The Milwaukee double series

[Lake Shore Drive]

Back-back 2 game series against the Brew Crew, two there, two here, and that will be it against them for 2020. Let's keep this good thing going.

 

[Mingo]

Grandal's getting hot for this little series at just the right time.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Grandal's getting hot for this little series at just the right time.

I'm sure he'd like to remind the Brewers that they should have tried harder to sign him.

 

[Mingo]

Does @idseer know this will be for both games?

It's so nice to be around White Sox fans. Pandemic or not - winning 4 straight on the road - is playing good baseball.

 

[idseer]

Does @idseer know this will be for both games?

yes, thank you. i do.

 

[Mingo]

yes, thank you. i do.

Nothing can be as stupid as paying for MLB for 12 years and not knowing there was an option to switch broadcasting teams. You pale in comparison to my monument of idiocy.

 

[Jiddy]

I'm not saying they are totally stacked like the Dodgers. But they did a 3 year rebuild and this is year one of trying to compete. I'd like to see them get one more 2/3 level starter, but I think they make the playoffs this year easy with 8 teams making it.

If there are playoffs at all....

I'm gonna carry my response to this in here cuz #wekilledtheroyalsputthatbabytobed

It's only one series vs. the Royals so there's a long way to go, but the pieces are finally starting to actually look in place for this team to become competitive and be taken serious. Luis Robert has changed a LOT about this outlook for me personally. That dude is crazy good and you can tell he's going to be a top tier player on a high level in majors. With him our lineup becomes instantly more hole-proof because we can put him anywhere 1-5 in the order. He also shores up our outfield defense which is somewhat suspect with Eloy in left. I never buy into a rookie/prospect until I get to see him at the major league level. Well I've seen enough to know Robert is the real deal after 9 stinkin' games. What a game changer...at 22 no less. And you guys know I'm as skeptical as they get...It took almost 2 seasons later before I warmed up to Moncada.

What was a lineup that had 3 major glaring hopeless holes in recent seasons has turned into one that has 2 questionable spots...but questionable in a GOOD WAY. Ones that you can take a chance on as you trust our main 7 (Anderson/Robert/Moncada/Jimenez/Abreu/(Grandal/McCann combo)/Encarnacion) to hold it down. Those 2 so so spots are filled with guys that you have some hope for - Mazara and Madrigal. Say one of them doesn't pan out or an injury happens, then you can make one or two moves in the offseason and be fine. That's where we always needed to be. We're finally there. Our bench is serviceable with Leury/Engel/McCann being the first men up. So as long as we don't have strings of multi-injuries resulting in the guys behind them needing extended playing time we should be fine.

Obviously our starting pitching is the big to do...and I'm hoping we can do something there in the offseason...but I'm not that enticed by what I see when I google 2021 MLB free agents. Maybe Chris Sale will get cut.

I still don't have much expectation out of this season...but I am relieved and, more importantly, excited that we're finally at a point where we should be springing forward. Granted, we should have been there last year as far as timeline expectations go. It's done now though, so spilt milk and all that.

 

[msgkings322]

I'm gonna carry my response to this in here cuz #wekilledtheroyalsputthatbabytobed

It's only one series vs. the Royals so there's a long way to go, but the pieces are finally starting to actually look in place for this team to become competitive and be taken serious. Luis Robert has changed a LOT about this outlook for me personally. That dude is crazy good and you can tell he's going to be a top tier player on a high level in majors. With him our lineup becomes instantly more hole-proof because we can put him anywhere 1-5 in the order. He also shores up our outfield defense which is somewhat suspect with Eloy in left. I never buy into a rookie/prospect until I get to see him at the major league level. Well I've seen enough to know Robert is the real deal after 9 stinkin' games. What a game changer...at 22 no less. And you guys know I'm as skeptical as they get...It took almost 2 seasons later before I warmed up to Moncada.

What was a lineup that had 3 major glaring hopeless holes in recent seasons has turned into one that has 2 questionable spots...but questionable in a GOOD WAY. Ones that you can take a chance on as you trust our main 7 (Anderson/Robert/Moncada/Jimenez/Abreu/(Grandal/McCann combo)/Encarnacion) to hold it down. Those 2 so so spots are filled with guys that you have some hope for - Mazara and Madrigal. Say one of them doesn't pan out or an injury happens, then you can make one or two moves in the offseason and be fine. That's where we always needed to be. We're finally there. Our bench is serviceable with Leury/Engel/McCann being the first men up. So as long as we don't have strings of multi-injuries resulting in the guys behind them needing extended playing time we should be fine.

Obviously our starting pitching is the big to do...and I'm hoping we can do something there in the offseason...but I'm not that enticed by what I see when I google 2021 MLB free agents. Maybe Chris Sale will get cut.

I still don't have much expectation out of this season...but I am relieved and, more importantly, excited that we're finally at a point where we should be springing forward. Granted, we should have been there last year as far as timeline expectations go. It's done now though, so spilt milk and all that.

Last year was too soon
To do it right you need to stink for 3 years, which they did
This was always the first year of competing.

Now of course, this year is weirder than Trump's hair. In a way it doesn't "count" if they make the playoffs, which they will. And the pitching is weird too. No one is going to use a traditional 5 man rotation going 6 innings a game. And the game may change permanently, the analytics say it's not good for a pitcher to face a lineup more than twice. Maybe "starter" will lose its meaning. Maybe you need 12-13 live arms who can give you 2-4 innings? Or two real starters only instead of 4-5?

 

[Jiddy]

Last year was too soon
To do it right you need to stink for 3 years, which they did
This was always the first year of competing.

Now of course, this year is weirder than Trump's hair. In a way it doesn't "count" if they make the playoffs, which they will. And the pitching is weird too. No one is going to use a traditional 5 man rotation going 6 innings a game. And the game may change permanently, the analytics say it's not good for a pitcher to face a lineup more than twice. Maybe "starter" will lose its meaning. Maybe you need 12-13 live arms who can give you 2-4 innings? Or two real starters only instead of 4-5?

Eh...Don't forget you called playoffs for this year under the regular schedule. I'm not sure we would have gotten there this season. Top 5 was a pretty big ask.

 

[msgkings322]

Eh...Don't forget you called playoffs for this year under the regular schedule. I'm not sure we would have gotten there this season. Top 5 was a pretty big ask.

I just had a hunch, I can't see the future
I liked them as a wildcard team. Point was, this year the rebuild is over. It's time to compete for the next 4-5 years

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I just had a hunch, I can't see the future
I liked them as a wildcard team. Point was, this year the rebuild is over. It's time to compete for the next 4-5 years

Due to the wackiness of the season overall and the expanded playoff format, we have a legit shot at playing in October. But I was definitely amongst the crowd that felt had this been a normal season and regular postseason format, we would have fallen short. Assuming next year will be a full season, this is when I expect the Sox to start seriously competing for some hardware and for the next 4-5 years at that.

 

[msgkings322]

Due to the wackiness of the season overall and the expanded playoff format, we have a legit shot at playing in October. But I was definitely amongst the crowd that felt had this been a normal season and regular postseason format, we would have fallen short. Assuming next year will be a full season, this is when I expect the Sox to start seriously competing for some hardware and for the next 4-5 years at that.

Maybe so. I just had a hunch

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Maybe so. I just had a hunch

Nothing wrong with a positive outlook, nothing whatsoever.

 

[richig07]

I still don't have much expectation out of this season...but I am relieved and, more importantly, excited that we're finally at a point where we should be springing forward. Granted, we should have been there last year as far as timeline expectations go. It's done now though, so spilt milk and all that.

2020 was always the target date to spring into "win" mode. Never 2019. Robert was never supposed to have arrived until this year and others like Eloy/Cease were in their rookie seasons.

Next year, we'll see what Kopech can provide us. Patience is wearing thin. He has the stuff to show up for us and he needs to do that.

I don't know what Rodon's future is and I don't think the team does either. I would love a big FA pitching signing.

FA signing
Giolito
Kuechel
Kopech
Cease/Rodon?

That's pretty solid.

 

[msgkings322]

2020 was always the target date to spring into "win" mode. Never 2019. Robert was never supposed to have arrived until this year and others like Eloy/Cease were in their rookie seasons.

Exactly what I meant

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

2020 was always the target date to spring into "win" mode. Never 2019. Robert was never supposed to have arrived until this year and others like Eloy/Cease were in their rookie seasons.

I have to confess, back around 2017 or so, pretty much after the Sox completed the major trades, I initially had our boys targeted for 2019 to at least compete for the playoffs, if not outright making them. But they laid such a huge egg in '18 that I felt it set us back anywhere from 1-2 years. Man that '18 season was gawd awful.

 

[msgkings322]

2020 was always the target date to spring into "win" mode. Never 2019. Robert was never supposed to have arrived until this year and others like Eloy/Cease were in their rookie seasons.

Next year, we'll see what Kopech can provide us. Patience is wearing thin. He has the stuff to show up for us and he needs to do that.

I don't know what Rodon's future is and I don't think the team does either. I would love a big FA pitching signing.

FA signing
Giolito
Kuechel
Kopech
Cease/Rodon?

That's pretty solid.

As far as the rotation, since it's kind of an asterisk year we are going to see a ton of experimenting and analytics-heavy messing around with pitching. The numbers show you really don't want your pitcher to face hitters three times. So going forward I expect that the idea of "starters" will change. You'll still want 1 or 2 horses that can reliably give you 6-7 innings. But maybe you don't need 5 true starters anymore. Bullpens and starters become the same thing almost. In that kind of world maybe instead of a big FA maybe they need 2 more solid guys who can give you 2-3 innings.

 

[msgkings322]

I have to confess, back around 2017 or so, pretty much after the Sox completed the major trades, I initially had our boys targeted for 2019 to at least compete for the playoffs, if not outright making them. But they laid such a huge egg in '18 that I felt it set us back anywhere from 1-2 years. Man that '18 season was gawd awful.

That was expected. The rebuild period requires awfulness, and for usually 3 years. That's how long the Astros were terrible and look at them now.

 

[Jiddy]

2020 was always the target date to spring into "win" mode. Never 2019. Robert was never supposed to have arrived until this year and others like Eloy/Cease were in their rookie seasons.

Next year, we'll see what Kopech can provide us. Patience is wearing thin. He has the stuff to show up for us and he needs to do that.

I don't know what Rodon's future is and I don't think the team does either. I would love a big FA pitching signing.

FA signing
Giolito
Kuechel
Kopech
Cease/Rodon?

That's pretty solid.

I'm not talking about winning when I talk about what I expected out of 2019 and what is now expected out of 2020. I'm talking about showing any semblance of being a decent team on the rise...We didn't even come close to that last season. We were really bad. This season I don't expect winning either. There is no "win" mode this season as far as I'm concerned...It's just the step-up.

As for a big time pitcher....Choices:

Here's how the next 4 free-agent classes look

Starting pitchers: Corey Kluber (club option), Trevor Bauer, Robbie Ray, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Jake Arrieta (club option), Marcus Stroman, Jose Quintana

Not sure about all that noise.

 

[Jiddy]

That was expected. The rebuild period requires awfulness, and for usually 3 years. That's how long the Astros were terrible and look at them now.

That's an interesting rule you're presenting. I would argue that only applies to franchise that are...shall we say...budgeted.