White Sox agree to 1 year deal with INF Josh Rojas

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

8 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Not to mention, Colson was ass in AAA last year. He hasn't earned it.  I doubt he's on the Opening Day roster. White Sox will White Sox, but I don't see it with this one. 

I guess you and @Chicago White Sox are about to be shocked on March 27th then. This was one of several points that we went back and forth on earlier this week. I’m curious to see how it plays out.

[Bob Sacamano]

25 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Why are we burning a year of service time when we can wait a few weeks and gain an extra year of control?

I agree with not burning a full year of service. But Sox, in the past, have not really played the service time game. 
 

Edit: also, it’s kind of telling there aren’t any true SSs on the 40-man.

Edited 14 hours ago by Bob Sacamano

[SoxBlanco]

16 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Not to mention, Colson was ass in AAA last year. He hasn't earned it.  I doubt he's on the Opening Day roster. White Sox will White Sox, but I don't see it with this one. 

I don’t disagree with you, but there seems to be some smoke recently. Harold mentioned the Sox hope he takes control of the job in spring training and breaks camp as the starting SS (or something along those lines). 

Then just the other day, Merkin wrote that he will have a chance to break camp with the team. He also gave a bold prediction that he will win AL Rookie of the Year. While that’s obviously a long shot, my first thought was that Merkin put that out there (or was asked to put that out there) so that the upset fans would be reminded that there’s a potential reward for not playing the service time game. 

[caulfield12]

13 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

I agree with not burning a full year of service. But Sox, in the past, have not really played the service time game. 
 

Edit: also, it’s kind of telling there aren’t any true SSs on the 40-man.

Rodon?  Simply due to Boras?

Of course, they gave Moncada/Robert/Jimenez early extensions...but where else would it have been relevant?

Tim Anderson?

Burger was almost a non-prospect when he came up, so they weren't as concerned with possible 6th/7th years.

Madrigal and Vaughn?  Well, those both never seemed like "generational" type of players...but one could take the Vaughn "rush job" as 1) they cared less about service time with him and 2) they were desperate to fill a hole in the outfield without spending additional FA money.

Crochet was the last player that this issue became increasingly relevant...but they never "stowed" him away last year in AA/AAA to try to claw a year back.

[WestEddy]

5 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Rodon?  Simply due to Boras?

Of course, they gave Moncada/Robert/Jimenez early extensions...but where else would it have been relevant?

Tim Anderson?

Burger was almost a non-prospect when he came up, so they weren't as concerned with possible 6th/7th years.

Madrigal and Vaughn?  Well, those both never seemed like "generational" type of players...but one could take the Vaughn "rush job" as 1) they cared less about service time with him and 2) they were desperate to fill a hole in the outfield without spending additional FA money.

Crochet was the last player that this issue became increasingly relevant...but they never "stowed" him away last year in AA/AAA to try to claw a year back.

They held Rodon back a month or so into his rookie season, and Boras praised the Sox for their handling of Rodon. This was while the Cubs were messing around with an obviously ready Kris Bryant. 

[caulfield12]

10 minutes ago, SoxBlanco said:

I don’t disagree with you, but there seems to be some smoke recently. Harold mentioned the Sox hope he takes control of the job in spring training and breaks camp as the starting SS (or something along those lines). 

Then just the other day, Merkin wrote that he will have a chance to break camp with the team. He also gave a bold prediction that he will win AL Rookie of the Year. While that’s obviously a long shot, my first thought was that Merkin put that out there (or was asked to put that out there) so that the upset fans would be reminded that there’s a potential reward for not playing the service time game. 

What else is there to be excited about with the major league team at this point in time?

Meidroth breaking at second base?

Teel and/or Quero at catcher?

 

There's simply no other prospects or young players that would really move the meter with fans....Baldwin pretty much came out of nowhere and didn't have a long run as a ranked prospect in the system, Sosa's seemingly been around forever, Vargas has already lost a lot of his shine in the last twelve months, same with Colas and Ramos to a lesser extent.

 

Montgomery was the name that every single Sox fan has heard about over the last 2-3 years, especially when he rocketed up to near the Top of all the MiLB 100 lists in 2022/23, Keith Law accolades, etc.

[Balta1701]

6 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

They held Rodon back a month or so into his rookie season, and Boras praised the Sox for their handling of Rodon. This was while the Cubs were messing around with an obviously ready Kris Bryant. 

This was probably because Rodon didn't look ready at all and got the "Hahn" callup, where callups are almost never based on guys actually being ready for the big leagues.

[Balta1701]

17 minutes ago, SoxBlanco said:

I don’t disagree with you, but there seems to be some smoke recently. Harold mentioned the Sox hope he takes control of the job in spring training and breaks camp as the starting SS (or something along those lines). 

Then just the other day, Merkin wrote that he will have a chance to break camp with the team. He also gave a bold prediction that he will win AL Rookie of the Year. While that’s obviously a long shot, my first thought was that Merkin put that out there (or was asked to put that out there) so that the upset fans would be reminded that there’s a potential reward for not playing the service time game. 

This kind of smoke, pumping guys upwards not based on what they've actually shown but based on their prospect status, is very Rick Hahn.

[caulfield12]

5 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

They held Rodon back a month or so into his rookie season, and Boras praised the Sox for their handling of Rodon. This was while the Cubs were messing around with an obviously ready Kris Bryant. 

And then they still ended up mishandling the QO situation with him and Kimbrel...and there was this weird "we let Rodon go without the QO as a favor to Carlos/Scott Boras" thing going on.

Actually Boras Corp. should be cutting a check to the White Sox for giving Carlos that $3 million deal in 2021, because it was the launching pad for two HUGE/GENERATIONAL wealth deals that got Boras the services of another private jet.

[WestEddy]

6 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

And then they still ended up mishandling the QO situation with him and Kimbrel...and there was this weird "we let Rodon go without the QO as a favor to Carlos/Scott Boras" thing going on.

Actually Boras Corp. should be cutting a check to the White Sox for giving Carlos that $3 million deal in 2021, because it was the launching pad for two HUGE/GENERATIONAL wealth deals that got Boras the services of another private jet.

They probably had an agreement with Boras to not give a QO with the $3M flier. 

[caulfield12]

4 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

This kind of smoke, pumping guys upwards not based on what they've actually shown but based on their prospect status, is very Rick Hahn.

Remember that season when they had Fulmer, Collins, Madrigal, Vaughn, Burger, Rodon, Anderson...all together on a roster together and were crowing about how many of their first round draft picks had made it "successfully" to the major leagues?

Well, as the recent abysmal ranking of fWAR generated over picks in the last decade indicates (which excludes Anderson/Rodon, as well as Semien), it was all much ado about nothing, for the most part.

 

[caulfield12]

5 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

They probably had an agreement with Boras to not give a QO with the $3M flier. 

That's very generous of them...but not in the best interests of the franchise.

Of course the Kimbrel QO led to the Pollock disaster, which led to the Benintendi disaster.  One mistake on top of another...compounded.

[WestEddy]

6 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

That's very generous of them...but not in the best interests of the franchise.

Of course the Kimbrel QO led to the Pollock disaster, which led to the Benintendi disaster.  One mistake on top of another...compounded.

Sure it was. We're just speculating, but Rodon probably accepted their incredibly low offer for the stipend. The Sox tendered Kimbrel a contract, there was no QO sitch. 

[caulfield12]

9 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

Sure it was. We're just speculating, but Rodon probably accepted their incredibly low offer for the stipend. The Sox tendered Kimbrel a contract, there was no QO sitch. 

Rodon was coming off such a bad stretch of injuries/ineffectiveness that pretty much nobody else was willing to guarantee him a starting rotation spot in all likelihood.

Of course, at that point, and coming off the 2020 postseason, some were potentially looking at him as a "high leverage" reliever as well.

[ChiSox59]

1 hour ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

I guess you and @Chicago White Sox are about to be shocked on March 27th then. This was one of several points that we went back and forth on earlier this week. I’m curious to see how it plays out.

I wouldn't be surprised or shocked. I just think it's a short sighted and stupid decision and he hasn't remotely earned it. 

[Chicago White Sox]

2 hours ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

I guess you and @Chicago White Sox are about to be shocked on March 27th then. This was one of several points that we went back and forth on earlier this week. I’m curious to see how it plays out.

I have my pitchfork ready to go if Getz tries this s%*#…hopefully that isn’t the case, but keeping Amaya around was making me feel more confident about that.  Baldwin is still the dude I pegged to be OD SS, but Amaya’s lack of options was helpful as a 26 man roster blocker.

[ChiSox59]

20 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I have my pitchfork ready to go if Getz tries this s%*#…hopefully that isn’t the case, but keeping Amaya around was making me feel more confident about that.  Baldwin is still the dude I pegged to be OD SS, but Amaya’s lack of options was helpful as a 26 man roster blocker.

Why not Sosa? It won't be super pretty, but he's primarily playing SS in winter ball, and both him and Meidroth (still waiting for that name to come naturally) need at bats. I feel like Sosa and Baldwin are a fine stop gap at SS for a couple months or less while Colson earns a promotion. Then whoever of those 3 that are not hitting go to AAA, or bench in Sosas case. Sox gotta give Sosa some extended run and 3B isn't really an option at this point. 

Edited 12 hours ago by ChiSox59

[JUSTgottaBELIEVE]

24 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Why not Sosa? It won't be super pretty, but he's primarily playing SS in winter ball, and both him and Meidroth (still waiting for that name to come naturally) need at bats. I feel like Sosa and Baldwin are a fine stop gap at SS for a couple months or less while Colson earns a promotion. Then whoever of those 3 that are not hitting go to AAA, or bench in Sosas case. Sox gotta give Sosa some extended run and 3B isn't really an option at this point. 

Hell, at this point bring back Dejong on a one year deal just so we don’t have to see Getz blow a year of service time on one of their top prospects and not rush a guy that has yet to prove he’s ready.

[ChiSox59]

28 minutes ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

Hell, at this point bring back Dejong on a one year deal just so we don’t have to see Getz blow a year of service time on one of their top prospects and not rush a guy that has yet to prove he’s ready.

No, don't do that.  Just play the fringe guys we have FFS. 

[Chicago White Sox]

45 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Why not Sosa? It won't be super pretty, but he's primarily playing SS in winter ball, and both him and Meidroth (still waiting for that name to come naturally) need at bats. I feel like Sosa and Baldwin are a fine stop gap at SS for a couple months or less while Colson earns a promotion. Then whoever of those 3 that are not hitting go to AAA, or bench in Sosas case. Sox gotta give Sosa some extended run and 3B isn't really an option at this point. 

I’ve been assuming Baldwin at SS and Sosa at 2B with Amaya the main backup IF and Meidroth starting off at AAA.  With Amaya gone, that obviously opens up the door for Chase for an OD role.  I agree, I think we need to see what we have in Sosa and I’d like to see him get a real look to open the year.  A month or two in AAA makes all the sense in the world for multiple reasons..

[caulfield12]

What does Sosa do well or even better than average at SS?

I'm more in the Baldwin SS camp, with Sosa at second until doesn't hit again for a month and Meidroth's AAA numbers dictate a recall.

[Buehrle>Wood]

58 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Why not Sosa? It won't be super pretty, but he's primarily playing SS in winter ball, and both him and Meidroth (still waiting for that name to come naturally) need at bats. I feel like Sosa and Baldwin are a fine stop gap at SS for a couple months or less while Colson earns a promotion. Then whoever of those 3 that are not hitting go to AAA, or bench in Sosas case. Sox gotta give Sosa some extended run and 3B isn't really an option at this point. 

I'm not against because why not? But Sosa looks like a complete deer in the headlights at 2B. Couldn't imagine that at a lot more intensive position. Hopefully he gets over his nerves or whatever it is that have been going on for 3 years now.

[caulfield12]

5 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

I'm not against because why not? But Sosa looks like a complete deer in the headlights at 2B. Couldn't imagine that at a lot more intensive position. Hopefully he gets over his nerves or whatever it is that have been going on for 3 years now.

Because what will destroy young pitchers' confidence more quickly than porous infield defense?

Wasn't that the whole point of DeJong and Lopez last year...and the main reason for the Josh Rojas move this past week?

[ChiSox59]

12 minutes ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

I'm not against because why not? But Sosa looks like a complete deer in the headlights at 2B. Couldn't imagine that at a lot more intensive position. Hopefully he gets over his nerves or whatever it is that have been going on for 3 years now.

Yeah, like I said, it won't be pretty defensively.  But it probably won't be with Colson either if we're being honest. 

[Timmy U]

The Sox were like 29th in team defense last year so Lopez and DeJong were not the answer. I believe better coaching, preparation, and positioning is going to make a big difference no matter who they run out there. Amaya got a fairly long run last year and does not appear to be an mlb player. I think between Baldwin, Sosa, Meidroth, and Montgomery they will fill their middle infield. Had no hopes for Amaya anyway.