In an announcement that comes as a surprise to no one, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports tweets that the White Sox will not call up top prospect Eloy Jimenez this September. By suppressing Jimenez’ service time until the third week of April 2019, the rebuilding South Siders can gain another year of team control over the power prodigy. Jimenez has dominated the minor leagues ever since joining the White Sox organization as part of a cross-town swap with the Cubs for left-hander Jose Quintana; the outfielder has hit at least .300 and slugged at least .550 at every level since that trade. At Triple-A, he’s managed an outstanding .368/.409/.618 batting line with a minuscule 12.7% strikeout rate.
Instead of giving Jimenez a September look, the club opted to call up right-hander Ian Hamilton in the wake of the trade that sent Xavier Cedeno to the Brewers, (h/t Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Merkin labels Hamilton as the club’s “closer of the future”; perhaps a fair designation considering he’s pitched to a 1.71 ERA at Triple-A this year with an eye-popping 7.00 K/BB ratio. Hamilton fired a perfect inning last night in his MLB debut.
A couple of other call-ups in the wake of last night’s trades and impending roster expansions…
- The Rays selected the contract of catcher Adam Moore last night and added him to the MLB team, thus filling out their 40-man roster. The 34-year-old Moore cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Durham just a month ago after seeing his first major-league action since 2016. The veteran has also played for the Indians, Padres, Royals and Mariners throughout the course of his ten-year MLB career, but owns a lifetime batting average south of the Mendoza line and has only managed a 45 wRC+.
- The Brewers are calling up catcher Jacob Nottingham, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets. He’s ranked as the club’s ninth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, owing to his power upside that hasn’t yet appeared at the major-league level. He has accrued just a single extra-base hit (a double) at the MLB level, but he managed to post a .281/.347/.528 batting line with ten homers in 196 appearances at the Triple-A level this season.
- In addition to Nottingham, the Brew Crew will bring back another familiar face in the form of outfielder Domingo Santana (also per Murray). Santana enjoyed a breakout season last year, hitting .278/.371/.505 with 30 homers. However, an unsightly 29.3% strikeout rate and seemingly unsustainable .363 BABIP pointed to the likelihood of regression, which hit him hard this season as he saw his power disappear almost completely en route to a 78 wRC+. That led to a summer demotion, and while Santana’s power hasn’t entirely returned, he’s managed 8 homers in 227 Triple-A plate appearances. His walk rate in the minors (15.9%) is also nearly double what it was in the majors this season (8.5%).
As a fan, I hate that service time is such a concern. I want to see these guys come up. I wish it was just a contract for a set number of years and a team could keep a guy in the minors as long as they want, but still have it count. You get 8 years (not including the draft year) out of a nearly finished product coming up from college? Great. You want to invest in a raw kid out of the Dominican, but only get 4 years of major league time? That’s your call.
Teams aren’t doing anything outside their contractual rights and these terms are what the players union and the league agreed to, so the players union itself deserves half the blame for the situation. That said, I think most White Sox fans would agree that Eloy has very little left to prove at the minor league level and I wish the service time argument wasn’t getting in the way of both his development and our chance to see the likely cornerstone of the Sox’ future.
You mad bro?
It is a conundrum…..
Maybe do something like that but add 2 years for anyone 18 or younger (reference HS players). I could get on board with that. This service time manipulating is a joke.
Also, Hamilton is a stud. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be an excellent piece for the back of the bullpen. Plus, Frare and Burr are looking like great, cheap pickups for Hahn. Excited to see the bullpen start taking shape over the next month instead of throwing scrubs out there on a nightly basis.
Your point illustrates another aspect of the problem. If it’s prudent to keep Jimenez at Triple A until mid-April next year, then it would be prudent to keep Hamilton, etc. at Triple A, too. By extrapolation, all players should be kept at Triple A until they are promoted en masse. That, of course, would be ridiculous. Bring him up, see what he can do. There’s no such thing as a sure bet, and it would be more prudent, in my view, to see how he plays now.
Priggs, I’d be ok with that addition if that’s what it took to get rid of these service time games. I’m eager to see how it’s addressed during the next round of CBA negotiations.
If Eloy Jimenez was called up for these last 25+ games and got hurt bad enough to miss the entirety of 2019 when nothing is at stake…….who would be the people on here calling for the head of Rick Hahn? Pitchers are entirely different issues when calling up earlier as proven throughout history of the CBA. We discussing another Frank Thomas type of impact player. No thanks. I’ll wait until 3rd week of next April to have our possible savior come to the rescue. Let’s focus on the young ones being called up now & enjoy them. I’d love to see Eloy playing tonight but the risk/reward is just too much right now. If we were in thick of playoffs, I bet he would be called up…..Let’s just savior going into next year with at the least…..RODON, KOPECH, LOPEZ & GIOLITO locked in as (pick your poison order) #1 #2 #3 #4 Holy Crap…..GEAUX SOX
What they are doing to Eloy is BS. The team is on a roll, and they should see if the time to make moves is now.
I hope the players union fights to end this nonsense with the next CBA. If someone earns the right to play in the bigs, they should be called up, or have the right to file a grievance over service time. Hamilton had followed the same path from AA. I don’t want to hear anything about boxes.
Players can and have filed grievances over this situation. It’s going to be very difficult to prove if someone has earned the right to play in the bigs. Sure, we could see that they deserve a chance, but a GM can always say “Oh, he needs to work on his defense some more” or something along those lines.
For the record though, I agree with you. Wish this garbage would go away.
Unless the player acquires some phone conversation recording, some email, etc., where upper management says that player is ready, but they’re keeping him down for another year of control, I don’t see how you prove their intentions. Even with Eloy, they could argue that they want his defense to improve or they want him to get better jumps on the basepaths or something. Proving it’s otherwise is very difficult.
Yeah, could finish season still under .500 & 3rd place locked if we’d win every game left. Whoopee Do
You WSox fans act like this is some new thing. Its not.
Of course it’s not a new thing. Eloy Jimenez is ready for MLB, but we won’t see him until late April/early May 2019. Clearly an excellent, if not obvious, business decision by the White Sox.
It’s not new but increasingly frustrating each time. this type of manipulation is going to be the biggest sticking point in the next CBA
It isn’t new. I also recognize the White Sox are within their legal rights to do what they’re doing. I just think the rules should be changed. I’m not entirely sure what the best solution is, but if the team got a player for x many years (7 or 8 not including the draft year, maybe with 2 extra years if the player is 18 or younger), regardless of whether that player is in the majors or minors, then this service time nonsense goes away. Players would get promoted when they deserve it. It would be better for both the players and fans.
I think everybody gets their wish in a couple of years with a new CBA. A decreased time for Free Agency (4 years would be my guess), the end of arbitration, SOME (not a lot) attention paid to minor leaguers. And a larger “Active” roster size, perhaps 26 or 27….or some system of “daily de-activization”…..
Carlos Pena made a good point the other night. In what industry or business do you NOT promote your best performers?
Ones where promoting them is not long-term best for the organization. Imagine if Amazon only got to keep any profit if it was the most profit made of any company in a given year. That would be incentive to wait on certain high performing employees until said performance matters. So the question begs another question: In what other industry does a whole year or stretch of years simply not matter? For the Sox, nothing Eloy can do this year will increase their odds of winning the 2018 world series. He might be a contributor to a title in 2025, though, unless he’s a free agent and doesn’t re-sign.
Sorry, but can’t agree. Given the tax breaks the “Lords of the Realm” get (not to mention publicly financed stadiums), they have an obligation to give their fans the best possible outcome TODAY, not 3 years from now. No owner says “Well, we’re “tanking” so that we can be good 4 years from now. As a result, I’m cutting ticket prices and TV contracts (making subscription prices lower) in half until we get there”.
You wouldn’t go into a McD’s to buy a Big Mac, poorly prepared, and be satisfied when the manager says “Oh well, come back next year; we’ll be better”.
This “building for the future” nonsense is marketing only, pure and simple. Moreover, keeping Elroy and Vlad Jr. (I’m sure there’s others) down just for economic gain violates even capitalistic ethics.
To that end, I expect the next CBA to have a salary “floor” requirement. As Maury Browne has stated often, there is NO MLB franchise that can’t afford at least a 100M payroll, and still conduct their business (scouting, e.g.). The MLBPA should require that floor. You’d be surprised at how much more competitive the races would be.
If Elroy et al won’t be a part of the 2025 White Sox, simply go get someone else in 2025. That’s their job.
Retail…
Lmao preach
This 100%, coming from a Target “Team Member.”
Hello fellow target “team member”
This is funny. I watched a video on YouTube about Kris Bryant when the cubs sent him down in 2015 at the beginning for service time and there was a white Sox fan telling a cubs fan that the White Sox would never do that with one of there players. Haha
Cool story bro
The next CBA has to strongly address the abuse of the service time rules by MLB franchise owners. It’s against the spirit of the provision to misuse it as a tool to stiff young players out of market value compensations.
Six years of control already are a ridiculously long time span, considering that the majority of MLB players never even reach that mark.
Apparently, the White Sox did offer Jimenez a low-budget contract extension in exchange for a September call-up, which makes their intentions crystal clear. Forestalling Jimenez’s earned and justified promotion for mere profitability reasons openly violates the spirit of the service time rules. Jimenez’s agents, who are mulling a grievance complaint, would actually have a case.
Oh well thank you cubs. A for sure superstar for a .500 pitcher.
Like your for sure superstar Moncada?
It’s his first full season. Not every superstar comes up and immediately plays at an All-Star level. If he becomes more aggressive, he’ll find more success at the plate. The eye is there; it’s just the aggressiveness that needs to come around.
Believe it or not but Moncada is already playing and performing at above league average in nearly every category. Just think when he figures it out. Kopech so far has figured out his command issues in part. Only 1 walk in 1st 11 MLB innings? Something I never expected so soon
Six years of service time isn’t enough, much less too much. Baseball doesn’t have a free development system and teams have to spend millions of dollars on 17 or 18 year old kids then a lot more money to bring them through the minors. The NFL and NBA have the colleges find out for them who the Mark Appel’s, Brady Aiken”s, Tyler Kolek’s, Brian Taylor’s, Alex Johnson’s and I could go on forever with top 10 picks who were complete busts. The other sports, obviously, also have their flops but their development system is free and it is a lot easier to make a talent judgment after more opportunities to view. There is absolutely no incentive to bring up a prospect before his service time is maximized. If I were a White Sox fan I would be cheering management, not screaming at them. Does a couple of weeks in September of a lost season really mean anything or, since your viewpoint seems quite slanted, is this really just more anti-capitalist propaganda about the big bad teams exploiting the poor young player? These players are going to make plenty of money. That is simply the way it is and if baseball has another work stoppage because of this thorny issue, so be it.
This argument demonstrates why service time is BS. Yes, college serves as a developmental league for other sports. But the moment the players in other sports prove they are capable of competing, they are placed on rosters. And none of these systems allow franchises to suppress ready talent from earning their worth. No one told LeBron James, Sidney Crosby, Larry Fitzgerald, countless other players who spent only a year or two – or less in developmental leagues they can’t play. Even if players do stay in college, that time is limited by eligibility rules. What MLB is doing with service time runs against basic standards of fairness.
“But the moment the players in other sports prove they are capable of competing, they are placed on rosters.”
Umm, so then why do NCAA football players have to complete 3 years post-HS? Your argument is wrong; Ed Oliver has been draftable for two seasons now, talent-wise, but can’t be put on a roster.
And Eloy has done exactly nothing yet……We dont even know if he can hit MLB pitching yet. Spring Training & AAA ball means nuffin at all to me…I want all my Sox to be here for the right reasons & for a long time. Eloy has already said although he would love to be called up he respects & understands if he’s not. It’s only his agent having hissy fits bc it affects his personal bottom line
I wonder if Milwaukee is thinking about calling up an infielder?
Our favorite MLBTR troll is back!
When’s the last time this particular commenter said anything that wasn’t related to this joke?
Everyone is going to play ss for the Brewers at the same time.
:I agree! The way Upper, Mid and minor league players are treated by the owners now is not fair and selfish. The CBA only rewards the Owners and the few Elite players! and the owners collude with each other to supress baseball salaries on most players. Firstly,the last CBA agreement was terrible for the players and they signed it. Tony Clark is stupid or on the owners side! There is to much leverage with paying and playing minor league superstars. Also the CBA has (by the almighty dollor) partnered the 30 owners to collude salaries all the way up the payroll until only the most elite players will get quality contracts, I wouldn’t complain about the owners so much if they paid taxes on their Teams earnings! but the don’t cause of their Tax exempt baseball US Pastime exemption! We as taxpayers should be able to see what all the teams earn annually since we support it! Anyhow the CBA needs to be changed to help the Upper tIer to the minors ballplayers. All Elite players “shouldn’t” have a voice in the next agreement! IMO
im not suprised that the Sox didnt call up Eloy, the Cubs did the same exact thing with Bryant. Very smart move by Rick Hahn. If the Sox get a big free agent like Keuchel, i think the Sox can be a wildcard team next year. Over their last 17 games, they are 12-5.
Patience fellow WSox fans. The rules are too favorable to blow off an extra season of Eloy. Having 4 young starters and Cease/Dunning not far away, this is being managed well by Hahn to stretch the window. Hope Dodgers miss playoffs (nothing against them) IF it increases the huge unprecedented effort WSox will make this offseason to lure Machado with its low payroll.
If the White Sox were really smart, they would keep Eloy in AAA until 2020 or 2021, then the window will really be open. Jays could do the same for Vlad as well. Who cares if top prospects get 1,000+ ABs and dominate at the highest level of the minors. If the bottom line is money, you should hold back all these future stars so you gain the absolute most out of them. And yes, this is awful for the game.
Nice try at least in case of WSox. Eloy’s perfect arrival time is after a handful of ’19 games to be with promising arms most of the first year they have any remote chance to compete. Their re-build is relatively short, and they’ll be strategically aggressive this offseason for FA infielders/bullpen arms.
The tweet from Bob Nightengale regarding top White Sox prospect Eloy Jimenez could be more fake news from the USA Today sportswriter. The White Sox have already commented on the report publicly and will clarify their stance regarding Jimenez’ possible promotion as part of a Monday press conference involving all of their September call-ups with AAA Charlotte’s season ending on Labor Day.
Rick Hahn has been adamant that MLB service time will not an issue when it comes to Jimenez. It has also been the m.o. of the organization to promote their best prospects sooner rather than later. One only needs to look at their former #1 June picks to substantiate this. Chris Sale made his MLB debut within two months of signing his June draft bonus. Carlos Rodon was pitching on the South Side less than one year after inking his bonus deal and he is a Scott Boras client. Carson Fulmer also made his MLB debut the year after he was drafted.
Last season in the initial year of the White Sox rebuild they still managed to promote three of their top prospects who were acquired in trades the previous offseason. Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez were all promoted to the White Sox active roster in July or August. Jimenez has been far more productive this season at AAA than any of those three were at Charlotte last season. In year #1 of their rebuild the White Sox certainly could have delayed the promotions of those 3 prospects until May or June of this year. Many White Sox fans were saying just this, especially with the poor starts that Moncada and Giolito had to begin the 2018 season.
Finally, the White Sox have already promoted fellow top prospects Michael Kopech and Ian Hamilton within the past week or two. Frankly, I would be surprised if Jimenez is not promoted when Charlotte’s season ends following their Monday finale. Since Hahn will be presiding over the news conference on Labor Day, he will have an awful lot of explaining to do to reporters if he backs off of his comments regarding Jimenez’ MLB service time. The corner outfielder has clearly has checked all of the other boxes that the GM claims he needed to complete before he makes his debut at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Well said! Never mind these cubbie trolls bashing on Eloy and the Sox, when in reality it’s those same fans that won’t be able to handle Eloy dominate and make Hahn look like a god for ripping Theo off. Get ready for cubbie anxiety and panic attacks! Softest fan base in all of sports
I wouldn’t risk injury & missing entire 2019 for 20+ nothing games….not worth it. He can come in & hit 20 HR & it would mean zilch……
Pitchers are and always be promoted differently. I dont know the exact reasons why but history proves it. I would rather see Rutherford, Cordell, Basabe, Collins, Sheets & a few others called this year. They are the ones that’ll fill up the roster