The Kids Can Play

I agree and think so too, as apparently the signing bonus allowed for him is a $3.03 million signing bonus for being the 22nd pick.

I know that's not the rule. You misread my post. I was saying it's a great pick. I was just hoping he signs with the Sox and not bypass signing with the Sox and then goes and plays college baseball at Indiana. He can go play for Indiana and yes if he does, he has to play three years before being eligible for the draft. However my point was if he signs a contract with the Sox, then he can't go to Indiana and then begins his career now with the Sox.

It's a baseball offer and not basketball. If you read the articles, Colson mentioned he had little interest from basketball coaches as they knew he was going to go play baseball.

Of course not, but he hasn't signed a contract with the Sox yet. Many players each year out of HS that are drafted, skip signing with that big league club and go play college baseball. I am confident though Hahn and his staff had some conversations with Colson or they wouldn't have drafted him. At least I'm hoping that was the case.

Great pick from everything I've read and seen on You Tube. I just hope he signs with the Sox and play at University of Indiana where he has a full ride offer.

Just another example in the lack of leadership from TLR. That message absolutely should have been given by TLR to the players. Yet again, based on how motivating it is to listen to TLR after a game, I can understand why he asked Joe to give the message. I'm sure at least Joe gave some passion in his announcement. ?

Katz was for sure hired by Rick Hahn. It was Giolito who went to Hahn on his behalf. I am not sure , but I also think Hahn was responsible for Menechino's hire, as there wasn't any connection whatsoever between Frank and TLR.

Totally agree. Total players are expected to play. TLR is not a good manager. he wouldn't even be the manager of his buddy JR didn't make a dumb decision to make up for a big mistake he made 35 years ago in letting Hawk Harrelson fire TLR. A lot of competent managers could win with the team that Hahn has put together. For all the people here who still think TLR is the reason the Sox are winning at this success rate, is just as wrong as when the Bulls Jerry Krause told us that organizations win championships, not players.

If Jerry Reinsdorf didn't give TLR the job, would Hahn have signed TLR? It's a pathetic joke that an arrogant JR had to make up for a huge mistake he made from 35 years ago, when he allowed Hawk Harrelson to fire TLR. I am not going to give a grade to TLR. This post was initiated because the poster expected us to apology to TLR for the success of this team. I will stand on my remarks and I will not apologize because TLR was handed one of the best teams in MLB. This team would be winning with many other managers. The fact we had horrific injuries along the way and then minor leaguers and rookies stepped up, has nothing to do with TLR. The credit as I said belongs to Rick Hahn for putting this team together. Talented players are expected to play. If anything I would give an "A" to Katz for handling the great pitching staff and an "A" to Frank Menechino for handling the hitters.

Shutting him down completely and waiting to later in the year would be a huge mistake. Eventually if they can get Kopech strong again as a potential starter, then maybe later in Sept, they could go to a 6 man rotation and keep all the arms fresh. When we get to the playoffs ,we will only need a 4 man rotation. This would put two starters to the bullpen and making for a strong bullpen.

I am wondering the same thing. In the past everyone does their stint in Charlotte. Are they planning on making him go through Birmingham and Charlotte too? This seems crazy.

You seem to forget we have the #1 starting rotation and that has been healthy and keeping us going. TLR had nothing to do with bringing those pitchers here or making them the solid staff they are. You also fail to realize we play in arguably the weakest division in baseball....for sure the AL. When guys like Burger, Sheets, Vaughn, Goodwin and Hamilton came through in helping through these horrific injuries, TLR had little to do with making them perform with clutch hits. This team's credit goes to primarily to Rick Hahn, as he put together a team that can win in spite of TLR and not because of him. When we get Robert and Eloy back, you won't need a master aviator to land this plane. LOL

Wtg dude! That just might be the best empty nonsense post this year. Maybe you should come up with a more intelligent response than this loser comment, "that maybe I should oversee the bullpen." I guess that was your attempt at sarcasm. LOL! Hey but wait, maybe you're on to something. Every time someone doesn't agree with a comment, we can all post back with "hey, maybe you should be the manager and manage the bullpen...Mr. Baseball savant. FYI dude, this is a forum and I and anybody else here can have their opinions whether right or wrong. The object of this forum is if you don't agree, then come back with your personal logical argument and not some lazy grade school sarcastic comment.

I didn't say that at all. He is bad for us and isn't worth it for the Sox, but some other weaker team in pitching might need him.

All my arguments make total sense, it's your remarks that are lame and weak. This argument is not about comparing Keuchel to the league average. We are comparing him to the Sox starters. His stats are the worst of the staff. This is not an opinion, but facts. The Sox have the best starting rotation in baseball, again a fact based on stats. Once again, as I am trying to inform you, why another team would want Keuchel. We have enough pitching talent without him. He might be ok compared to league average, but the Sox are not league average, which is another fact, This is why we don't need him and another team could use him, because their pitching is probably weaker or injured severely.

Not true at all. He was brought here as a 9th inning/3 outs closer/workhorse. When you use him for 2 innings at a time, at some point you could burn him out and not be able to use him as often. By pitching one inning in that game, he might have been able to come out the next day for a one inning close, if that game was closer and not 6-1. Look at how the Cubs almost choked away their 2016 World Series. Madden was overusing Chapman trying to use him for multiple innings and his fastball kept dropping. The Yankees never used Chapman for more than a 9th inning close. Why didn't TLR have Kopech go for 2 innings? I though the Sox were trying to get Kopech stronger for those future starts occasionally.

Wow, you really don't get it. All my arguments with you make total sense, but I can't help this conversation for you since this is too deep and complicated for your cognitive reasoning abilities. Again Keuchel is a left handed pitcher which always get good money even when they aren't that good. It's based on at some point they had success. Some teams always think they can capture lighting in a bottle. He is crap and I won't take that back. He is the worst starter with the worst stats on our team. There are teams that can spend money for him and that is a fact. I just gave you one good example dude. The Dodgers have a ballpark for his pitching style. They have the money as they spend and make money than any other team. Plus you never explained to us, how Hahn can justify keeping Kuechel if he re-signs Rodon and Lynn, along with Kopech and Crochet are starters next year.

Not bold at all, just stating what the Sox published in writing.

A big No. I have been a consistent critic here saying that the Sox will win this year in despite of TLR and not because of him. This is based on a super talented team and we play in weak division. The fact we still are winning as we bring up minor leaguers to replace all the injuries, is more to the credit of Hahn that he deserves for building this club at the major league level, as well as the minor league level. Btw, TRL still makes dumb decisions. Pitching Hendricks the other day for 2 innings and 6 outs for a close was not wise.

You are way off. Early Sept is not the plan according to Hahn and the White Sox. It was published on June 14, that Eloy was cleared by the White Sox medical staff to begin participation in baseball activities at the Arizona spring training facility for one month. After that period, the team would reevaluate his progress and then assign him to a rehab stint in the minors. By even a cautious and conservative timeline, that does not compute to early Sept. It's more like early Aug than early Sept.

I love how you cherry pick my replies. You failed to respond to the fact that if Rodon and Lynn are resigned for next year, plus with Kopech and Crochet as possible starters, along with Cease and Giolito, how do you justify Keuchel to find a spot in next year's rotation? Oh that's right, the history of your arguments is for you pick only the points you think you have a shot on and avoid the ones you have no logical argument for. Again, I told you in my last reply that Keuchel's game would be better suited for a different team and ballpark. Of the 5 starters he has the highest hits per 9 innings and the lowest K's per 9 innings. This is not a good formula in a hitter's ballpark like ours, with a poor fielding team that Keuchel relies heavily on for his type of pitches. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers-Dodger stadium could be a good spot for him. I'm not saying they will trade him to LAD, or that LAD would want him. Although with Trevor Bauer on indefinite leave and Clayton Kershaw put on the 10 Day DL, with forearm inflammation, it wouldn't be so crazy for LAD to trade for Keuchel. Anyway, my point here is, by most rankings Dodger stadium has been considered one of the best parks to pitch in and usually has one of the lowest ERA's of all 30 stadiums. If Keuchel is on a team like LAD and with an offense like they have, where he will get plenty of runs, then his pitching style might survive. LAD for example could afford the 18 million. In our ballpark, you need pitchers like the ones we have with Cease. Giolito, Rodon and Lynn who all have power arms and have extremely high K/9 stats. When they get in a bad inning with runners on, at least you know they can get K's to get out of the inning potentially. Keuchel is not that type of pitcher and never will be. Btw, in baseball you can have a pitcher like Kuechel being left handed and just average and find someone to pay him the money. Hahn did it. You have to understand the Sox standards and expectations are higher now and when we are going for a WS this year and the next several years, we need the best possible rotation. If Lynn and Rodon get resigned for next year, with Crochet and Kopech are future starters, there is no room for Kuechel here anymore. It wouldn't be impossible for Hahn to trade Kuechel and even eat a portion of the contract. GM's do that occasionally. Hahn just proved he doesn't care if he has to eat millions, as he just DFA Eaton and that cost the Sox 8 million. He paid Eaton the guaranteed 7 million and ate the 1 million buyout for next year.

You really do love being a contrarian. He is a lefty. Every single year several left handed pitchers sign big contracts. A mediocre lefty who has displayed the occasional good year is always worth more money than they deserve. Hahn paid him 18 million, so why cant another GM pay him the same or similar? He could be possibly productive for a different team with a totally different set of factors, such as a better fielding team behind him, a larger ballpark that is more pitcher friendly. The bottom line is if you sign Lynn and Rodon, there is no way he is in a 5 man rotation next year that moves out Cease or Giolito. Not to mention Kopech is going to be in the rotation next year, as well as perhaps Crochet according to Hahn.

Absolutely sign up for the next 2 to 3 years. Don't forget Hahn gave up a strong pitching prospect in Dunning to get Lynn. It would be bad if we lost Lynn to another team as a FA, when the fact is, who do you have in our system to replace him? You would have to go trade for a pitcher if you lost Lynn and that of course, would take giving up talent and prospects. You already gave up prospects to get Lynn....now it's only money Hahn has to give up to keep him.

Obviously Hahn paid Kuechel the high number and his numbers were not that stellar after his Cy Young year before coming here. You are forgetting Keuchel is a lefty. There will always be a team desperate for a lefty starter. All my statements about Keuchel are all accurate. The last two, (Little margin for error & Not enough velocity) you cannot deny. If you look at all the top starters in MLB in ERA, they are all pitchers with plus 90 mph 4 seem fastballs and secondary pitches that have significantly more movement than Keuchels' pitches. If you don't see that, then obviously know very little about baseball today.

Neither TA or Story have ever played 2B for their teams. This trade is never happening. It's great to add a great good hitter like Story but it comes with a cost. You would have to give up several key prospects in our farm system for a short term rental and then he is gone as FA in '22. That would be stupid. This has nothing to do with who is a better fielder. Our problem is not 2B, its our bullpen and outfield. Hopefully we can add a strong bullpen pitcher by deadline and soon Robert and Eloy will be back by early Aug. I think we can survive in our weak division with Cleveland until they get back.