Maybe I'm looking too far into this but with the way the Sox are handling Latos it sounds as though he is penciled into the rotation with Sale, Q and Rodon, leaving Turner/ EJ/ Danks to battle for the 5th spot.

 

Danks is in the rotation. He might not finish there, but he will start there. Unless Latos is hurt or flops hard core, he will be the 5th starter.

Danks is in the rotation. He might not finish there, but he will start there. Unless Latos is hurt or flops hard core, he will be the 5th starter.

 

Well, he starts there. As far as I am concerned though, Danks has the shortest leash among any starting candidates. You give him a chance to do something, but if it's not working after 5-6 starts (if that), you move on. Whether it's DFA or relegation to the bullpen, it's already a sunk cost. There's no need to sink that ship even further. Don't stick with something that is going to kill you and hurt your chances at a playoff birth.

Agreed.

 

Latos as 4th, Danks as 5th, both with roughly six weeks to prove themselves.

 

Either one struggles or is injured, it's Johnson as the band-aid until the trade market defines itself. Not sure they can afford to go with Beck, Turner or Carroll, but clearly overpaying in May/June has its own cost/benefit ratio.

 

Think we would also see Danks as the 2nd lefty/long man out of the bullpen before they would completely pull the plug...believe based on history they'll continue to look for SOME type of return on investment like they did with Adam Dunn or Rios. Maybe it's simply cost savings, with another contender (probably in the NL) picking him up for the last spot in their rotation.

 

 

Daryl Van Schouwen ‏@CST_soxvan 9s9 seconds ago

In addition to playing Cubs, #WhiteSox also have B game in Surprise Saturday (10 a.m.). Mat Latos and Matt Albers expected to pitch.

Did Latos pitch in the B game? Anyone know how he looked?

Did Latos pitch in the B game? Anyone know how he looked?

Yes. He reportedly looked terrible.

Yes. He reportedly looked terrible.

 

That's the exact opposite of everything that was said on twitter

That's the exact opposite of everything that was said on twitter

I'm not referring to tweets

I'm not referring to tweets

Then what are you referring to? Here are some quotes that I found:

 

Latos, the right-handed hurler who figures to slot into the fourth spot of the White Sox rotation, allowed three runs over four innings, including Rangers prospect Ryan Cordell's two-run homer to left on a fastball in the first. The veteran told a reporter after the outing in Surprise that results certainly didn't matter as much as the work at this point.

"Come April, I'll care about the results," Latos said. "Most importantly I was worried about hitting my spots and hitting each side of the plate with my fastball. The one big thing we had been working on in my side sessions was big today, able to keep the fastball to the side of the plate I wanted it to.

"Earlier in the game I threw a couple real nice two-seamers into some righties. Threw one that didn't move at all, made that mistake and it got hit for a home run. But I settled in after that, everything came out of my arm, easy flow, go through the motions and making my pitches.

"Everyone says I look good so I won't complain," Latos said. "I'll take it in stride, get back to work and get ready for the next outing."

 

I see nothing to be concerned about there, in fact I'm more encouraged than discouraged. He was just trying to hit his spots, which it sounds like he did. The results don't matter.

I'm not referring to tweets

Just referring to the line I'm guessing? All they need to worry about him all spring is velocity and getting his mechanics right. If Mat is throwing 95 and repeating his mechanics he is going to be a steal.

I could care less about stats in spring for pitchers. Just get your work in and get ready. I think Q had an era over 15 in 2014 ST. Doesn't matter.

I could care less about stats in spring for pitchers. Just get your work in and get ready. I think Q had an era over 15 in 2014 ST. Doesn't matter.

Kershaw had an ERA over 9 in spring training in 2014.

Then what are you referring to? Here are some quotes that I found:

 

 

 

I see nothing to be concerned about there, in fact I'm more encouraged than discouraged. He was just trying to hit his spots, which it sounds like he did. The results don't matter.

 

The tough part of spring training is that these guys aren't always pitching to win. They often are out there working on something specific. If they have Latos working on something, (especially if they are trying to clean up a part of his motion), he could be throwing well, and still be getting hit because of it.

Kershaw had an ERA over 9 in spring training in 2014.

Exactly. Spring training for pitchers is to work on things and get ready for the season.

The tough part of spring training is that these guys aren't always pitching to win. They often are out there working on something specific. If they have Latos working on something, (especially if they are trying to clean up a part of his motion), he could be throwing well, and still be getting hit because of it.

 

This is critically important. Spring Training stats don't mean much for hitters; they mean absolutely nothing for pitchers. They literally go out there sometimes with directives like "only throw fastballs" or "located a changeup down every two strike count." It's like they're going for Steam achievements or something.

This is critically important. Spring Training stats don't mean much for hitters; they mean absolutely nothing for pitchers. They literally go out there sometimes with directives like "only throw fastballs" or "located a changeup down every two strike count." It's like they're going for Steam achievements or something.

 

I think some of the best work comes in the "B" games where they get to face live hitters but have the pitching coach behind the screen coaching them every pitch. The most important thing for Latos right now is just building arm strength and testing his body. Cooper is a surly old guy stuck in his ways but his ways seem to keep pitchers healthy more often than not. Certainly think if anyone could get something out of Latos this year other than a 60 day DL stint it's Coop and the Sox.

The only thing that worries me is EJs velocity going down in his second start.

You pro-Latos folks are deluding yourselves.

You pro-Latos folks are deluding yourselves.

 

Anymore so than the pro-Johnson/Turner folks?

You pro-Latos folks are deluding yourselves.

 

Why, because you saw him pitch against the Rockies once

I think that Ventura's response to Latos' start was something like, "He did alright." So take that for whatever it's worth (probably not much).

 

Latos is low-risk, and potentially high-reward. If he works out, great. If not, no worries.

 

As was mentioned earlier, I'd be much more concerned about Johnson's velocity right now.

Edited March 15, 201610 yr by Black_Jack29

I think people need to stop acting like there's a competition. There really isn't. There is 1 roster spot available and it's for the bench IMO. Petricka or Putnam going on the DL could open a spot for Kahnle. Other than that, the rotation is in some order Sale/Quintana/Rodon/Latos/Danks. The bullpen looks like: Robertson/Jones/Duke/Putnam/Petricka/Jennings/Albers. An injury could open a spot. As far as position players go: Abreu/LaRoche/Lawrie/Frazier/Avila/Jackson/Eaton/Cabrera/Rollins/Saladino/Garcia/Navarro. That leaves one spot. It's probably Shuck as of now but I could see them claiming an excess OF from a team with a surplus and going with that person over Shuck.

You pro-Latos folks are deluding yourselves.

 

Why? He pitched much better than his ERA showed last year as evidenced by his very acceptable 3.72 FIP. In the only place he spend significant time last year (Miami) his FIP was a very good 3.41. If he ends up with a low to mid 3's FIP this year he could be the steal of the off season.

I think people need to stop acting like there's a competition. There really isn't. There is 1 roster spot available and it's for the bench IMO. Petricka or Putnam going on the DL could open a spot for Kahnle. Other than that, the rotation is in some order Sale/Quintana/Rodon/Latos/Danks. The bullpen looks like: Robertson/Jones/Duke/Putnam/Petricka/Jennings/Albers. An injury could open a spot. As far as position players go: Abreu/LaRoche/Lawrie/Frazier/Avila/Jackson/Eaton/Cabrera/Rollins/Saladino/Garcia/Navarro. That leaves one spot. It's probably Shuck as of now but I could see them claiming an excess OF from a team with a surplus and going with that person over Shuck.

 

I really think they would like to keep Turner around as the 6th starter, long reliever but out of that bolded group I just don't know who you leave out. If they dump Turner and go with those 7 guys they are left without a true long man which is something they probably need with Danks and a questionable health Latos making up the 4th and 5th spot in the rotation.

Edited March 15, 201610 yr by lasttriptotulsa

I really think they would like to keep Turner around as the 6th starter, long reliever but out of that bolded group I just don't know who you leave out. If they dump Turner and go with those 7 guys they are left without a true long man which is something they probably need with Danks and a questionable health Latos making up the 4th and 5th spot in the rotation.

 

Yes. I agree a lot with the original post, but Turner could very well put a wrench in the works.

 

I really expected a reliever to get traded, though it wouldn't surprise me to see a late spring training deal get done with a reliever going to a team with a 25 man roster crunch looking to get something for a player out of options that the White Sox could use.