Abreu

[Lake Shore Drive]

So the big question is the future status of Pito. Here we have the unofficial team captain, arguably the heart and soul of this team. Yet his contract is up at the end of this season, and due to the huge disappointment that has become the '22 White Sox, should he remain a Good Guy beyond this season? Let's look at the options:

*Keep and sign him to an extension - The man is practically a legend in Chicago and with perhaps the exception of Timmay, the #1 draw when it comes to Sox attendance. He's a production machine and by each season's end always ends up as one of the best hitters and leads the team in HRs & RBIs every year.

*Trade him by the deadline - At this point he brings more value as a trade commodity than as a player. It can be argued that the Sox are going nowhere, at least not in the short run. Get as much value as we can by trading him. He could also be traded later in the summer if we're officially out of contention, but it won't bring as much.

*Finish the season with him on the team, but let him walk afterward - Is he worth re-signing at the expense of the continuing development of players like Gavin Sheets, Andrew Vaughn, and even Eloy Jimenez? All can fill in where Pito primarily operates, which is at 1b & DH. His departure will automatically expand their roles, especially Sheets & Vaughn.

So what sayeth my fellow diehards.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Sucks to say, but I think he should be traded at the deadline.

 

[Mingo]

If you calculate that the White Sox rebuild talent has culminated and won't get better - like the team got when they traded Sales - yes trade - Abreu (get him a chance at a World Series) and trade Cueto and probably Giolito and start over again.

I don't think the Sox are at that stage yet.

Abreu has been hot June/July - and looks like he may hit his career average numbers by the end of the season. I'd say he should go on year-to-year contracts that will last to his retirement.

It is hard to tell with Eloy's injuries and to a lesser extent Robert's injuries whether Abreu still has that leadership control over those two.

I can't tell whether Robert is half assing it in the field and on the bases., or if he has been told to take it easy because of concerns the team has about his injuries. But teams are taking extra bases while he jogs for ground balls in front of him and he is not nearly as aggressive going after fly balls as he was in his rookie season. I suspect Captain Pito would be on him if he is dogging it.

The next logical step in my book is to change the coaching staff if the Sox don't snap out of it. They can't run the bases - don't show situational awareness in the field or on the basepaths and Leuery plays as often as a baseball Super Star with a .200 BA and a very low fielding percentage on the season. Enough is enough.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

If you calculate that the White Sox rebuild talent has culminated and won't get better - like the team got when they traded Sales - yes trade - Abreu (get him a chance at a World Series) and trade Cueto and probably Giolito and start over again.

I don't think the Sox are at that stage yet.

Abreu has been hot June/July - and looks like he may hit his career average numbers by the end of the season. I'd say he should go on year-to-year contracts that will last to his retirement.

It is hard to tell with Eloy's injuries and to a lesser extent Robert's injuries whether Abreu still has that leadership control over those two.

I can't tell whether Robert is half assing it in the field and on the bases., or if he has been told to take it easy because of concerns the team has about his injuries. But teams are taking extra bases while he jogs for ground balls in front of him and he is not nearly as aggressive going after fly balls as he was in his rookie season. I suspect Captain Pito would be on him if he is dogging it.

The next logical step in my book is to change the coaching staff if the Sox don't snap out of it. They can't run the bases - don't show situational awareness in the field or on the basepaths and Leuery plays as often as a baseball Super Star with a .200 BA and a very low fielding percentage on the season. Enough is enough.

Abreu more often than not has started slowly during his career, but this year his slow start really seemed to stretch more than previous seasons. Yes, he has without a doubt been on fire of late.....but is that too little, too late? I haven't seen enough games this year to agree or disagree that Robert might be dogging it out on the field or as you're suggesting, perhaps it's a matter of being a bit cautious. I kinda think it might be the latter. And I suppose we'll just have to keep on wondering if Jimenez can give us solid production for a full year if he can just stay fucking healthy for once.

But regardless of all this, I have to point out that to me, far and away the biggest disappointment on this team, at least relative to expectations, has been Moncada. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who was once considered the top prospect in all of baseball. Hard to believe that he once hit .315 and had an OPS of .915, whereas these days he's performing like a 10 year minor leaguer trying desperately to make the Bigs. And not all that far behind him is Giolito. He's obviously more consistent than Moncada, relatively speaking. But he's also proving that he's not close to be a #1, a team stopper. He's more like a middle of the pack starter at best. Extend him???? Damn, I sure don't know at this point.

 

[Jiddy]

We aren’t selling at the deadline. The false hope will carry us into what looks to be a very depressing offseason.

 

[Bearsfan81]

Selling now would be admitting your 5 year plan was a spectacular failure (and likely signaling the end of your time in the White Sox front office).

They’d rather pray for a miracle and deal with the consequences later.

 

[richig07]

Abreu more often than not has started slowly during his career, but this year his slow start really seemed to stretch more than previous seasons. Yes, he has without a doubt been on fire of late.....but is that too little, too late? I haven't seen enough games this year to agree or disagree that Robert might be dogging it out on the field or as you're suggesting, perhaps it's a matter of being a bit cautious. I kinda think it might be the latter. And I suppose we'll just have to keep on wondering if Jimenez can give us solid production for a full year if he can just stay fucking healthy for once.

But regardless of all this, I have to point out that to me, far and away the biggest disappointment on this team, at least relative to expectations, has been Moncada. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who was once considered the top prospect in all of baseball. Hard to believe that he once hit .315 and had an OPS of .915, whereas these days he's performing like a 10 year minor leaguer trying desperately to make the Bigs. And not all that far behind him is Giolito. He's obviously more consistent than Moncada, relatively speaking. But he's also proving that he's not close to be a #1, a team stopper. He's more like a middle of the pack starter at best. Extend him???? Damn, I sure don't know at this point.

Selling now would be admitting your 5 year plan was a spectacular failure (and likely signaling the end of your time in the White Sox front office).

They’d rather pray for a miracle and deal with the consequences later.

I went to reply to the OP specifically to say this. There is no way the FO sells at the deadline. They will buy or stand their ground. They are not going to admit that they blew this big of an opportunity after a bad half season. Quite frankly, I don't blame them and wouldn't either. Should they sell and play for 2023 (where I definitely think we have a shot to rebound)? Maybe. But they won't do that... and I get it.

I mean, there's a part of me (STILL!) that wants to think we'll go on a run here. "ANY DAY! AM I RIGHT!?". Ugh. This season sucks.

 

[Bearsfan81]

Makes you wonder - say they stand pat and end this season with 81 wins or so. What do they do in the offseason? How do they get back into contention in 2023? Lynn likely won't be able to be counted on, and who knows what is going on with Giolito. And even with significant investment the bullpen has been a disaster. Not to mention the seemingly un-ending power outage from the lineup, supposedly the core strength of this team.

In the early 2000s those teams consistently disappointed but they were eventually able to put something together. Can this team do the same?

 

[Jiddy]

I went to reply to the OP specifically to say this. There is no way the FO sells at the deadline. They will buy or stand their ground. They are not going to admit that they blew this big of an opportunity after a bad half season. Quite frankly, I don't blame them and wouldn't either. Should they sell and play for 2023 (where I definitely think we have a shot to rebound)? Maybe. But they won't do that... and I get it.

I mean, there's a part of me (STILL!) that wants to think we'll go on a run here. "ANY DAY! AM I RIGHT!?". Ugh. This season sucks.

I want to believe and some healing to our position players make me think we can improve our results...but our pitching is just not up to snuff. We allow an insane amount of walks and, well, that's a recipe for losing. I don't know how that is magically going to resolve itself now that we're over halfway through the season. Batting comes and goes...Pitching is what it is. And ours doesn't cut the mustard. How can we string together a streak of wins with that happening?

Winning at a 1/5 clip vs the Indians/Twins is just the icing on the cake...