2026 Spring Training Thread

[stinky]

45 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

That doesn’t sound like they’re going to use them in the way we are all hoping (both in the lineup at C/DH on a near every day basis).

Teel started as catcher in 58% of their games after he was called up. 58% of 162 is 94 games or so...maybe its closer to 60% of the starting time.

[caulfield12]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47909756/mlb-2026-most-surprising-offseason-decision-all-30-teams

White Sox predicted at 61-101 and 28th.

Very informative piece that provides some key insiderish insights on most teams and their offseasons.

Most have the Sox at 65-67 wins...and all the recent optimism has pushed others into the 70s for win totals, but this is kind of a wake up call that much heavy lifting still remains in Year 3.25 of the rebuild.

[WestEddy]

21 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

White Sox predicted at 61-101 and 28th.

What is this even based on? Other entities have models that run simulations. Is this guy just making it up? They don't explain it anywhere. 

[Dick Allen]

4 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

What is this even based on? Other entities have models that run simulations. Is this guy just making it up? They don't explain it anywhere. 

I think they run simulations as well. Pretty standard. 

[greg775]

31 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

heavy lifting still remains in Year 3.25 of the rebuild.

I've been optimistic til this. BTW it shouldn't be called a rebuild. If so it'd be a rebuild of an unsuccessful rebuild. The last rebuild didn't end.

[caulfield12]

5 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I think they run simulations as well. Pretty standard. 

https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/47561030/2026-free-agency-mlb-30-teams-stock-watch-midwinter-progress-report

This was before the offseason.

Same author has run these Stock Watch reports for a number of years.

Sox were projected at 60-102.

So have moved up one win based on the offseason.

Seems like it's quite similar to FG and the old 538.com/Nate Silver projection models that provide playoff odds updated after every single result during the season.

 

Author remains optimistic generally despite 28th/29th rankings for the Sox.

Catching Minnesota won't be as easy as previously thought last trade deadline...unless Ryan/Lopez/Buxton get traded.

[caulfield12]

4 minutes ago, greg775 said:

I've been optimistic til this. BTW it shouldn't be called a rebuild. If so it'd be a rebuild of an unsuccessful rebuild. The last rebuild didn't end.

It's what the Nationals are going through right now.

Except they didn't even get the two playoff seasons like the Sox before rebuilding/retooling yet again.

Snake bitten franchise since 2019 WS with Soto leaving and Rendon/Strasburg falling off the face of the earth.

[fathom]

1 hour ago, Bob Sacamano said:

That doesn’t sound like they’re going to use them in the way we are all hoping (both in the lineup at C/DH on a near every day basis).

It’s the perfect usage if they’re a contending team.  Problem is they aren’t.  Maybe Quero will just mash facing mostly lefties and raise his trade value.

[Baron]

 

[Baron]

 

[chitownsportsfan]

23 minutes ago, Baron said:

 

That is a pretty ass swing. Perfect hands to ball stuff.

[WestEddy]

James Fegan's day 5 notes:

White Sox spring notes: A little extra time to get familiar with Munetaka Murakami - Sox Machine

Murakami w/Sox til Feb 27
thoughts on Dominguez
rating the bullpen field
RIP Joe Nossek

Edited 14 hours ago by WestEddy

[caulfield12]

30 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

James Fegan's day 5 notes:

White Sox spring notes: A little extra time to get familiar with Munetaka Murakami - Sox Machine

Murakami w/Sox til Feb 27
thoughts on Dominguez
rating the bullpen field
RIP Joe Nossek

Nossek the best opposing team’s sign pilferer in history, Harrelson always argued....

[Autumn Dreamin]

3 hours ago, chitownsportsfan said:

That is a pretty ass swing. Perfect hands to ball stuff.

Another angle here

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

6 hours ago, Chick Mercedes said:

I think he’s gotta cop to it if the Sox are struggling. The perception of incompetence will fester. If they win, nobody cares. But it’s in his file now for reference in case something else weird happens. He should cop to it and provide a real explanation and allow fans to relate to him on a human level at least tha would be likeable, which leans into his best qualities 

Like you said you win or Acuna develops into a legit good player its mostly forgotten.

I just dont see a world in which fans start relating to him on a human level . Anyone wanting to cut him some slack usually do already.  

I dont even know what copping to it would entail. Is there a truth or feasible enough explanation out there that make it even a little better ? 

The damage is done,  just need  to move on and hope Acuna becomes a reliably good player . It's a shame that a series of mental blips or whatever actually happened put the focus back on him right after that trade and the subsequent reinvestment of the money that got the Sox 6 other players and a 2 for 1 PTBNL   for Robert and a pitching prospect.

I'll echo what others have said about how crazy it is that it took that trade to allow Getz to have more money . That's on JR and is much more agregious to me. 

[WestEddy]

17 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Like you said you win or Acuna develops into a legit good player its mostly forgotten.

I just dont see a world in which fans start relating to him on a human level . Anyone wanting to cut him some slack usually do already.  

I dont even know what copping to it would entail. Is there a truth or feasible enough explanation out there that make it even a little better ? 

The damage is done,  just need  to move on and hope Acuna becomes a reliably good player . It's a shame that a series of mental blips or whatever actually happened put the focus back on him right after that trade and the subsequent reinvestment of the money that got the Sox 6 other players and a 2 for 1 PTBNL   for Robert and a pitching prospect.

I'll echo what others have said about how crazy it is that it took that trade to allow Getz to have more money . That's on JR and is much more agregious to me. 

It's like one of those arguments where your spouse/partner wants to know WHY did you close up and throw out the garbage bag when she once asked you to let her know before you're going to do it. And it's not going to drop until you give an answer "why", you know, analyze your own behavior you gave no thought to, in the moment, and be very tactful and calm about it or you have anger issues. And every sentence is a new line of attack, but how could you even think that I'm just waiting for a sentence to attack?!?!?

I guess sports talk and SoxTwitter is all like therapy. Dudes get to be the boss and throw "fire-able offenses" around. 

[WhiteSox2023]

10 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

It's like one of those arguments where your spouse/partner wants to know WHY did you close up and throw out the garbage bag when she once asked you to let her know before you're going to do it. And it's not going to drop until you give an answer "why", you know, analyze your own behavior you gave no thought to, in the moment, and be very tactful and calm about it or you have anger issues. And every sentence is a new line of attack, but how could you even think that I'm just waiting for a sentence to attack?!?!?

I guess sports talk and SoxTwitter is all like therapy. Dudes get to be the boss and throw "fire-able offenses" around. 

You should have retrieved the garbage bag, ripped it open, held it up to her nose, and calmly told her, “Because it smelled like s%*#.”

Regarding the Robert trade, even though the return was MEH, I actually still appreciated that Getz replaced Robert with a guy who can potentially play CF if he can learn to hit.  I would have been more disappointed if he took back a mediocre pitching prospect and left a gaping hole at CF.  Although, Acuna at CF not being a gaping hole is still TBD.  At least it sounds like he should be able to play the position defensively.  Hopefully, Derek Hill stays in the minors all season long.

Edited 12 hours ago by WhiteSox2023

[WestEddy]

5 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

You should have retrieved the garbage bag, ripped it open, held it up to her nose, and calmly told her, “Because it smelled like s%*#.”

Regarding the Robert trade, even though the return was MEH, I actually still appreciated that Getz replaced Robert with a guy who can potentially play CF if he can learn to hit.  I would have been more disappointed if he took back a mediocre pitching prospect and left a gaping hole at CF.

Yeah, I'm kind of pumped for Acuña. I think he'll be fine, defensively. If he can hit a lick and get into the 80's for RC+, it will be a win. AND I hope Robert wins the MVP for the Mets, too. 

[WhiteSox2023]

6 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Yeah, I'm kind of pumped for Acuña. I think he'll be fine, defensively. If he can hit a lick and get into the 80's for RC+, it will be a win. AND I hope Robert wins the MVP for the Mets, too. 

I watched an interview in which Acuna talked about his groundouts with the Mets.  He said he worked on his launch angle to lift the ball, since he thinks he has enough power to drive the ball and so he can avoid all the groundouts.  Maybe that’s why he showed up in the VWL.  @fathom should like hearing that.  I also saw footage of him.  Dude is Madrigal height but way more ripped.  He is definitely not a weak short dude.  He is a buff short dude so I doubt he only has pathetic Madrigal pop.

Edited 12 hours ago by WhiteSox2023

[caulfield12]

Munetaka media attention >>> rest of Sox roster, Twins Guardians Royals

[greg775]

7 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

It's what the Nationals are going through right now.

Except they didn't even get the two playoff seasons like the Sox before rebuilding/retooling yet again.

Snake bitten franchise since 2019 WS with Soto leaving and Rendon/Strasburg falling off the face of the earth.

Caulfield u have lived overseas a long time. Has your Chicago accent left you completely? Is your voice all different? Are you a lot healthier cause of the food over there not being as infested with chems and junk?

[ChiSoxFanMike]

2 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Munetaka media attention >>> rest of Sox roster, Twins Guardians Royals

I really hope he can help recruit Seiya to the Sox next offseason.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, greg775 said:

Caulfield u have lived overseas a long time. Has your Chicago accent left you completely? Is your voice all different? Are you a lot healthier cause of the food over there not being as infested with chems and junk?

Never a Chicago/Bulls Bears SNL accent...grew up in Iowa/Quad Cities.

Generally, the food here doesn't have MSG like the US, but I had a bad Western junk food and soda addiction (Coke is still just 30-40 cents per can) that I had to change after being stubborn about not changing those well-engrained dietary habits over the last 10-15 years or so.

Generally ke kung pao chicken with sweet (Hangzhou style) sauce the most, cashew chicken, anything with sweet and sour sauce,  fried rice, dumplings, ciao long bao, crab noodles but not too spicy, hot dry noodles (rugamien) are famous in Wuhan.

Crab rangoon is quite different compared to US/San Francisco style with the cream cheese emphasis.

Beijing/Peking duck occasionally.

Szechuan/Sichuan, Chongqing, Human are very famous for very spicy dishes and hot pot.

Edited 7 hours ago by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

20 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

I really hope he can help recruit Seiya to the Sox next offseason.

Kondoh if he holds up in CF to replace Acuna.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

14 hours ago, chitownsportsfan said:

That is a pretty ass swing. Perfect hands to ball stuff.

Him trotting there actually reminded me of the old black and white clips of Babe Ruth in his HR trot.