1 hour ago, EloyJenkins said:

If they are going after just 1 TOR starter...just sign Skubal you cheap fucks.

Also, would they put a committee of Hagen and Jordan Hicks as the closer options?

I think you are going to be very disappointed when you see who they actually wind up with if you think Skubal is even in the realm of possibilities. This same team probably thought Castillo was a TOR starter.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by WhiteSox2023

4 hours ago, TheFutureIsNear said:

I kinda hate this. Feels like a cost cutting move to avoid having to make a big move for a SP. Not to mention I’m just not sure Taylor has the feel for pitching beyond being able to overpower hitters.

Taylor and Hagen have the making of a dominant L/R backend of bullpen that can shorten the game to 7 innings. Keep that strength AND improve the rotation

Getz says they are looking for starters on the market or via free agency.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Colome's Hat

17 minutes ago, Colome's Hat said:

Getz says they are looking for starters on the market or via free agency.

The poster didn’t say he didn’t think they would add. He said “it feels like a cost cutting move to make a big move for one.” Which I kinda feel the same way.

10 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

The poster didn’t say he didn’t think they would add. He said “it feels like a cost cutting move to make a big move for one.” Which I kinda feel the same way.

I think they "add" but they play no where near the high end of the market place, despite the massive need for an actual #1 and #2 starter.

43 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I think they "add" but they play no where near the high end of the market place, despite the massive need for an actual #1 and #2 starter.

Disagree that a #1 and #2 are needed this off-season.

One guy near the top to go along with Burke is fine to start the season.

There are plenty of guys who can compete for the middle and back end of the rotation and some have upside. Adding a Peralta or King caliber pitcher is enough to head into the season with, in my opinion.

See what you have and add at the deadline if you're in the hunt and need another TOR arm.

Having said that, if they DID add two top guys, I'd be ecstatic. Just don't think it's a total necessity.

Makes sense.
Start him or trade him.

4 hours ago, chw42 said:

Yeah...I don't know about this.

Taylor did show he can go 4 innings in the playoffs, so a transition to starter doesn't seem like it's impossible. But this just feels like we're cheaping out. If we replace Taylor with fucking Kenley Jansen, I'm going to be so pissed. If they plan on getting a closer, it better be either Iglesias or Bednar.

Yeah you definitely need to get one of these guys. Instead of adding 2 SP now go out and add one and use the money not being used for another SP towards a closer.

Also interested in seeing what the plans are for Schultz (starting?) and Sandlin. Sandlin was inconsistent but he had some great starts; there might be something there. Schultz, to me, pitched better than his ERA and WAR (certainly bwar, but fwar too).
And Cannon - they may not protect him but I hope they do. He pitched well (after a bouncy first inning) in pretty much his only major league appearance. I'd like to see them try him in short relief. Might be able to up the mph.

Seems fairly obvious that Hagen is 2026 Taylor and will move into that highest leverage spot / closer on a night by night basis. Getz also said bullpen is low priority, thank god, another big difference from Hahn, who would blow his limited budget on fungible, volatile relievers seemingly every offseason.

1 hour ago, Bonemer, I Hardly Know Her said:

Disagree that a #1 and #2 are needed this off-season.

One guy near the top to go along with Burke is fine to start the season.

There are plenty of guys who can compete for the middle and back end of the rotation and some have upside. Adding a Peralta or King caliber pitcher is enough to head into the season with, in my opinion.

See what you have and add at the deadline if you're in the hunt and need another TOR arm.

Having said that, if they DID add two top guys, I'd be ecstatic. Just don't think it's a total necessity.

If you want to compete as a real playoff team, Sean Burke can't be your #1 or #2. I would hope we aren't getting high on our own supply with our own guys here, but look at the dudes at the front of the rotations of the teams that made it. We can always aim for backdooring our way in again and praying we get irrationally hot, but that's not very realistic.

8 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

Seems fairly obvious that Hagen is 2026 Taylor and will move into that highest leverage spot / closer on a night by night basis. Getz also said bullpen is low priority, thank god, another big difference from Hahn, who would blow his limited budget on fungible, volatile relievers seemingly every offseason.

Exactly what I said a few weeks ago. He's on the Grant Taylor plan. I just thought Taylor might be the closer for another year.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Bob Sacamano

I've been saying for a year on the podcast that Grant Taylor would be given the chance to start. Was always going to happen.

9 minutes ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

I've been saying for a year on the podcast that Grant Taylor would be given the chance to start. Was always going to happen.

You think they will make a run at Bednar, Morejon, or Iglesias now? Feels like they have to.

1 hour ago, GreenSox said:

Makes sense.
Start him or trade him.

Why in the world do you trade your closer when you are trying to compete?

3 minutes ago, ChiSoxFanMike said:

You think they will make a run at Bednar, Morejon, or Iglesias now? Feels like they have to.

Won’t Morejon cost a pick?

3 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Why in the world do you trade your closer when you are trying to compete?

It also seems weird to eliminate your closer as an option when you are trying to compete to try to turn him into a starter leaving your pen with no closer at all.

7 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Won’t Morejon cost a pick?

Yes. I'd definitely target one of the other options.

8 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Why in the world do you trade your closer when you are trying to compete?

You could ask why start him as well. You'll still need a closer.
The answer is that we can find a closer. And the Sox didn't use him as the closer anyway; he was a closer.

8 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Won’t Morejon cost a pick?

Bednar would too. I’m interested to see what Getz’s philosophy is with that.

So we’re looking at something like this now to start the season?

1. Free Agent

2. Sean Burke

3. Grant Taylor

4. Davis Martin

5. Castillo / Kay*

Maybe a bullpen like this?

• CL: Free Agent

• SU: Hagen Smith*

• SU: Jordan Hicks

• MR: Free Agent*

• MR: Huscar Brazoban

• MR: Bryan Hudson*

• LR: David Sandlin

• LR: Kay* / Castillo

They really need to bring Newcomb back as part of their bullpen plan if they are only adding one FA starter.

42 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

It also seems weird to eliminate your close when you are trying to compete to try to turn him into a starter leaving your pen with no closer at all.

No it does not. Closer is going to pitch about 80 innings at most. Grant, unless he gets hurt, will pitch about 140-160 as a SP, so basically 2x the amount of innings will be covered by his arm. If you have the arm and makeup to start, you are more valuable in the rotation.

And, you already have a tailor made replacement in Hagen. It's not rocket science. Sox are actually doing smart, obvious things.

Hope it works out, and he's a legit ace, he really wore down at the end of the playoffs which given how they used him was gonna happen eventually

6 hours ago, chw42 said:

Yeah...I don't know about this.

Taylor did show he can go 4 innings in the playoffs, so a transition to starter doesn't seem like it's impossible. But this just feels like we're cheaping out. If we replace Taylor with fucking Kenley Jansen, I'm going to be so pissed. If they plan on getting a closer, it better be either Iglesias or Bednar.

He already has a QO, so they would have to go 3/$60 million or something like that, 2/$50-55, etc.

Not happening.

1 hour ago, GreenSox said:

Also interested in seeing what the plans are for Schultz (starting?) and Sandlin. Sandlin was inconsistent but he had some great starts; there might be something there. Schultz, to me, pitched better than his ERA and WAR (certainly bwar, but fwar too).
And Cannon - they may not protect him but I hope they do. He pitched well (after a bouncy first inning) in pretty much his only major league appearance. I'd like to see them try him in short relief. Might be able to up the mph.

McDougal is more realistic than anything to do with Cannon.

As bad things got in the second half and post season they still didn't realistically consider Thorpe or Cannon all that highly.

12 minutes ago, chitownsportsfan said:

No it does not. Closer is going to pitch about 80 innings at most. Grant, unless he gets hurt, will pitch about 140-160 as a SP, so basically 2x the amount of innings will be covered by his arm. If you have the arm and makeup to start, you are more valuable in the rotation.

And, you already have a tailor made replacement in Hagen. It's not rocket science. Sox are actually doing smart, obvious things.

Handing the play-off team closer role to an unproven rookie is the cheapest possible move, so it would definitely check out.