The Kids Can Play

Good for you Jake. I hope he does well like the other recent Charlotte boys coming up. To come back from two Achilles tears, a Heel injury and major Depression and Anxiety issues, I am very happy for him.

That is impressive. I'm not sure on Collins yet, but hoping he becomes a solid backup. The only year missing on there, that we missed horribly was 2015, with Carson Fulmer #8 overall. LOL.

I think trading Rodon is giving up on the season. We are only paying him 3 million and for what we are paying him he is having a good season. It's a better value than paying Keuchel 18 million this season. We are decimated with injuries and playing bench players and minor league position players. Our bullpen has struggled mightily and the only reliable part has been our starting staff. We go for it this year with Rodon and try to sign him in the of season, or if he leaves and we get the compensation FA draft pick

I agree with you there. However a lot of free agents resign with their current club each year. It's not always only about the money. My only point is as long as Jerry isn't cheap he should resign Lynn and I think Rodon won't be as costly as everybody thinks. If they do leave then we'll get our 1st round compensation picks and move on.

With all dues respect my friend, I actually joined over a year ago. I was having log in problems for weeks on this site. As a result, I just re-signed up again. I am working with someone right now in admin to fix my account and reinstate my old info. However my name was the same. I have had many back and forth wasted chats with @southsider2k5 and its always his style of debating. When he gets frustrated and beat in his argument, he always goes to the, you are dumb and I win...lame immature remarks.

Here is what I am looking at: Of the 5 Starters on the team: Keuchel is: 1. Highest ERA of 3.96 this season 2. Only starter with more hits than innings pitched with 89 hits in 86 innings. 3. Highest BA against at .263 4. Highest WHIP 1.34 5. Lowest WAR of 0.6 for the starters BTW, wins and loses are not fair nor a good judgment on whether a pitcher is doing a good job. He is 6-2 only because he is given a lot of runs. Giolito is 5-5 and he should be at least 7-4, if the bullpen didn't blow his games. Oh yeah, where was Keuchel last year in the playoffs? 0-1, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 innings, 6 hits, 3 ER's 2 HR's He is anything but a rock sold arm as you claim.

I know Keuchel is signed for next year. It's called doing a trade. Keuchel sucks! His slow 80-85 mph pitches are too slow and have little movement. He is an obsolete pitcher by today's pitching standards of upper 90's pitchers. According to Kuechel's contract, paying him 18 million in '22 and 20 million in '23 is just plain stupid and a waste of money. He needs to be traded. I didn't know Rodon going to another team next year was a done deal. Have you had conversations with Rodon or his agent lately? LOL. I'm also assuming we don't have to bid high to keep Rodon. I still think Rodon has a lot left. Like Steve Stone said, the 2nd year after TJ surgery is when you really see a difference.

As always from past discussions with you, a debate with you is always going nowhere. We will have to agree to disagree. lol

Maybe you see resigning Lynn! Are you kidding me, he is the best pitcher on this team this year. Given the injury history of Rodon, I'm not sure Rodon is going to get huge FA money. This is why he would stay with the Sox. Btw, you wanting Keuchel for another season after he is by far our worst starting pitcher this year, is ridiculous. I'm not sure if you have been watching the games Keuchel has pitched this year or looked at his stats.

He can settle in as you say, by playing the OF and not being a DH. The whole point of his signing was that he was a good outfielder. This is not pro basketball game where you are doing heavy cardio and endurance running. If he cant play outfield at our minor league A ball team, then the Sox have a serious problem. Btw, this entire debate has everything to do with his ranking. When you are a highly regarded prospect as he was, the expectations are higher and always will be. This is the way it has always been in all sports and not just baseball.

Why do you assume Rodon and Lynn are gone. Rodon said after he signed before the season, he had other options but he wanted to remain a Sox player. I seriously believe Rodon as a free agent next year wants to stay here. I compare Rodon to Abreu. Jose Abreu has always given Hahn a home town discount because he wants to play his entire career with the White Sox. Lynn has said publicly he loves playing on this team. I get he is a free agent too, but unless Jerry R plays cheap ass and doesn't allow Hahn to spend the necessary money for Lynn, why would Lynn want to go to another team, when the team he is on here, has as much chance to win a WS title as any other team over the next few years. I would rather see us have a rotation next year of Giolito, Lynn, Cease, Kopech and Rodon and LOSE Keuchel in a off season trade.

Yeah why not. Good idea let's do another rebuild too. Lynn is a free agent as well next year, so might as well trade him too. For that matter might as well trade Abreu as he is getting older. LOL Or perhaps...and this is a novel idea, why don't the Sox become Buyers and go ALL IN and go for the World Series title this year. I know, a crazy idea. LOL

I never said anything about firing the staff this year. You need to go back and read more carefully. I suggested it for next year. Plus, if they keep the same staff, which they probably will, then I would hope Hahn makes sure they attend several medical training seminars to get educated better. Furthermore In all my posts on this topic, I am highly suggesting that the Sox need to be proactive and look into how to prevent these injuries. Hence form my last post: Maybe all teams should be looking into better ways to stay loose and stretch during the game especially before they go to the plate for their next at bat. You seriously need to read and understand a post more carefully before you post false statements.

Wow, I guess this is semantics. What I call criticism and calling out things, you seem to call panicking. If the player is hyped as the #1 prospect then that is criticizing and not panicking for your information. Panicking would be if we were worried he wouldn't be able to make it up to the Sox team this year. This guy is so far away from ever joining the Sox. LOL! I don't care if he hadn't played in 2 years, he should have been stain in shape all long. This would not prevent him from playing the outfield. It might prevent him from hitting well, which is showing up in , which explains his .129 BA. There isn't that much running in the outfield. If he is so out of shape and has to be DH, then maybe he shouldn't be playing until he does get in shape. Btw, how would one get in shape to play the OF while being DH? Your argument is illogical.

I realize its happening around the league. The point the gentleman was making in the article I posted refers to all MLB players. Maybe all teams should be looking into better ways to stay loose and stretch during the game especially before they go to the plate for their next at bat. So the Sox according you, should just put up with these injuries and say, "just a bad break, hopefully these injuries will stop", or "yeah bad breaks and fluke inquires this year, I'm sure this won't happen next year". This is crazy and absurd. The Sox need to research and perhaps change medical/training staffs and find a staff that will be more into proactive modern day fitness and flexibility measures. As the article stated, players going to the plate to bat after a long period of resting and not stretching and then doing a huge burst of speed, can affect a hamstring injury. I get injuries like Abreu and Eloy are just unlucky and part of the game. However all the hamstring and hip flexor injuries are a direct result of not having those muscles properly stretched. Ever notice how Jose Abreu never pulls his hamstring? Go to a game and watch the ritual Jose goes thru before each at bat. Lots of stretching, jumping up and down, knee bends, etc before each at bat. It doesn't guarantee avoiding a hamstring pull, but it sure does help prevent one.

This is where Kopech not being available yet really hurts. He would have been the perfect pitcher to start the top of the 4th.

Totally agree!. He is always right off the bat at 0-2 on most AB's. He needs to take more pitches and get a walk if possible. Then when he walks more he needs to steal more too. We need to try different things to get out of this slump!

You completely missed my point. I am not panicking, I am just questioning why he is at DH and not in the OF. I don't care if he hasn't played in awhile. For crying out loud, this is only A ball we are talking about! The best case scenario if he ever make the big leagues, is the fact he will never be a DH. He wasn't signed for that. Since this is A ball, which in practicality is an experimental and developing league, so why isn't he playing the outfield? I am not talking about his hitting potential, which by the way is .148 thru 7 games, although he did get his first HR last night. I just find it odd he isn't playing the outfield as the former #1 international prospect. He is injured? Is he not in shape? It just doesn't add up.

I don't care what the other 20-25 MLB teams do, I only care about what the White Sox do. Other than Eloy's injury which isn't the fault of the training staff, the other injuries are directly correlated to the training staff. Something has to be examined in why so many injuries are happening and for stupid reasons like running down the first base path to run out a single like Robert and Madrigal did. Here is an good technical article on the logical explanation for why players are injuring their hamstrings more. https://www.mlb.com/news/why-are-there-so-many-mlb-hamstring-injuries-c236844162 The point of the story is players have built up their upper and lower body greatly in the off season, but maybe there isn't enough attention to detail for some quick exercises right before each at bat to get the legs ready. Maybe more quality stretching in the dugout. This article spells this out as well any article I've read on this. Why cant our players be more like pro basketball players for example. When a basketball player comes off the bench to in and they have been sitting for awhile, you see them on the sidelines doing all types of quick exercises to get loose. You rarely see that in baseball. Yes, baseball players stretch before the game, but during the game they probably rarely stretch much again. I'm just saying if I were Hahn, I would be looking into a brand new medical/training/fitness/flexibility staff that has the most up to date knowledge on this area of concern. Most importantly a staff that can make sure they get the players onboard with a different program and stay consistent with it. Let's face it, a new staff couldn't do any worse. Sadly this might never happen, but it should.

It concerns me too. He was definitely considered a 5 tool player with great coverage of the outfield and a plus arm. Plus its only high A ball, my god, if you cant experiment with him in the OF at WS high A ball, then that's a problem imo. Again this was the #1 rated international prospect Hahn signed.

I think they both will be big stars. I do feel Eloy needs to be at DH, as his fielding is weak and he seems to be injury prone out there. In a normal year I think Eloy hits 40-45 HR's and 100 plus RBI's. If Mercedes doesn't start hitting again, then putting Eloy at DH and not left will be an easy choice. One the reasons Abreu is having an off season is there is nobody protecting him. Jose always feels he has to carry the team and make something happen. When we get Eloy back in the lineup right behind Abreu, I think Jose will see more good pitches and start hitting again, like he did last year when Eloy was behind him. As far as Robert goes, I think he will be a star too. Prior to his injury he was already having a great season with .316/.359/.463/.822 and obviously playing and covering centerfield as well as anyone in MLB. Most importantly he learned form last season to be patient and not swing at so many pitches out of the zone. He will only get better than his plate discipline over time. I think in a healthy 145-150 game plus season Robert hits 30-35 HR's and hits for a good average. I still believe both Robert and Eloy will be back in early August and by the time we head into the playoffs, which hopefully we won't screw up, I think they both will have shaken the rust off and be huge contributors in the playoffs. Losing Eloy and Robert and then Madrigal and now Engel again, has alarmed Hahn enough, that by next season he secures a brand new staff of coaches for strength and flexibility and medical advice.

Agreed! The medical staff as well as the trainers, strength and flexibility coaches.

He needs to be brought up. If 3rd base is his natural best position, then why cant Jake play third and move Moncada to 2B? Let's not forget 2B is Moncada's first and original position before being converted to 3B.

Beckham was totally boring and talked too much. Frank Thomas was so upbeat and entertaining. Plus Frank didn't ramble on and one like Beckham.

I think those two were great. In fact when Steve Stone can't do future games, Frank Thomas should be the only substitute color guy. He is so much better than Beckham or anyone else they have thrown in there.