flavum

Every team will use 10-15 pitchers that won’t be on the opening day roster, most of whom suck. These could be two of those guys...hopefully not bad if they get the opportunity.

Probably add them to the non-roster invite list.

This is year 8 on the ballot for Schilling. Maybe there are enough voters who are just waiting until year 10. It’s petty, but I could see that happening as well.

Encarnacion is listed as #23 on the roster page. He’s never had that uni number in his career.

Must be nice to have competitive balance picks to trade.

So Medeiros is numero uno. Cishek is taking his physical today, so Zavala is probably on the chopping block.

He’ll get in eventually. The OPS+ is low, and I think even the defensive metrics aren’t as kind as they should be, but he’s in that Ozzie Smith/Luis Aparicio category. If you’re a small Hall person, he’s probably short of the Hall, but with the committees putting in a lot more players recently, the top 1% is moving to the top 1.5-2%, and that’s probably where Vizquel is.

So you're saying all of the writers should get together and decide which ones won't vote for him so he stays under 75% in the first year. Got it. Jeter is a no-brainer Hall of Famer. If you want to say he's a Robin Yount or Paul Molitor level player, ok. I agree, he's not Ruth, Aaron, Mays, but let's stop criticizing no-doubt 1% of all-time players. It's just stupid to do that,

Cishek physical tomorrow. https://www.capenews.net/falmouth/sports/falmouth-native-signs-deal-with-white-sox/article_9b428e2e-9b94-5d28-9b83-31d4b4702ce0.html

Pretty sure they had Vlad on the 3B list last year. I think Robert could crack the CF list.

Walker basically needs 70% of the unknown votes. Hopefully most of the voters use their noggins and realize he's either getting in now or years down the road by a committee. My hope is for now and not years from now. Stop putting old men (or dead men) in the Hall.

Actually 1/22

They announced the NRIs on Jan 23 last year.

Calling it...Sox announce Encarnacion and Cishek tomorrow, and drop a couple guys (Zavala and Ruiz)

Pretty much sums it up. Like the move today, but who the hell knows with bullpen arms year-to-year. Just got to collect as many as possible, and figure it out as you go.

No technology during the game. No screens. No video rooms. No iPads in the dugouts. Do your scouting before the game and compete like athletes.

Where's Lip to throw dirt on the grave?

Going to be close for Walker in his last year on the ballot. Voters are being petty with Schilling. Not that anyone asked, but my ballot would be: No brainer check marks: Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens, Derek Jeter, Curt Schilling Because more than half the writers want him in, and I'm not a jerk: Larry Walker Suspended after the Mitchell Report but he was awesome: Manny Ramirez Harder picks, but I'm putting them: Scott Rolen. Jeff Kent, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones

Could you imagine if he just does his 2018 numbers? 32 starts, almost 190 innings, and an ERA under 4? Sign me up. Hopefully the baseball has been normalized. I think that would be to the Sox benefit.

Or they could just go off script, and bring him up on Day 1 without a long term deal. Less likely, but some teams have done that recently.

Selfishly, I'd love to see Madrigal on Opening Day. But no. Let Mendick or a free agent get at-bats for a month, see where Madrigal is in late April, and make a decision.

Stern, Larsen, and now Sam Wyche...2020 comin' in hot...or cold...

Scot Gregor gave Konerko a buddy vote. Announcement Tuesday, January 21, 5pm, It'll be Jeter, and maybe Larry Walker.

12 weeks to go

Robert, Moncada, Abreu, Grandal. Eloy, EE, TA, Mazara, Madrigal...but I’m not too worried about it. We have nine major leaguers in the lineup, and lineup construction is mostly horseshit. It will work itself out once Robert and Madrigal are up.