ChiSox59

Healthy Nate is never a bad thing. He’ll be around next season whether you want him to be or not.

That 2025 season is exactly why Eloy isn’t in a Chicago. And I love it.

No, but they’re being put in a position by management. Players aren’t trying to lose. No reason for Gomez to be back out there in the 10th I’d youre actually trying to make it to the 11th. But at this point, losses are good. Gimme that third pick.

So you expect him to be the same dude in 2020 after repairing a major elbow ligament and having not thrown a competitive pitch in 20 months? Seems a bit optimistic.

I don't see how anyone can spin it that losing ~20% of control of a front of the rotation pitcher is anything but crippling. Its an absolute kick straight to the nuts. He was one of the 3 main pillars of this rebuild, and at this point its tough to count on him for much of anything until 2021. And which point he'll have spent 2 seasons and change on the active roster if the Sox keep him on the MLB DL.

Yah, it'd be a tough story to spin, but honestly not much tougher than Eloy. Kopech actually had struggled for significant portions of the AAA season so keeping him there this season wouldn't have caused any more uproar that Guerrero/Eloy. Next year would be tough to spin when you send him back to AAA to start the season, as it will be for Eloy. But we're talking like 2 weeks. The players, certain media members and fans would b**** and moan, and maybe the player files of grievance. But there is no precedent for them to win. It is what it is at this point - but again, its turned out to be an incredibly costly decision. Maybe he gets hurt anyway in AAA, but at least he spends the next year and half on the minor league DL. Still sucks, no doubt, but its better than current situation. Maybe he makes it through the season and hurts himself in offseason, or even early next season in AAA. All scenarios the Sox are in better situation than they find themselves in today.

Meh, we've discussed this at length and its spilled milk at this point. But had he stayed in AAA, he would have for sure gotten 3 more starts (8/21, 8/26 and 8/31 or 9/1) so he still would have surpassed his previous high inning total. The control was well worth waiting seeing as though it was already late August. Now, hindsight is 20-20, but it could turn out to be a crippling move.

Highly debatable.

If the whole board ignores him and/or stops quoting him, it makes it alot better.

I have to imagine that there are guys out there who have gone done for TJS with less than 50 innings pitched in the big leagues that were optioned before appearing in another big league game. I don't really care to spend the time to look it up, but I don't think the Sox would blazing some new trail. I get the optics may not be fantastic, and for that reason, maybe they don't do it. But it seems to make a ton of sense in salvaging something out of pretty much worst case scenario the past couple weeks have been for Kopech.

By that point he will not have pitched in a game in 20 months and is pitching with a newly constructed UCL. Slightly different circumstances. And for the record, I was never really in support in Kopech getting called up this year, Once it was done, I certainly looked forward to and enjoyed watching him pitch, and also understood that things are bit different for pitchers than position players. But I would have left him in AAA with Eloy. Obviously I would never in a million years wish ill upon the kid, but what has transpired is pretty much the worst case scenario in that now ~20% of his service time with Sox is down the drain assuming the Sox don't option him out of ST 2020. And when rosters expanded 10 days ago, he'd been raking for a few weeks in AAA and was by far the best CF option in the organization. Yet they told him to go home because 10 more days on the 25 man meant they get him one less season.

No they weren't. When he was originally optioned after his minor league rehab was maxed out in July sometime, you could make an argument it was performance based. Since he came off the minor league DL again in mid-August, he hit .365/.400/.550 in AAA and plays gold glove caliber defense. The Twins made the decision they made 100% completely and solely due to getting an extra year of control. If they can do that with a guy with over 300 games played in the MLB, the Sox can option a kid with 14 innings pitched in the big leagues, coming off a major elbow injury and who hasn't pitched in a game that counts in 20 months.

Why? He's pitched 14 innings in the big leagues. This isn't some seasoned veteran. I am not saying option him now, or next season while he sits on the DL. That would be a grievance and would never fly. But I don't see why the Sox couldn't option him following 2020 Spring Training and let him work his way back to MLB action in the minors and not on the MLB DL. If he spends 55+ days down there, the Sox get an extra year. If he doesn't they are in the same position they would have been anyway. If the Twins can do what they're doing with Buxton right now, the Sox can definitely do that with Kopech.

Why? Just option him after spring training 2020 and let him rehab while not accruing more service time. It makes way too much sense. If he kicks ass and the Sox need a starter, you call him up before the 55 days.

Correct.

There goes 20% of his control. Fucking stupid to ever call him up this season. Probably happens anyway, but at least he’s in minor league DL. This sucks.

Why? Seems like an awful idea. I could at least see keeping him around on a cheap 1 year deal, but ideally Cease or Dunning are in the rotation by June or July, at the very least 2020. No reason to sign him to a 2 year deal. If I were the Sox i'd be looking at a cheapish 1 year bounce back options (Harvey, Ryu, Garcia, Pomeranz, Lynn, etc.) to flip if they turn in a good first half, or just rolling with what we got in Rodon, Kopech, Gio, Lopez and whoever wins the 5th spot out of Stephens, Guerrero, or Adams.

Moncada has been playing very good ball of late.

It’s literally like 10 games. The Eloy situation has nothing to do with the Sox FO thoughts competing next season. It may well still be a development and sub .500 season though.

Pollock on a 3 year ~$60M type deal makes a ton of sense to me. If Robert, Gonzalez or Basabe take over CF from him in the meantime, shift him over to a corner. I don't see it being a huge issue.

I think $18.1M.

I think the only reason to keep Avi (and why he will ultimately be tendered a contract) is that he's better than our other RF options for next season. Palka and Delmonico are both poor defenders, and certainly less established bats. If the Sox are trying to win next season (which I think they will until I am proven otherwise), I think they keep him around. I don't think he'll get a huge raise due to his poor season, and I don't think the Sox want to run Palka out in RF everyday. Maybe they sign a RF instead of a CF and then Avi becomes expendable, but unless they do that, I think he's kept around. I certainly hope they don't go into the season assuming Palka and Delmonico will cover a corner OF spot the whole season. Dream Scenario: LF: Delmonico (for 2 weeks; then Eloy and Delmonico to Charlotte) CF: AJ Pollock RF: Avi Garcia DH: Palka / Davidson Platoon BN: Leury, Engel, Yolmer, Palka/Davidson (not sure there is room for all these guys on the bench if a FA is signed, or Yolmer plays 3B again (hope not)) More Likely Scenario: LF: Delmonico (for 2 weeks; then Eloy and Delmonico to Charlotte) CF: Engel RF: Avi Garcia DH: Palka / Davidson Platoon BN: Leury, Yolmer, Palka/Davidson

Who plays 1B in this scenario?

Nicky has an option so he is the easy first odd man out when Eloy comes up unless the Sox move on from Davidson this offseason. The other potential wild card is Avi. If the Sox non-tender Avi, there is a little more space to keep these guys around. I don't think that is going to happen though.

Jones contract for 19-21 are team options. Due to his elbow surgery, his 2019 option is at the league minimum and his buy out is $1.25M. Therefore, Jones is around for at least 1 more season. Team options in 2020 and 2021 are now $3.75M and $4.25M, respectively. So he can stay healthy next season, he may be around a few more seasons. Think they'd probably move on after next season if he can't stay on the field, though.