Two-Gun Pete

Couple things: When you refer to yourself in the 3rd person, you come off as a turd, an ass, and a POS. In general, you'll get more empathy if you avoid turd-like language. The other piece of this is that there are folks out there that ACTUALLY suffer from ACTUAL mental illnesses. Its incredibly tone-deaf and turd-like to complain about your "mental health," particularly in the 3rd person. Lastly (and this is fucking important), you having to stay inside AINT a fucking sacrifice. It's an inconvenience. All those people working in the ER, in the ICU, the Marine out on patrol, the cop on the beat, the social worker in the shitty neighborhood, and MANY OTHERS are actually sacrificing. Not you missing out on your Panera.

Two questions, Greg: 1. Do you have any diagnosed mental illness conditions? 2. I'm a veteran. I havent left body parts behind on a foreign battlefield, and I havent suffered any ill long term physical or mental issues from having served. My 2nd question to you is this: What do YOU consider a reasonable degree of service/sacrifice from an average American? Thanks, Greg. I KNOW you can find these answers, then go back to handling Greg's well-being.

Yeah, I'm bored. So, I thought I'd bump this thread, so that we can have on record what I thought about the offseason moves. As I look back on the major moves of this offseason, I wanted to let them “breathe” for a few weeks before I chimed in on this thread. This allows all the initial exuberance to wane a bit, so that I could try to take a more nuanced view. Given that NONE of the realistically “acquirable players” were without flaws, I try to look at the upside potential of the player, AND his downside risk(s); I know that some here overrate the downside of some players moreso than others. I also look at where this team is in it’s competitive window, as well as the “fit” for the player in the roster, WITHIN that window. In any case, here’s what I think. Where I wanted a different player, I’ll state it: Pitching Acquisitions I thought that this team DESPERATELY needed hedges against the clear and present danger of all the injury risks for a number of the rotation members. If memory serves, Giolito, Cease, Kopech, Dunning, and Rodon all had/have TJS. The other dire need was to have a few more SPs that could be counted on to provide 5-6 IP/start, to ease the burden on the bullpen, IMO. I also thought that this staff needed veteran leadership, and if possible, a LHSP, because the 3 out rule will make LOOGYS less prevalent in MLB. Dallas Keuchel: B Gio Gonzalez: C Cishek signing: B Instead of Keuchel, I wanted Wheeler, but I won’t beat that dead horse any more. I “thought” we could end up with MadBum, only because I doubted this FO’s ability to work with Borasshole, and I didn’t want to hear the scrubs-centric media beating the cheating scandal to death all year long. That said, Keuchel’s a LHSP who should give this rotation 170+ IP/~4.3-ish FIP over a full season, and his playoff experience should help this staff as it learns how to win. He's also proved his leadership bonafides since he's arrived here, IMO. Instead of Gonzalez, I wanted Porcello, as I believe that Porcello has more “upside” as a SP, and that he has a CYA, and that he has a WS ring, and that he speaks Spanish. But, having thought about it, Gonzalez’s versatility, in terms of him having experience in BOTH the BP and in starting, I think Gonzalez is a better “fit” for this year while we wait for Kopech/Rodon/Dunning to arrive. Cishek is exactly the kind of BP arm this team needs, IMO. We have to hope that RR doesn’t overuse him. Major Re-Signings Abreu: C- Moncada: A+ Robert: A+ Bummer: C I think most here are in agreement on these re-signings. Abreu’s contract is too long, and I’d like some conversation between the team and some of the major SP pieces to begin at some point this season. Major Position Player Acquisitions Grandal signing: A Mazara: D- Encarnacion: D+ I recognize the upside potential on both Mazara and Encarnacion. But, I think that KenHahn fell in love with Mazara and his “amazing” 19 HR in 2019, the year of “The Super Happy Fun Juiced Ball.” I think they saw him POUND shitty White Sox pitching in 2019, and got all hot and bothered. But, the man can’t hit v. LHP, which limits him to ~120 games, at best. Also, he’s as mobile as a drunk Paul Konerko coming off an ankle sprain, so he’ll hurt the team on the basepaths, and every hit that goes into Right-Center Field will go for XBHs. Oh yeah, the rookie in CF will have to bust his ass more on defense [some guy named “Robert”], which will make his transition into being the OF captain and MLB player all that more difficult. Mazara’s abject lack of range, coupled with the butchery of Jimenez in LF all but guarantees that noted AAAA OF Adam Engel will be in the team, rather than in Charlotte. [Where he could have properly prepared for his future baseball career in Asia or Mexico.] Because Mazara can’t defend because he can't move his feet, and can’t hit LHP, we’ll all get to feast our eyes on ~300 PA of Engel futility at the dish this year. I don’t outright “hate” this move, but it’s pretty close. On Encarnacion, I get that he’s hit a lot of HR over the past few years. But, he’s a geezing geezer, and Father Time is undefeated. I mean, he’s 37 fucking years old! At some point, his bat will slow, his power will fade, his contact abilities will be robbed from him, and his hand-eye coordination will be sub-MLB caliber. Whether that happens in 2020, or 2021, who knows? But it WILL happen, right in the middle of the likely competitive window. Since I believe 2021 could/should be the year for this team to compete for the division, I will have even less confidence in a then-38 year old geezing geezer. Add into it the presence of Abreu/Collins/ Vaughn in 2021, and KenHahn look to have over-staffed the 1B/DH roles, IMO. As such, I don’t really like the fit for a 37 year old Encarnacion. And honestly, what was the market for a DH-only geezer? I wanted Puig instead of Mazara, despite all the group-think on these boards that somehow made Puig out to being worse than Hitler. I think were he here, you’d have to trust the leadership in the clubhouse, AND a man’s natural maturation to bridge some of these [IMO grossly overstated] “issues.” Instead of a geezing geezer in Encarnacion, I wanted a more youthful Tsutsugo, who was signed by a better and smarter Tampa FO. There’s also the outside chance, however slight, that Tsutsugo could play either a corner IF or corner OF spot in a pinch, while “re-opening” the Japanese market to the SOX for future acquisitions. Hell, even RF-Puig/DH-Mazara would have been better than RF Statue-Mazara/DH Fossil-Encarnacion, because Mazara’s crippling lack of footspeed wouldn’t hurt the OF defense as often if he were the DH/Puig asshole insurance/backup RF. Overall Offseason Grade: C+/B- For my money, an “A Offseason” would have had to include the acquisition of an MVP candidate, or a Cy Young candidate. An “A+ Offseason” would have also addressed some of the organizational shortcomings as well. Credit the FO for stepping outside their “safety zone,” and actually helping JR find his checkbook. While they missed out on Wheeler, simply having fewer Detwiller/Covey/Banuelos starts should be a big help to the rotation and bullpen. They addressed the need for an impact LHB in Grandal, and invested in extending the keystone player to this team’s future in Robert. However, I really think they screwed the pooch with the Mazara/Encarnacion acquisitions. I believe that for this team to compete, one or both of these two players will need to be replaced by better/more complete/younger options by OD 2021. I’m still pleased with the offseason, as I’d become accustomed to “F” and “D” offseasons. We should be better, but I don’t see us as a playoff team in 2020. We’ll see.

I can't believe that anyone who claims to be from the Southwest Side is so mentally weak and self-serving. I mean, if you can read English, you can tell what will be open, and what won't be open. There are and will be ways to take care of the day-to-day needs.

Between Mazara's poor record v. LHP, Mazara's utter lack of range in the OF, and EE's 37 years of age, I would have preferred another solution. I would have rather that they kept the AAAA Engel in Charlotte, and had a corner OF/DH type to compliment Mazara and Eloy. I would have also made the DH role available for Abreu, Grandal, Mazara, Jimenez, and others to use as an occasional day off from playing the field. That said, here's hoping that Mazara and EE do well enough for this team this year.

Nah, its not the 15 ABs. It's the 37 years of age. But you read that in my post you quoted, right? (Nah, you didn't.)

I don't know if EE is "toast" or not, but I reserve the right to doubt a 37 year old until he proves otherwise. I also reserve the right to doubt this FO's signings of DH and 1B types, thanks to their rich history with Dunn, Laroche, and Alonso. For these reasons, I think its a fair question to ask about EE, although I also think its fair to call these concerns a bit premature. I get that EE has been a strong producer in recent years. But Father Time is invincible, and at some point, he will come and take away EE's abilities as a hitter.

I don't agree that they're "similar enough," in all honesty. I actually wanted Puig and a LH corner OF/DH, rather than Encarnacion. Mazara would have been a good pairing with Puig and Jimenez, IMO. Or Tsutsugo. Just to have another DH option that isn't solely a DH or 1B. [EDIT] I also don't like having BOTH corner OFers being below average defenders, forcing a larger role onto a AAAA type like Engel; I think Leury is adequate in a reserve role for CF and IF, but doesn't provide enough offense for a corner OFer. Let's hope that they've made the right choice.

Disagreed. Look at the DRS numbers between the two. Puig was 0, and +6 in the past 2 years. Mazara was -4, & -5 over the past 2 years. What's more, is that since Mazara can only play vs RHP, he accumulated the - DRS in far fewer games. This means that were he to play MORE games, his DRS would be even MORE negative.

We can agree to disagree. But, arguing that Mazara has "untapped potential" defensively ignores the reality of his numbers. Seriously, look at Mazara's Inside Wdge Fielding numbers. (Hint: He has the range to cover a phone booth defensively.) If anything, Mazara's best tool is his LH power potential, not his glove. He's a DH, period. Also, Mazara's DRS in the past 2 years: -4, and -5. (In ONLY 101, and 113 games.) Puig's DRS over the past 2 years: 0, and 6. (In 146, and 118 games.)

Can we agree with the reality that LF will be manned by a butcher? If so, consider that Puig HAS been positive on DRS over his career. Mazara, despite him being in his athletic PRIME has never been positive on DRS. To me, this indicates that Mazara is bad at fielding, whereas Puig had not been as bad. Then, add into it that Mazara has never been >100 on WRC+, while Puig has been over his career. This suggests to me that Mazara is not an (overall) above average bat; I can agree that he can contribute in specific handedness situations, but not more than that. Full stop, Mazara is a LH DH/occasional corner OF. Puig isn't a star, and he has his issues. But he's a better "bridge option" until one of the prospects picks his head up & makes it here, or a permanent solution can be acquired. Given that there are already 2 DHs playing positions for this team (Abreu, Jimenez), adding another DH to the defense seems to be a bad idea, IMO.

Yeah, let's expose the OF defense to more games by the two weakest corner OF, instead of having at least one corner OFer being a competent defender. I dont think this will happen. But, if it does, I'd reverse the Puig & Mazara starts in RF. Again, because Mazara can't field because he can't move his body.

Great, now do their career numbers, rather than Engel's (snicker) 89 PA in The Year of The Happy Fun Juiced Ball.

I like you, and I respect you. But given what Denny McLain did (for example), this view is kinda horseshit. Weaver got suspended for knowing about the scam, but not reporting it; Jackson's involvement still isn't 100% clear. Are we to believe that NONE of McLains team mates knew about his gambling and (allegedly) mob-related bookkeeping activity, but didn't report it? Or Pete Rose's team mates didn't know anything about his gambling? Sorry, but MLB hasn't been as hardcore on gambling as they purport to be. Houston (and all their cheating players) did far worse with their cheating, full stop.

Shit, if Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe Jackson are still banned, WTF aren't the Houston players also banned for life? (Yes, I get the players union angle, but why aren't the players union also sticking up for players that may have been wrongly punished in the past?) Otherwise, why aren't Weaver/Jackson made eligible for reinstatement, and thus, enshrinement in Cooperstown? This is some high bullshit, IMO.

This is the crux of my view as well. With a butcher already committed to in LF, bringing in a statue like Mazara is a problem that can't be bridged easily. Giving Mazara the starting RF role is a mistake, IMO. Adding in a 37 year old Encarnacion effectively "blocks" Mazara from being hidden at DH, and it constipates the 1B/DH depth chart. By contrast, Puig's issues can be bridged by: 1. The "makeable incentives" part of a contract to help keep him in line, [i.e. cash to him and to his charitable foundation if he toes the line], 2. Insuring the contract [i.e. if he steps out of line/is released, Lloyd's of London covers some of the contract], 3. Signing redundancy in the 26 man [i.e. a Corner OF/DH type that can play some corner OF, instead of yet another 1B/DH type like Encarnacion], 4. Trusting that men can evolve and mature [i.e. the issues from when he was 22 won't pop up now that he's 29 & with 3 kids], 5. Trusting that Abreu and Grandal are in fact good leaders that have vouched for who he is NOW, 6. Trusting that Ricky can do what he does best, which is to keep a harmonious and engaged clubhouse, and 7. [EDIT] Trusting/verifying that he's been humbled by the past few years and the lack of suitors this offseason. I'm not sure there are [EDIT] 7 ways to bridge Mazara's 59 wrc+ v. LHP, nor his ineptitude at defense, nor Encarnacion's inevitable date with Father Time.

OK, you clearly spent a lot of time on this post, because this issue means a lot to you. But, in looking at the list of things you cited, ALL of them occurred years ago, not from the past ~6-12 months timeframe that I specified... ...Except for the two fights Puig got into with the NL Central's version of KC. After all, if Puig got into 2 fights with shittsburg, and TA got into fights with KC, shouldn't TA also be DFA'ed as well? [That is, if you're gonna hold a strong moral line on this, right?] I mean, SOMEONE'S gotta be the arbiter of the "unwritten rules" in the NLC, just as KC are the arbiter of the "unwritten rules" in the ALC, and I guess that makes you the arbiter of the "unwritten rules" here on Soxtalk. All kidding aside, I think you're a good poster, good SOX fan, and you seem to be a good guy. I think I understand you more, after reading your posts, though. You're NOT a troll, and you're not an idiot. I just think you've just engaged in some quality boomerposting in this thread.

Hey, I'm mostly kidding with you. It's just baseball. That said, you spent a couple hours, and several pages of this thread to go over the speeding issue. [Seriously, look back at your posts from the other day.] You also didn't cite any links, and chose incidents from several years ago. I understand those who complain about the man's past. But, I believe men have the ability to grow and to learn from their past, which is why I asked Puig's critics to cite something from the past ~6-12 months, with a link. At the end of the day, Puig is just flat-out a better player than Mazara. But it won't matter, because Mazara's here now. For better or worse, he'll probably fall on his face this year because he's about as mobile as a drunk Paul Konerko.

Hypothetically, if the Sox have an offer to Puig, why would he take it? I think he'd take it because he knows that he's flat-out a better player than Mazara. And, that he would definitely take Mazara's job away from him in a matter of weeks. Looking at their numbers side-by-side, this is without question. The more glaring gap between the two is that Puig has been positive on DRS in most seasons, while Mazara has never been positive on DRS. When your CF is a rookie, & you've already committed LF to a butcher, it behooves the SOX to have a cromulent glove in RF. That way, it can help to ease Robert's transition into MLB, from the defensive side of his game. I don't know if the Sox have made an offer, nor do I know if Puig has any interest in coming here. But, I'd rather bet on Puig maturing as a person than bet on Mazara's shitty fielding and Engel-ish 59 wrc+ v. LHP. (Yeah, I know, speeding is a more horrific crime than genocide for some here.)

Yes, it was garbage time for a team that was never really in contention. But more importantly, you did just admit it was SSS. Which makes it a bad argument. And you placing trust in THIS org's scouting is misplaced, given their repeated and abject failures over the years. Also, getting excited over "approach changes" rarely pays off, in all honesty. (Unless you believe Texas to be dumber than KenHahn.) And yes, Kenny in particular, too often believes himself to be the smartest man in the room. Which lends him to be irrationally exuberant too often. I think them adding a career 59 wrc+ v. LHP Mazara, and a 37 year old DH are examples of this irrational exuberance. And yes, egocentrism.

Come on, man. Using a SSS-in-garbage-time argument to prop up Mazara is a bad argument. Especially for 2019, the year of "The Super Happy Fun Juiced Ball." No offense, but we can all "hope" he'll be better than what his numbers say. But KenHahn made an egocentric choice to pick this guy up. And yes, the existence of BOTH Eloy and Mazara means that Engel is all but guaranteed to be here, since neither Jimenez nor Mazara can play defense.

This is true. Now we gotta hope the ball will be as lively in 2020.

I think you're right. I think KenHahn got all hot and bothered watching Mazara get 3 of his 19 HR against AAAA white sox pitching in 2019. Problem is that Mazara wont get the chance to face the shitty 2019 White Sox pitching staff, and collect ~16% of his HR in doing so.

Abreu and Grandal have both vouched for Puig, BTW. Given that both have been his team mate, I'm pretty confident that they know what Puig is all about, for better or worse.

Which goes to show that you're overblowing what he is. I've stated that he's had his issues. And, I believe that men can evolve as they mature. (Which is why I stipulated the past 6-12 months for a citation from Puig's critics.) But, has he been a criminal, either alleged or convicted? Not to my knowledge. If AJ helped this team despite having had personality issues, other players can, too. If you trust ricky to lead the team, and if you've paid Abreu to be a leader, then let them do so. If Grandal vouched for Puig (which he has, BTW), that seems to be a good enough endorsement as any. Full stop, he's a better defender than Mazara. Given that Robert will have Jimenez in LF, I'd rather have a better defensive RF than Mazara. And Puig is a better overall hitter than Mazara as well. Not saying he's a great player, because he isn't. And he's not without his issues. But his issues aren't as big a deal as many are purporting them to be. Certainly, there are ways to bridge them. I'm just not sure there are ways to bridge Mazara's 59 career wrc+ vs LHP, or Encarnacion's 37 years of age, by comparison.