michelangelosmonkey

Based on 30 at bats in June??? Come on...he has an elite batters eye and plus power. Did I mention he's lefty, 24 and had a .950 OPS in AAA in 300 at bats??? Are we benching Robert when he has a bad couple of weeks in May? We chose a lane...trust in young talent...I really don't want to return to the lane of ...sign other teams old stars when they no longer want them.

He's NOT too much of scrub. I think he will have a fine year this year...for a slow, 37 year old, right handed hitting DH making $8 million in the twilight of his career. I just think 24 year old lefty, back up catcher, earning $500,000 will hit better...and could become either a major part of the team for 5 years...or an attractive trade piece. Why would you not want that?

If we define "proven" as two years in a row of elite play...they are ALL unproven...Giolito, Lopez, Cease, Kopech, Moncado, Tim Anderson, Madrigal, Robert, Vaughan, Collins, Jimenez. We don't want to plug in old dinosaurs to get in the way of these guys beginning to prove themselves. Collins college history and AAA history suggests he could be as good a hitter as any of them...and a lefty...and 24. Give him a shot!!!!!!

I think there is a very real chance 25 year old Collins will be better than 37 year old EE next year. For the same reason I don't want 35 year old Adam Jones to play centerfield just in case Robert isn't good, or 38 year old Robinson Cano just in case Madrigal isn't great. The goal is to roll out all the young guys and have them meld into a machine. Just because your window is open doesn't mean you should be afraid to let talent rise.

Honestly...why would we give at bats to 100 year old EE or spend $100 million on Castellanos rather than hand the bat to Collins? Collins had a .951 OPS at Charlotte, he's a lefty and his two prime skills...elite walk rate and plus power are things that should play in the majors. Everyone on the board is so confident about all the prospects but we've given up on a 24 year old lefty who could hit 30 homers and walk 100 times...because he had a bad 30 at bats in June/July??? He had a .760 OPS in September. Why is he not Kyle Schwarber? Why would that not be a great addition to the team?

Yes but i think we've had quite a bit of BAD luck in development. i count 9 of the Sox top 25 prospects that missed major parts of last season due to injury. (Kopech, Dunning, Basabe, Adolfo, Burger, Lambert, Hamilton, Burdi, Flores). Ten when you add Rodon who most thought would be the ace of the staff this year. If six of the ten come back and show signs of reaching their former potential...suddenly our minors are stacked again and we have the tools to make a major trade. We aren't the Astros yet but it is not a stretch to see the pieces falling into place.

I know we thrive on negativity on Soxtalk but I gotta say...there is not a single batter in your lineup that I don't want to watch hit. There's not a single pitcher on your list that I would be angry about having tickets for his start. This is about entertainment...and I love dreaming that Madrigal is going to be Rod Carew, that Robert is going to be Ken Griffey Junior, Vaughan is going to be Frank Thomas, Eloy will hit 50 home runs a year and they won't even be the best player on the field. I love the idea that Kopech, Cease, Rodon and Giolito could create a late 90's Brave-like rotation. My god we suffered through the 2018 tank year where Yolmer, Engel, Palka, Davidson, Navarez and Avisail were 6 of our top 9 batters by at bats and Dylan Covey, James Shields and Hector Santiago were three of our top 6 starters by IP. But past is prologue. i think we are on the cusp of something amazing.

Thanks for reason and optimism Poppy. The off season is a long way from being done. And for all the glory being bestowed upon Wheeler...the Mets did let him walk away. All of these pitchers have had major arm injuries in the recent past and we want them badly. Yet we have this really good lefty, Rodon, tied up for two more years coming back from injury and no one counts on him for anything. Not saying the future is tied to him but not sure Wheeler or Ryu are better than Rodon and he's lefty and with us already.

I think there may be something to the asshole theory. He's been traded three times already and now cut. Brewers traded him in the midst of a playoff hunt for a half year rental of a guy at the same position. He was young, affordable, had a 1.4 WAR that year for half a season and two years before put up a 4 WAR. There's something we don't know about him that it seems the league must know.

Ok...that's fair. Even a trade to someone for nothing...say a 17 year old Dominican shortstop that wasn't even listed in the top 30 of the International free agent signing might turn out to get you a useful piece for the future.

I think Baltimore won the most games in the AL from 2012-2016, won their division once and went to the playoffs three times...so they do compete in their division, just not in a rebuild. I think what they are doing makes complete sense...like I believe in what the White Sox are doing. You don't want to pay a guy $10 million dollars a year, who won't be in your next contending window, and will possible cost you a better draft pick by being good.

I think it's Micker Adolfo. Klaw loves him still...he's got big power and a huge arm and would be great in our time line. That said...the Sox had terrible luck this year with their second string of prospects. I suspect this year by All Star game two or three of Dane Dunning, Stiever, Basabe, Adolfo, Rutherford, Lugo, Hansen Flores, Burger, Lambert, Walker will step forward and look exciting. So sign Puig or Avi for a year and if none of the step-forward candidates are RF's...use them to trade for someone like Marte.

He had a great 80 games. 110 Stikeouts in 80 games is a lot. 18 errors in 80 games is a lot. One major injury in one season is a lot. I think it's fair to wait before we put him in the hall of fame.

I can't believe we just LET Quintana go. He was a 22 year old LEFTY coming off a 10-2 record with a sub 3 ERA and we just dumped him on the side of the road. We are the dumbest organization ever. If we'd kept him we probably win three World Series and then we trade him to the Cubs...imagine our team with Jiminez and Cease added to our core....its the fifties all over again. Honestly I cant get over it. Wait...this is meatball Yankees talk, right?

Your disdain for Collins is crazy...based on 86 major league at bats???? Collins had a 1.200 OPS as a senior at Miami as a CATCHER. He had a .950 OPS last year at AAA at TWENTY FOUR. AT twenty three he led the whole minor leagues in walk rate. The art of catching will take time. I think the benefit of McCann to learn from as he learns to be a big league hitter is a great scenario...50 games caught in 2020. I wouldn't sign Grandal...I'd use the money on starting pitching. I think they get Cole. I think they have learned and will shove the chips in...and I think they like Collins and he will be a big part of the future.

Aren't we rolling the dice with Robert and Madrigan and Kopeck and Cease...seems like exactly the team to roll the dice on...but spend the money on Cole.

He put up a .950 OPS in AAA this year...not much different than Robert this year or Jiminez last year. He hit .280 this year in AAA at 24. He hit .360 in his senior year in Miami. The idea that his ceiling is .220 with 25 homers and he can't catch seems wildly pessimistic. An elite batting eye added to the natural maturation process would suggest he could be an elite hitter. Maybe we've used up our unbridled optimism on Robert and Madrigal but if we're going to dream it doesn't seem crazy to dream that Collins could be very good.

I always thought Zack Collins was going to be the new Ted Simmons. Simmons was not a great fielding catcher (Dwar of 5.0 TOTAL over 21 seasons) but he was a very good hitter. He had a nine year stretch of putting up nearly 5 WAR per season. Collins hasn't shown the batting average but has shown more power and walks than TS. What has stalled my enthusiasm though is...why did the Sox only have him catch 50 games in Charlotte? Why did he only catch 10 games in the majors last year of the 25 games he played in? It seems like last year was the year you really wanted to find out what guys could do before moving all the chips in. Seems like the White Sox are telling us they don't believe he can catch...or maybe they were telling us they love McCann...or maybe Collins had a sore knee...or maybe the pitchers have said they hate throwing to Collins? Who knows. Still the idea of paying Collins league minimum to be DH and back up 1B and maybe catch 40 or 50 games for the next few years while putting up an .850 OPS seems pretty valuable. Again...just turning 25 so he could improve as a catcher in a year or two and then at 27 step in as full time C?

I feel like three or four of the most frequent posters on Soxtalk hate him for some reason. So there is a general feeling that hes a bust based on a handful of loud voices. It does seem like the organization has given up on him being a catcher...but power, LH and amazing OBP should make him an attractive part of the team. I'm excited for him.

Collins had a .950 OPS in AAA...not much different than Robert. He's lefty, catches and has an elite batting eye. He's only 24, has a strong pedigree and has gotten better each year. Why wouldn't you give him a chance? Why are people not more excited about him? Use Grandall money on Cole.

I dont love Rutherford. Poppysox made a joke about Ruth looking good at RF...and I thought it was funny that we HAVE a B Ruth lefty hitting RF in our system. I also dont like flushing a kid at 22....there's room to grow.

You start off by saying you might have jumped the gun on Collins and then IMMEDIATELY write off his catching. Didnt he catch Thursdays game...when people said he was a terrible hopeless catcher...and yet a bunch of garbage pitchers held hot Twins bats to one run? Wouldn't his bat look great at catcher?

B Ruth-erford. 21 year old lefty right fielder. Of course most on here have written him off as he's not an all star yet.

I have to say...I love Poppysox positive attitude...which seems so rare on this site. Baseball is about dreaming what might be. I've followed the Sox for 50 years and I've never been more excited for the future. My dad started following the Sox when Ruth was playing RF for the Yankees...and he checks on three farm teams a night. Spring training cant come soon enough.

That's fair...heat of the moment thoughts are different than reasoned opinions. But Collins hate on this board is crazy. I think young players learn and an elite batting eye has enormous value