http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,5402284.story

 

 

Why would we take a LH pitcher who's legitimately throwing 92-95 MPH and has 3-4 above average pitches and make him into the closer?

 

I could understand with Zach Stewart, he's shown limited ability to expand his repertoire beyond 2 pitches.

 

Is KW blowing smoke again to inflate Santiago's trade value?

 

I get the Molina/Santos trade, if they're right on Molina. But making Santiago a closer makes about zero sense.

 

 

Having watched them move Beckham and Viciedo around...then Sale, it's a bit perplexing, to say the least.

 

On one hand, Hector wasn't on a single "prospect" list at all coming into last year, and you like to reward the Sergio Santoses and Hector Santiagos of the world with a promotion to the big leagues...but at least do it with someone who has experience in that role, like Zach Stewart, if you're going to throw the towel in on him as a starter.

 

 

In the mix right now means 4th option.

 

Thorton

Crain

Reed

Santiago

 

That is how I see the closer options right now. Thorton's job for now. Things could change as the year goes on. We do have Ohman and Thorton as lefties in the bullpen, thus Santiago could eventually be our closer. But still Reed has a better chance than Santiago as of now. Santiago does have a fastball and a screwball. I at least see him being a decent reliever in our bullpen.

 

 

 

We have the best closer prospect in baseball.

 

Let's make our long relief/spot starter the closer.

I get the fact that Crain's currently injured and Thornton's probably on the way out via trade sometime this season, but still not sure where they're ultimately going with this line of thinking.

 

Would rather sacrifice the Ohman/Bruney/Stults journeyman types than stinting the growth of any of our legitimate prospects.

 

You have a lefty with Santiago's arsenal, you definitely don't make him a closer when he's worth 10X as starter. What was the point of the Molina/Santos trade if not showing that a lot of major league teams are prioritizing young starting pitching as the most treasured asset in the game?

 

I would personally rather have Nathan Jones in that position than Santiago. At least he has experience in this position...not sure why they want to mess with Santiago's head, when everything's been going so well the last year for him as a starter.

Whatever happens, please don't make Crain the closer. There's a reason Twins fans nicknamed him Crainwreck.

 

I'm willing to give Thornton another chance now that Juan Pierre is gone and won't miss routine fly balls anymore.

Whatever happens, please don't make Crain the closer. There's a reason Twins fans nicknamed him Crainwreck.

 

I'm willing to give Thornton another chance now that Juan Pierre is gone and won't miss routine fly balls anymore.

Replaced by Viciedo, so we'll see about this part.

They've had their best reliever pitching setup for most of the last few years. I'm not particularly concerned about who ends up as closer. They'll be open to change if it doesn't work out. In Coop I trust.

The problem with that is the same problem you saw with Marte in 2004 and 2005.

 

Marte was arguably just as devastating as a LH set-up guy from 2001-2003.

 

The other concern is what effect will just one or two blown saves have on both Thornton's psyche and the entire team in April and May? Granted, there's no such thing as a guaranteed closer, and Reed's probably not 100% ready to be thrown to the wolves, but it would be a shame to see another season start off with the team looking for new ways to lose.

 

Just don't know. Thornton looked like something was just physically not quite right with him last year. His velocity was definitely down a notch, and he needs those extra inches because he doesn't have nearly enough movement to blow away hitters when he gets behind in the count at 94-95 compared to 96 or 97.

Williams loves toying with the media.

 

Regardless of the final decision it is nice to be in the position where you have four potential closer. It will be intersting to see the final decision for sure.

Nothing in that article says that Santiago is a closer candidate. It is just the reporter hinting at the possibility but has no quotes from anybody from the White Sox to back it up.

 

Maybe they are considering Addison Reed as a closer and thus haven't made an announcement. Maybe they are trying to make a trade. Maybe they want an open competition until the end of spring training.

 

Right now I believe that Thornton has to be the leading candidate to start the season as our closer.

 

Santiago isn't going to be the closer. There's still absolutely 0 reason why it shouldn't be Reed but I don't think it will be to start the season.

We have the best closer prospect in baseball.

 

Let's make our long relief/spot starter the closer.

 

This reads like a meme and I love it.

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...rce=twitterfeed

 

Updating the White Sox closer competition

March 25, 2012, 8:26 pm

Hector Santiago has struck out nine in eight impressive Cactus League innings this March. (US Presswire)

 

JJ STANKEVITZ

csnchicago.png

 

 

Heading into the spring, it seemed like the general consensus around the White Sox was that Matt Thornton would begin 2012 as the team's closer with Addison Reed ultimately sliding in the role at some point during the season.

 

Through three weeks of spring training action, Thornton hasn't done anything to warrant a move away from the ninth inning. In 4 2/3 innings, he's allowed one run with three strikeouts and no walks. Yes, it's spring, but he hasn't given the White Sox any reason to not name him the closer on Opening Day.

 

Jesse Crain's oblique injury has eliminated him from any consideration for the gig, although he was a longshot given he's the only dependable right-handed setup man on the roster.

 

Robin Ventura has said he'd rather ease Addison Reed into high-pressure situations, so throwing him into the ninth-inning role doesn't appear likely to begin the season.

 

But here's the interesting wrinkle: Will Ohman and Hector Santiago, reportedly, have joined the fray.

 

Ohman is a longshot given his career lefty/righty splits -- even with the changeup he's worked on this year, he doesn't have a reliable track record to get righties out in addition to lefties.

 

But Santiago has a good fastball and a screwball, both of which may play well against righties. He's been impressive this spring, striking out nine with four walks and one run allowed -- a solo home run -- in eight innings pitched. He earned the save Sunday against San Francisco, and while that probably doesn't mean much, it's at least worth noting in light of the recent closer developments.

 

The question for the White Sox boils down to whether or not Thornton is more valuable in the ninth inning as opposed to the seventh or eighth. In a perfect world, Thornton would be used based on the pressure of the situation -- if there's a high-pressure spot in the eighth, he'd enter the game then to get the more important outs.

 

Things don't work that way, though, and there probably is something to be said for a defined bullpen role. If the White Sox view whoever opens the 2012 season as the closer as a bridge to Reed, though, perhaps giving Santiago a shot isn't the worst idea ever. If he struggles, it'd be easy to swap him out for Reed. If he succeeds, it'd give Reed some time to acclimate to high-leverage spots in the majors.

 

Ventura's decision is hardly a foregone conclusion. With less than two weeks left in spring training, it's one that'll probably come down to the wire.

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/artic...ws&c_id=cws

 

Santiago surprised by closer possibility

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | 03/28/12 9:06 PM ET

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Hector Santiago first heard his name mentioned this past weekend in the 2012 White Sox closer's mix, he certainly was taken aback.

 

"Yeah, I was like, 'How did this happen?'" said Santiago, who worked a scoreless eighth during Colorado's 8-5 victory over the White Sox during split-squad action Wednesday in Scottsdale. "Coming into spring, I was just trying to make the team and a couple of weeks later, I'm trying to battle for a closer's spot. That's something crazy."

 

Santiago appears firmly in the mix for the last line of pitching defense, along with fellow rookie Addison Reed and veteran southpaw Matt Thornton. Jesse Crain, scheduled to pitch Thursday in Cactus League action and further complete his bounceback from a slightly strained right oblique, and Will Ohman also have been brought up as candidates for the ninth-inning role.

 

There's no denying Santiago has had a stellar spring, and the southpaw also turned a few heads with 5 1/3 scoreless innings for the White Sox in 2011. He uses a screwball effectively against right-handed hitters, as well as left-handed hitters.

 

The closing difference-maker for the White Sox might be how they feel a 24-year-old with 24 days of big league service time can handle failure, and failure that could cost the White Sox a game via a ninth-inning hiccup. Santiago doesn't seem to be overwhelmed by that prospect, pointing to a Minor League start last year in which he allowed seven runs in the first but came back to throw six scoreless innings.

 

"Once it happens, right at the moment, you are a little beat down about it," Santiago said. "So you find a way to get past it.

 

"You are going to go out there and hopefully you have quite a few more better games than bad ones. You try to go out there and do the same thing and hopefully it goes well."

 

Both Santiago and Reed with be throwing their second day of back-to-back appearances against the Dodgers on Thursday.

Why not just go by committee and let it all work itself out? I don't see a reason to have to anoint someone the job at the stage, especially if its Thornton or Crain when we know probably neither of them will finish the year closing (just a hunch)

Why not just go by committee and let it all work itself out? I don't see a reason to have to anoint someone the job at the stage, especially if its Thornton or Crain when we know probably neither of them will finish the year closing (just a hunch)

Some guys have found it tough mentally to be prepared for the "multiple role" thing. Not all mind you, but for guys who have to warm up pretty quick, they can get in a routine...we're up in the 5th or 6th inning by 1-2 runs, means we're going to need reliever x in inning 8, so I need to start limbering up and then be mentally ready to go to start the 8th...hmph the 8th passed and they didn't use me, whaddya mean now I have to pitch the 9th?

Santiago could have a bright future as a starter.He could be the long man with Axlerod and Stewart starting in the minors, or keep Stewart as the long man and start Santiago in the minors. Sox have tons of options when it comes to starting pitching and that's a good thing.

Scott Merkin ‏ @scottmerkin

Thornton on closing: "You can tell me Opening Day. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me. They will figure that out here soon enough.”