No wonder this team is struggling...Gloria Estefan??!

 

 

 

I don't believe this team is going to the postseason this year, but I believe the top four in the rotation are too good to consider trading any of them. You always have a chance to compete with those four.

 

Except for when you have a historically awful defense and offense. Doh.

I still believe damnit!

I still believe damnit!

So let's say people believe.

 

Find me a 3b or a C who might be available?

If we can find a decent infielder who can hit.. then maybe.

 

But with two guys on the infield who hit under .200 and a bunch of other guys that aren't exactly scary.

 

I don't see it happening... unless we make some kind of move.

So let's say people believe.

 

Find me a 3b or a C who might be available?

 

That's the problem. But it has to get fixed anyway. Now or in a few months.

A fun hypothetical i've been thinking about... trading for Donaldson instead of samardjiza. Assume all pieces from major league club gone (obviously may have taken some prospects, but this only concerns this year), remove smarj from rotation, assume noesi:

 

What do you think our record would be? Better/Same/Worse?

 

Do same hypothetical and you can assume healthy McCarthy (for kicks).

The Sox had weather, the Baltimore riots... one thing is the Sox have played a solid week less worth of games than the rest of the league.

Just weather - Sox already made up the riot games.

So let's say people believe.

 

Find me a 3b or a C who might be available?

 

Nick Hundley

Brayan Pena

Derek Norris

 

Just weather - Sox already made up the riot games.

I think it was more about the disruption. Samardzija mentioned it as well.

A fun hypothetical i've been thinking about... trading for Donaldson instead of samardjiza. Assume all pieces from major league club gone (obviously may have taken some prospects, but this only concerns this year), remove smarj from rotation, assume noesi:

 

What do you think our record would be? Better/Same/Worse?

 

Do same hypothetical and you can assume healthy McCarthy (for kicks).

Knowing our luck with position players from other teams, Donaldson hits .220/.300/.375 with us and the pitching is much worse, and we're 35-48 at this point.

I'd love Todd Frazier on this club. If the Sox somehow got back to .500 by July 30, I'd trade Rodon to get him.

Knowing our luck with position players from other teams, Donaldson hits .220/.300/.375 with us and the pitching is much worse, and we're 35-48 at this point.

 

I think that's wrong. I don't know that the pitching would be that much worse (prior to today, Smarj was a 4.5 era pitcher, hardly production we could not replace). And, for hypotheticals sake, assume same from Donaldson.

I'd love Todd Frazier on this club. If the Sox somehow got back to .500 by July 30, I'd trade Rodon to get him.

30 year old 3rd basemen (or would be, beginning next year) who is eligible for free agency in 2018 and would get a pretty big raise in 2017. I'm not trading Rodon, who is cost controlled for much longer for him. I'd trade for Frazier and think he would be a good get, but Rodon is one of the top young pitchers in the game. I'd give him up for one of the top young position talents in the game but not Frazier.

I think that's wrong. I don't know that the pitching would be that much worse (prior to today, Smarj was a 4.5 era pitcher, hardly production we could not replace). And, for hypotheticals sake, assume same from Donaldson.

I was being tongue-in-cheek with that post mostly.

30 year old 3rd basemen (or would be, beginning next year) who is eligible for free agency in 2018 and would get a pretty big raise in 2017. I'm not trading Rodon, who is cost controlled for much longer for him. I'd trade for Frazier and think he would be a good get, but Rodon is one of the top young pitchers in the game. I'd give him up for one of the top young position talents in the game but not Frazier.

 

It probably won't come to that anyway, but I think Frazier will age well the next 5-7 years.

 

He would be a very good get for any team if the Reds are willing.

What did he say?

 

Hawk asked if they still thought they could get back into it and he talked about how the staff is doing its thing finally after a rough opening to the season. Then said that they're winning only scoring 2-3 runs a game, when they start scoring 5-6 they'll win a lot of games.

 

Just the way he complimented the staff and then put the onus on the offense to complete the deal seemed a little bit of a call-out, to me.

 

Hawk asked if they still thought they could get back into it and he talked about how the staff is doing its thing finally after a rough opening to the season. Then said that they're winning only scoring 2-3 runs a game, when they start scoring 5-6 they'll win a lot of games.

 

Just the way he complimented the staff and then put the onus on the offense to complete the deal seemed a little bit of a call-out, to me.

And multiple times today he repeated things about "catching the ball" and the phrase "mental mistakes" appeared somewhere in there as well.

It would be something if after the break we see some serious regression out of guys like Melky and Alexei. The pitching can put them on a major run.

 

We'll see. I'm not sold, I dont see how anyone could be.

"This is the most disappointing season I've ever had," Harrelson told MLB.com prior to Thursday afternoon's series finale with the Blue Jays.

 

"That '83 club had the greatest chemistry of any club I've ever seen," Harrelson said. "This club does not have that kind of chemistry. Our '05 club had great chemistry. They just came together. This club is not ... . I think that's probably one of the reasons. We've played terribly bad defensively for a month and a half. That put us in a hole. Nothing will put a team in a hole, mentally, quicker than bad defense."

 

"There are always defining moments in a season, days, games. Common bonds come along all the time. The secret is grabbing a hold and having 25 guys grab a hold of one, and hang on and use that the rest of the way. This club doesn't have that common bond yet. If they get it, we've got a chance to get there and get to the postseason."

A fun hypothetical i've been thinking about... trading for Donaldson instead of samardjiza. Assume all pieces from major league club gone (obviously may have taken some prospects, but this only concerns this year), remove smarj from rotation, assume noesi:

 

What do you think our record would be? Better/Same/Worse?

 

Do same hypothetical and you can assume healthy McCarthy (for kicks).

Better this year and much better for the future. Not even close. The one obvious thing is that Donaldson isn't a FA until 2019.

 

That said, Toronto gave up more for Donaldson than we did for Shark.

Better this year and much better for the future. Not even close. The one obvious thing is that Donaldson isn't a FA until 2019.

 

That said, Toronto gave up more for Donaldson than we did for Shark.

 

Right, you'd have to assume more minor league pieces missing, but I doubt on major league squad more than Semien would have moved.

While I want to believe in this team because of the pitching, the offense is simply too flawed to fix during the season. I have faith in Eaton, Abreu, Melky, & Avi being league average or better bats going forward. Same goes for LaRoche if he was actually used effectively (i.e. platooned). Problem is we have holes at four spots (2B, 3B, SS, & C) and limited options to fill them internally.

 

I 100% believe Micah will be called up soon amd effectively plug our 2B hole. I'm very skeptical that our options at other positions will be enough of upgrades (if at all) to make a difference. I simply don't believe in Davidson, feel that guys like Thompson & Saladino will have a rough learning curve, & that Kottaras is more likely to offset any offensive gains with his defensive shortcomings (still worth like a look IMO).

 

At this point, I really think our best approach is to trade Shark (hopefully for a major league ready prospect), fill his spot in the rotation with Erik Johnson, and hope the pitching doesn't fall off too much. Give some of the young guys I mentioned a look and hope a couple of them show enough to be considered for spots next year. I hate giving up on this season, but I think we'd crazy to pass up on a possible strong return for Shark in hopes of a long-shot attempt at the playoffs. All roster moves between now and the offseason should be focused on setting ourselves up better for 2016 & 2017.

Edited July 9, 201510 yr by Chicago White Sox

I 100% believe Micah will be called up soon amd effectively plug our 2B hole. I'm very skeptical that our options at other positions will be enough of upgrades (if at all) to make a difference. I simply don't believe in Davidson, feel that guys like Thompson & Saladino will have a rough learning curve, & that Kottaras is more likely to offset any offensive gains with his defensive shortcomings (still worth like a look IMO).

Just to note the contradiction - Kottaras's defensive shortcomings are likely to offset his offensive gains but that's not considered for Micah.

Shark is on fire. If you trade him now you get SO MUCH in return if you have a competent front office. The guy is worth his weight in gold IMO.