Jake Eder update...

[Lip Man 1]

"The scout added that Eder might be better-suited as a middle-inning reliever unless he curbs his wildness soon."

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2023/10/25/23931316/sox-gm-chris-getz-says-pitching-prospect-jake-eder-is-close-to-the-majors

[South Side Fireworks Man]

1 hour ago, Lip Man 1 said:

"The scout added that Eder might be better-suited as a middle-inning reliever unless he curbs his wildness soon."

A middle reliever.  Great.

[JoeC]

7 hours ago, Lip Man 1 said:

"The scout added that Eder might be better-suited as a middle-inning reliever unless he curbs his wildness soon."`

So the 2025 rotation  has him in the #2 or #3 spot, based on this report? Sorry - I didn't click on the article.

[Dick Allen]

71 IP in 2021

0 IP in 2022

56 IP in 2023

 

And the spin is he's close to being a starter on the MLB club? LMAO. I wish I was capable of just walking away from all of this until they decide to be major league. But I can't.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dick Allen

[LittleHurtCG]

This was a terrible trade the second it was made and it is getting worse and worse with each passing day. Jake Burger is a legit major league baseball player. Jake Eder is likely to be selling insurance in two or three years. Sox got played here big time. 

[baseball_gal_aly]

29 minutes ago, LittleHurtCG said:

This was a terrible trade the second it was made and it is getting worse and worse with each passing day. Jake Burger is a legit major league baseball player. Jake Eder is likely to be selling insurance in two or three years. Sox got played here big time. 

Burger wouldn't have made the adjustments he made if he was still on the Sox. He'd probably have stayed a low avg/low OBP, all power hitter with tons of ks. 

It's time to just write it off and say it wouldn't have happened here. 

[Bob Sacamano]

4 minutes ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

Burger wouldn't have made the adjustments he made if he was still on the Sox. He'd probably have stayed a low avg/low OBP, all power hitter with tons of ks. 

It's time to just write it off and say it wouldn't have happened here. 

He started improving before the trade. Who knows if it would have continued here though.

[Quin]

Jake Burger update...

Quote

Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench or Platoon
Risk: High

Physical Description: Tall and broad. Thick lower half and core. Strong forearms. Carries some bad weight. Maxed out physically. Legitimate injury concerns following two achilles tears.

Hit: Slightly crouched stance. Keeps his hands high and back. Some pre-pitch body sway and bat movement. Small leg kick as he steps into the pitch. Keep his weight evenly distributed. Linear swing that generates line drive contact when he connects. Above-average bat speed. The ball jumps off the bat. Shows a good eye on pitches out of the zone and has good bat-to-ball skills. Gets on top of the ball too often, which led to too many ground outs in 2017. Grade: 45

Power: Above-average or better raw power that has so far materialized as gap power in the pros. Mostly pull-side. Has enough strength and bat speed to impact the ball, but needs to focus on driving the ball with more regularity. Grade: 50

Field: Average instincts at 3B. Moves well laterally but has limited range. Will lay out for a ball in both directions. Footwork can get clunky, which leads to mistakes in the field. Grade: 45

Arm: Strong arm with significant carry across the diamond. Throws overhand when he needs to get something extra on it; goes sidearm to get it out quick to 2B. Throws were on target to 1B and 2B from 3B in limited looks. Profiles at 3B. Grade: 60

Run: Hustles out of the box, but runs with some effort. Not a threat to steal. Was a fringe-average runner before a series of lower leg injuries. Grade: 40

Overall: Burger hasn't taken any professional at-bats since 2017 due to a series of serious leg injuries. Prior to the injuries, he flashed big tools, particularly in his arm and power. There were questions about whether he could stay at 3B when he was drafted, and that persists, especially with the injury history. There's a significant amount of unknown in the current profile, but he carries some real upside if he can stay at 3B. He just needs to stay healthy.

It's truly amazing that injured players sometimes improve, but here we are in the Jake Eder Is Trash And I Knew It All Along Thread #86

[Dick Allen]

6 minutes ago, Quin said:

Jake Burger update...

It's truly amazing that injured players sometimes improve, but here we are in the Jake Eder Is Trash And I Knew It All Along Thread #86

I get your point, but this is a guy who has always had issues with his command. Came back from injury, worse command, which is understandable, but from what most have been saying, diminished stuff. It's fine to trade for a guy like this, but to give up a guy who was really popular in the clubhouse, and with fans, and could hit 40 homers? 

[Quin]

Just now, Dick Allen said:

I get your point, but this is a guy who has always had issues with his command. Came back from injury, worse command, which is understandable, but from what most have been saying, diminished stuff. It's fine to trade for a guy like this, but to give up a guy who was really popular in the clubhouse, and with fans, and could hit 40 homers? 

They 100% should have gotten multiple prospects for Burger if they were going to trade him during a breakout season where, but Kenny clearly wanted him gone.

But half of this board seems to now have a personal vendetta against Jake Eder, just like there used to be disgusting posts against Jake Burger.

[GREEDY]

He's 25.  It's time.  Pair him with RHPs and have him face once through the lineup every 3-4 days, either as an opener or the first clean inning of relief.  

I'd do the same with Crochet.  You are putting both in the best situations to succeed and the easiest way to get them to an IP number that might be able to transition to a full load in 2025.   

If you try and bring them along as 5 inning guys, even if they perform well, when are you going to shut them down?  June 1st?

If you try and deploy them as traditional short relievers and they have success, you know they will get overused and still not be a whole lot closer to being able to transition to becoming a starting pitcher.

Obviously, it is difficult to burn several roster spots on pitchers being deployed in this fashion (if you are psuedo still trying to compete) but for me you are investing in your higher upside arms that could pay actual dividends.  I strongly prefer this strategy to whatever they've attempted with Kopech the last two seasons.   

 

 

[bmags]

A pitcher where a scout says they could be a reliever? Well I never!

[Buehrle>Wood]

It's one of those trades that everyone knew was terrible at the time and somehow it still ends up worse.

[The Grinder]

Miami is laughing at this one

[wegner]

38 minutes ago, Quin said:

They 100% should have gotten multiple prospects for Burger if they were going to trade him during a breakout season where, but Kenny clearly wanted him gone.

But half of this board seems to now have a personal vendetta against Jake Eder, just like there used to be disgusting posts against Jake Burger.

Jake brought that on himself by posting that picture from Lambeau field.

[Milkman delivers]

3 hours ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

Burger wouldn't have made the adjustments he made if he was still on the Sox. He'd probably have stayed a low avg/low OBP, all power hitter with tons of ks. 

It's time to just write it off and say it wouldn't have happened here. 

But those things are still better than a pitcher who doesn’t appear to be improving enough to even make the major league team, no?

[baseball_gal_aly]

6 minutes ago, Milkman delivers said:

But those things are still better than a pitcher who doesn’t appear to be improving enough to even make the major league team, no?

I'd argue that Burger on the Sox was not an MLB player. He became one on the Marlins. 

The only reason why everyone liked him so much is that he hit for power in a lineup that was starved for it. 

[wegner]

6 minutes ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

I'd argue that Burger on the Sox was not an MLB player. He became one on the Marlins. 

The only reason why everyone liked him so much is that he hit for power in a lineup that was starved for it. 

Of the fans I know that liked Burger, they liked him more because he hustled all the time....a trait seriously lacking in most players on this team.

[Buehrle>Wood]

1 hour ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

I'd argue that Burger on the Sox was not an MLB player. He became one on the Marlins. 

 

Lol yeah he wasn't a MLB player after putting up 1.5 war in 88 games. This is some next level copium to try and justify being wrong on the trade. It's okay.

[baseball_gal_aly]

9 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

Lol yeah he wasn't a MLB player after putting up 1.5 war in 88 games. This is some next level copium to try and justify being wrong on the trade. It's okay.

What part of .214/.279/.806 with 102 K in 88 games screams MLB player to you? 

Literally the only part of that that is ok is the slugging percentage. 

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

I'd argue that Burger on the Sox was not an MLB player. He became one on the Marlins. 

The only reason why everyone liked him so much is that he hit for power in a lineup that was starved for it. 

He hustled.  Great with fans.  Resilient/perseverant.  Strong family man.  Figured out ways to overcome Sox development issues.   Improved considerably on defense over time with practice.   Attempted to improve his hitting with the help of his own tech as well as his wife's interventions.  Not associated with club's nightlife/attitude issues.  Always cheered on his teammates.  Actually seemed to have fun playing the game and appreciated the opportunities and responsibilities that came with it.

Also wouldn't have been one of those players grumbling about Sox fest or offseason PR events/hospital visits/events with children involved.  Unselfish.

[caulfield12]

8 minutes ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

What part of .214/.279/.806 with 102 K in 88 games screams MLB player to you? 

Literally the only part of that that is ok is the slugging percentage. 

After not playing for basically three years you expected linear improvement right away?

 

Screaming that out while ignoring the Sox paid $75 million for Benintendi's 2022 season while surrounded by similar lineups in NY to what AJ Pollock enjoyed with the 2021 Dodgers (also ideal platoon matchups, comparatively)....shows that they completely overlooked AB's 2019/20/21 seasons as well as Pollock's defensive deficiencies.

(Wouldn't want Rick Hahn picking my mutual funds, either.  Last year's results are not EVER indicative of future performance for Sox FAs.)

Or maybe they were overly impressed by KC's winning atmosphere and reputation?

Edited October 26, 2023 by caulfield12

[Dick Allen]

17 minutes ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

What part of .214/.279/.806 with 102 K in 88 games screams MLB player to you? 

Literally the only part of that that is ok is the slugging percentage. 

the 113 OPS+, which is right in line with his career number. Plus, this guy isn't the typical 27 year old. He missed 3 full seasons. A 3.0 career WAR in about a year's worth of playing screams MLB player to me.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dick Allen

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, baseball_gal_aly said:

I'd argue that Burger on the Sox was not an MLB player. He became one on the Marlins. 

The only reason why everyone liked him so much is that he hit for power in a lineup that was starved for it. 

Which is weird because the underlying stats say he was actually a slightly worse ballplayer while on the Marlins, just a little luckier. 

[nrockway]

4 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

I get your point, but this is a guy who has always had issues with his command. Came back from injury, worse command, which is understandable, but from what most have been saying, diminished stuff. It's fine to trade for a guy like this, but to give up a guy who was really popular in the clubhouse, and with fans, and could hit 40 homers? 

at AA, I only saw his fastball get clocked at 91mph early in the game. looks like he's touching mid 90s again. to me, it was a risk worth taking. The command is obviously concerning, but 0 walks in his last outing may be cause for optimism. 

Never been that high on Burger frankly, dingers are fun but he shouldn't play the field anywhere except 1B and he is about as big an injury concern as Eloy is. Florida fans were not happy to let go of Eder and can we really expect Burger or any power bat to continue "improving" into his 30s? Or is this his prime?

Fan favorite by default I guess because of how absolutely fucking miserable this season was (and how unlikeable the team was), but yeah I'd still take a flyer on a LHP starter prospect with his potential ceiling. If he hits, no one will  remember Jake.