WestEddy

I predicted 68 wins, which was pretty optimistic for the site. The injuries to Yoan, Eloy and Robert, coupled with the horrific offensive slump the entire team started out in were the biggest factor, early.

We all knew this was a rebuilding season, and we knew this team was going to be bad. We also all knew the obstacles Getz faced. Bad reputation, cut payroll. JR doesn't want to pay multiple managers. Then the injuries, and the team slump to open the season. Now the bullpen implodes. I don't see the point of pretending that $1.8 million is a huge waste of money on a team with a $135 million payroll. I like the concept of signing a bunch of guys, throwing them out there, cutting those who look finished, then finding more. Fedde, Flexen, Soroka. Two of those guys look like they're tradable. That was the whole point. Nothing matters until the draft, TDL, then the prospect promotions. It's all pretty straight-forward. I don't see how that's "carrying water".

I would guess that if you added up all the money paid to Stassi, Maldonado, Lopez, DeJong, Julks, Pham, Grossman, Pillar, Ortega, Fedde, Flexen, Soroka, Brebbia, Hill, Keller, Clevinger, Leone, Woodford, and Shaw, it would be superseded by the value produced just by DeJong, Julks, Pham, Fedde and Flexen, easily. The people complaining about the wasted money are resolute in complaining about everything. There is no point.

DeJong is playing under his expected defensive abilities, but still better than average.

DeJong's on track for a 30 HR season. There's got to be some value in that.

The corner tavern.

Thorpe will probably deal with Katz much more than Grifol. I've never heard anything bad about Katz and his relationships with pitchers.

Andrew Vaughn is on an 11 game hitting streak. In those 11 games, he's slashing .364/.391/.636

Can't really count on wins, anymore; the White Sox have been shut out once in the last 36 games.

Today. Thorpe. Maybe Sosa?

Because the infusion of talent that Robert brings back will hasten our improvement to competitiveness. It will take a lot longer for the White Sox to fill out their roster with stars if they only use the draft and free agency to do it.

And paired with Sleepy Harold's update at FutureSox, there isn't anything you shouldn't know about White Sox' minor leagues. https://www.futuresox.net/2024/06/10/trending-on-the-farm-quero-torches-tn/

Jim Margalus has a nice, deep write-up of how the Sox' top prospects have been doing over the last fortnight. https://soxmachine.com/2024/06/white-sox-pitching-depth-drew-thorpe/

No, I'm talking about somebody spilling the beans on the 2024 clubhouse. Like, Wilson being traded, then quoted with "Man, that place is bonkers", or something like that. I could see this team not trading Robert or Crochet, plugging in Cannon, Thorpe...maybe Bush, getting Yoan back, and actually playing just bad baseball. Maybe after the draft and trade deadline, they even start plugging Toussaint, Bush, Eder, Adams, some of their depth, into the big club's bullpen.

And we won't have an actual "data" on how this clubhouse is until after the trade deadline, when maybe somebody will go on a run with their new team and have to explain themselves.

I've even read reporting that this year's clubhouse is fine. Maybe it's not, and they're all just saying that to hold off the wolves. Everybody's calling Moncada lazy, who injured himself trying to beat out an infield single. 26 guys don't have to like each other to a man. There's always going to be a couple guys who have their own pace.

I don't even see the quotes from the article as players "ripping" on the Sox. The most damning one is the last. I can't imagine that Getz and Grifol are buddies. Getz' recent, luke-warm statement that they'd reevaluate the manager's position after the season seems to put the crosshairs right on Grifol. I don't know if Grifol does that bibbledy-babble thing in private, too, but if rookies and bullpen guys are getting mixed messages, or have ever-changing rolls, that's frustrating, and can make it a grind even coming to work. And most of those quotes seem like they can include past seasons. I would think that Getz, Bannister, Barfield, Janish, Shirley - they're all on the same page. Grifol doesn't seem to be in the information chain, or he has a horrible way of not giving out private information.

Jesus Christ!!! Just put in Soroka at this point.

"Mr. Sheets will let you know when you've thrown a strike."

He costs about as much as the rookie minimum.

You know the Sox are paying right around the minimum for Stassi's services this year, right?