southsider2k5 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 WHITE SOX REINSTATE MATT LINDSTROM FROM DISABLED LIST FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 12, 2014 SAN FRANCISCO – Prior to tonight’s game at the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago White Sox returned right-hander Matt Lindstrom from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Class AAA Charlotte and reinstated him from the disabled list. He takes the roster spot of left-handed pitcher Eric Surkamp, who was optioned to Charlotte following Sunday’s game at Seattle. Lindstrom, 34, has been on the disabled list since May 20 due to a torn sheath in his left ankle suffered on May 19 at Kansas City. He underwent successful surgery on May 23 in Chicago. Lindstrom appeared in five rehab games with the Knights. Lindstrom is 2-1 with a 3.32 ERA (7 ER/19.0 IP), six saves (nine opportunities), 11 strikeouts and five double plays induced over 19 relief appearances with the White Sox this season. He has converted each of his last five save opportunities (5.0 scoreless IP), while eight of his last nine appearances have been scoreless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Friendly reminder. Lindstrom, while better then a lot of the guys in our pen, is still not a very good reliever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconOnAStick Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 I remember when he got hurt and I thought "Big deal, we'll probably be better off without him." Oh, how wrong I was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shysocks Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 01:12 PM) Friendly reminder. Lindstrom, while better then a lot of the guys in our pen, is still not a very good reliever. Nonsense, let the playoff push resume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elrockinMT Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 06:12 PM) Friendly reminder. Lindstrom, while better then a lot of the guys in our pen, is still not a very good reliever. I couldn't agree more. But, wait for the first blown save or a loss and see the fur fly on Soxtalk LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd_city_saint787 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 01:12 PM) Friendly reminder. Lindstrom, while better then a lot of the guys in our pen, is still not a very good reliever. Not very good, no, but at the very least above average, which is a welcome addition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eminor3rd Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 Wouldn't be shocked to see him moved for cash considerations if he pitches ok for a couple games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (scs787 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 11:28 AM) Not very good, no, but at the very least above average, which is a welcome addition. He's clearly a quality contributor to the pen. However, as I've said all along, he was one of the worst opening day "closers" in baseball. I hope Sox bring Lindstrom back next year to a fair deal. He is a guy that works in a good pen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 02:35 PM) He's clearly a quality contributor to the pen. However, as I've said all along, he was one of the worst opening day "closers" in baseball. I hope Sox bring Lindstrom back next year to a fair deal. He is a guy that works in a good pen. IMO, this is in no small part because he had no spring training and they didn't act like it. He was also a potential "backup" closer option if the other closer option wasn't out for the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 If any contender wants him after his first good outing, trade him. Get rid of him ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 05:27 PM) If any contender wants him after his first good outing, trade him. Get rid of him ASAP. Because you haven't complained enough about the bullpen this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 02:27 PM) If any contender wants him after his first good outing, trade him. Get rid of him ASAP. Why should we get rid of him ASAP? He is a good reliever? Seems like there is no harm keeping him, unless we get a prospect we like for him, as we have an earlier window to negotiate with him exclusively for a potential contract next year. Plus, if we are trying to build towards next year, probably makes sense not to completely stink the rest of the year. I realize its one thing if guys in our pen who we aren't counting on are blowing the games, but at different points, if you just keep losing, people lose the competitive edge and atmosphere can be pretty negative. I'd rather the club had a strong finish driven by people who are part of the plan and give Hahn some momentum for next year and reason to maybe be more aggressive in terms of speeding up the timeline (but doing it right). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCCWS Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 One statistic jumps out at me. For his career, batters hit .271 against him. That is very high for a relief pitcher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd_city_saint787 Posted August 12, 2014 Share Posted August 12, 2014 QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 04:27 PM) If any contender wants him after his first good outing, trade him. Get rid of him ASAP. I see your on the tanking train now eh greg? QUOTE (SCCWS @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 04:41 PM) One statistic jumps out at me. For his career, batters hit .271 against him. That is very high for a relief pitcher. It's a very quiet .271 though. His career slugging% against is just .365. Here's a fun pointless fact, Matt Lindstrom has given up 22 HRs in 405 innings....Addison Reed has 23 in 181. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsox Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 He is well rested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 QUOTE (scs787 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 04:33 PM) I see your on the tanking train now eh greg? It's a very quiet .271 though. His career slugging% against is just .365. Here's a fun pointless fact, Matt Lindstrom has given up 22 HRs in 405 innings....Addison Reed has 23 in 181. Career saves converted percentages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd_city_saint787 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 08:20 PM) Career saves converted percentages? Irrelevant because I'm not trying to say he's a better closer, just pointing out a fun little fact....I knew someone would go there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconOnAStick Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Shockingly, he's terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd_city_saint787 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 There seems to be no in between with Matt. He's only given up runs in 5 of his 21 appearances, 4 of those were 2 runs or more. Fans remember those games like the did when guys like Thornton would do the same, and they'd have it locked in their minds that the guy is awful. I think Matt, even after this game, is a guy worth keeping around. He'll have games like today, but more often than not he'll give you a solid inning or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg775 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 QUOTE (scs787 @ Aug 17, 2014 -> 02:42 AM) There seems to be no in between with Matt. He's only given up runs in 5 of his 21 appearances, 4 of those were 2 runs or more. Fans remember those games like the did when guys like Thornton would do the same, and they'd have it locked in their minds that the guy is awful. I think Matt, even after this game, is a guy worth keeping around. He'll have games like today, but more often than not he'll give you a solid inning or 2. I hope they clean house and get rid of all of them, including Webb. Or keep Webb and have him in the minors another year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caulfield12 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 QUOTE (greg775 @ Aug 16, 2014 -> 10:28 PM) I hope they clean house and get rid of all of them, including Webb. Or keep Webb and have him in the minors another year. Nobody in the whole world expected Jake Petricka to be forced into the closer's role as a rookie...it was supposed to be Webb. He was perfectly fine as a reliever (same thing with Putnam) before he was pushed from the 6th-8th into the 9th. I'd also be more likely to keep Guerra than Lindstrom (more expensive) or Belisario. If Matty can't find a deal on the open market and has no choice but to sign something like the Paulino contract, then maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chisoxfn Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 12, 2014 -> 11:12 AM) Friendly reminder. Lindstrom, while better then a lot of the guys in our pen, is still not a very good reliever. By the way, I just want to bring this back up. I still would argue that anyone that defends Hahn and the design of this bullpen would be mistaken. This pen was set-up to be a disaster from the beginning of the season. I think the goal, from Hahn's perspective, was that some of the young guys would have taken steps forward and given him some cost controlled pieces to utilize in the future when the team was more capable and ready to contend. This pen would have been atrocious from the start. Lindstrom, while a decent middle of the pen guy, is not a closer or set-up guy and that is what the Sox wanted him to be. Yes, Nate's injury has hurt, but this pen is bad because it consisted of by and large not very good relievers, and I think Hahn was okay with that cause he figured he'd be able to use the spots for developmental purposes. Problem is, very few guys who you could probably project to be quality relievers, have stepped up. Putnam has been a surprise but I don't think I'd expect him to keep doing this. Petricka is nice and I won't give up on Webb but that is literally it. Maybe we'll see a few guys emerge late but the farm system has completely failed to provide us with any quality relievers this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd_city_saint787 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 19, 2014 -> 03:14 PM) By the way, I just want to bring this back up. I still would argue that anyone that defends Hahn and the design of this bullpen would be mistaken. This pen was set-up to be a disaster from the beginning of the season. I think the goal, from Hahn's perspective, was that some of the young guys would have taken steps forward and given him some cost controlled pieces to utilize in the future when the team was more capable and ready to contend. This pen would have been atrocious from the start. Lindstrom, while a decent middle of the pen guy, is not a closer or set-up guy and that is what the Sox wanted him to be. Yes, Nate's injury has hurt, but this pen is bad because it consisted of by and large not very good relievers, and I think Hahn was okay with that cause he figured he'd be able to use the spots for developmental purposes. Problem is, very few guys who you could probably project to be quality relievers, have stepped up. Putnam has been a surprise but I don't think I'd expect him to keep doing this. Petricka is nice and I won't give up on Webb but that is literally it. Maybe we'll see a few guys emerge late but the farm system has completely failed to provide us with any quality relievers this year. C'mon now, not YOU too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 19, 2014 -> 03:14 PM) By the way, I just want to bring this back up. I still would argue that anyone that defends Hahn and the design of this bullpen would be mistaken. This pen was set-up to be a disaster from the beginning of the season. I think the goal, from Hahn's perspective, was that some of the young guys would have taken steps forward and given him some cost controlled pieces to utilize in the future when the team was more capable and ready to contend. This pen would have been atrocious from the start. Lindstrom, while a decent middle of the pen guy, is not a closer or set-up guy and that is what the Sox wanted him to be. Yes, Nate's injury has hurt, but this pen is bad because it consisted of by and large not very good relievers, and I think Hahn was okay with that cause he figured he'd be able to use the spots for developmental purposes. Problem is, very few guys who you could probably project to be quality relievers, have stepped up. Putnam has been a surprise but I don't think I'd expect him to keep doing this. Petricka is nice and I won't give up on Webb but that is literally it. Maybe we'll see a few guys emerge late but the farm system has completely failed to provide us with any quality relievers this year. Lindstrom still isn't healthy IMO. His velocity is WAY below last year. His fastball velocity is down 1.9 mph over last year. Even worse his change is only down .2, which means there is 2mph less difference between his fastball and change. His slider velco is also down 0.6mph He would have been a perfectly good setup guy if healthy, and probably as a fill in closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 19, 2014 -> 04:14 PM) By the way, I just want to bring this back up. I still would argue that anyone that defends Hahn and the design of this bullpen would be mistaken. This pen was set-up to be a disaster from the beginning of the season. I think the goal, from Hahn's perspective, was that some of the young guys would have taken steps forward and given him some cost controlled pieces to utilize in the future when the team was more capable and ready to contend. This pen would have been atrocious from the start. Lindstrom, while a decent middle of the pen guy, is not a closer or set-up guy and that is what the Sox wanted him to be. Yes, Nate's injury has hurt, but this pen is bad because it consisted of by and large not very good relievers, and I think Hahn was okay with that cause he figured he'd be able to use the spots for developmental purposes. Problem is, very few guys who you could probably project to be quality relievers, have stepped up. Putnam has been a surprise but I don't think I'd expect him to keep doing this. Petricka is nice and I won't give up on Webb but that is literally it. Maybe we'll see a few guys emerge late but the farm system has completely failed to provide us with any quality relievers this year. I will agree with you that it was extremely unlikely that this bullpen would be an upper echelon bullpen and I agree with you the pen was constructed to see what kinds of guys they could find who would work, but I will still say the difference between an ~average bullpen and this current bullpen is Lindstrom and Jones being injured. That's a full 1/3 of the bullpen, probably more than 1/3 of the innings, and probably more than 1/2 of the high leverage innings that have been lost to injury, and as 2k5 said Linstrom even when here hasn't really been here since he didn't have a spring training either. If you can tell me that Hahn would have known those 2 guys were going to be goners for the season, then I'll agree it was set up to be atrocious. I think it was set up to be "Tolerable" and the injuries made that not happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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