How bad can you be on defense and still make the postseason?

[caulfield12]

15 minutes ago, GREEDY said:

Did Tim figure it out defensively the last few years or did he just have a good run of sample size during a swing and miss era?

Defensive metrics have always liked him.  My eye test has always rated him much lower. 

It is a golden era for short stops, and the OF position feels shallow while the league cycles out of the low OBP lefties that were neutralized by the shift, it would be a shame if a solid 250 game stretch from TA deeked us from having a plus defensive left fielder and signing one of the many available star SS.

Not so sure Correa, Seager, Story or Baez would be saving us…but whatever is wrong, it’s spreading like a disease across the entire infield.  And even seems to have followed Sheets, Vaughn and Leury to a lesser extent wherever they play on the field.

 

[Kyyle23]

Caulfield why must you keep copying and pasting whole articles from behind paywalls.  It's not amusing, I don't need a pop culture response.  Just stop it

[Jerry McNertney]

How about Lenyn Sosa at short?

[caulfield12]

31 minutes ago, JoshPR said:

I really think for this team to win its gonna have to be like the end of 04. Traded Carlos Lee and let mags walk. The Sox have some pieces. But not all of them are the correct ones. So either Abreu says Adios and Eloy becomes full time DH, or eloy gets traded and you fill the holes correctly. Do I trust Hahn to do so. Not really. Vaughn has to be at first full time next year. Eloy is the DH he likes it or not. I'm ok with Moncada at 3rd. Just wish he would get over the hump Nd maybe focus on stretching and flexibility to avoid injury. Let's face it other than Robert the Sox are weak up the middle. 

What do you do with Grandal if he can only catch 100ish games at that salary and you make Eloy the full time DH?  He’s not going to be easy to trade with one more year remaining on his deal and one year older…?  

And you’re not going to make Jimenez the weak side of a platoon like some thought should happen with Vaughn/Sheets to start the year?

[caulfield12]

11 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Caulfield why must you keep copying and pasting whole articles from behind paywalls.  It's not amusing, I don't need a pop culture response.  Just stop it

It’s not beyond a paywall.  I don’t subscribe to The Athletic or have any free articles remaining…but the whole article is available to anyone who clicks on it for whatever reason.  It only happens here in China that the whole thing downloads when normally it only shows the first paragraph and then it starts fading where you can’t read any further…?  Just assumed that happened because it was so out of date.

Edited May 10, 2022 by caulfield12

[JoshPR]

6 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

What do you do with Grandal if he can only catch 100ish games at that salary and you make Eloy the full time DH?  He’s not going to be easy to trade with one more year remaining on his deal and one year older…?  

And you’re not going to make Jimenez the weak side of a platoon like some thought should happen with Vaughn/Sheets to start the year?

Nope that's why I said the holes are filled wrong. Grandal's contract gonna be a burden. So if he catches 110 games so be it. Whatever he gives on offense within that is cake. Not that has doing much in 500 ABs

[caulfield12]

Sosa apparently has the better arm.  Yolbert’s is fringe for playing SS everyday, more of a natural 2B.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

Always thought Anderson should move/be moved to 2B.

[Greg Hibbard]

3 hours ago, JoshPR said:

This is gonna be an unpopular post and I'll get scalded here but is anyone else getting tired of Tim Anderson's bullshit? Between the bad approach and shit defense maybe it's time to get serious and stop trying to be such a hot dog. Maybe he needs to stop running his mouth and put up or shut up. Sorry but it starts with him. Last night's game is unacceptable for this team.

Tim’s overall performance as a player is not even close to being anywhere near a problem. As bad as he had been defensively this season, he’s one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. Put up or shut up? Dude has a 161 OPS+ this season. How is that not putting up? 

I get not liking the errors and the way he performed last night, but Tim Anderson - the entire package as a player - is not a problem on this team. 

[JoshPR]

3 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Tim’s overall performance as a player is not even close to being anywhere near a problem. As bad as he had been defensively this season, he’s one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. Put up or shut up? Dude has a 161 OPS+ this season. How is that not putting up? 

I get not liking the errors and the way he performed last night, but Tim Anderson - the entire package as a player - is not a problem on this team. 

That's the problem Tim isn't the entire package. Got to do it both sides of the ball

[caulfield12]

3 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Tim’s overall performance as a player is not even close to being anywhere near a problem. As bad as he had been defensively this season, he’s one of the best offensive shortstops in the game. Put up or shut up? Dude has a 161 OPS+ this season. How is that not putting up? 

I get not liking the errors and the way he performed last night, but Tim Anderson - the entire package as a player - is not a problem on this team. 

But what explains the gnawing sense that the White Sox are more often than not less/er than the sum of their individual parts as a collective team?

[Greg Hibbard]

1 minute ago, JoshPR said:

That's the problem Tim isn't the entire package. Got to do it both sides of the ball

Ok.

What other shortstop available to the White Sox is going to put up 1.1 WAR over the next 24 games played? 

[JoshPR]

10 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Ok.

What other shortstop available to the White Sox is going to put up 1.1 WAR over the next 24 games played? 

I'm not saying to get someone else now. He needs to get better. Do I like Tim oh yeah I do. But does all the talking and mouthing and showboating bring wins? I'm just saying, to be a total package has to be both sides

[FoxForce2]

14 minutes ago, JoshPR said:

Nope that's why I said the holes are filled wrong. Grandal's contract gonna be a burden. So if he catches 110 games so be it. Whatever he gives on offense within that is cake. Not that has doing much in 500 ABs

I sang this song all off-season. There is no reason whatsoever to expect Grandal to be able to crouch more than 100 times in a season. He's into his 30's and has lower body problems- it is to be expected. Any number of very good catchers have developed leg issues as they got into their 30's. It's a position of wear and tear - Yadis' and Pudges' don't grow on trees.
I'd say Yaz projects well at 80-90 games at 2, DH'ing 50-60 games. Which in turn complicates the DH slot even further than what it is now.

[ChiSox59]

2 hours ago, JoshPR said:

I don't think TA would be moving. I think The Sox see themselves set in the OF soon if Colas and Cespedes work out

Cespedes is hardly a prospect at this point.  

[JoshPR]

6 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Cespedes is hardly a prospect at this point.  

I know. But I really think brass has high expectations and probably won't wanna block him. That's how the Sox work

[Snopek]

11 minutes ago, JoshPR said:

I'm not saying to get someone else now. He needs to get better. Do I like Tim oh yeah I do. But does all the talking and mouthing and showboating bring wins? I'm just saying, to be a total package has to be both sides

You keep referencing his mouthing and showboating and I’m not sure exactly what you’re referring to.

[JoeC]

Yeah TA's antics work as long as he's leading by example where it counts.

The issue right now is that, as the shortstop, he's making mental (focus) mistakes. I'm OK with physical errors, but the undisciplined plays and (lack-of-focus) errors are unacceptable.

If you've got swagger, you better be taking care of your own business first and foremost.

[JoeC]

To clarify - overall, TA's offense has been great.

As a team leader though - when you see tons of seemingly mental miscues consistently happening, it's contageous.

[FoxForce2]

29 minutes ago, JoshPR said:

I'm not saying to get someone else now. He needs to get better. Do I like Tim oh yeah I do. But does all the talking and mouthing and showboating bring wins? I'm just saying, to be a total package has to be both sides

I don't know that TA is all that, however:

"A man's judgment is best when he can forget himself and any reputation he may have acquired and can concentrate wholly on making the right decisions."
ADM Ray Spruance

In today's media/mass communication driven world, it's awfully easy to be swallowed by hype. As easy as slipping on a banana peel.

Edited May 10, 2022 by FoxForce2

[Jerksticks]

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

It’s not beyond a paywall.  I don’t subscribe to The Athletic or have any free articles remaining…but the whole article is available to anyone who clicks on it for whatever reason.  It only happens here in China that the whole thing downloads when normally it only shows the first paragraph and then it starts fading where you can’t read any further…?  Just assumed that happened because it was so out of date.

I think what he’s saying is nobody has ever clicked on any link that you have ever posted.  I feel bad that you waste your time citing arbitrary information

 

Now feel free to cite the link to “109” as much as you like brother ?

[JoshPR]

29 minutes ago, JoeC said:

Yeah TA's antics work as long as he's leading by example where it counts.

The issue right now is that, as the shortstop, he's making mental (focus) mistakes. I'm OK with physical errors, but the undisciplined plays and (lack-of-focus) errors are unacceptable.

If you've got swagger, you better be taking care of your own business first and foremost.

My point exactly

[Boopa1219]

2 hours ago, CentralChamps21 said:

This team is full of DHs, and we're surprised that they're bad defensively?

On top of that, Soxtalk wanted to put Burger at 2B because Harrison/Leury are a hole in the lineup.

Pollock/Robert/Engel need to be the starting outfield every day they're available. Zero exceptions.

Moncada was in his first game back last night so I'm not going to be too hard on him but TA and Abreu have sucked on the field this year and there's no excuse for them.

Vaughn should take over 1B full time and have Abreu DH, give Abreu a game or two at first a week. 

[ChiSox59]

12 minutes ago, Joshua Strong said:

Vaughn should take over 1B full time and have Abreu DH, give Abreu a game or two at first a week. 

Gonna be tough to do that unless the Sox lose their obsession with overplaying McGuire. 

I am also not convinced Vaughn will be a defensive upgrade on Abreu at 1B.  

[Greg Hibbard]

2 hours ago, JoshPR said:

I'm not saying to get someone else now. He needs to get better. Do I like Tim oh yeah I do. But does all the talking and mouthing and showboating bring wins? I'm just saying, to be a total package has to be both sides

No, I’m sorry, he doesn’t need to get better. Tim Anderson is just fine - in fact he is contributing more than enough. 

Why are you singling out TA when he is producing far more than, say, Leury Garcia, Gavin Sheets, AJ Pollock, Reese McGuire, Josh Harrison - who need to produce like they aren’t AAAA players. Even established veterans are struggling.

Why single out Tim when he is producing at an all star level despite his errors?? How about we instead hold the other players to a major league standard. Reese McGuire has a -0.3 WAR. Yasmani has a -0.2. 7 players have a negative WAR on this team.

It’s unreal.