South Side Hit Men

Yes, home runs off of Verlander are a dime a dozen. Pederson + Engel >>> Eaton + Engel I don’t want a single start by “Nobody like ju in the White Sox Clubhouse” against a lefty. Not one. I also don’t want a single start above the seven hole. Not one.

Just West of the ballpark. https://mobile.twitter.com/whitesox/status/1354891139317428234

Yes, complete garbage.

The Cubs won their division last year and have at least a $10m higher payroll at this point, and there are many solid free agents left. There was zero reason to win December and sign Eaton.

Yep. Rather have one duck sized Joc Pederson than Adam Eaton.

I'd rather have Jake Cave straight up. It was another rushed early acquisition. Bradley Jr, or Pederson are much better options without the headaches. Jake Cave Projections: Age 28; PA 389; HR 14 OPS .749 Adam Eaton Projections: Age 32; PA 503; HR 12; OPS .750 Joc Pederson Projections: Age 29; PA 438: HR 25; OPS .808 Jackie Bradley Jr. Projections: Age 31; PA 550; HR 18; OPS .737

Samardzija and Rodon heading to Chicago to throw for scouts next week. https://www.radio.com/670thescore/sports/chicago-cubs/cubs-will-watch-jeff-samardzija-throwing-session-free-agency Chicago Cubs scouts.

That’s what Hahn told Carson Fulmer before putting him on waivers. Glad Wainwright isn’t here, the Sox don’t need a pitcher pushing 40.

To me, the primary source of angst for me, and I believe for a majority here, is their blatant dishonesty over the years, and specifically over the past few months. "We're looking for a manager with recent post season experience" "We are now opening our window for multiple championships" Rolling out Tony's "I don't have a racist bone in my body" Press Conference a day before the announcement of his latest arrest, and stating Tony would be available for questions after his case was adjudicated when 59 legitimate managers and GMs were available for Winter Meeting interviews. If you have no intentions of interviewing anyone other than your owner's crony buddy with zero future job prospects based on his age, criminal record, and ten years outside of the dugout, then don't say you are undergoing a legitimate manager interview process. Just announce the hire and Renteria's dismissal when it's done, instead of blowing smoke up our asses. If your spending limit is a mid level payroll in a league were a majority of teams are tanking, don't boast about multiple championship windows. Teams much smarter than you aren't doing it, you're not either. Teams including small market teams and teams not allowed to play in their own country are committed to building a legitimate World Series roster, you are not. Just state you are happy with fielding a team you feel will be competitive. if you intend to keep Tony in a sealed bunker until baseball starts this Spring or Summer, than don't say that he will be made available, and hope things blow over. Say nothing, and don't lose the minuscule credibility you may think you have.

Solid segment on the Parkins show today, covering the Nightengale comments which caused the Jerry cheap/clown dual threads last night. They disclosed an inside source stating they have $3M left this off-season. Combined with Nightengale/Stone comments, sounds like nobody beyond a minor league signing or perhaps a backup catcher or pitcher reclamation are the remaining options. They also discussed the fact with this limited payroll, signing Adam Eaton when and for what they did was absolutely ridiculous, payroll has decreased since the 2011 team, and the self imposed salary limitations are disgraceful. Discussion starts at 21:30: https://www.radio.com/670thescore/podcasts/parkins-show-63/parkins-grote-sean-salisbury-interview-white-sox-being-cheap-hour-2-355674077

No player should talk about 3,000 hits before they reach 3,000 at bats, and it's an open question at this point Nick reaches that plateau. Between COVID and the CBA, it may take him until his age 26 season to become the All Time White Sox Hit Leader named Nick. All Time White Sox Hit Leader Board - Players Named Nick Nicky Delmonico 114 Nick Swisher 109 Nick Madrigal 35

I really hoped he went to one of the LA teams, one of the few willing to pay him. He went 0-2 in the best chance he’ll ever have to win a World Series. Definitely not worth the headache or payroll issues he will cause anyone beyond a 1-2 year deal. I don’t want him on the few teams I like. Definitely more happy with Lynn for a year, if the Sox sign one more decent starter not pushing 40 years old, they have a good shot at getting through a real season (i.e. close to 162) with gas left in the tank.

Hahn’s strengths are: Negotiating Contracts. Convincing Dinosaurs (JR KW) to enter the 21st century Allowing Marco Paddy to do his great job Evaluating / Extending quality internal players I appreciate his efforts attempting to stop the TLDR fiasco. Hahn or Renteria were never given a legitimate chance to fully engage in their role. Hahn has never been allowed to hire a manager, and Ricky never had a chance to manage a competitive team with more than one solid playoff starter, or even construct his coaching staff. Hahn’s primary weakness coming into this period is player acquisition in a competitive window. 2013-2016 was abysmal, but can’t tell how much meddling KW had to do with it. Sox WL records were the same as during the tanking years. Ventura is a terrible manager, didn’t even want to be here, but he had little to work with. It will take a few more years to see how Hahn’s recent acquisitions (Grandal, Keuchel, Hendricks) play out, and if he can extend the right current players once their cheap contracts expire. I don’t think they expected to be competitive last year, and only were due to COVID and the resulting 60 Game Central Division Schedule. The jury is still out on whether Tony is in charge. I’ll put a poll out as to who is in charge if Molina, Wainright and/or Pujols are also brought in to keep Tony happy.

It helps with owner collusion. Owners have operated with a de facto salary cap for decades, but unlike the other North American leagues, they do not include significant revenue streams, and lie / obfuscate at every turn. The players really need to stand firm to gain a legitimate share of the revenue, and restore competitive integrity because the owners clearly have no interest in either. Jerry had no qualms taking the lead among ownership to destroy baseball and the Union, the one other time he had a team with a legitimate long term window (1990s). He wants a 16 team playoff so he can dangle a fourth place carrot.

January 28 Report card, just over six months before Spring Training (July 1, because Science): Management: Managerial search / Tony LaRussa F - Ethan Katz / Firing Don Cooper A Lowering Payroll, Having Paul Sullivan Praise Dear Leader’s significant investments. F - Acquisitions to date: Adam Eaton F - Adding Lance Lynn / Losing Dunning and Weems B Liam Hendricks A + Backup Catcher - TBD / Zach Collins = D Announcers: Len Kasper A + Not banning Sox Fan Troll Steve Stone on Twitter F Overall: Targeting AL Central Title A - Targeting World Series Title C- 1/28/21 Off-season GPA C-

The equivalent is if Kim Jong-un dies, nobody knows what the fuck will happen in North Korea with no heir. Sure it's possible things get worse, but not likely. I'm hoping for a Theo led investor group and nuke the entire front office, and Stone/Ozzie. Stone is the absolute worst. I can't wait for new ownership to sweep his tired 200 year old ass out the door the minute they take over. Welcome back Ray. I rather have given Drake LaRoche $8M than a penny to Adam Eaton. Dear Leader, post has gone full circle.

Jerry left the Bulls to Michael a few years ago. If jerry were still in control, GarPax and Boylan would still be there. His family is keeping the Bulls and selling the White Sox after he croaks or is too decrepit to serve as White Sox Chairman. Sox fans have reason for hope after Jerry is gone, based on the competent decisions after Jerry's stench left the United Center. The Blackhawks also flourished after Bill Wirtz croaked. This was a 50/50 town, until Reinsdorf and Einhorn took over, and destroyed the fan base and any goodwill built over the previous 80 years. Him and the drunken, criminal manager jerry dug up from the grave after 10 years of "retirement". Jerry himself said last Spring Training Tony La Russa has ZERO business returning managing, that he cannot relate to young players. Yet another DUI arrest later, and here we are. The Baseball HOF is not owned or controlled by MLB. Other owners really don't care that Jerry brought in yet another crony selection into the HOF. Jerry doesn't give a rats ass about White Sox history pre 1980. To him, the White Sox organization began in 1981, and he doesn't care what happens after he is dead, just that he dies with over $2 Billion +.

It doesn't but JAWS, which considers both career and peak (7 year) performance is a quality metric in terms of evaluating HOF players. JAWS is best used comparing players within a position. it's a better indicator than using raw stats like you presented, because it takes into account performance within their era. Pappas and Welch were beneficiaries of playing in a reduced offensive era, and their ballparks helped as well. Wins and Losses are contingent on the quality of his teammates (lineup, defense, bullpen). https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_P.shtml Schilling 64.1 Brown 56.5 Buehrle 47.4 Welch 36.9 Pappas 36.1 Roger Clemens and 19th century player Jim McCormick are the only two pitchers with a higher JAWS not in the HOF. McCormick should have been inducted long ago, not sure why he was overlooked. We know why Clemens remains out. Schilling is 28th all time in SP JAWS, 26th in WAR, and 51st in Peak WAR, higher than players considered to have great peaks including Palmer (56) and Koufax (57).

Simmons has the fifth highest projected 2021 fWAR (3.1) among all eligible free agents this off-season, with Springer, Bauer, LeMahieu and Semien #1-4. https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/free-agent-tracker AL Central Free Agent Signings +1.0 fWAR Team / projected 2021 fWAR / Player / $s / (Year(s)) Twins 3.1 Simmons $10.5M (1) Royals 2.2 Minor $9.0M (2) Royals 1.8 Santana $8.75M (2) Indians 1.7 Hernandez $5.0M (1) Twins 1.4 Happ $8M (1) White Sox 1.1 Eaton $7M (1) White Sox 1.0 Hendricks $13M (4) Available Remaining +2 fWAR Free Agents (Projected fWAR & Contract (AAV & # years) 3.8 Bauer $29M * 3 3.1 Turner $16M * 2 2.9 Ozuna $17.5M * 4 2.9 Tanaka $18M * 3 2.5 Gregorius $15M * 3 2.4 Pederson $10M * 2 2.1 Paxton $15M * 2

O'Day signed by the Yankees with a creative 2022 option, and luxury tax impact. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/01/yankees-sign-darren-oday.html 12:48pm: O’Day receives a $1.75MM salary for the upcoming season and has a $1.4MM player option with a $700K buyout, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. He’ll actually make the first decision, and if he opts for the buyout, the Yankees then have a $3.15MM club option over the righty. Technically, because O’Day is guaranteed this year’s $1.75MM salary and that $1.4MM player option, one could call this a $3.15MM guarantee over a two-year term. However, since only the buyout is technically factored into the guarantee under the luxury tax, it’s a one-year, $2.45MM deal for luxury purposes. Ultimately, if O’Day pitches well enough to decline that player option but still have the club option exercised, it seems he can earn a total of $5.6MM between 2021-22.

I understand the dilemma with the roids players. Ichiro was borderline, only because of not starting here until late, but would vote for him after reflecting further. CC Sabathia is short based on historical standards. However, he pitched in a time of shifting standards and pitch count limitations. Current Pitchers will have less counting stats vs current HOF, but the hall should represent the best players for each generation, and there is certainly an argument CC was, or was very close to reaching that standard. Rose, Bobby Grich and Shoeless Joe would be three I’d vote for via Veterans committee if they were eligible.

As opposed to posting the I am wrong without anything other than “a belief”, can you link an actual quote or statement by Quintana or his agent regarding interest in returning? I never came across confirmed interest by either side. I agree with these two takes. I would have liked the Sox to have made an offer. My point is, if the offers were similar, Q would take the situation he would be more comfortable. I don’t believe La Russa vetoed it as stated in the post I was responding to. If Tony did veto an offer, than Tony should shut his 200 year old ass up, as folks say in the Twitter world. https://mobile.twitter.com/stevestone/status/1354258105375232000

The players I’d vote for at this point who have retired or have done enough to likely finish as HOF eligible based on performance: C Mauer 1B Pujols & Cabrera 2B Cano 3B Beltre SS Rodriguez LF Bonds CF Trout SP Clemens, Greinke, Kershaw, Scherzer, Schilling, Verlander RF & RP None /ballot, would check back in 2030 to see who earned a case since.

I’d say it was more of the opposite. Quintana wanted to sign with a manager he liked and could trust. Quintana, like every player except possibly Keuchel, likes Ricky Renteria, and he likes Joe Maddon. Only one option was available in 2021. Quintana also liked Cooper, so he really had no ties left in the Sox clubhouse. Not sure if the Sox even gave him an offer, but they should of. Definitely a much better option then TLDR’s fucking 40 year old Adam Wainwright option, a pitcher his own team either doesn’t want or doesn’t want beyond a cheap take it or leave it offer.

I agree with Giolito, but disagree they should extend Lynn. The four players (Lynn, Grandal, Keuchel and Hendricks) on the wrong side of 30 at $65M-$70M. I wouldn't have signed Grandal last year, not because he is bad but because offense from your catcher is a luxury for a mid level payroll, same as a top closer which you state above. Coming into the off season, assuming this is their payroll, I would have targeted Bradley Jr, Rosario and a defense first BU catcher. For pitching, would have signed a decent SP to eat up innings (and kept Dunning), and promoted from within for the closer role, adding 1-2 FA relievers. Crochet should be stretched to be a full time starter over the next two season. You can add a July pickup if the younger guys aren't stepping up after another year of development and time with Katz. Between Cease, Kopech, Lopez and at the time Dunning, you should have a decent #3 and #4 by the time the playoffs started, could also pick up someone in July if they are not (or significant injuries occur).