Spring Training Thread

[Mingo]

Well, here comes Spring Training and here are the issues:

1) How much a distraction will the as yet unsuspended Clevinger be?

2) Will Giolito get back to the extra 2-3 mph on his fast ball that went missing last year - making his change up effective again?

3) Will Grifol be another manager promising change in culture and attention to detail who will fail to deliver either?

4) Who is going to fill the leadership void left by Pito's departure?

5) Will we be able to trust Oscar Colas's spring numbers knowing that he murders fast balls but has trouble with the breaking pitch - while the dry air in AZ cripples breaking pitch effectiveness?

6) How long - if ever - will it be before Lenyn Sosa takes 2nd base from Romy Gonzales (Romy is a AAAA player and Sosa has plus potential)?

7) Who will play SS while Timmy Anderson is off representing USA in the WBC?

8) Will the WBC players Moncado and Robert get untracked playing for Cuba?

9) Will Grandal play like the $70 million dollar man after a grueling workout regimen prior to a contract year?

10) Will Davis Martin, Sean Burke and Jonathan Stievers provide Rotation depth?

11) Will the White Sox - power hitters from 2020/2021 return or will we be back to the ground ball hitting team we saw last year?

12) Will the pitch clock ruin Rey Lopez and Matt Foster - the Sox's slowest pitch dealers?

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I like everything you said to get this thread rolling, but there's still the one question, and it may trump everything else:

13) Can the Sox just once go a full season where their key players remain relatively healthy?

I continue to hold the view that we really don't know just how talented this club may or may not be, so long as our key players spend half the season or longer in IL.

 

[Mingo]

I like everything you said to get this thread rolling, but there's still the one question, and it may trump everything else:

13) Can the Sox just once go a full season where their key players remain relatively healthy?

I continue to hold the view that we really don't know just how talented this club may or may not be, so long as our key players spend half the season or longer in IL.

I hope you didn't jinx your own question by going to question 13.

 

[Jiddy]

1) How much a distraction will the as yet unsuspended Clevinger be?

If we win, it never happened. If we lose, reason 1A.

2) Will Giolito get back to the extra 2-3 mph on his fast ball that went missing last year - making his change up effective again?

He wants money...Teams are paying a lot of money. Yes. Because money.

3) Will Grifol be another manager promising change in culture and attention to detail who will fail to deliver either?

He has never been in this position before, so impossible to tell...However I would lean towards no based on team history.

4) Who is going to fill the leadership void left by Pito's departure?

Nobody...but whoever does should grow out some chin hair and wear a rubber band on it and we get back like 75% of the void imo.

5) Will we be able to trust Oscar Colas's spring numbers knowing that he murders fast balls but has trouble with the breaking pitch - while the dry air in AZ cripples breaking pitch effectiveness?

A player is not good until they prove they are good over time at the actual MLB level. With the exception of Yoan Moncada....One good season statline in a throwaway noncompetitive season, a little bit of defense, and some serious bling buys you a lot with Sox fans apparently.

6) How long - if ever - will it be before Lenyn Sosa takes 2nd base from Romy Gonzales (Romy is a AAAA player and Sosa has plus potential)?

Trick question because they're both gonna bust anyway.

7) Who will play SS while Timmy Anderson is off representing USA in the WBC?

Nobody else...It will be Anderson. WBC will be over by season.

8) Will the WBC players Moncado and Robert get untracked playing for Cuba?

No. Both suckiness and greatness are universal...However if either of them are pre-excusing, then they're going to suck. But that's a mental thing and not a WBC thing.

9) Will Grandal play like the $70 million dollar man after a grueling workout regimen prior to a contract year?

I expect him to be a nonfactor in 2023. Anything more would be unexpectedly welcome. Zero chance we get our money's worth.

10) Will Davis Martin, Sean Burke and Jonathan Stievers provide Rotation depth?

Probably one or two of them will, there's always some positives...

11) Will the White Sox - power hitters from 2020/2021 return or will we be back to the ground ball hitting team we saw last year?

Might hit a few more...low bar. We will not be a home run powerhouse.

12) Will the pitch clock ruin Rey Lopez and Matt Foster - the Sox's slowest pitch dealers?

Only if they are mental midgets...which is possible in Lopez's case...so maybe?

 

[Mingo]

1) How much a distraction will the as yet unsuspended Clevinger be?

If we win, it never happened. If we lose, reason 1A.

2) Will Giolito get back to the extra 2-3 mph on his fast ball that went missing last year - making his change up effective again?

He wants money...Teams are paying a lot of money. Yes. Because money.

3) Will Grifol be another manager promising change in culture and attention to detail who will fail to deliver either?

He has never been in this position before, so impossible to tell...However I would lean towards no based on team history.

4) Who is going to fill the leadership void left by Pito's departure?

Nobody...but whoever does should grow out some chin hair and wear a rubber band on it and we get back like 75% of the void imo.

5) Will we be able to trust Oscar Colas's spring numbers knowing that he murders fast balls but has trouble with the breaking pitch - while the dry air in AZ cripples breaking pitch effectiveness?

A player is not good until they prove they are good over time at the actual MLB level. With the exception of Yoan Moncada....One good season statline in a throwaway noncompetitive season, a little bit of defense, and some serious bling buys you a lot with Sox fans apparently.

6) How long - if ever - will it be before Lenyn Sosa takes 2nd base from Romy Gonzales (Romy is a AAAA player and Sosa has plus potential)?

Trick question because they're both gonna bust anyway.

7) Who will play SS while Timmy Anderson is off representing USA in the WBC?

Nobody else...It will be Anderson. WBC will be over by season.

8) Will the WBC players Moncado and Robert get untracked playing for Cuba?

No. Both suckiness and greatness are universal...However if either of them are pre-excusing, then they're going to suck. But that's a mental thing and not a WBC thing.

9) Will Grandal play like the $70 million dollar man after a grueling workout regimen prior to a contract year?

I expect him to be a nonfactor in 2023. Anything more would be unexpectedly welcome. Zero chance we get our money's worth.

10) Will Davis Martin, Sean Burke and Jonathan Stievers provide Rotation depth?

Probably one or two of them will, there's always some positives...

11) Will the White Sox - power hitters from 2020/2021 return or will we be back to the ground ball hitting team we saw last year?

Might hit a few more...low bar. We will not be a home run powerhouse.

12) Will the pitch clock ruin Rey Lopez and Matt Foster - the Sox's slowest pitch dealers?

Only if they are mental midgets...which is possible in Lopez's case...so maybe?

Out of many things I could engage on from your answers here - the one I'll take the most exception to is your opinion of Lenyn Sosa. This kid is only 21 - he smashed past his age group in the minors and was brought to the White Sox last year. TLR however - did not appreciate Sosa's call up when LaRussa wanted to play Leury Garcia at 2nd. Sosa had two games where he got consecutive at bats everything else was single ABs in late innings with no particular plan related to Sosa's development. Sosa needs to be a better fielder and perhaps will fit better at 3rd rathe4r than 2nd - almost all his minor league innings were at SS.

 

[Mingo]

Pitchers - Catchers and woman beaters report today.

 

[Jiddy]

Pitchers - Catchers and woman beaters report today.

I'm in if we have footage of Clevinger walking up to Grandal and inviting him to a Fazoli's feast after practice.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Personally, I'm sick of you guys not taking Spring Training seriously enough. Always clowning around when we should be focusing on our team's efforts.

Anyway, so this Cubs fan walks into a bar and.........

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Looks like we can forget Crochet being on the roster by opening day:

Garrett Crochet will undergo assignment; return around 'mid-May'

Garrett Crochet is continuing to rehab from the Tommy John surgery he underwent last April and will undergo assignment in April before a hopeful return in "mid-May."

sports.yahoo.com

Disappointing, but all things considered, it's always best to take the cautious approach. Taking a little longer hopefully reduces the chances for a setback.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Just 10 questions?

10 questions for the 2023 White Sox heading into Spring Training | Sox On 35th

The White Sox have plenty of questions that need answers heading into their 2023 Spring Training season. Here are 10 of them.

www.soxon35th.com

Shit, Mingo alone had 12.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Is Moncada set for a comeback this season?

Yoán Moncada is aiming to bounce back after a subpar season for Chicago White Sox — and ‘he’s hungry for information’

Yoán Moncada suffered a right oblique strain on the final day of camp last spring. It was the start of a long — and painful — 2022 for the Chicago White Sox third baseman. He began the regular season on the injured list and didn’t play his first game until early May. “That was something that was...

sports.yahoo.com

Smart money says not likely, but glass-half-full suckers like me always hope for the best.

 

[Mingo]

Is Moncada set for a comeback this season?

Yoán Moncada is aiming to bounce back after a subpar season for Chicago White Sox — and ‘he’s hungry for information’

Yoán Moncada suffered a right oblique strain on the final day of camp last spring. It was the start of a long — and painful — 2022 for the Chicago White Sox third baseman. He began the regular season on the injured list and didn’t play his first game until early May. “That was something that was...

sports.yahoo.com

Smart money says not likely, but glass-half-full suckers like me always hope for the best.

For those keeping count - Moncada is the 2nd story about "best shape in my life" - after Grandal. But I'm with you LSD - I wanna believe.

 

[Mingo]

With the Andrus signing - I'd say the Sox are setting up an emphasis on defense with a potential outfield of Benintendi - Robert and Colas and an infield of Moncada, Anderson. Andrus, Vaughn and Grandal. TLR, by contrast, tried to load money into the bullpen with big contracts to Kelly, Graveman, Hendriks and Bummer. Personally, I like and enjoy Sox teams that can throw the leather.

 

[idseer]

With the Andrus signing - I'd say the Sox are setting up an emphasis on defense with a potential outfield of Benintendi - Robert and Colas and an infield of Moncada, Anderson. Andrus, Vaughn and Grandal. TLR, by contrast, tried to load money into the bullpen with big contracts to Kelly, Graveman, Hendriks and Bummer. Personally, I like and enjoy Sox teams that can throw the leather.

uhhh no! the sox don't "aim" at things. they just randomly take pot shots and hope for the best. they've done this for the past 40 years!
besides, this team you've mentioned has one of the worst fielding catchers in baseball, an unknown at first and an unknown in right. to assume they're trying to arrange for a great fielding team is nonsense. it's all they are willing to get. your 'after the fact' analysis just doesn't work.

 

[Jiddy]

uhhh no! the sox don't "aim" at things. they just randomly take pot shots and hope for the best. they've done this for the past 40 years!
besides, this team you've mentioned has one of the worst fielding catchers in baseball, an unknown at first and an unknown in right. to assume they're trying to arrange for a great fielding team is nonsense. it's all they are willing to get. your 'after the fact' analysis just doesn't work.

Four gold gloves in the infield and 78 wins is almost a guarantee at this point.

 

[idseer]

Four gold gloves in the infield and 78 wins is almost a guarantee at this point.

forgot to even mention andrus is playing a position he's never played before. can the old dog learn this new trick? i'm sure not going to assume it.

 

[podsox]

. This is the softest thing i think I've ever seen a player cry about

 

[idseer]

did he actually include the fans as part of the problem?

the man sounds like a loser here.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

So with each passing day it's looking like RF is for Colas to lose:

Oscar Colas has inside track to win White Sox's right field job

If everything goes to plan for the White Sox during spring training, 24-year-old Oscar Colas will be win the team’s starting right field job.

www.audacy.com

If we were obviously in the deep thick of the pennant race, I'd probably be a bit reluctant to move forth with Colas winning the spot. I'd be more inclined to have him stay down for another season in AAA ball to gain valuable experience. But it's not looking good for the Sox to be contending, so screw it, why not give him a shot and let him gain that valuable experience where it ultimately matters most. Yeah, he probably won't do all that well at the plate, at least until he gets use to big league pitching. But his D is solid and again, why not get his feet wet at the highest level.

 

[Mingo]

So with each passing day it's looking like RF is for Colas to lose:

Oscar Colas has inside track to win White Sox's right field job

If everything goes to plan for the White Sox during spring training, 24-year-old Oscar Colas will be win the team’s starting right field job.

www.audacy.com

If we were obviously in the deep thick of the pennant race, I'd probably be a bit reluctant to move forth with Colas winning the spot. I'd be more inclined to have him stay down for another season in AAA ball to gain valuable experience. But it's not looking good for the Sox to be contending, so screw it, why not give him a shot and let him gain that valuable experience where it ultimately matters most. Yeah, he probably won't do all that well at the plate, at least until he gets use to big league pitching. But his D is solid and again, why not get his feet wet at the highest level.

To be the best RF for the Sox in the last 7-8 years - you only have to hit .230 with double digit Hrs. I don't think the Colas transition defensively to MLB will be difficult and he has good range and instincts on D. Besides the Sox seem serious about giving Eloy access to RF frequently too.