Chimpton

I know Grandal has some issues defensively but realistically how much would a replacement of similar overall performance cost either in a trade or as a FA.

I was just looking at the Sox top 30 prospects to see if there was any hope on there of adding to the squad for 2022. Does anyone think that Cespedes (Yoelqui) will be MLB ready at any time next year as the ETA on the list says? Also what happens to Lambert and Stiever, neither is getting any younger will they be trade pieces? Finally Yolbert Sanchez is he a long term (or short term) hope for 2B or just another make weight in a trade?

Ok I made a mistake!

Thank you.

Again sorry for my ignorance but why is a lockout a probability?

Which of those players would bring the greatest return if traded? And which realistically could be traded/ would generate interest?

I think the injury and recovery were such that his swing and power would have been effected. Also bearing in mind that 2020 was only 60 games and this season he only played 60 games, it was almost the equivalent of him having a second season slump, it is easy to forget he is only 24 with only 232 games and 894 abs. That said I think next season will be an important one for Eloy.

Thank you for taking the time for such a thorough reply

Thank you. So until then just loads of gossip and speculation!

Just a quick (maybe silly) question, but when normally does anything happen in the off season regards player transactions? Obviously I know the WS has to be over first but after that when do moves really begin to happen?

Well that's enough to make a man turn to drink! A pity it is the Sox manager.

Just looked at the Sox MLB page and saw this article with TA and Burr singing the praises of TLR. Tim Anderson on Tony La Russa impact on White Sox (mlb.com) TA said “I couldn't be more happy with what he did. The relationship was great, overall, with the players. Everybody was just getting along with him. He came in and did what he was supposed to do, and hopefully he can step right back in and continue to push us next year and make these decisions that he did. I was very pleased with how he handled it.” Burr said "I would run through a wall for that guy any day of the week" Looks like TLR is here to stay ?

38 home runs per 162 games, is that not a power bat?

I am really puzzled by the number of posters on here saying Eloy Jimenez should/could be traded. His poor 2021 batting stats on a relatively small sample can possibly be attributed to his injury which was a serious one and being in the pectoral area is likely to have effected his batting even after coming back. His 162 game average is 38 home runs and he is a left handed power bat in a line up that lacks left handers. Added to which he is only 24 and has the potential to improve. I know that he is not the best fielder but his dWAR has improved season on season suggesting he is working on it, and once again he is only 24, I know he will never be a good fielder but he may become adequate. Finally the injury prone accusation, before this season's big injury in 2019 & 2020 he made more appearances than Tim Anderson and only 7 less than Yoan Moncada neither of whom are accused of being injury prone as much as Eloy. I really think we have yet to see the best of Eloy and talk of trading him, and even some people suggesting we would not get much in return, is unbelievable. But I am prepared to be proved wrong or persuaded of the error of my ways.

Does that mean in a few years time he will be traded for an overpriced reliever?

Will Crochet definitely be in the pen next season or do you think they will be looking to move him into starting? And are you assuming they will not pick up on the option for Hernandez?

Are there really that many holes to fill? And if so does that mean the rebuild has gone off track if there are that many holes and not much money or wriggle room? By the way I am not disagreeing with you just curious what you think.

That would only be true if no-one was willing to trade for him.

Maybe no one would give up what we did in Madrigal but you would get something, if you don't pick up the option you get nothing and the Madrigal trade is even worse.

Looking back at this season, part of me thinks that having more of a challenge to win the division would have benefitted the Sox. It was too easy to get into cruise mode in the second half and they didn't really have any 'pressure games' all season until this series against the Astros. With a lot of young players , and some of the older ones, it was easy for bad habits, such as sloppy defense to be acceptable and poor plate discipline because a loss here or there didn't really matter as the division was won from so far out. I'm not saying I want him back, but one thing Ricky R. seemed to be drilling into the players was to maintain standards at all times, I just didn't get that impression this season from TLR, other than his needless criticism of Yermin for hitting a home run.

Perhaps the biggest take from this season has been the experience gained by so many young players ahead of their time due to the injuries the squad faced. I just hope that players like Sheets, Vaughan and to an extent Burger are not traded away too easily in the hunt for experienced players as I think that if they are allowed to grow together then it would be a bigger benefit to the Sox going forward than acquiring expensive big names who will be less invested in the club.

I fully agree with what you say as far as the regular season goes, but I thought this team was terrible in the series against the Astros, failing to do the basics right even though they were near full strength again. I don't know if the pressure got to them but the whole team seemed to unravel, especially in that 4th game

My biggest concern is not necessarily the players but the manager and coaches. All season the record against >.500 teams has been poor and once again when the pressure is applied post season the basics are badly missing. Watching some of the fielding this series has been embarrassing, seeing a man steal 2nd & 3rd as easily as that in a postseason game is just unbelievable. My point is that you can assemble a team of talented players but if they are coached and managed badly they will under-perform. Why do so many players traded for by the Sox put up some of their worst numbers when they arrive? The young players and talent we have are potentially being wasted and picking up bad habits that will stall their development under the present regime. People talk of trading Eloy or Moncada but these are players of massive potential who really have stalled or regressed under the manager and coaches (I just know that if traded they would start to show that potential elsewhere). TLR was brought in for his postseason experience and if anything this season's postseason performance was worse than last. Unless the manager and coaches are changed we will waste another season next year with key players getting older, young players stalling in development and the window getting smaller.

I don't think they were banking on him playing regularly this season either but Eloy and Robert then got injured. I think that as a platoon player Engel is more than adequate.

Ashamed to say that at 5-1 I gave up watching and went to bed (I'm in the UK so it was very at late night!). Woke up this morning to find out I had missed an amazing comeback. Just watched the highlights and the atmosphere looked amazing. Thank goodness Game 4 is on earlier so that I can watch it all without having to stay up through the night!