Y2Jimmy0

SoxPride is going to like this from the Keith Law chat: Justin (Chicago) Rumor is the White Sox are targeting college pitchers with their first pick. What are your thoughts on organizations who target only a specific group of players? Specifically to the White Sox, they really have not developed a hitter forever. Do some orgs just feel as though they have a better strength and developing position players or pitchers, so they target them more? Klaw (1:23 PM) I think the White Sox have such a good track record developing pitchers I wouldn't question them taking another one - it's a clear core competence at this point. I've heard them specifically on Tyler Jay at 8.

QUOTE (GoSox05 @ May 7, 2015 -> 09:11 AM) I really don't see the big deal about this. I feel the Patriots cover up was worse than the actual crime. I can't believe that it's such a huge story. Every QB does it. I've seen it done in HS games every Friday.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ May 6, 2015 -> 02:35 PM) I completely disagree. They already have a 4th OF who is about on par with other 4th OFs, and they have a guy they see as a key prospect raking in AAA in Trayce Thompson. They also have a guy with a major league track record there, Matt Tuiasosopo, who would likely be better than anything on the waiver wire. I can't see this area being a priority at all. SP "depth" is a major problem because Noesi and Danks are terrible, Rodon is a rookie and can only take one slot anyway, and neither Beck nor Johnson look ready just yet. Skill infielder meaning 3B primarly, which Sanchez has only played sparingly, though I'd say that one is almost as low as OF. Catching is an easy #1. Relief arms are also higher. I'll stick to my guns on this. The only thing lower is 1B. Honestly, what would the Sox do with Trayce? I think he'd be a better bench option than Shuck because he's a better CF defender but do the Sox want to relegate Trayce to 4th OF status? If he finally puts it all together, would they rather keep him in Charlotte instead of putting him on the big league bench?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 6, 2015 -> 02:19 PM) Who in the AL Central would you rather have been a fan of the last 10 years? Only one has won a title. I agree, they should have been better. But it certainly hasn't been paper bag over your head bad. This is an excellent post.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2015 -> 02:07 PM) The Bears 4th QB and a NDFA signing. http://chicago.suntimes.com/bears-football...ne-carden-ready BAD

White Sox roster stands at 39. Are they going to fill that spot or keep it handy?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 6, 2015 -> 12:48 PM) I am curious what the basis is for that? Sheridan Hoops mentioned it earlier this season.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 6, 2015 -> 12:32 PM) Okay...you must be referring to McBuckets. I suppose maybe Snell but Snell should also be grateful because he's taken major strides forward. Thibs is a developmental kind of guy and that is evidenced by the significant number of players who have improved while working with him (young or old). You could also say Hamilton or others but basically if you don't get on the Thibs wagon you are going to be gone and to be frank, I can commend that given the success and fact that the bulk of players like working / playing for him. I would argue that Pau doesn't love Thibodeau. Probably likes playing here but love is a little strong. Pau has been on championship teams in which every regular season game wasn't taken as seriously as it is here. I don't doubt for one second that there have been times throughout the season in which Gasol disagrees with the way certain things take place.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ May 5, 2015 -> 03:45 PM) Lord help they shake up the lineup. Abreu belongs in #4 anyway. Why do you want the team's best player to have less plate appearances?

Keith Law has a piece on ESPN about Prep Catcher Stephenson possibly going to Arizona at #1: http://espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=3890 Some other highlights: Arizona could go against consensus with Stephenson or Garrett Whitley. Houston wants 2 position players and he has them with Dansby Swanson and Daz Cameron. They aren't as high on Rodgers as everyone else. Colorado wants pitching at #3 and Law has them taking Dillon Tate. Texas has been linked to Walker Buehler but he thinks they'd take Brendan Rodgers Links Kolby Allard to Twins at #6 He says from multiple sources that Alex Bregman won't fall past 7 to Boston Law says that White Sox want college pitching at 8 and lists Funkhouser, Jay, and Kirby Cubs interested in HS OF Trenton Clark among others.

I'd take more strikeouts if it meant more homers. White Sox have only hit 12 home runs on the season. Go look at the Astros. They have struck out more than anyone in baseball and that's a pretty good offense right now.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 6, 2015 -> 10:06 AM) With respect, this is all a bunch of media-driven bulls*** and/or unsupported theories. We know for a fact that Thibs is unhappy with some things, and that GarPax are unhappy about somethings. We've seen those types of comments in press conferences to the public. That's something we can say for sure. Getting rid of Ron Adams pissed Thibs off. That we know for sure. Anything beyond that is 100% speculation. We don't know how severe the rift is, if there is one to begin with that's any worse than other front office/coaching rifts that exist in the league. What's the source for saying that management wants less practices, guys to rest, etc. For all we know, Thibs and GarPax felt the same up until this year when things were done a little differently. What's the source for saying that they expected McDermott to get big minutes (especially after his injury and the emergence of Snell as a legit back-up?) The source is whoever Joe Cowley, Dan Bernstein, Terry Boers, Nick Friedell, Chris Sheridan, Woj, etc have talked to. This info is everywhere. It's just not being reported by beat guys. Hasn't K.C. even said that it's over after the season?

QUOTE (bmags @ May 6, 2015 -> 09:22 AM) I read pretty great run mauler maybe not good in pass protection. But glad to have legit competition for Mills, and will leave Ola as good backup. Yep. Cornick isn't great by any means but neither is any RT option that the Bears have.

So starting Rodon on Sunday put the White Sox in good shape still over the next week. 5/6 Sale vs Detroit 5/7 Quintana vs Detroit 5/8 Noesi vs Cincinnati 5/9 Danks vs Cincinnati 5/10 Rodon vs Cincinnati 5/11 Samardzija vs Milwaukee 5/12 Sale vs Milwaukee You could do this with Samardzija and Sale both serving their suspensions. Hopefully, Sale drops his appeal after tonight's start. You could even keep Rodon in the rotation and make Noesi the long man going forward.

QUOTE (Brian @ May 6, 2015 -> 09:02 AM) I'll just say that you should believe whatever KC Johnson writes on the subject. Absolutely. He's basically the mouthpiece of the team. That can be bad at times though because there are some things he doesn't report.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 6, 2015 -> 08:43 AM) Fixed. Thibodeau and Forman don't get along. It's to the point where they really don't even talk that often. They differ philosophically which is the biggest reason why there will be a split in my opinion. Management wants to win every regular season game. Thibs HAS to win every regular season game. Management wants less practices and more shootarounds. Management doesn't want starters playing in blowout regular season wins. Management wants young players to get a crack at the rotation for a reason other than an injury to a player. Regardless of what we think, management does think that Thibs has something to do with the injuries over the last 4 seasons. Management didn't trade 2 first round picks to move up for a player that would sit the entire season. Tom only cares about basketball and nothing else and isn't a good working relationship. Are Gar and Paxson stubborn and ridiculous? Yes probably so. Thibodeau is too though. The Bulls may regret the day that they let Tom Thibodeau leave. Fred Hoiberg could end up being the right guy at this time though. We don't know. I am pretty confident that we are going to find out though.

QUOTE (Jake @ May 5, 2015 -> 08:46 PM) All I want to see is some coherent explanation for this riff. All we get is "Thibs is a great coach and the crazy front office hates him." We saw what happened with Ron Adams, but that was never well explained. It was either that Adams was insubordinate or Adams was fired just to spite Thibs. Otherwise, most of what we hear is that there is an irreparable problem and nobody mentions anything that Thibs has done wrong. Maybe this is mainly the fault of the FO, but I'd like to get an explanation better than "Gar doesn't get along with Thibs." That doesn't sound right to me. That wasn't supposed to be a Thibs criticism, just that the years have clearly taken their toll on those guys. They've been handled really carefully this season and for good reason. They both just have flawed bodies at this point and I'm not super optimistic for their long term future because of it. He has definitely had much less of the lackadaisical play that he sometimes had in the regular season. It's nice to see he has it in him. I don't know if he reads Soxtalk. There's no amount of jumpshots Derrick can make that will make me feel like it's a good thing that he hits them. I mean, yes I want him to make all his shots, but I feel like for every deep two or three he hits now, there are some terrible ones put in a trust fund for a future date. Dan Bernstein and Joe Cowley have both explained this a ton. Most don't listen to them though because they are smug assholes. They will end up being correct in this case though.

The Bears claimed Broncos OT Paul Cornick off waivers yesterday. Underrated addition. Probably the 2nd best OT currently on the Bears roster.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 6, 2015 -> 02:14 AM) Robertson obviously is amazing right now. He's going to have one of those special seasons. There has to be a contender that needs an automatic closer. Sox's mission is to get that team to give us Kris Bryant type talent. 4 players for Robertson and make 2 of them studs and one with at least Beckham-like ability. You know how valuable it is to have a closer who is automatic to a contender? It's huge. It's 9-14 start. Not good at all. They aren't trading Robertson though. The White Sox aren't the Marlins.

Here's Keith Law's updated top 100: It's insider content. As usual, let me know if you want the article. http://espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=3896 Highlights: 1. Brendan Rodgers SS Lake Mary HS 2. Kevin Newman SS Arizona 3. Dansby Swanson SS Vanderbilt 4. Dillon Tate RHP UC Santa Barbara 5. Kolby Allard LHP Sam Clemente HS 6. Alex Bregman 2B LSU 7. Ian Happ OF Cincinnati 8. Garrett Whitley CF HS NY 9. Walker Buehler RHP Vanderbilt 10. Kyle Tucker Plant HS Tampa Bay, FL 11. Kyle Funkhouser RHP Louisville 12. Mike Nikorak RHP HS PA 17. Daz Cameron 16. Tyler Jay LHP Illinois 19. Mike Matuella RHP Duke 20. Nate Kirby LHP Virginia 26. Brady Aiken 30. Jacob Nix 39. Phil Bickford 44. Carson Fulmer 52. Justin Hooper LP De La Salle HS

QUOTE (Lillian @ May 5, 2015 -> 12:54 PM) How do they not call up Sanchez? The offense is under performing so badly, and they have a guy at AAA who is leading the League. You have to bring him up. It sends all the wrong messages, if they don't. It tells your Minor Leaguers that they aren't getting called up, no matter how well they perform. It tells your Big League Roster that they will have job, no matter how badly they play and it tells the fans that the management either doesn't care, or doesn't know what it's doing, or both. I'm not saying that Sanchez is going to be their savior, but that he has earned a chance to be the starter at second base. Micah has done little to demonstrate that he is ready, and Carlos has been on fire since Spring Training. Moreover, his defense could go a long way toward making this team look more like a Major League team, in the field. I still think Sanchez should be in the #2 hole, and move Melky down in the order, where he can drive in some runs. Giving up on Micah Johnson this soon would be a mistake. They won't do that.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 5, 2015 -> 10:48 AM) Jerry gave them more money, how is this his issue again? It's not this way as much anymore. Kenny Williams wanted to draft high upside athletes and Jerry Reinsdorf didn't want to spend $$ in the draft. What ends up happening is drafting the Jared Mitchell's and Keenyn Walker's of the world. The White Sox never maximized their opportunities via the draft in the mid to late 2000's and their system paid for it. But hey, they always had the cash laying around to sign guys like Juan Pierre.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ May 5, 2015 -> 07:31 AM) Would love him assuming all of the investigation stuff comes out clean. Bears have a huge needs on the line. Depending on Slauson's productiveness, you could always use this as the opportunity to move Long to tackle. But Bears need talent all over and adding a first-round caliber guard like Collins would be amazing. Collins would play OT in Chicago. Leave Long at OG.

Lots of White Sox information on the MLB prospect pipeline website in regards to July 2nd free agency. Here is the link to the top 30: http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2015?list=int White Sox expected to sign #30 prospect Franklin Reyes who we have dissected on the board already. White Sox also the favorites to land Fernando Tatis Jr. He's a 16 year old SS that is 6'1 175 pounds and the son of former ML Fernando Tatis. Here is the report: Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 The son of former Major League infielder Fernando Tatis Sr., the teenage infielder grew up around the game, and it shows. Scouts like Tatis Jr.'s swing, his strong arm and his fluid actions on defense. He's shown decent arm strength and raw power to his pull side. Tatis Jr.'s knack for barreling up balls and his repeatable swing have also impressed evaluators. Some believe Tatis Jr. can play multiple positions and could end up at second or third base or even in the outfield. His big frame will allow him to build strength. Scouts also like his makeup and how he handles himself on and off the field. He has a game-oriented mindset, and his makeup is off the charts. The White Sox are considered the favorite to land Tatis Jr. The White Sox and Cubs are battling for RHP Anderson Amarista, the #17 prospect. Here is that description: Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 One of the top pitchers from Venezuela, Amarista is known for his fastball-curveball-changeup combination. Amarista has a decent fastball, but he has impressed scouts with his feel for his changeup. Other scouts think his curveball is his best pitch. What most scouts agree on is that Amarista's pitchability and his arm actions on the mound also make him attractive to teams. Evaluators also praise his high baseball IQ. It's unclear if Amarista will ever wow scouts with fastball velocity, but he can throw strikes and make hitters chase his pitches out of the strike zone. Amarista will benefit from working with pitching coaches and instructors once he signs and enters a team's academy. His development and growth could result in increased velocity to his fastball and overall pitching ability in the future. The Cubs and the White Sox are considered the favorites to sign him. The White Sox are also linked to C Rafael Marchan out of Spain: Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 30 | Run: 30 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 From Tachira, Venezuela, Marchan has been described as a "catcher's catcher." Here's why: The hard-working Marchan has shown a high baseball IQ and can be counted on to make the right play. He's savvy, and although he might not have the most tools in the class, he makes the most of his abilities and can make plays in games. Marchan can hit. He's been praised for his ability to make contact and not give away at-bats. Scouts also like that he has a track record of international experience and is not afraid of the big stage. Marchan has impressed scouts with his defense. He also has decent arm, and there's hope his power will increase as he matures. Marchan might not be the flashiest player in the class, but he's the type of player many clubs would like in their system. The Braves, White Sox and Padres have all scouted Marchan heavily.

QUOTE (greg775 @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:17 AM) As a fan I'll NEVER believe in this team after what they did in Minnesota. They laid down over the last 2 games and fricking didn't play baseball. This team is either so lazy or mentally fragile it's a joke. You don't lose the first two games of a series and quit (see Det. at Kansas City last weekend). This team got blown out of the water Sunday in a pride game, Robin didn't seem to show any emotion about it, so f*** them. It's going to take this team a long time to win my respect (not that they care). All fans should be furious. No I do not believe. Losing four in a row to Minnesota is just plain ridiculous. You have to quit to do that and they laid down. Their road record is so bad it's laughable. Yes you have to put in some effort to win on the road, fellas, not just say "it's a long season; it's a marathon." HAHAHA