Edwin Encarnacion

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

9 hours ago, RudyLawRules said:

May not mean much but I have read past articles in the Daily Herald by Tim and engaged with him on Twitter for high school sports stories he's covered. He seemed on the up and up. Just my $.02.

Yea but Orlando didn't ask him who his sources were but he answered like he did. All he had to say was yes I have my own sources. He might be lying but there's no way for anyone to know that.

When you tweet something that's already all over twitter it's best to say "as reported by" and give others the credit they are due especially if it comes true. That's what the pros do.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

9 hours ago, Moan4Yoan said:

It’s looking like EE is all but official and Castellanos probably isn’t happening.

Next up is a right-handed outfielder and a reliever.

I think Kevin Pillar makes the most sense.  Decent splits against lefties and can play good defense in CF and RF.  He can begin the season starting in CF and then platoon with Mazara in RF once Robert is called up.  You then have Engel solely as a 5th OF defensive replacement that can hang out in AAA if and when he is needed.

Bullpen needs help, that should be next. A platoon partner is hardly a necessity with Leury around, Sox basically have 2 super utility guys in Leury and Mendick. Will be interesting to see how they approach the bench or platoon partner for Mazara  talk.

[Flash]

10 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Bullpen needs help, that should be next. A platoon partner is hardly a necessity with Leury around, Sox basically have 2 super utility guys in Leury and Mendick. Will be interesting to see how they approach the bench or platoon partner for Mazara  talk.

Any chance we could be contenders for Hader? Wonder what kind of package we could assemble?

[tsak31]

15 minutes ago, pcq said:

I understand it's a money calculus. The Rangers can do their budget maneuvers and our owner gets to pay his favorites. Nick would be a huge statement for a team that has a chance to climb out of AAAA status 2020 and compete. EE 37 fouls up the lineup variations discussed here and is an aging suitcase. I have a right to be disappointed and that is all I am expressing. Psyched for Nick and bummed for EE. 

I understand both sides of this debate, and how some people might prefer Castellanos over EE. I don’t understand how anyone would be disappointed or complain if we were to get EE. Either way it is a huge upgrade and adding another professional hitter to this lineup. Adding EE provides 40-50 HR and 100+ RBI potential in the middle of the lineup for the next year or two (if the club option for 2021 is part of the deal). It is a low risk move that also keeps things flexible for the future. Castellanos is a solid hitter also but might constrain them a bit financially and defensively a bit down the road. Neither involve giving up prospects and getting either is making a statement and makes the team better. This lineup will be fun to watch!

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

1 minute ago, Flash said:

Any chance we could be contenders for Hader? Wonder what kind of package we could assemble?

Most likely not is my uneducated guess.Brewers reportedly are asking a lot and it seems apparent that the Sox aren't willing to forego the future by trading prospects.

[tray]

1 hour ago, SoxSteve said:

Your having doubts about Vaughn after reading a article? All that article says is he is the best college  hitter some have ever seen but he is a right handed hitting first baseman. I’ll take the former. 

I guess you didn't read the entire article. ?

Oh, he is both the former and the latter among other attributes mentioned in the article.

Edited December 25, 2019 by tray

[tray]

53 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Bullpen needs help, that should be next. A platoon partner is hardly a necessity with Leury around, Sox basically have 2 super utility guys in Leury and Mendick. Will be interesting to see how they approach the bench or platoon partner for Mazara  talk. 

It's impossible to completely address batting splits by just starting a RH outfielder (when there is a LH pitcher and vice versa) .

You don't have enough bench options to keep flipping RH - LH batters every time a pitching change is made. and it is not ideal to have a cold hitter coming off the bench. 

Edited December 25, 2019 by tray

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

10 hours ago, Moan4Yoan said:

It’s looking like EE is all but official and Castellanos probably isn’t happening.

Next up is a right-handed outfielder and a reliever.

I think Kevin Pillar makes the most sense.  Decent splits against lefties and can play good defense in CF and RF.  He can begin the season starting in CF and then platoon with Mazara in RF once Robert is called up.  You then have Engel solely as a 5th OF defensive replacement that can hang out in AAA if and when he is needed.

I’m also a fan of Pillar. He’s the perfect platoon partner for Mazara. .823 OPS against lefties last year and is as good of a defender as Engel, if not better. He can also pinch run and come in defensively late in games. Sign me up.

[SoCalChiSox]

Pillar would be ideal for reasons already mentioned plus he would come dirt cheap...prolly like 1 yr. 4 million. I also like the above average defense.

This is a very strong lineup with EE and a Mazara/Pillar platoon. 

 

 

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

1 hour ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Most likely not is my uneducated guess.Brewers reportedly are asking a lot and it seems apparent that the Sox aren't willing to forego the future by trading prospects.

Agreed. Sox need to have guys like Dunning, Basabe, Rutherford, and Adolfo bounce back to add some value to the farm. Hopefully they do that, and then by next season we’ll probably see more trades for Major League talent.

[Moan4Yoan]

James Fox of South Side Hit Pen is reporting that EE to the Sox is a done deal:

https://www.southsidesox.com/2019/12/25/21037326/white-sox-edwin-encarnacion-whos-that-we-see-underneath-the-tree-its-ee

And in spite of his Christmas morn tweet, with Encarnación conditionally signing with the White Sox, internally James is telling us that it’s a done deal, with “terms agreed upon.”

Edited December 25, 2019 by Moan4Yoan

[SoxBlanco]

This has to get announced by the end of the day tomorrow, right?

[Moan4Yoan]

10 minutes ago, SoxBlanco said:

This has to get announced by the end of the day tomorrow, right?

Maybe.  The Sox haven’t even officially announced the Keuchel signing yet even though Keuchel acknowledged it on 12/21 via his Twitter by retweeting a Lance McCullers congratulations tweet.

https://mobile.twitter.com/kidkeuchy?lang=en

Edited December 25, 2019 by Moan4Yoan

[Orlando]

 

[Quin]

So how do we feel about this compared to Castellanos?

Less defensive flexibility (not saying much considering NC's skill in the OF), lower average, more power, roughly equal OBP, and more flexibility for the future.

I think I prefer EE's power in the Cell / leaves room for Vaughn in the future.

[SoxAce]

Just now, Quin said:

So how do we feel about this compared to Castellanos?

Less defensive flexibility (not saying much considering NC's skill in the OF), lower average, more power, roughly equal OBP, and more flexibility for the future.

I think I prefer EE's power in the Cell / leaves room for Vaughn in the future.

I like Castellanos cause of the flexibility but you can't argue the 1 year commitment which is certainly ideal for us. Plus, Encarnacion walks alot more (maybe can tell Abreu to stop chasing crap and doing too much since he'll be the more experienced veteran) and can probably teach the young guys about launch angle. I hope Encarnacion explodes just like Cruz did (albeit he'll be clean). 

[Moan4Yoan]

12 minutes ago, Quin said:

So how do we feel about this compared to Castellanos?

Less defensive flexibility (not saying much considering NC's skill in the OF), lower average, more power, roughly equal OBP, and more flexibility for the future.

I think I prefer EE's power in the Cell / leaves room for Vaughn in the future.

I honestly don’t think the Sox could have gone wrong either way.

EE gives you a good .850 OPS bat at DH on a short-term cheap deal and can back up Abreu at 1B.  Castellanos would have also added a good bat but with some additional defensive flexibility since he can play the outfield (even if poorly) but he would have added more money and less flexibility with Sox prospects long-term.

This move will basically lead to the question on what they do with McCann / Collins.

Kevin Pillar and a couple relievers, including one flier minor league deal — Collin McHugh and Cody Allen? — should be next and that could wrap up the offseason early.

Edited December 25, 2019 by Moan4Yoan

[TheFutureIsNear]

Robert

Moncada

Jose

Eloy

Grandal

Encarnacion 

TA

Mazara

Madrigal

 

The more I think about it the more I’m actually really excited. I will gladly pay to watch that lineup every night. 

[Quin]

5 minutes ago, Moan4Yoan said:

I honestly don’t think the Sox could have gone wrong either way.

EE gives you a good .850 OPS bat at DH on a short-term cheap deal and can back up Abreu at 1B.  Castellanos would have also added a good bat with some defensive flexibility since he can play the outfield (even if poorly) but he would have added more money and less flexibility with Sox prospects long-term.

This move will basically lead to the question on what they do with McCann / Collins.

Kevin Pillar and a couple relievers (one flier minor league deal) should be next and that could wrap up the offseason early.

I think they're done with bats, with Engel as the defensive sub and Leury as the super sub. 

With Collins/McCann, we could carry a 5 man bench with the new 26 person roster. I guess it comes down to how we feel with Yermin as the third catcher.

[Jerksticks]

5 minutes ago, TheFutureIsNear said:

Robert

Moncada

Jose

Eloy

Grandal

Encarnacion 

TA

Mazara

Madrigal

 

The more I think about it the more I’m actually really excited. I will gladly pay to watch that lineup every night. 

For sure!  And Vaughn, maybe the best hitter on planet ?, is on his way too. 

[Moan4Yoan]

1 minute ago, Quin said:

I think they're done with bats, with Engel as the defensive sub and Leury as the super sub. 

With Collins/McCann, we could carry a 5 man bench with the new 26 person roster. I guess it comes down to how we feel with Yermin as the third catcher.

They still need a right-handed complement to Mazara in RF.  Since both Merkin and Steve Stone mentioned it recently, I don’t think the Sox will stick with Engel as that guy.

[SoxAce]

2 minutes ago, Moan4Yoan said:

Since both Merkin and Steve Stone mentioned it recently, I don’t think the Sox will stick with Engel as that guy.

They shouldn't. 

[Buehrle>Wood]

Team option for that 2nd year at 14 mil? That's huge.

[Moan4Yoan]

1 minute ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Team option for that 2nd year at 14 mil? That's huge.

That’s not official, just a guess by James Fox.

[Flash]

Not a judgement on EE or even the rationale of short commitment but I watched NC once he joined the Cubs (prior to that I saw very little of him) and what I saw was simply the best hitter I'd seen all year. I know about small sample sizes but that guy was phenomenal. He looked fine in OF but everyone seems to believe he is a liability. I don't know about that but what I saw at the plate makes me believe that he is on the cusp of greatness. Wish it were as a WS.