Our first uh-oh of 2020

Jiddy said:

When Sox fans are implying that you're the guy that will make up for Chris Sale...

...But you have yet to do anything of significance at the MLB level 4 years later at age 24...the age at which said Sale dropped 226 K's and a 3 ERA.

Yeah...I'd say there might be a little pressure. So to hear "Dude, you're not in starting 5, take a seat behind Gio Gonzalez" was probably soul-crushing.

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Yoan is on his way to making up for Sale on his own. However, having Kopech crush it for us would make the trade a huge score. So, I get it.

Mingo said:

Does Kopech's club control portion of his career pause for a year?

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Yeah, I think he's going to have the year of service time taken away. However, it sort of remains to be seen.

richig07 said:

Yoan is on his way to making up for Sale on his own. However, having Kopech crush it for us would make the trade a huge score. So, I get it.

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Eh...I was more implying a Damocles' sword deal for Kopech. He's forever attached to Sale for his career unless he moves on from us. Just how it goes. Fair or unfair...Yoan's contribution doesn't really change that.

Apparently Kopech felt the shortened season wasn't allowing for a longer ramp up period and he worried about getting re-injured. The article also addresses his loss of service time and salary.

REPORT: Here's The Main Reason Michael Kopech Opted Out Of The 2020 White Sox Season

I think we all suspected this was not Covid related, but my bigger fear of him possibly having fallen into a depression appears to be scrubbed.

Lake Shore Drive said:

Apparently Kopech felt the shortened season wasn't allowing for a longer ramp up period and he worried about getting re-injured. The article also addresses his loss of service time and salary.

REPORT: Here's The Main Reason Michael Kopech Opted Out Of The 2020 White Sox Season

I think we all suspected this was not Covid related, but my bigger fear of him possibly having fallen into a depression appears to be scrubbed.

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Hawk would say he’s lacking TWTW.

ChiSoxFan said:

Hawk would say he’s lacking TWTW.

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Yeah, I'm not crazy about this if it's indeed the main reason he opted out. Again, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he's thinking of his long term health. But also again, I expect him to be fully recuped - both physically and mentally - and ready to go in '21.

It doesn't matter what us fans think about him for this decision - what's important is what do his teammates think of him. I hope it turns out well, but if I was a teammate I'd first think Kopech was being selfish.

Mingo said:

It doesn't matter what us fans think about him for this decision - what's important is what do his teammates think of him. I hope it turns out well, but if I was a teammate I'd first think Kopech was being selfish.

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Just got wind that the press had a statement released from the team, drafted in coordination and presented by the team captain:

If he comes out firing in 2021? This will all be forgotten and a distant memory. However, he's really put himself under a microscope. If he comes out shaky next season? Fans and analysts will get on him a bit. Right or wrong - a lot of questions will swirl about his commitment, mental toughness, etc.

When he FINALLY takes the mound next year in a regular season game? It will have been a good 2.5 years since he made his debut and a grand total of four starts.

He will turn 25 next April. It's time for him to get going. This was a blow to White Sox fans patience with him.

We need to worry about the Sox who are in camp for now.

Mingo said:

We need to worry about the Sox who are in camp for now.

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Nah. The cool thing about being a fan is that I get to focus on one, two, three, four... hell... ten, eleven, twelve years down the line. It impacts nothing.

Mingo said:

We need to worry about the Sox who are in camp for now.

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No doubt we have to put aside whatever and whoever has been affected by this whole covid disaster and concentrate on the players and pitchers who will be playing for us this season, even tho this is a fluid situation and there will very likely be changes as the campaign progresses.

But I also fully agree with what richi says here:

If he comes out firing in 2021? This will all be forgotten and a distant memory. However, he's really put himself under a microscope. If he comes out shaky next season? Fans and analysts will get on him a bit. Right or wrong - a lot of questions will swirl about his commitment, mental toughness, etc.

And the reason I fully agree is barring an actual physical injury, I will be amongst those who will be super pissed off if Kopech is not fully ready to go next year. I mean 100%, no questions asked ready. It's hard to simply put aside that he's kissed off this entire year, even tho by all accounts he appeared to be fully recovered from his TJ procedure. If he's battling mental fatigue, fine - he has 8 months to get help, rest, and recuperate. Baseball is his profession and his moneymaker. He'll need to be in baseball shape or perhaps look for another profession. There's really no getting around this.

richig07 said:

Nah. The cool thing about being a fan is that I get to focus on one, two, three, four... hell... ten, eleven, twelve years down the line. It impacts nothing.

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This.

Now...Where was I?

Oh right...He's a b*tch. *nods repeatedly*