WestEddy

Maybe the owner's meetings had so many exploding, in-pants diarrhea incidents that everybody's too embarrassed to speak face to face.

A 100 loss team played .500 ball against all playoff teams when Dylan Cease started that game. They went 9-32 when other pitchers started against playoff teams. I can't readily break out Cease's splits against playoff teams on B-R. In those 16 starts, I think he was only blown out twice.

Just to note, Dylan Cease started 16 games against the eventual playoff teams. He lasted through 5 in 13 of those. The White Sox went 8-8 in those starts.

Greg Norton, for sure. Had the adversity of his father killing his mother, and was raised by his older brother. I always had a soft spot for him based on that. Alan Bannister. He played in Korea for a winter, or something. They didn't slide on double plays, so when he whipped the relay, he nailed a runner right in the forehead. The runner got right up and ran to the dugout, so he thought the guy was okay. Turns out the player died in the next few days of a hemorrhage. I thought that must be a burden to carry through life. Dick Allen - Caught so much racist garbage early on in Philly. Then he daughter was murdered a little while back. Wilbur Wood - He just always seemed like a gentle and quiet guy. I always liked him. Walt Williams - went to a game with my Cub fan buddies back in the 80s. Walt Williams ran across the field, and I yelled "Hey, No-Neck". He stopped and turned. We waved, he got this big smile on his face and waved back. Greg Walker - I always thought he caught a bum rap as hitting coach. Seemed like a good guy. Francisco Barrios, Bobby Jenks, John Cangelosi, Harry Chappas.

I seem to remember Scott Boras getting involved in the A-Rod trade to the Yankees. A-Rod specifically didn't want the Yankees to clean house, that's why Alfonso Soriano had to be part of the return.

Started out a White Sox. Traded for Roy Smalley Jr. Smalley sucked in his 2 months here. Roy Smalley would be an honorable mention for what he cost, and what he didn't deliver.

The Erik Gonzalez era ended abruptly. I wonder if the Charlotte Knights move, now. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/reds-sign-erik-gonzalez.html

Pride of Grambling.

I guess that since the Cubs and Reds know they're out on Fedde, they have to move on to table scraps.

I wanted to say Alex Rios, but I'm more love/pity with the guy. He fell off a table for a couple of seasons, and had a great year. During his negative WAR season, I remember one particular play. Guy on first, single to CF. Rios squares up, gathers it in, goes to throw, and notices the runner from 1st rounding 3rd to score. His shoulders just slumped as if to say, "Hey, no fair!" He just looked so beaten.

All would be revealed in the medical reports. I guess you're right about the 40-man, but I think we'd be selling low on Santos right now. He'd be a nice trade piece in July.

I'm surprised at the repeated inclusion of Royce Clayton. Maybe just for unrealized dreaming. He moved Ozzie Smith to 2B and was reviled for that, right? In 2001, I was in Minneapolis for work meetings. It was the week of the season that was moved from the 9/11 week to the end of the season. I wound up in the same hotel as the White Sox, so I kept running into them all day. Royce and Maggs were sitting in the bar area. I went up to Magglio Ordoñez, called him Paul Konerko, and said I was his biggest fan. Royce Clayton busted up at that. Every time I'd run into Clayton on the elevator or the lobby, he was always cordial. I was wearing a Sox jacket, so maybe they thought I worked in marketing, or something.

If Santos is injured and needs surgery, I don't think anybody wants to tie up a roster spot with somebody who is essentially useless for a year. I'm going on Liptak's suggesting that forearm strain means TJS.

I think there's a whole genre of White Sox player who got everyone excited, and then for their 2 months, really weren't all that. Cesar Hernandez. Manny Ramirez.

Maybe value in that all human life has value. In baseball terms, though, he was a lotto ticket the White Sox worked with and corrected something to make him effective. If he's getting cut, he's probably back to maybe just above lotto ticket. There are so many other guys who could throw a ball right now that would be a better use of a 40 man spot than Santos.

And those 2 a-holes couldn't even be bothered to publicly talk up the White Sox. Their statements encouraged Machado to pick San Diego. I think we're going to need many more than 10 slots for this exercise. Wil Cordero needs a spot along side Mike Clevenger.

Soroka and Fedde are as bounce-back-y as Severino and Manaea. Probably more intriguing, as Sev & Man have been down for a while. Soroka's coming back from injury and Fedde looks like a different pitcher from what left America.

Tires on eBay, here. I miss the Temu lady in the red pajamas.

I tried to do this organically. Navarro just sucked, replacing Alex Fernandez. Kemp, for being traded for Lemon. Wells and Kruk could have kept their mouths shut, leaving. Viciedo and Avisail for all the unfulfilled prospect. Beckham was just a sad sack. Ritchie fell off a table, and LaRoche could really just suck it. Jaime Navarro Todd Ritchie Steve Kemp David Wells Nick Swisher John Kruk Dayan Viciedo Adam LaRoche Avisail Garcia Gordon Beckham

Rick Hahn would already have Cease and Eloy traded, and he'd be introducing Flaherty, Josh Harrison and Trayce Thompson to the media.

The Sox actually wanted Leyland, either after LaMont or Bevington. Leyland wouldn't take the job because of how LaMont was treated.

Dude at SBNation - Royals' site advances a few trade ideas for the Royals. https://www.royalsreview.com/2023/12/4/23982849/five-royals-trade-ideas-heading-into-the-winter-meetings Salvador Perez, Michael Massey and cash to the White Sox for Michael Kopech, Jonathan Cannon and Luis Rodriguez

Then I have no idea what you think a baseball pitcher should be doing.

Cease's 2021 was also a good. He led the league in K/9. While Dylan Cease may not be one of the top 3-5 pitchers in the game, he is an incredibly valuable pitcher who will give you a floor-to-ceiling 2.5-6 bWAR. The fact that his absolute floor at this phase of his career is better than average, I'm not sure why people are talking about him like he's Dylan Covey, or something. In money paid for his endurance, talent, upside, and lack of drama - for 2 controllable years - he's the best value available in trade or free agency. I'm not sure why that's so hard to grasp.

I'm guessing both sides are launching narratives in all directions, trying to gin up (and down) interest in other teams.