Ducksnort

To answer the question of is this rock bottom, I will be 100 percent honest and say this is the least interested I've been in Sox games in probably since I started watching in 04. (Still follow the prospects on the daily and watch Moncada/Anderson/Gio/ReLo highlights.) But, it's just really hard to get interested in this big league team right now. It's the same thing every day almost, then you get the occasional comebacker against the Jays, which I just so happened to be watching. But a die hard fan such as myself starts to become disinterested, even though I know what the future holds for the team, yeah I would say it's rock bottom. Until Eloy and Kopech come up.

Agreed. It's already full on the weekends. Last weekend it was packed with Toronto...kind of a nobody team to watch especially with no Donaldson.

Agree wholeheartedly with this statement. Best 3B in the league, both in Offense and Defense. Is there another elite level 3B out there that will be available in the next few years? Not like we have any in our system. Unless we do something like move Moncada to 3B and play Madrigal at 2B. Can't count on Burger. If only one of Eloy/Robert/Rutherfod/Basabe were a third baseman.

I think Charlotte should change their name to the "Charlotte Box Checkers" and their new mascot is a dude in a polo and khakis with a clipboard and a pen checking off boxes.

Yeah,I think it is silly myself, but if you think about the development of the player to best contribute to the team when he gets here, it kind of makes sense. Palka and Delmonico are up here to fill holes. That is not what Jimenez will be doing. But, I'm not sure how much he can improve defensively...in the outfield...in AAA compared to MLB. Like, it's a corner outfield spot. All you need is an arm and a little bit of reading skills. We already know he has a good arm. Completely different than center.

I guess it's true the AA is more competitive than AAA...I bet this same thing will happen with Vlad Jr. for the Jays

Check. Each homerun is a box checked.

Looks like Tuesday. Today and tomorrow will be fun to follow...today is Cease and tomorrow is Medeiros (going to butcher his name a million times) as well as Kopech. Of course the Jimenez watch is in full swing right now as well.

Not trying to be offensive here or anything, but I think the beauty of being human beings is exactly what you think makes us delusional...the fact that one person can take one set of data or information, and the other can take the same set, and both can have completely different opinions and ideas. It's what makes us who we are....the world would be boring if we all thought and acted the same way. All you need to do is go to Wal-Mart to see how vastly different people can be I don't call it delusional, I call it entertaining haha. All joking aside, we all have different experiences, different kinds of education, different kinds of influences, different sets of beliefs, different kinds of upbringings...when you look at the grands scheme of things and start to chisel it out a bit, you actually begin to wonder how 2 people see the same set of objective information and actually come to the SAME conclusion, because people are just so different from each other. Unfortunately, all you have to do is look at our current political and social climate, and see that it's not easy for people to accept others when their opinions differ from them, because it doesn't make sense or comes off as offensive, when all you really have to do is try to understand the other person a little bit and God-forbid agree to disagree a little. But, that's neither here nor there. Wrong thread to start this kind of conversation.

Not sure what you mean by the pitching side not looking great. They have 3 starters in Charlotte right now that are very close to being Major League ready and will probably have decent careers, one with potential to have multiple all-star seasons. We have a starter in Double-A right now in Cease that is absolutely dominating and in my opinion will be one of the pitchers that will be in the championship team's rotation. Hansen will eventually get his stuff together. Then you have all of the minor league relievers that have ERA's in the 3s and below, including some in AAA, and we just obtained 3 more in the last 3 days, one of which will probably be in our major league bullpen by the end of the year. Then Burdi once he returns. The pitching id doing just fine if you ask me.

Does that check off a box?

Awesome. Lots of relief pitching in the system to pick from. One of the most important pieces to a contender, often put together last, we potentially have it in our system currently. Never have enough pitching.

Get your tix to those Sox-KC matches boys...those are gonna be some fun games to watch this year.

Gio pitching, see if he can continue is solid run of pitching vs a lineup that scored 10 runs night before. After a great run of SP from the Sox, last few games have been ones to forget. Offense has been pretty solid though. All those games would've been won with at least decent pitching. Game is at 6 central, unlike the 4:00 start that the soxtalk homepage says.

I'm of the opinion: When they are ready to be brought up (or "check all the boxes...") they are brought up>Extra year of control. If they aren't developmentally ready until August next year (God forbid Eloy breaks his hip or something tomorrow and can't play til next season, which is the only scenario I see something like an August 2019 debut happening), then that's when it should happen. If he isn't ready next May, then that's when it should happen. If he is ready in 3 weeks, then that is when it should happen. What were the service time rules back in the early 90s when big Frank skipped AAA to come to MLB? (I know, different team then in a different situation, just curious).

Not sure. But it seems like this last deal, whatever they did, bit them in the ass last off-season. They definitely need better negotiators. Or maybe it just seemed like a bad deal because last offseason's FA crop sucked, and many teams are taking a different approach with rebuilding. Maybe it will be better this time around. Regardless, who knows what they would give up. I'm not going to suggest anything, but with all the great young talent in the minors, if this starts to become an issue with keeping players down until an extra year of control, it will definitely be heavily discussed.

The "character" of this article, if you can call it character, is that of a 2 year old stomping their feet because they don't get what they want. This is just stupid. While I agree Jimenez should be called up in the next few weeks if he continues this tear, you could argue heavily Kopech is not ready, and definitely wasn't months ago. Very poor taste in writing whoever wrote this.

But the players have lots of incentive to change it

Another week of this and he gets the call?

Just turned game on. Why Coop and Renteria ejected?

I kind of wish they would develop Yolmer into being an outfielder in addition to the infield...I think there were talks of this. He has the speed to play center (not sure how the range and route skills would be). That way, you send Engel down instead of Delmonico or Palka, Davidson could be the 3B, Yolmer could take the majority of the starts in center with Jimenez in left and Leury being the ultimate super-sub. This is probably a pipe dream but it would fix a lot of the issues. Palka (OF), Delmonico (OF), Leury (All positions), Smith/Narvaez. That's actually a pretty healthy bench. 2 lefties, one with power, the other with solid contact skills, and a switch hitter with some pop and speed. Amazing what a difference Jimenez would make for this offense.

Anyone know why Kopech was pulled after just 81 pitches?

I could see Eloy being called up but idk about Kopech...I feel like Adams and Stephens will get the call first. Kopech's game today wasn't necessarily "call-up" material, even if he did only allow 2 runs.

The offense wasn't the issue today....

That was pathetic. Covey is done.