

I believe it 100%

It could be true, but also not mean anything. I don’t think Vaughn is lazy or not putting in the work. I just think he’s not very good or athletic. In short, bring Elko up. Send Vaughn down for a while. See what happens. They have nothing to lose at this point. 

[PaleAleSox]

8 minutes ago, flavum said:

It could be true, but also not mean anything. I don’t think Vaughn is lazy or not putting in the work. I just think he’s not very good or athletic. In short, bring Elko up. Send Vaughn down for a while. See what happens. They have nothing to lose at this point. 

This also appears it was in the offseason? This just doesn’t bother me that much, and I think the guy sucks. 

[DirtySox]

40 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

 

 

Yikes.

[caulfield12]

42 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

Yikes.

His father (Osik) played ten years in the bigs as a journeyman with the Pirates…so he understands exactly where Elko is coming from compared to a Top 3 overall bonus baby pick that has experienced the glide pathway in the minors.

Was in Augusta 1992-93.

[WhiteSox2023]

1 hour ago, DoUEvenShift said:

 

 

BOOM.  And there it is.  And this organization let Vaughn get away with this crap and kept starting his worthless ass.  What an indictment of Vaughn and the Sox.  No wonder he sucks.

Edited May 4 by WhiteSox2023

[bmags]

1 hour ago, DirtySox said:

Yikes.

I know his career is over so it’s no big deal but that’s wild to openly throw out like that.

 

[PaleAleSox]

11 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

BOOM.  And there it is.  And this organization let Vaughn get away with this crap and kept starting his worthless ass.  What an indictment.  No wonder he sucks.

It’s the offseason? What was he “getting away with?”