SoxFest is a victory lap trap for the Chicago White Sox this year, but Rick Hahn won’t cop to it. “We haven’t won anything yet,” said the Sox’ GM, per The Athletic’s James Fegan. With the golden boy Cubs hanging a winter goose egg (Steven Souza notwithstanding), the White Sox’ rebuilding efforts are cusping at the right time to steal the spotlight from their crosstown rival. Hahn was promoted to GM late in October of 2012, the last time the Sox posted a winning record. After seven years at the helm of an extended rebuild, Hahn is getting an opportunity to show a different aspect of his GM profile as he oversees the Southsiders’ push for contention. The handling of Nick Madrigal and Michael Kopech, in particular, will be interesting litmus tests, writes Fegan. For Madrigal it’s a question of service time, an issue Hahn and company sidestepped with fellow youngster Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez by signing them to extensions. For Kopech, it’s a question of inning and pitch limits as he returns from injury. After an aggressive winter, look to Madrigal and Kopech to track their pedal-to-the-metal approach into the season. Let’s check in on a division rival…
- A couple of injury updates for key players came out of Kansas City yesterday. Both Salvador Perez and Adalberto Mondesi are expected to be ready by opening day, per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis (twitter links). Perez hit an important benchmark yesterday, throwing down to second base for the first time since Tommy John surgery. Royals catchers were a bottom-10 unit in 2019 by measure of fWAR, wOBA, and wRC+. Power was one of Perez’s calling cards, which should help the unit if he can return without any lingering effects.
- Mondesi, meanwhile, underwent shoulder surgery in the fall and expects to be ready. The 24-year-old is arguably the Royals’ best young player, despite a history of poor on-base skills. Speed (43 stolen bases), dynamism (20 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs), and lynchpin defensive skills up the middle (4 OAA, 10 DRS, 9.1 UZR) make Mondesi a key figure moving forward for the Royals. Any push for contention for the Royals will probably come coupled with another development step from Mondesi and/or the other Kansas City youngsters.
Gonna be a fun year in Chicago this summer!
@chitown311
I agree. Even if the Sox finish right at .500, they will still be fun to watch, seeing what could be a very bright future take shape in their transition year. Hopefully they’ll be better than .500, but regardless, it will be better baseball on the South Side this year.
Last year was leaps and bounds better than previous Recent years.. this year is gonna be awesome.. watching these young guys grow is something awesome. I can actually go to the 40-50 games and expect wins and not just going to see players develop.. now we get both for the first time in a long long long time!!! It’s gonna be special. Having season tickets since 83’ I am more excitEd for this upcoming season than any other I can remember.
As a baseball fan, I think the White Sox are going to be a lot of fun to watch. They have an exciting young core, to put it mildly. By keeping their captain in Abreu and adding a savvy veteran behind the plate in Grandal- that’s like the glue that will keep it all together and make sure these young guys learn how to be professionals. It kind of reminds me back in like ’03 or ’04 when a young and up coming Marlins team added Pudge behind the plate and won the WS that year.
White Sox-Phillies World Series in 2021? 🙂 Though I am bitter you guys signed Harper and Wheeler, two guys we could have used. Good luck to the Phightin’ Phils this year!
If you are bitter that the Phillies signed Harper and Wheeler- why don’t you complain about that to your cheap owner?
And what makes you even think that either of them would ever consider signing with the sox.
Don’t worry just yet Cub fans. You still have the Iowa contingent bussing in every weekend. That is, until White Sox face the Yankees in the Field of Dreams game.
What grade are you in?
Yup. Dogbone is the leader of the pack.
@dogbone, perhaps he’s just having friendly banter with a fellow baseball fan. Sheesh.
Yes great 2 c Sox upgrade, Cubbies have had all the attention & now it’s CWS turn, great pickups, will b a pleasure 2 watch in a division they can fight for with ♀️
Anytime I see “Mondesi”, it makes me think of his dad Raúl. Which then makes me think of Stuart Scott calling his homeruns on sportscenter. “Raúl MONdesi!” as he blasts a HR to centerfield. Ahhh the good ol days!
See wha, what had happened is I laughed my butt off reading that.
Actually I think rich eisen was the culprit of the MOOOndesi! Thing
Yes! Arguably one of the single most crucial contributions of Sportscaster to pop culture!
I’ll believed it when I see it, Sox have let me down my whole life.
Especially in 2005. Moron.
Wow one freakin year 15 years ago. I barely remember that year. Keep drinking the kool aid
You did say your entire life.
…and to be fair, it’s a pretty sad way to look at life. Win it all or disappointed is a tough way to go through life – Enjoy the small stuff man! 🙂 They’ve had a rough patch but now coming back to life.
How many playoff appearances?
Please explain how a team picked to finish 4th in their division in 2005, runs the table and wins the World Series, “let you down”?
How many seasons ago?
It was still in your life.
Yes but one great year out of all my years alive does not make up for it. 2005 was amazing for us fans. But remember the next year? Oh and the next and how progressively bad it got? Same old song and dance. I do believe they will be really good this year don’t get me wrong but let’s not crown them anything yet. Maybe they win the division which is possible but they are nowhere near as good as the rest of the playoff teams yet. I’m just not sold before they take the field.
I thought you “barely remember that year”? If your name was chicagofan1928 I’d feel bad for you… but it’s not. Hear that violin playing just for you?
That wasn’t the year I was born
I believe the CWS had one of the better offseasons and are underestimated by some. Their pitching staff has potential to be top notch as Giolito & Kopech mature. Some of their hitters had breakout years and Grandal was a great signing. Just my opinion based on what I’ve seen. As always, I could very well be wrong.
I Don’t get the Kopeck hype ,,,, Watch Baseball lately??? many guys throwing above 100 mph he’s done nothing yet I’ll wait and see but Dylan Cease is going to be the REAL DEAL he”s the one to watch when he’s on the mound
Hey guys how bout dem bears? 85 season woohoo. Bunch of buffoons
We get it, you’re a troll. However, in your original post, you said WHOLE life, meaning the entirety. So, while it was “only one year”, that concludes that they did not disappoint you’re WHOLE life. The White Sox had many competitive, fun to watch teams throughout the 2000s with Magglio, Carlos Lee, Konerko, Ray Durham, Jose Valentin, etc. Without knowing you’re age (and not caring), it’s just a bad statement to make. Yeah, they’ve been bad the last 10 years or so, but they still had some good, competitive years after that 2005 team. Also, doesn’t it make it THAT MUCH sweeter when they should play good baseball again? Here’s a tip; create a little positivity in your life, I think you’ll enjoy it a bit more.
But I digress, please continue with your hyperbole of “omg, the white sox r so bad. They been so bad for my whole life. They owe it to me to be good every single year.”
Please excuse my bad uses of you’re as I typed and proofread quickly.
No excuse
The overuse of the word troll these days is absolutely mind boggling. Opinion is not a troll. Me saying the Sox will not even win one game next year is trolling. I’m giving my opinion. Grow up
I certainly understand the frustration, and even venting is not wrong; but you’re fighting your fellow fans when CWS are making improvements and they’re trying to stay positive about a better season. I think most fans are just saying to give it a chance and enjoy the exciting players they have this season. I agree troll is overused but it’s frequently applied to people making consistently negative comments when there are positive moves being made. Try to have a good weekend, man; it’s but worth getting upset over.
**but=not in last sentence
Yeah I got ya. I’m more passionate about it than I should be. I got kids that have never seen them win too so I want it for them too
Man do I understand that brother. I am passionate too, often too passionate about sports. Either way, have a good weekend.
Great job on moving the goal posts. I am surprised you have kids.
Puck off
lolol
What exactly does it mean to “troll?”
Psst. His WHOLE life appears to be engaging in this troll war. Fun times for him.
Yeah buddy
What is really out of control these days are the hyperbole, in this case, “my whole life”.
Every day we see and hear “catch of the year candidate” or “dunk of the year”. Everything in the news is constant hyperbole.
I believe (someone correct me if I’m wrong) if the White Sox start the season with Kopeck in the minors on “rehab” and they leave him down for a 50 days they’ll gain another year of control? He was a September 2018 call up, so his cloak started only a month earlier. Which in this scenario could be manipulated easily.
Yes, he’ll start in minors for at least through the end of May. Not about clock, just a great place to start with cold weather. Then take the place if any of the five starters have a bad first couple of months. Don’t forget about Rodon
I’m very curious to see, when Kopech is ready to go, if the Sox employ a 6 man rotation. I think it makes sense to give that extra day of rest to Kopech, but Gio Gonzalez isn’t getting any younger, so I would think it would keep him fresher throughout the season as well.
Some veteran pitchers like to take the ball more frequently and Gonzalez is a workhorse. He was signed late last year so he didn’t get to his 31+ start typical season, but you’re talking about a guy who had started 31+ games in 7 of 8 seasons prior to that and 27 games in the only year he didn’t reach the threshold.
Gonzalez is the type of pitcher I’d let work as much as they want while they can still get the job done. To me, it’s really quite stunning how his contract status has worked out recently. SMH
Six man rotation may make sense. But they may also attach Kopech to another pitcher and limit him to for or five innings. That’s another reason why the team needs to find a long guy for the pen. That could also be Rodon, but if he returns, that is where I see six man
Here’s hoping they get hit with service time, manipulation. Would serve them right.
Would totally serve them right. They’ve blatantly screwed over so many young players. Oh wait. Wrong side of town. I don’t see any player on the South Side complaining or filing grievances. In fact, I’d imagine Eloy and Robert are more than happy to be a part of this organization.
I really don’t get why you use so much energy hating this team. Anytime there’s a Sox post, you’re all over it. Why do they make you so angry?
Get professional help and show the therapist on the doll where Jerry Reinsdorf touched you.
Here’s hoping Bryant wins his grievance. Would serve the cvbs right for not locking him up when they had the chance like the White Sox did with their young core players.
“But nobody ever hears him, or the sound he appears to make”. Dogbone’s epitaph.
I hate service time manipulation, but they probably need to keep him in extended ST and then work him up through each level, and that will probably take 50 days.
Last thing they want to do is rush him. He probably is the future staff ace.
Kopech has already been accruing mlb service time for the past year+ since he was on the mlb roster when he went down with his injury. So there’s no need to keep him in AAA for service time purposes.
Yes. Michael Kopech has already accrued 1.041 years of service time since his MLB debut with the White Sox on August 21, 2018. Most of that was time spent on the IL for the remainder of 2018 along with all of 2019 since he only pitched in 4 games for the White Sox after his promotion from AAA.
Kopech is coming off Tommy John surgery so there is no way the White Sox throw him in the rotation. Kopech is going to be on an innings count this season and working out of the bullpen would a be perfect for him this upcoming season. Let’s not forget that a bullpen pitcher must face three batters before being pulled this year and that will help Kopech work on developing a change up. If Kopech can not develop a change up there is no way he becomes a starting pitcher since his arm would fall off with overusing his slider and fastball. It’s a good dilemma for the White Sox to have a possible candidate to replace Colome after this year.
Kopech is already on the roster and will come out of the bullpen this season. My guess is Kopech can become the future closer after this season if he can not develop a change up.
Your guess is not happening anytime soon. The White Sox will roll with Michael Kopech as a starting pitcher until they can’t due to arm issues or a lack of production. It’s not the m.o. of this front office or most MLB organizations to give up that quickly on an elite starting pitching prospect.
Some White Sox fans were saying the same thing about Lucas Giolito last offseason and continue to argue this point in regards to Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease. Lopez has been pitching at the MLB level for parts of 3 season now and will have less leeway but it will be multiple seasons before the White Sox consider Kopech or Cease as potential closers or demote them to their bullpen.
I’m excited to watch the bsoxs in Cleveland this year!
This is a development year for the Royals. Continue finding the pieces for a future pennant run. Let’s start seeing some of the young pitchers, and let’s find a first baseman (not Salvy).
It’s coming slowly but surely. The organizational depth is deepening especially around pitching & even position depth is getting better.
I think this will be O’hearns make or break season & if he stagnates again, they can move Dozier to 1B which I think should be his long term position moving forward anyway & have the platoon of Phillips/Bubba finish out this season while looking to Isbel or Lee filling HD’s outfield spot moving into the future.
Make no bones about it, .500 or better is still at a minimum, a 2021 thing or beyond but at least there’s starting to be some clarity as far as a controllable core moving forward with Mondi, HD, Whit, Soler, Lopez, and Salvy is still in his 20’s with more on way so there’s starting to be light at the end of the tunnel not to mention there will still most likely be 2 more drafts with high picks.
Again, there is positive signs albeit I’m sure we wish it would progress more quickly, lol…
Can’t wait for the season to start. For the first time in a while, Sox seem likely to have a winning record and could have their first RoY since Abreu.
That’s the hope, I can’t wait for it to start myself
If they are going to hold down Madrigal, I’d like them to give the reps to Mendick. Might as well see what you have with a young, controllable player.
Not a bad idea. They have an excuse on Madrigal, as he only played 29 AAA games. Hope they lock him up, but he has to want to sign an extension and it would be for less than what Eloy and Robert got.
Mendick could be “The diamond in the rough.”
The kid could surprise.
He will get a peek.
Both start the year in the minors. The Sox will want Kopech toward the middle/end push and with them limiting his innings he will need to relax some the first 2-3 months
Kopech is starting with no limits. Giolito Keuchel Kopech Gonzalez Cease
Rodon will be dealt.
Rodon can’t be dealt. At $4.5mil, that contract has negative value.
That’s just ridiculous. You should find another team, bud.
I don’t agree with pplama on much and disagree on the contract having negative value, but I don’t think he’d generate a lot of interest. Rodon has never thrown more than 165 innings and has made just 37 starts in the last three years. It doesn’t help, either, that his ERA has gone up every single year. At this point, I’ve given up on him being a long-term member of the rotation.
To claim Hahn is showing anythig new or different is totally false.
He did this exact same thing in ’15 when they had the young core of Eaton, Abreu, Sale and Quintana, with top 100 prospects Rodon and Anderson waiting in the wings.
It failed spectacularly.
We get it, you’re angry. You’re a fan of the Cubs that fizzled after peaking a half-decade ago. You were pompous and ignorant waiting for your dynasty happen. Except that didn’t happen and now you have the 2nd highest payroll in baseball and projected to win 82 games. Now the young, fun and talented White Sox are the darlings of this city and you’re stuck arguing with your brother about how great Steven Souza will be. This is the reason why America hates Cubs fans
To be fair, the Cubs won the World Series just a couple years ago and had been in the playoffs 4 consecutive years from 2015-2018.
To the person who is going to try and say that’s only 3 years because, you know, 2018-2015 = 3, let me help you avoid looking stupid. 2015 + 2016 + 2017 + 2018 = 4 years.
Oh snap
Tyler Flowers < Yasmani Grandal
Adam LaRoche < Edwin Encarnacion
Conor Gillespie < Yoan Moncada
Melky Cabrera < Eloy Jimenez
Micah Johnson < Nick Madrigal
2015 Sox < 2020 Sox
OK. Now do the pitching. That is where the 2020 Sox don’t hold up.
The pitching is the part where the White Sox could be dominant. Nobody expects the White Sox to have an awesome hitting team… but if Kopech and Cease take steps forward, adding Gonzalez and Keuchel to the mid/back of the rotation would likely make their staff extremely potent.
I love Darvish. I thought the Twins should have signed him (still do) and I thought the Twins should have traded for him before the beginning of last year. That said, after Kendricks and the potential Darvish has… there just isn’t much the Cubs’ rotation brings.
The pitching could also be a train wreck. 2020 could very well be a development year for Kopech and Cease, and Lopez has regressed. You have no idea what your getting out of Gio G., and can’t have any faith in Rodon.
Yasmani Grandal>Johnny Bench
Yoan Moncada statistically better than Manny Machado
Nick Madrigal>Dustin Pedroia
Adam LaRoche could not carry Edwin Encarnacion’s HOF jock strap
Melky Cabrera is Eloy Jimenez’ grandfather
And noboby likes LaRoche’s kid
How many screen names does this dude have? Fun times in the basement. Another Saturday night
WSW
I’m a White Sox fan, frequent Spring Training attendee and former season ticket holder who is upset we sat through 3 years of a rebuild I supported, only to discover that this FO learned nothing from past failures.
This is a carbon copy of ’15, where they throw S against the wall, cross their fingures and hope something sticks before the heavy lifting was done.
Accusing anyone who doesn’t drink the cool-aid 24/7 of being a cub fan is why so many people accuse us of an inferiority complex. Please stop feeding that trope.
A cvbs fan says what?
Why do you always accuse people who don’t believe this team is World Series bound Isn’t a real fan or a Cub fan?
DaveBarista
Really?
That’s your apples to apples comp??
You’re calling Adam Eaton, Abreu, Sale, and Quintana a core? They picked up veterans LaRoche, Melky, Smajdza, ZDuke, and DRobertson to supplement?
2020 team has 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and CF core along with Giolito and Lopez.
Tyler Flowers was and has been a borderline starting catcher, so apples to apples Yasmani Grandal is, has been, and will be significantly better.
Sale, Quintana, Smzdjzja, Danks, Rodon?
OR
Giolito, Lopez, Kuechel, Gonzalez, Kopech/Cease?
At the time?
Easily Sale, Q, Shark, Danks, Rodon.
What’s your apples to apples comp? 15= 20?
I’m sorry but Micah Johnson and Conor Gillespie at 2B and 3B is not a core
I didn’t say anything about Gillie or Micah. Not sure why you feel the need to continue with bad faith arguments.
Although including Madrigal as part of a 2020 core before a single ML at-bat would be just like anyone silly enough to claim Micah was part of a ’15 core, That’s your argument. Not mine.
They did add declining asset (3B) Todd Frazier in ’16 after all the additions not named Robertson flopped in ’15.
You can’t call players who don’t have a ML at-bat part of a core.
So I exclude Madrigal Robert (and Cease and Kopech as thay are also unproven).
This is why I wanted the Sox to continue the rebuild for a 4th year and go “all in” when they have a better idea of what holes need filling + another year of payroll savings
2015 esatblished core- Sale, Q, Eaton, Abreu >>>> 2020 established core- Giolito, Moncada (I don’t count Abreu and his terrible D or mid-pack wRC+ nor Anderson because his D regressed and his BABIP is unsustainable)
Additions:
Samardzija’s 2014 was much better than Keuchel’s 2019
Grandal was a solid pick-up on par with Robertson.
Melky had a better track record than Mazara.
LaRoche- 127 wRC+ in ’14, EE was 129 wRC+ last year. That gap is not big and EE will get old some day too.
Sale, Q, Samardzija on paper >>> Giolito, Keuchel, Gonzalez
Robert, Madrigal, Kopech, Cease, Vaughn should be >>>>>>>> Anderson, Rodon. But we can’t guarantee it. So, IMO, the Sox should have continued to develop them instead of jumping the gun with these fingers crossed declining contracts and baffling Abreu extension which, as I’ve shown, look concerningly similar to ’15.
Sorry for the novel.
You exclude Madrigal/Robert as core?
On a side note, to any Yankee fans who might be reading this thread, I’m no longer convinced Gerrit Cole is going to age well with all the young players filling the “new” league. I’ve been watching Cole, and he fairs well against current veterans to some degree, but I believe the next generation hitters are going to light him up and the White Sox have a bunch.
I remember Johan Santana on one of his final comeback tours and rehab assignments when he was barely able to throw 90mph. Opposing hitters were beside themselves after facing him.
I’m starting to get the feeling that veteran hitters and pitchers are being told to adjust their game to match what some guy in a back room typing stat formulas into a computer says is the best strategy. The change in the approach to hitting and pitching is starting to make me feel like the old school Twins methodology. “This is how baseball is played and you must adapt to the way we play it.” Veterans who’ve been successful using a totally different approach may not be able to as effectively adapt, and maybe shouldn’t be asked to adapt as fixing what’s not broken isn’t always a great idea.
Rallyshirt- Okay, I can’t resist… he indicated nothing of the sort last year. He pitched wonderfully. If you mean he won’t throw no-hitters against the WSox, okay, I’m with you. But light him up is a bold prediction.
Grandal on par with Robertson pretty much invalidates your comment.
Okay, at least you’re trying. Yes, hoping this isn’t 15-16 redux. Nothing wrong with arguing for more patience, if that’s your argument. But the Cubs jumpstarted their rebuild with the Lester signing. See Grandal as a parallel- respected veteran who makes others around him better and helps recruit other FAs.
The Keuchel contract was a little albatrossy, like a mini-Arrieta.
Keuchel isn’t losing velocity and the length and AAV are both easy to absorb.
Keuchel has lost velocity. His velo spread from FB to CH has narrowed. His stats away from pitcher friendly Atlanta, especially the HR rate should be very concerning. 160IP is an easy threshold for a soft tossing lefty. That contract is questionable at best.
This is not a bad faith argument…. you compared 15 to 20 calling it a carbon copy!
RP for all star C (Robertson to Grandal) is an apples to apples comparison?
You CAN include players without a ML at bat in your core when they are expected to be in the everyday lineup and have the pedigree and minor league production of Robert and Madrigal.
Robert no se parece nadie antes…. Let me translate….. Robert is not a carbon copy of any player from 2015 Whitesox
2020 rotation is full of question marks, but there is also potential in Rodon and Kopech to contribute…. 2015 was stuck with 200+ innings of Shark and 177 innings of John Danks suckage without any alternative replacements or reinforcement…. 2020 team also has minor league assets that can be used to supplement pitching
“carbon copy”? I was quite clearly not comparing the teams position by position. I was comparing strategy as well as internal talent + veteran acquisition from ’15 to ’20.
You’ll see how important Robertson was when Colome regresses. Yes, Grandal will put up more fWAR. But as a comp of free agent acquisitions and positional improvement over the prior year, it’s valid.
Anderson and Rodon had minor league pedigree.Sox fans were calling them part of the core of playoff bound ’15 and ’16 teams. Sox fans were calling Collins, Burdi, Hansen, Dunning, Lopez and Fry future stars on ’19 and ’20 playoff teams and telling the Sox to go for it last year. Now those same fans are doing it with Robert and Madrigal for 2020.
It’s too soon to annoint players who have zero ML track record. Especially with the Sox’ issues developing prospects and their universal inability to hit the ground running upon promotion to the bigs.
Quiero Robert e Madrigal ser gran jugadores. Pero no podemos decirlos hombres son preperado ahorita.
I think you are missing pplama’s larger point.
While I am more optimistic about guys like DK, and agnostic about EE, let’s not act as if the team is suddenly on par with the Dodgers, Yankees, Nationals or Astros in terms of overall talent.
Bullish predictions are based on rosy assumptions that players who have never played a full season will become immediate studs, and aging or weaker players will not see any form of regression. That just doesn’t happen.
It is more than fair to say the team should have been more selective with who they signed, let the young guys get a full season of development, see where guys like Anderson and Lopez are, give a shot to guys like Mercedes, and go full bore next season, with better information on the full core of the team.
I see this as a development year, not a year of contention, because I think it’s foolish to think guys with limited experience will suddenly blossom into stars. 2021 is a more realistic target.
And yes, there is risk in guys like DK, and frankly too much hope in guys like Mazara, Rodon and Lopez.
I’m clearly not a ChiSox fan, but, as a fan of a team that recently went through a “successful” rebuild, I understand what you’re saying.
In theory, you’re correct, but what typically happens is [Enter Prospect or Multiple Prospects that you have questions about] end(s) up having an up and down, so-so season, or you end up having injuries. This leaves you needing yet another half a year or season to truly gauge what positions you need to improve, and then you’ve just missed an opportunity. As a franchise, you never truly know 100% EXACTLY what holes you will end up having during a season, much less a year or two later..
Having the information of another year typically always seems like a good idea, but if you can strike early, why not?? They haven’t really mortgaged their future by signing any absurd contracts, so why not go ahead and fill-in some known holes to try and be competitive now??
Then, if everything does click, and you get unexpected growth and contributions from players you’re a year ahead of schedule, similar to what the Braves were able to do a couple seasons ago..
Again, in theory, it seems logical to throw out all your younger players on the field and see what happens; however, we often discount and discredit the impact of having a great locker room and veteran leadership.
By adding those veterans to your roster, you’re not only filling in some holes, but you’re also helping inspire confidence in your younger core, and furthermore you’re surrounding them with players that can teach them how to build good habits and routines, how to be leaders, how to be successful, how to manage their bodies over the course of a season, etc. They can share with them their experiences facing a pitcher, scouting reports, specific pitches they can expect in situations.
Having veteran mentors or peers is even more crucial and paramount to a younger pitcher’s growth and development, especially when you’re talking about three veterans like Gio, DK, and a catcher like Grandal. The experience, knowledge, and advice they’re going to share with Kopech, Lopez, Cease, and Rodon is immensely valuable and priceless for their development. They share sequencing advice, hitters’ weaknesses, in-game adjustments, various grips for different pitches, and the effect an experienced, veteran catcher can have on these guys is worth its weight in gold for the ChiSox young pitchers..Also, it can be as simple as having a competitive environment that just challenges each pitcher, young and old, to match the success of the last pitcher.
Yes, you have your coaches that can assist with all this, but by adding these effective and experienced veterans you’re essentially adding to your staff. Plus, all players learn and relate to things differently, the more advice, and one on one instruction they can get, it only benefits them..
Like I said, I understand that in theory it makes alot of sense to wait, see exactly what you have, etc., and then bring in guys to fill in around your core. But, if you can have your younger core building good habits, surrounded by experienced leaders, and win more games while learning, then it will only benefit the White Sox moving forward..
This is an extremely pivotal time for the ChiSox, where this young core needs to develop for them to be successful. If the Sox are going to be relevant moving forward, then they HAVE TO hit on their prime prospects. By surrounding them with winners and respected veterans, they are doing their best to erase their former losing culture, start fresh, and creating an atmosphere for these young rookies that is conducive to learning how to be successful..
While maybe a year early, I think the White Sox are setting an excellent example for their young studs, and in turn, I wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever to see this exciting team remain competitive to the very end
Good luck White Sox fans, it is definitely an exciting time for you guys!!
It’s one thing to be completely negative about other teams. Nonsensically trolling your own team when they’re making moves and adding quality players is an indication of one thing, and one thing only. pplama and chicagofan1978 are clearly not White Sox fans. They are trolls, most likely cvbs or twinkies trolls.
They are not trolls. They are skeptics.
Nope. They’re trolling, pplama especially.
Cubs will always live rent free in White Sox heads.
It’s hard for some not to respond negatively about the WSox when those like rallyshirt call out Yankee fans and make claims the ChiSox young hitters will light up Cole.
Nonetheless, I’ll let Cole’s pitching speak for itself. I think the Sox did a good job in the offseason, but when those type of statements surface, it does lend more credibility to the more negative fans as they point out others expect the younger guys to be immediate superstars, like on a video game.
I’m not engaging in the debate, just making an honest observation. Most of these guys will need time to mature and get used to big league pitching, honestly. Good luck in the season and I think you guys are going to have a fun team to watch with some really good players.
If any White Sox fan believes Kopech is going to be in the starting rotation needs to understand he is coming off Tommy John surgery where he is going to be on innings restriction to having to work on his change up. The best bet is that Kopech comes out of the bullpen this year since the new rule with a bullpen pitcher having to face at least three batters before being pulled is something that can help him gain his strength to possibly become a starter while developing his change up. If Kopech can not develop a decent change up he can become the White Sox’s future closer once Colome is gone.
pplama isn’t a troll…. he’s got some bad takes though…. what is his larger point? Dismiss Madrigal and Robert because they are rookies? Critical of spending in free agency to save money?
Situationally there is a different context to spending in free agency in 2020 compared to 2015. This is the larger point that maximum velocity and pplama are missing….
My belief that you make a bad post doesn’t also imply Sox division and WS championship.
Any Sox fan citing Burdi, Hanson, or Dunning is a fool… any Sox fan comparing team to LAD, NYY, or HOU talent is a fool….You make a bad faith argument because those claims aren’t on this message board.
I’ll support my claim that Robert will be good with facts… Minor League Player of the year a good predictor of future success?
Adam Laroche will not be batting cleanup, Conor Gillespie will not be starting at 3B, and Tyler Flowers will not be catching.
I’m pleased with the White Sox offseason and future
In reading his takes, though, I understand his frustration. LaRoche sucked, but he was a lot better the season before he signed than after. At the time, it looked like an improvement. Robertson wasn’t amazing in the bullpen like he was supposed to be, but he was effective. Melky is another guy who became worse after going to the Sox. Point is, that team had some veterans surrounding the core that just bombed. Gio’s arm could be shot, Keuchel could see his WHIP and ERA rise, and EE could finally succumb to age. I believe the core is better than the 2015 version. There’s no Sale, but there are better hitters and more members of that young core. I also believe Grandal is highly likely to keep performing at a high level. But we have “won” the offseason before, only to have most of those new pieces fail spectacularly. I don’t think it’s likely to happen, but then, I had hope for the 2015 season, too.
You are continuing to avoid assessing the pitching from each season in a player-by-player analysis.
There is a reason for your cherry-picked assessment.
Hey Sox fans( real ones) let’s play a game. The next article on here about the Chicago White Sox let’s see if we can not mention the other team in Chicago that doesn’t even really have anything to do with the Sox k? Can we do that? And Cub fans maybe the same on your part k? Can we do that? The prize is not looking like a total idiot to 28 other fan bases for arguing over our whopping 2 championships in over 100 years
Hey, it’s also 2 in the last 15 years, which, incidentally, is more than New York or Los Angeles have in that time frame.
If the White Sox want to grab 22,23,24 year olds to add to the young developing core then tge Sox should look at Senzel.
CF/OF Right/Right 6’01 215.
After the Castellanos signing Senzel,a University of Tennessee product,is now surplus for the Reds and on the block.
The 24-year-old Senzel hit .256 in 414 plate appearances in 2019 before his injury, with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs – with an OPS of .742.
As a comparison
Castellanos hit .321 with 16 homers in 225 plate appearances
It takes a good draft and years of development to grow a good 24 yo player.
If you can snag one cheap, you do it and stock pile as many as possible.
What other team?
@chicagofan1978
I wish we could bump your post up to the top of this message board.
Sure, there are instigators that come on these message boards to get the blood boiling, but I learned since I came back a few months ago to just ignore them. You feed the instigators and they will come back for more.
I hope this gets reposted as the first post on the next Sox article.
You deserve 100 thumbs up for this post.
@1978
I propose the majority of White Sox fans have no problem bringing up or arguing any points about other teams in relation to the south side. And referring to the number of championships is great for history but has nothing to do with the present conditions which determine the better teams.
The premise of “we’ve won more championships than you, or more recently” doesn’t matter because though the organization still exists and those banners are up, that past team and its relative strength within the league at that time is gone. It no longer exists. The only way to re-experience first-hand those past championships would require a time machine, or perhaps a vehicle capable of traveling beyond the speed of light to somehow catch up to the light which emitted from that season traveling now far off into space.
So what we’re really talking about is the current team and its relative position in the current league climate. This is challenging to accomplish without comparison and assessment with other teams. Your request to live in a vacuum or call for a safety blanket is an attempt to free yourself from other fans doing their part in assessing the current league climate and relative strength from their own personal and team perspective. This is not a mature position.
Now I agree with you when it comes to some posters who turn a debate into a provocation about, say for instance, your mom.
@Mick
Applying the above reasoning, I challenge you to reconsider your position as well. This is a competitive sport, and my bringing up “young White Sox hitters might outmatch the current highest-paid pitcher in all of baseball” is really an attempt to ask for more experienced data.
Not being an expert, I ask if new methodologies and techniques tend to favor the hitters more than the pitchers? And, in the context of next generation, is it even fair to think we can slow the evolution down by stating the opposite (Gerrit Cole will be a dominant force in the league 2-3 seasons from now with all the new hitters entering the league, let alone the White Sox)?
It’s an interesting take, but one thing to also consider is the advantage that the new roboumps might give to pitchers. That high outside strike that nips the corner, is rarely ever called, same for high pitches that nip the lines in general. Well, now, those will be strikes opening a hitters zone, and could cause then to chase more often..Not to mention, it will take the hitters some time to adjust..
This is something to take into consideration moving forward as well..Just a thought, but it is going to have an effect..Hitters will ultimately adjust, because that’s what successful hitters can do, but it’ll be interesting to see the impact during the initial adjustment period.
Is “dynamism” even a real word??
If the White Sox want to grab 22,23,24 year olds to add to the young developing core then tge Sox should look at Senzel.
CF/OF Right/Right 6’01 215.
After the Castellanos signing Senzel,a University of Tennessee product,is now surplus for the Reds and on the block.
The 24-year-old Senzel hit .256 in 414 plate appearances in 2019 before his injury, with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs – with an OPS of .742.
As a comparison
Castellanos hit .321 with 16 homers in 225 plate appearances
It takes a good draft and years of development to grow a good 24 yo player.
If you can snag one cheap, you do it and stock pile as many as possible.