Fixing the Outfield

[cabiness42]

I think getting better production from the outfield, infield, catcher, and DH is a key in how quickly this turnaround can happen.

 

Fixed that for you.

[Al Lopez's Ghost]

Last time I checked, Brandon Jacob even has issues with the bat right now. Can he change that? Hopefully... but the only guy we have in the minors who is worthy of a promotion is Garcia. Assuming Rios is dealt this August or during the Hot Stove season during the off season, it will be very interesting to see a spring training OF competition between the likes of Thompson, Jacobs, Walker, Mitchell etc... All of these guys need improvements with the bat. If Viciedo is moved to 1B.... things may get interesting in the OF next year. I am predicting an OF of Thompson-LF, De Aza-CF, Garcia-RF. Rios will be dealt and Viciedo will split time at 1B/DH with Dunn.

 

The best case scenario is Hahn aqcuirering a better option in LF over Thompson in a Rios trade. I still think the OF prospects that I mentioned have alot of work to do before they reach the bigs. Regardless, 2014 will also be a long season!

I think many would say Thompson would be a better choice in centerfield than De Aza.

[Balta1701]

Last time I checked, Brandon Jacob even has issues with the bat right now. Can he change that? Hopefully... but the only guy we have in the minors who is worthy of a promotion is Garcia.

Yeah I know, Jacobs has serious issues with the bat right now.

 

His 17 game hitting streak ended last night. I mean come on kid, if you can't hit for 20 games in a row every month in the minors, how will you ever hit .600 when you get to the bigs?

[Balta1701]

Outside of Garcia and Jacobs there are no potential hitters among our OF prospects.

Considering I brought his name up and you ignored it, can you actually give a reason why you think Trayce Thompson can never develop into a hitter or are you still stuck on repeat?

[hammerhead johnson]

can you actually give a reason why you think Trayce Thompson can never develop into a hitter or are you still stuck on repeat?

 

This time next week, His Double A OPS could be under .700. That doesn't seem very promising.

[GreenSox]

Move De Aza to LF. Garcia in right. Sign a defensive CF. Dump Rios. Wait for prospects, or sign a FA when we're close to being ready.

Ethier? Good gracious he's owed nearly $90 million and he's not much better than Rios.

[Eminor3rd]

Move De Aza to LF. Garcia in right. Sign a defensive CF. Dump Rios. Wait for prospects, or sign a FA when we're close to being ready.

Ethier? Good gracious he's owed nearly $90 million and he's worse than Rios.

 

Fixed that for you, since that's trendy in this thread

[witesoxfan]

Frankly, if the Dodgers picked up about half of the guaranteed amount - guaranteed $71 million from '14-'17 - I'd have no problem with Andre Ethier as a platoon player. Sign one more lefty killer for the bench and then Keppinger and said dude to can play every time there's a lefty and then the hot (or "least cold") bat out of Dunn, Ethier, and Gillaspie plays that day.

 

I doubt they do that, and really, he's not worth it otherwise. Let him remain the Dodgers' problem.

[Eminor3rd]

Frankly, if the Dodgers picked up about half of the guaranteed amount - guaranteed $71 million from '14-'17 - I'd have no problem with Andre Ethier as a platoon player. Sign one more lefty killer for the bench and then Keppinger and said dude to can play every time there's a lefty and then the hot (or "least cold") bat out of Dunn, Ethier, and Gillaspie plays that day.

 

I doubt they do that, and really, he's not worth it otherwise. Let him remain the Dodgers' problem.

 

Yeah, if both (a) Konerko retires and (b) Rios is traded for something other than salary relief, this could be an option to fill space and maybe keep the meatballs happy. Problem is that if we want the Dodgers to pick up half the salary, they are going to expect a prospect of some value back, and that would make no sense -- we'd just be giving back some of the value we gained moving Rios.

[Marty34]

Considering I brought his name up and you ignored it, can you actually give a reason why you think Trayce Thompson can never develop into a hitter or are you still stuck on repeat?

 

Why wait for Thompson? Get an OF'er for 2014 and when De Aza is traded and/or Viciedo fails you backfill with Jacobs and if Thompson is ready by mid-2015, dump the OF'er picked up this winter.

[Balta1701]

Why wait for Thompson? Get an OF'er for 2014 and when De Aza is traded and/or Viciedo fails you backfill with Jacobs and if Thompson is ready by mid-2015, dump the OF'er picked up this winter.

You're the one who said that the team won't be playoff-ready until 2016, Thompson ought to be in good shape by then as a 2nd year player.

[Jerksticks]

You're the one who said that the team won't be playoff-ready until 2016, Thompson ought to be in good shape by then as a 2nd year player.

 

I just don't get the Trayce love. He's never come close to dominating any level. He doesn't get on base too well and strikes out a ton. Has nice tools but just once I'd like to see him do more than barely hold his own for a year.

[Balta1701]

I just don't get the Trayce love. He's never come close to dominating any level. He doesn't get on base too well and strikes out a ton. Has nice tools but just once I'd like to see him do more than barely hold his own for a year.

That's not how the White Sox operate. If they wanted a guy to do more than barely hold their own, they'd be more patient with them. They push them aggressively to the point where they're very unlikely to do anything more than barely hold their own at every level.

[Marty34]

That's not how the White Sox operate. If they wanted a guy to do more than barely hold their own, they'd be more patient with them. They push them aggressively to the point where they're very unlikely to do anything more than barely hold their own at every level.

 

They have not been patient with Thompson? Sometimes Balta, players aren't going to cut it no matter how many AB's they get.

[Balta1701]

They have not been patient with Thompson? Sometimes Balta, players aren't going to cut it no matter how many AB's they get.

He arrived in AA last year at age 21. He got the same 19 year old aggressive slotting in Kannapolis that people have complained about with Hawkins this year. They've pushed him quite aggressively upwards.

[witesoxfan]

They have not been patient with Thompson? Sometimes Balta, players aren't going to cut it no matter how many AB's they get.

 

The only patience they've really shown with Thompson was holding back at Kannapolis for the 2011 season after a shortened and terrible season the year before. They pushed him out of rookie league ball after he put up an OPS of .510 over 118 PAs, and gave him 4 months in A+ ball. They've held up on him this year because of struggles, but there's still talent there.

 

Still, there's a lot of the reports and numbers I see on Thompson that make me think of Jordan Danks almost instantly.

Edited August 5, 2013 by witesoxfan

[Marty34]

He arrived in AA last year at age 21. He got the same 19 year old aggressive slotting in Kannapolis that people have complained about with Hawkins this year. They've pushed him quite aggressively upwards.

 

And the results have been underwhelming. He's certainly not a reason not to acquire an OF'er.

[Balta1701]

And the results have been underwhelming. He's certainly not a reason not to acquire an OF'er.

No, the fact that we already have too many OF's is the reason not to acquire one.

 

We are going to probably have to move an OF to first base to clear a space for Garcia, and that's on top of having OF talent sitting at AA right now.

[Eminor3rd]

And the results have been underwhelming. He's certainly not a reason not to acquire an OF'er.

 

Guys in the minors are working on improving. Player Development needs to push them to give them a reason to change their ways. If they just let a guy sit an rake at low levels, he's just grinding in his worst habits that won't hurt him until he gets to higher levels. You can make a case that minor leaguers should ALWAYS be struggling up until the point that they dominate at the highest level, otherwise they aren't really improving.

[Balta1701]

Danks has never shown the power and run producing potential that Thompson has. I also think Danks fielding was overplayed where Thompson is a gazelle out there.

Another important detail is that Thompson has been cutting his K-rate as he's moved upwards.

[TaylorStSox]

Has anybody watched a lot of Thompson this year? I wonder if the power and k's are down because they changed his swing.

[Balta1701]

Has anybody watched a lot of Thompson this year? I wonder if the power and k's are down because they changed his swing.

I've seen him 3 times now but I didn't see him before this season so I can't tell you if anything's changed.

 

He still has some legit, serious power.

 

He was in a slump early in the year and I could see what was wrong there, he was very in-between on his timing, which is one of those things that do happen when you move up to better pitching at AA - better fastballs and better offspeed stuff show up.

 

I saw him last week and I couldn't figure out that he was in a slump. He looked quite good and hit at least 1 ball 380 to LF.

[TaylorStSox]

I've seen him 3 times now but I didn't see him before this season so I can't tell you if anything's changed.

 

He still has some legit, serious power.

 

He was in a slump early in the year and I could see what was wrong there, he was very in-between on his timing, which is one of those things that do happen when you move up to better pitching at AA - better fastballs and better offspeed stuff show up.

 

I saw him last week and I couldn't figure out that he was in a slump. He looked quite good and hit at least 1 ball 380 to LF.

Thanks.

[caulfield12]

Of course, there's also a decent chance Jacobs, Thompson, Walker, Mitchell and Hawkins all fail, which would be a borderline fiasco for the scouting/development people.

 

We have to be open to slotting other players (especially Micah Johnson) into CF if it's feasible. Tim Anderson's the other one with the athletic tools and arm strength for that position.

 

Going forward, the biggest issue is finding a legit CFer....DeAza isn't (he's an ideal 4th OFer on a contender), Garcia probably isn't, Thompson MIGHT BE but there are a lot of questions about his bat at the big league level (you can see some Brian Anderson stats coming from him...)

 

Of course, if you start moving guys like Johnson, Anderson or Semien around, you're weakening your middle infield eventually...which is yet another of the across-the-board areas of need.

 

 

Finally, it would be NICE if Phegley, Viciedo and Gillaspie played well the remaining 7-8 weeks to give us some reason to be optimistic for the future. Rienzo, Johnson, Webb, Santos Rod, Castro, Petricka, etc.

Edited August 6, 2013 by caulfield12

[TaylorStSox]

I'm pretty concerned about Phegley. I don't like his swing at all. The few HR's he's hit aren't really drives. He still hasn't drawn a walk.