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You really need to rub one out or something because you are way too nervous about everything bro.

that’s my shortstop

Some of you take all these statements way too much at face value. What kind of advantage does it serve both the White Sox or the Yoan camp to acknowledge that they are working on an extension?

Seriously? Putting aside that AAA numbers in a vacuum mean very little in predicting major league performance, let's go with your numbers example anyway. Both are players who are nominally catchers but probably more 1B/DH-types long term who can occasionally catch... Player A: Took 260 games over 2.5 years to reach AAA, where he put up a .951 OPS in 88 games at age 24 Player B: Took 564 games over 8.5 years to reach AAA, where he put up a 1.033 OPS in 53 games at age 26 Can you not understand the context here? I want Yermin to succeed, he's a fun player and I hope he kicks ass (and he might!). But literally anyone who follows prospects and minor leaguers, as scouts or journalists, will tell you that you cannot just look at someone who mashed in AAA for a half season and assume they will do the same in the majors. The correlation factor there is very small. Dan Black did the same thing in AAA, at the same age as Yermin (and got there a lot faster). They are even similarly built and both were itinerant catchers. Black never saw the majors. You can make a list with at least one player almost every year in Charlotte who does this, and the great majority either don't see the majors or get there but provide no value. Further proof? Here's a list of players, year, and age in AAA for the Knights the last 8 years or so, who played some combo of C and/or 1B, and posted strong (let's say mid-800's OPS or better) numbers at age 25+, playing at least a few weeks there (and I'll leave out the ones who had played a lot of MLB before their AAA time)... Matt Skole, 2019, 29, .880 OPS Danny Hayes, 2016, 25, .847 OPS Dan Black, 2015, 27, 1.025 OPS (closest approximation) Andy Wilkins, 2014, 25, .896 OPS Josh Phegley, 2014, 26, .861 OPS Josh Phegley, 2013, 25, .966 OPS Seth Loman, 2013, 27, .861 OPS What does that list tell you? Some never even made it to the majors. Of the ones who did, only one put up a positive WAR for their career (Phegley). And in Phegley's case he had only about 300 career MiLB games prior to that 2013 explosion. Not 564. Plus he is more legitimately a catcher. Be very wary of AAA numbers without context. That is why people are pushing back.

Shouldn’t be hard because that would be stupid

Jack, there is this thing called scaling wages. As the team sits now, this roster could/may/likely will cost about 160 million in 3 years with no additions. The Sox are not going to burn budgets just to sign a guy like Puig for no reason at all. The Sox are also reportedly negotiating extensions with their best young player after already locking up a majority of their other best young position players. The way your brain seems to work is every single negative report = the gospel. Every single positive report you ignore and focus solely on the one report you read that reaffirmed your preconceived beliefs and negative views.

Agreed. I don't see the Sox passing on it either. The contention window is open, a college arm will be in close proximity to the majors, and a college arm will probably be the BPA at 11 anyways. I'm hoping for a similar pick structure to 2019. College guy in the 1st, then plenty of prep picks after.

I think you meant back off of the ledge.

I don't think it's bizarre at all. They'll be much more prep focused under Shirley. I'd rather have the best HS pitcher or best HS SS than the 4th best college arm probably. The college hitters will rise and push talent down the board.

This is the best 9th inning team in the history of sports

I get your point, and he should STOP SLIDING HEAD FIRST PERIOD (this makes me crazy), but you're not going to take that competitiveness out of him right now. He's going to bust it right now as a young guy. He hit that and his brain just yelled triple. The sliding thing needs to stop though, for everyone. It won't happen though. Jammed wrists, thumbs... had my hands stomped on by a metal spike. Nothing good comes of it. And replay makes sliding feet first even harder when coming in at full speed because they'll call you out if you pop off for .01 seconds. Really dumb of baseball.

I like you Jack, but things like this are absolutely wild. Funny, but wild.

Hahaha no. Sitting at my computer at home ?

Yeah, let's teach them to not play hard.

I'm all for hustle but do we really need our 3 WAR projected CF legging out a triple in the 2nd spring training game with a head first slide? No, we don't.

Moncada on pace to strike out 450 times this season.

Imagine wanting to see a guy play who puts up incredible numbers over guys who do not (Collins). I know we’re going SO overboard.

You tell them Not St*ve C*shek.

Professional Writer

There's a good chance 4-5 of these guys are better than last years top college arm Nick Lodolo. If I can get one of them at pick 11 there is no way I'm passing on that.

Yoan is not going to say oh yeah we’re in negotiations and this is where we are at and the dollar amount and years. That’s just not how it works.

Now that's a lineup to get excited about.

Moncada showed huge strides last season offensively and defensively. There's never really been an argument about his tools, and last season he seemed to figure a lot out. Even if he reverts a bit this season and ends up being a good-to-great third baseman that can hit .280ish while hitting 25 HRs and knocking in 80+ runs a season, he'd be worth every penny of the rumored extensions. There's not a lot of evidence that he's going to fall off a cliff. He didn't have a great couple months and a bad couple months that evened out to a nice season. He was really good all season. The risk of not extending him now is most likely losing him when he's 26-27 years old. Think about the contracts Harper and Machado got and figure that's where Moncada's offers start.

I have a feeling that Delmonico will soon be added to this discussion. The history Stone shared yesterday, about Nickey's painful injury and how he is now feeling 100%, coupled with his positive mechanical changes, working with Menechino, were all a revelation to me. At this early point in the season, I'd favor either Mercedes or Delmonico. Once Madrigal is added to the 26 man roster, I'd like to see the 4 bench players consist of Engel, Leury, McCann and one of those two.

I don't think it's that he is saying "he's david eckstein and david eckstein isn't that valuable" as much as "the only recent player who has succeeded with that profile is david eckstein" which makes madrigal actually more risky than many would admit. Madrigal really needs to keep his walk rate where it is though. He really needs that .350 obp

Exactly, and the cost of a prime free agent year is much more than some people imagine. To be able to get two or three of those at $30M per would be a huge win for us.

Right. I think the obsession with getting a good deal is blinding people to the benefit of just guaranteeing you have him on your team beyond FA.

I really don’t think the Sox plan on using Leury as the primary reserve IF. I’m almost certain that role will go to Mendick. Once Madrigal is up, Leury’s role should be platoon RF and versatile utility guy. Engel will likely be the final bench piece as Robert’s main backup and late inning defensive replacement for Eloy and/or Mazara. I would honestly be shocked at this point if those guys and McCann weren’t our bench come May.

Again, once Madrigal is added, I would expect Leury to be the primary reserve infielder. He should be ahead of Mendick, especially considering that Leury has a $3,5 Million contract. I think Mendick returns to Charlotte, once Madrigal is given second base. Engel is a better choice for the 4TH outfielder, to provide late inning defense, as well as a possible platoon partner for Mazara. I don't see the Sox carrying a 5TH Bench player. I think there will be 13 pitchers and 13 position players.

Mendick is our primary reserve IF and I really don’t see that changing. If anyone were to get bumped for Delmonico it would likely be Engel and that seems incredibly unlikely. And the only chance for Mercedes to make the team is with a five man bench IMO.

However this deal is being structured, I do hope that it will keep him under Sox control, through this window of contention, but not so long that he lacks sufficient incentive to play for another contract. Perhaps an opt out after 2027, or simply a deal which expires after that season. Having him through his age 31 season would be great. Conceptually, this strategy of paying for the prime years, while maintaining control, seems much more sensible than paying for declining years of production, and being saddled with an albatross contract for a player in his very late 30's.

Or Not Steve Cishek is James Fox?

If only Yermin could play defense...

Look if Moncada is not great than the rebuild takes a major hit anyway. We might as well be all in on him. I for one think he is a MVP type player.

It's not against the rules, period. If the rules are poorly defined, the parameters for breaking them are flawed and cannot truly be broken. Period.

“He’s simply fun to watch, and Yermin can hit,” Hahn said. “All Yermin does is hit every level he goes to. He’s pretty good back there behind the plate in terms of his ability to control a running game, his framing, his lateral movement and even for a big guy, it’s pretty strong.” Yermin isn't an old guy - he is only two years older than Collins. Mercedes is probably a better catcher and first basemen than Collins and he is a far better hitter. Collins chances or reaching the majors with the White Sox continue to get more remote.

vaughn's swing is like a cyborg's. I'm fairly convinced that if vaughn was 6-4" he'd be a top 15 prospect. and in baseball height doesn't really matter despite perception.

Reminds me of Donaldson.

I don’t see them benching their big free agent addition unless they plan on using McCann as Giolito’s exclusive catcher.

Even odds that Yermin would outhit Edwin this season

If Moncada signs an extension, then Abreu’s deal will all be worth it.

This one hurts. I'm not convinced that Abreu would be any better than Yermin this year

This is exactly how you would avoid the Cubs fiasco they have going on right now with their core.

It seems like these guys really like each other and he, very obviously, enjoyed that they extended Abreu and said so... and said he wanted to show/have same loyalty. At some point, the culture being built deserves at least a very tiny bit of credit here.

Next spring ill livestream for you guys

Thank God it's Bummer, ESPN had Luery Garcia on a 5 year deal and that was a really concerning.

It’s unreal to see people come up with long winded stories on why guys stink who are crushing it on the actual field. Sometimes things should be about common sense. Let’s see if he gets a shot and what happens long term.