Tony Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 In both 2026 and beyond, the lineup needs significantly more thump. LF/RF/1B/DH all need an upgrade. The slg. needs to be higher across the board. Some of that is going to be have to solved with $$. I wouldn't spend a ton on pitching at the moment, feel like they have a big enough collection of arms right now, and with Bannister seemingly getting good results out of guys, I'd spend my resources on getting more power on this team. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chitownsportsfan Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 14 minutes ago, Tony said: In both 2026 and beyond, the lineup needs significantly more thump. LF/RF/1B/DH all need an upgrade. The slg. needs to be higher across the board. Some of that is going to be have to solved with $$. I wouldn't spend a ton on pitching at the moment, feel like they have a big enough collection of arms right now, and with Bannister seemingly getting good results out of guys, I'd spend my resources on getting more power on this team. We need to add a 25 HR a year guy either in the corner or at 1B. If they are just going to let Beni play out his deal that sorta limits what we can do same with Tauchman. I think they are going to just punt 2026 spending. They will pickup Robert's option, maybe sign a bullpen arm or scrap heap starter and call it good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 1 hour ago, chitownsportsfan said: We need to add a 25 HR a year guy either in the corner or at 1B. If they are just going to let Beni play out his deal that sorta limits what we can do same with Tauchman. I think they are going to just punt 2026 spending. They will pickup Robert's option, maybe sign a bullpen arm or scrap heap starter and call it good. I agree, and I know this topic is about 2026, but bigger picture, they need to add a lot more power to the lineup, that would be my biggest priority. But with the CBA where it’s at, I don’t see them making any significant investments this offseason 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron883 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 On 8/3/2025 at 11:35 AM, Chicago White Sox said: Thinking about this more, but this offensive core is super fascinating to me. We more or less have a compete lineup from day one. Yes, it lacks some ceiling and impact, but that’s totally fine for a team entering year three of a rebuild with no long-term payroll commitments and hopefully a new owner influencing our free agent principles in the near future. When I look at the group, I feel really good about the infield and catcher. We have two guys that I feel can be major league SS’s in Colson & Meidroth. The former has the higher ceiling with elite bad speed that suggests he can be a true impact player one day if he can improve his swing decisions. Meidroth is a divisive player, one lacking loud physical tools but possessing incredible skill and intangibles. I can’t stress enough how unique it is to have a player with both elite bat to ball and plate discipline abilities. People seem to think I’m just some fanboy when it comes to Chase, but go look at Statcast data around the league and find a lot of guys like him. He’s a unicorn and one I think still has considerable room for growth even if power will never be a huge part of his game. Beyond those two, we have a plethora of infield options that can be part of next year’s group. Sosa is quickly becoming an interesting player. He’s flashing a plus hit tool and a swing that’s geared to maximize what is above average raw power for a 2B. The plate discipline is still a major red flag and I do worry his game could unravel at some point without some improvements there, but @Jake has called out that his chase rate has gotten better as the season has progressed. As much as we rip his defense, he seems like he can be average-ish at 2B. He looks like a legit 2 win player at the moment with the ceiling for more if he could actually draw some walks. On top of Sosa, you have two 2B/3B types in Mead & Antonacci who look like they could be big league regulars. I candidly don’t know a ton about the Mead, but his past prospect pedigree (former 55 FV type) is exciting and so is his Statcast profile this year which has flashed plus power, hit, and plate discipline abilities. His game hasn’t come together yet, but he hasn’t had an extended runway yet to make you feel that it can’t. He’s a guy the Sox must find a way to get at-bats to down the strength, even if those come at 1B, DH, etc. As for Antonacci, but I just saw a stat that said he’s the only minor league this year with an over 160 wRC+ and under a 15% K rate. There is likely some BABIP good luck mixed in there, but it’s clear as day he’s got a double plus or better hit tool with excellent plate discipline. As @Timmy U has pointed out, there are some similarities to Meidroth here, but Sam comes with a bigger frame and more physical projection along with being a LH hitter. He could be in the 3B/2B mix as soon as Opening Day next year IMO. Needless to say, there are almost too many options for these three spots, which is a good problem to have. I personally believe keeping Chase as the primary SS and Colson as the primary 3B is the way to go for the timing being (Colson should shift over to SS whenever Chase is on the bench). I believe Colson has the skills to be an elite defensive 3B with time. Chase will never be a stud defensive SS due to his lacking arm, but otherwise I think he has looked the part there and has exceeded my expectations. Most importantly, this alignment allows for 2B to be manned by Sosa, Mead, or Antonacci, which I think is the ideal position for all three of them. I’ll post more on the other positions later today, but I did want to highlight one other point when it comes to the infield. I love our strategy to add high ceiling prep infielders in the past two years in Bonemer & Carlson. Most of the guys mentioned above outside of Colson have capped ceilings but look like they can be average to slightly above average Major leaguers. At some point will we need to add some star power and impact, and it’s this wave of kids along with possibly our 2026 1st rounder (if they go the SS route) that could provide it down the road once our theoretical financial flexibility begins running dry as kids enter arbitration. It’s good long range planing and I think Getz deserves some kudos for his org building in this area. So well said. I was going to make a thread about Getz deserving kudos for this, be you summarized it really well. This organization couldn't draft or develop hitters AT ALL. The middle infield was always a hole aside from Tim Anderson. I love the players they've been drafting and developing. There's some guys with huge OBP potential. That's something this organization has sorely missed. Yeah, we definitely need guys with more power potential. But I like that the Sox have in the minors as far as infield prospects go. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, Tony said: In both 2026 and beyond, the lineup needs significantly more thump. LF/RF/1B/DH all need an upgrade. The slg. needs to be higher across the board. Some of that is going to be have to solved with $$. I wouldn't spend a ton on pitching at the moment, feel like they have a big enough collection of arms right now, and with Bannister seemingly getting good results out of guys, I'd spend my resources on getting more power on this team. I really think a key is a brand new owner and actually landing a star plus another good player or two with free agent money. Sure as s%*# puts a lot less pressure on having to be perfect everywhere else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, Tony said: In both 2026 and beyond, the lineup needs significantly more thump. LF/RF/1B/DH all need an upgrade. The slg. needs to be higher across the board. Some of that is going to be have to solved with $$. I wouldn't spend a ton on pitching at the moment, feel like they have a big enough collection of arms right now, and with Bannister seemingly getting good results out of guys, I'd spend my resources on getting more power on this team. That is why I think adding a Tucker type and than a year later another player is not unreasonable presuming Ishibia is legit being involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said: That is why I think adding a Tucker type and than a year later another player is not unreasonable presuming Ishibia is legit being involved. Not sure Tucker at his age is worth 8-10 years and $400+ million, and therein lies the dilemma The problem is they can't miss. Machado Harper and Wheeler deals all would have worked. Two of those guys will likely go into the HoF as Phillies and Padres minus career-altering injuries. Just not quite sure Tucker isn't just one level below that surefire HoF track. Ofc we all know the Sox aren't going to be active in chasintrack in FA, because all the surplus value in that contract is going to be crammed into his first 2-3 seasons, whereas the White Sox won't be truly competitive until 2028...unless let's say Tarik Skubal gets injured in the 2026 season. Counting on injuries is about as reliable as counting on JR spending going into the labor impasse. Edited August 5 by caulfield12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron883 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 1 hour ago, Chisoxfn said: That is why I think adding a Tucker type and than a year later another player is not unreasonable presuming Ishibia is legit being involved. Imagine Ishbia takes more control next season and the Sox sign Tucker to send a message to the league. That would be glorious. Especially as a f*** you to the Cubs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 41 minutes ago, ron883 said: Imagine Ishbia takes more control next season and the Sox sign Tucker to send a message to the league. That would be glorious. Especially as a f*** you to the Cubs. Are Cubs' fans really that tied to Tucker after just one season? The surprise success of both PCA and the Brewers would make one think that investing in the starting rotation might be the better move. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloydBannister1983 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, ron883 said: Imagine Ishbia takes more control next season and the Sox sign Tucker to send a message to the league. That would be glorious. Especially as a f*** you to the Cubs. What kind of a premium do the Sox pay to land someone? We know from experience it is greater than zero. 10%? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, caulfield12 said: Are Cubs' fans really that tied to Tucker after just one season? The surprise success of both PCA and the Brewers would make one think that investing in the starting rotation might be the better move. Tucker should be a symbol for them. They traded for him, they'd better be willing to extend him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 8 hours ago, caulfield12 said: Are Cubs' fans really that tied to Tucker after just one season? The surprise success of both PCA and the Brewers would make one think that investing in the starting rotation might be the better move. Yes. Literally every day on the radio in Chicago, the talk is 50/50 on the game itself, and if the Cubs are going to re-sign Tucker. If they don't, and don't have a long post season run this season, Cub fans are NOT going to be pleased. *I will say as we sit here on August 5, Cub fans are also pissed that Tucker has been pretty awful the last month as they have lost the division lead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quin Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 17 minutes ago, Tony said: Yes. Literally every day on the radio in Chicago, the talk is 50/50 on the game itself, and if the Cubs are going to re-sign Tucker. If they don't, and don't have a long post season run this season, Cub fans are NOT going to be pleased. *I will say as we sit here on August 5, Cub fans are also pissed that Tucker has been pretty awful the last month as they have lost the division lead. Andrew Vaughn delivering in mysterious ways. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron883 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 (edited) 57 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said: Tucker should be a symbol for them. They traded for him, they'd better be willing to extend him. That's how I view it. My buddies who are Cubs fans are furious that Ricketts hasn't been willing to dish out even a single big contract like the Dodgers and Yankees do regularly. They'll be very upset if the Cubs can't extend him. Edited August 5 by ron883 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 18 minutes ago, ron883 said: That's how I view it. My buddies who are Cubs fans are furious that Ricketts hasn't been willing to dish out even a single big contract like the Dodgers and Yankees do regularly. They'll be very upset if the Cubs can't extend him. You know what is funny about this, is those same fans bitched and moaned about the Cubs not handing out big deals to Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, and Schwarber, and outside of Schwarber they were largely proven right. and here they are, banging on the table again lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Sacamano Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 18 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said: You know what is funny about this, is those same fans bitched and moaned about the Cubs not handing out big deals to Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, and Schwarber, and outside of Schwarber they were largely proven right. and here they are, banging on the table again lol Yeah and Schwarber didn't even get to stay long enough to be a free agent after the 6+ years. Guy was non-tendered haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 3 hours ago, Bob Sacamano said: Yeah and Schwarber didn't even get to stay long enough to be a free agent after the 6+ years. Guy was non-tendered haha A little like David Ortiz career trajectory...he won't make HoF obviously but huge numbers offensively into 30s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 The Cubs have a pretty good farm system; I would pass on Tucker and let him walk. The Cubs can still spend money, but they can spread it around instead of giving it to one guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falstaff Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Civale is a FA in 2026, does anyone think the Sox would offer him a 1 or a 2-year contract? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buehrle>Wood Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 10 minutes ago, Falstaff said: Civale is a FA in 2026, does anyone think the Sox would offer him a 1 or a 2-year contract? I'd bring in Houser, Fedde and Civale for the lone veteran spot. Though not sure on any of their trade value. Would be more to stabilize the rotation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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