Who Should Be In The Lineup Next Year?

[steveno89]

Why rush him? This is going to be a replacement level team next year. We shouldn't be in any hurry to burn service time until we need to.

 

I'm totally fine with him spending the entire 2018 season in AAA if need be. We do not know if his recent command is here to stay yet, and he absolutely should have to earn a promotion to the majors.

 

Personally, I would like to see a full season in AAA and have him ready to go spring 2019.

[ChiSox59]

Why rush him? This is going to be a replacement level team next year. We shouldn't be in any hurry to burn service time until we need to.

 

This is really what it comes down to for me. We're already wasting precious Moncada time. I personally would have kept Moncada in AAA until next summer, but now that he is here, he needs to stay here.

 

[Jerksticks]

Kopech will likely be allowed to play out 3-4 more starts in August and then be shut down until spring training. He should be in mlb camp, but needs to spend a considerable amount of time in AAA Charlotte continuing to work on command and building up innings.

 

I'd like to see him spend a good amount of 2018 in AAA, but if a player forces the issue then it must be considered.

There's really no downside to callung up Kopech after super 2 next year. Let him finish his 160IP with Coop. Or am I missing something?

[southsider2k5]

This is really what it comes down to for me. We're already wasting precious Moncada time. I personally would have kept Moncada in AAA until next summer, but now that he is here, he needs to stay here.

 

Moncada, Lopez, and Giolito are on the doorstep and pretty much have to be moved up. Kopech is a different story.

[steveno89]

There's really no downside to callung up Kopech after super 2 next year. Let him finish his 160IP with Coop. Or am I missing something?

 

Kopech would need to be added to the 40 man roster in order for that to happen^

 

Although his past month has been terrific, I'm not sure his control issues are a thing of the past yet. AAA/MLB hitters are more experienced and patient than AA and below, which will force him to continue to work on harnessing his plus stuff. A callup to the mlb should only be when the organization is convinced he can be here to stay. He's only 21 years old right now, why rush his development?

 

The 2018 season will be ugly, and most of our shiny toys will still be in the minors outside of Moncada, Lopez and possibly Giolito. I'm fine with the party starting in 2019/2020.

[Bob Sacamano]

Kopech would need to be added to the 40 man roster in order for that to happen^

 

Although his past month has been terrific, I'm not sure his control issues are a thing of the past yet. AAA/MLB hitters are more experienced and patient than AA and below, which will force him to continue to work on harnessing his plus stuff. A callup to the mlb should only be when the organization is convinced he can be here to stay. He's only 21 years old right now, why rush his development?

 

The 2018 season will be ugly, and most of our shiny toys will still be in the minors outside of Moncada, Lopez and possibly Giolito. I'm fine with the party starting in 2019/2020.

 

And there's really no point of starting his service time. Call him up after 2 weeks in 2019 when he gets that extra year of control.

[ChiSox59]

Moncada, Lopez, and Giolito are on the doorstep and pretty much have to be moved up. Kopech is a different story.

 

Disagree on Giolito. He has done very little to prove his ready to take the ball every 5th day in the bigs. I don't really think he should see the majors this year, but suspect they'll call him up for a few starts in September. Next year? I'd bring him into ST with the idea that he can earn a spot in rotation, and if he doesn't, back to AAA.

 

Lopez, yes I agree. He is ready and should be up.

 

Moncada. Ehhhh. He had good not great numbers in AAA. I know his injury derailed him a bit, but there is easily an argument to be made that he should still be in AAA. Not to mention they have several other options at his position. I am fine with being in Chicago, but I don't think he exactly forced his way there. Now that he is there, he needs to stay there.

[chitownsportsfan]

Disagree on Giolito. He has done very little to prove his ready to take the ball every 5th day in the bigs. I don't really think he should see the majors this year, but suspect they'll call him up for a few starts in September. Next year? I'd bring him into ST with the idea that he can earn a spot in rotation, and if he doesn't, back to AAA.

 

Lopez, yes I agree. He is ready and should be up.

 

Moncada. Ehhhh. He had good not great numbers in AAA. I know his injury derailed him a bit, but there is easily an argument to be made that he should still be in AAA. Not to mention they have several other options at his position. I am fine with being in Chicago, but I don't think he exactly forced his way there. Now that he is there, he needs to stay there.

 

Moncada had nothing left to learn about succeeding as a MLB player in AAA. We've already seen him make some adjustments the past couple games in his approach at the plate. He's still raw but he's so talented that he wasn't going to learn anything more about how to harness it against AAA arms and in fact he could have gotten into some bad habits.

[Jerksticks]

And there's really no point of starting his service time. Call him up after 2 weeks in 2019 when he gets that extra year of control.

This is all fine and dandy ONLY if his command becomes iffy again. If he's in AAA next year tossing 7IP 3H 1BB 10K ball consistently...then I think the right move is to wait until after Super 2 deadline. You can't stuff him in the attic like Christmas decorations if he's murdering AAA. Wait til Super 2 for sure.

 

This all assumes he's dominating. If he's still struggling with control a bit then the Sox have the justification to do what you and others are suggesting.

[Hatchetman]

Not sure how to max Kopech WAR given expected TJS.

[ChiSox59]

Not sure how to max Kopech WAR given expected TJS.

How is TJS any more expected for Kopech than any other professional pitcher?

[WBWSF]

Catchers= Smith, Narvaez.

infield= Abreu, Moncada, Anderson, Davidson, Saladino.

Outfield= Delmonico, L. Garcia, Avi Garcia, Hanson.

Dh/Outfield= J.D. Martinez

Starting pitchers, Rodon, M.Gonzalez, Lopez, Shields AND Jake Arrieta.

Bullpen=Clippard, Petricka, and????

1)I should point out that if it was up to me Shields, Clippard and Anderson wouldn't be on the team. But due to the fact that these guys have long term contracts, we are stuck with them.

2) I keep reading that Hahn says when the time comes JR will open up his wallet for some free agents. If that is true why not do it now. Both J.D. Martinez and Arrieta would help this so called rebuild a lot quicker.

[caulfield12]

Arrieta, you have to be joking.

 

He's going to get $120-150 million and five years from someone...and won't provide any value to the 2020-23 teams.

 

There's no simply rush to sign JD Martinez unless the market for corner infielders utterly collapsed and he then became a buy low guy that could be flipped. That's highly unlikely.

[Dick Allen]

How is TJS any more expected for Kopech than any other professional pitcher?

Sometimes the guys who have it seem like you could see it coming for years. Other times its a bit of a surprise. We are still waiting for Sale's elbow to explode. I would think, if there was a poll of which young White Sox pitcher did one expect will eventually have TJS, not including Giolitto since he already has, Kopech would be the runaway winner. That stuff throwing a lighter ball 110 last spring was eye opening, and he at least seemed like the gun used to be one of the most important things to him at a ballpark. Hopefully he has overcome that, and by his results, and lower walk rate, he certainly could have seen the light.

[WBWSF]

Arrieta, you have to be joking.

 

He's going to get $120-150 million and five years from someone...and won't provide any value to the 2020-23 teams.

 

There's no simply rush to sign JD Martinez unless the market for corner infielders utterly collapsed and he then became a buy low guy that could be flipped. That's highly unlikely.

1) Who would you rather see in the 2018 White Sox rotation, Arrieta, Holland, Shields or Pelfrey?

2) Would you rather have our present Dhs in 2018 or J.D. Martinez?

3) I don't think JR is going to spend big money on any free agents but if he does he might as well start doing it this off season.

[Quin]

1) Who would you rather see in the 2018 White Sox rotation, Arrieta, Holland, Shields or Pelfrey?

2) Would you rather have our present Dhs in 2018 or J.D. Martinez?

3) I don't think JR is going to spend big money on any free agents but if he does he might as well start doing it this off season.

 

1) I'd much rather see Pelfrey or Holland than Arrieta. They won't be albatross contracts signed for a dead season.

2) I'd prefer to see Avi, I guess? Hell, even a Melky return would be better.

[Balta1701]

Moncada had nothing left to learn about succeeding as a MLB player in AAA. We've already seen him make some adjustments the past couple games in his approach at the plate. He's still raw but he's so talented that he wasn't going to learn anything more about how to harness it against AAA arms and in fact he could have gotten into some bad habits.

Then we should have seen more success from him.

 

When a guy is doing things correctly in AAA, he will have success if he's talented enough. He should have had at least a couple post-injury weeks of pure dominance to establish "yes, he's doing things correctly". Because...a guy who is doing everything correctly at Charlotte will produce. A guy doing everything correctly in the big leagues will occasionally run into Chris Sale and walk away from the plate wondering what the hell that was. And when he's not having success in the big leagues - that's the place where I expect the guy to start getting into bad habits.

 

In the big leagues, you do everything right and you're still going to make some outs. Maybe you decide to start doing some things wrong to see what they do.

[Kyyle23]

1) Who would you rather see in the 2018 White Sox rotation, Arrieta, Holland, Shields or Pelfrey?

2) Would you rather have our present Dhs in 2018 or J.D. Martinez?

3) I don't think JR is going to spend big money on any free agents but if he does he might as well start doing it this off season.

 

Status quo in 2018. They are gonna lose. Suck it up buttercup, the sox arent gonna be signing these players in order to win 5-10 more games and get a mid round pick.

[bmags]

Please just sign a good catcher. Please please please.

[Balta1701]

Please just sign a good catcher. Please please please.

Alex Avila (31)

Welington Castillo (31) — $7MM player option

Hank Conger (30)

A.J. Ellis (37)

Tyler Flowers (32) — $4MM club option with a $300K buyout

Nick Hundley (34)

Chris Iannetta (35)

Jose Lobaton (33)

Jonathan Lucroy (32)

Miguel Montero (34)

Rene Rivera (34)

Carlos Ruiz (39)

Geovany Soto (35)

Chris Stewart (36) — $1.5MM club option with a $250K buyout

Kurt Suzuki (34)

Josh Thole (31)

Matt Wieters (32) — can opt out of the remaining one year, $11MM on his contract

Bobby Wilson (35)

 

 

Ready for round 2 of Avila? Willing to pay Lucroy after his 2017 season? I'm open to what you're looking at here, there's your list.

[Kyyle23]

Alex Avila (31)

Welington Castillo (31) — $7MM player option

Hank Conger (30)

A.J. Ellis (37)

Tyler Flowers (32) — $4MM club option with a $300K buyout

Nick Hundley (34)

Chris Iannetta (35)

Jose Lobaton (33)

Jonathan Lucroy (32)

Miguel Montero (34)

Rene Rivera (34)

Carlos Ruiz (39)

Geovany Soto (35)

Chris Stewart (36) — $1.5MM club option with a $250K buyout

Kurt Suzuki (34)

Josh Thole (31)

Matt Wieters (32) — can opt out of the remaining one year, $11MM on his contract

Bobby Wilson (35)

 

 

Ready for round 2 of Avila? Willing to pay Lucroy after his 2017 season? I'm open to what you're looking at here, there's your list.

 

egads no. stay away

[Balta1701]

egads no. stay away

With the number of young pitchers we should have entering next year's rotation I won't scream "ick" at the concept of a veteran catcher, there are a couple guys in there who are good at handling pitching staffs (Tyler Flowers, Kurt Suzuki perhaps?, Lucroy, Wieters), but I dunno that I have a lot more confidence in any of them than the pair we currently have.

[bmags]

That's like a whose who of the worst framing catchers, but a reminder that Narvaez is 3rd from last, so only way to go is up (unless we sign Lucroy).

 

Maybe Baltimore will trade Caleb Joseph for someone marginal.

[Bob Sacamano]

With the number of young pitchers we should have entering next year's rotation I won't scream "ick" at the concept of a veteran catcher, there are a couple guys in there who are good at handling pitching staffs (Tyler Flowers, Kurt Suzuki perhaps?, Lucroy, Wieters), but I dunno that I have a lot more confidence in any of them than the pair we currently have.

 

I doubt Braves decline the option on Flowers and Wieters I would bet doesn't opt-out.

[bmags]

oh, Iannetta is still pretty good at framing.

 

For "handling" of a staff, couldn't do worse than AJ Ellis. Would be like signing Sandy Alomar Jr. in 02.