Grading the offseason to date

[Jiddy]

Jid, we all get to apply 20/20 hindsight. Of course if these offseason transactions don't produce the results in the way we're hoping/expecting, the grade will get lowered. It's why they call it 20/20 hindsight. But when there hasn't been a pitched yet thrown or a bat yet swung, you can only go by what has taken place - what did our roster look like at season's end and what does it look like now on paper. That's all we have to go on and base our evaluations accordingly. If it was just me, mskings, or other Sox fans who believe the Sox look like they've really improved and possibly playoff bound, I could understand the criticisms of perhaps being a little too rah rah. But just about every analyst and pundit on the baseball planet have stated that the Sox have definitely improved themselves. In fact.........

For a couple of naysayers, you and especially id sure appear to be self-contradicting. He gives our offseason a grade of C, and you kinda vacillate with a reluctant B at best. I think in your heart of hearts you really wanted to go with a C+. And yet a predicted .500 record would result in 9 more wins than this past season and 13 more than what you said was really a 68 win team who overachieved. Is this your definition of average? Because to me and I'm sure what most people would agree, is that a C grade means we shouldn't expect ANY improvement. It's average, so we should expect the status quo. In another words another 72ish win ballclub. You see? I think you guys are more positive than perhaps you realize. It's ok, there's no harm in believing that after a decade of complete frustration, the arrow is finally pointing up.

Good for you, no one should be alone, especially during the holidays.

Any grade I give is relative to expectation. I think the Sox did exactly what was expected...possibly slightly more...but not significant. B, C...It doesn't really matter in the end...but it most certainly wasn't an A offseason (at least yet). That's a grade given if you go above and beyond. The Sox did not do that (yet...you never know...there's talk of trading for more pitching). We all know where those signings lied. If the expectation is the White Sox making the playoffs, C. If the expectation is the White Sox improve to a non-sh*t team, B. I expect a non-sh*t team now.

Reletiveness.

 

[Jiddy]

(1) You aren't sneaking into anything ... you guys are Legit ... glad to see you kept Jose Abreu

(2) Maybe Cron and Schoop can bring some of the winning stuff here

You need to just slow your role. We signed a handful of b/c level free agents coming off a season where we were bottom 10 both offensively and defensively. That's the reality of it.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Hahn: White Sox Have Payroll Space For Additional Moves

 

[Voltaire26]

You need to just slow your role. We signed a handful of b/c level free agents coming off a season where we were bottom 10 both offensively and defensively. That's the reality of it.

I think you'll be alright.

 

[richig07]

Robert extension is the biggest move of the off-season, IMO.

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Robert extension is the biggest move of the off-season, IMO.

Certainly a very efficient extension for the Sox.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Robert extension is the biggest move of the off-season, IMO.

With the exception of the Mazara trade, I've liked all the Sox moves this offseason, and even then I'm willing to be patient and see what Mazara can do. But I also agree that getting Robert on this extension is big. Man, if we can somehow get Moncada's contract extended as well, our core of cores will be around for a loooong time.

 

[idseer]

refreshing my grade based on signing robert long term. C+.
get a good rp or two and i'll up to a B!

 

[msgkings322]

refreshing my grade based on signing robert long term. C+.
get a good rp or two and i'll up to a B!

Is Cishek enough to get you to a B-?

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Prior to inking Cishek, I had us at a B+. As glad as I am that we signed him to help bolster our BP, I'm not quite sure I'm ready to hit the next grade level up......maybe a B++ or an A--, something along those lines. There's still some offseason left, altho I think Hahn is for the most part thru with any major transactions. I'm holding off to see if anything else develops down the pike.

 

[Jiddy]

Prior to inking Cishek, I had us at a B+. As glad as I am that we signed him to help bolster our BP, I'm not quite sure I'm ready to hit the next grade level up......maybe a B++ or an A--, something along those lines. There's still some offseason left, altho I think Hahn is for the most part thru with any major transactions. I'm holding off to see if anything else develops down the pike.

So what do teams that actually sign mega players like Cole and Strasburg get? A+++++++++ (infinity pluses)?

No way we deserve an A grade. We signed decent players...but nobody game-changing. The guys that will be at the center of our resurgence will (hopefully) be Moncada/Robert/Anderson/Jimenez/Kopech/Giolito...Those guys are the meat...All this stuff this offseason is just the potatoes. Abreu is STILL the best signing we made this offseason...possibly Robert, if he's the real deal...but we won't know that until we can look back some.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

So what do teams that actually sign mega players like Cole and Strasburg get? A+++++++++ (infinity pluses)?

No way we deserve an A grade. We signed decent players...but nobody game-changing. The guys that will be at the center of our resurgence will (hopefully) be Moncada/Robert/Anderson/Jimenez/Kopech/Giolito...Those guys are the meat...All this stuff this offseason is just the potatoes. Abreu is STILL the best signing we made this offseason...possibly Robert, if he's the real deal...but we won't know that until we can look back some.

Well the Yanks will get an A, maybe even an A+ for signing the best pitcher in baseball, and who will likely get them to the World Series, maybe even win it. But they did so at a cost of a 9 year/$324 million contract. So it's an A+, but the most expensive A+ in history.

I like what Hahn did. You obviously didn't. Oh well.

 

[Jiddy]

Well the Yanks will get an A, maybe even an A+ for signing the best pitcher in baseball, and who will likely get them to the World Series, maybe even win it. But they did so at a cost of a 9 year/$324 million contract. So it's an A+, but the most expensive A+ in history.

I like what Hahn did. You obviously didn't. Oh well.

I'm just being particular about it. A grades are for A players...We signed B players...End of story. You can pay all you want...so the opportunity was there for us to do so. We chose not to. So no A. Just kind of how it is. Nothing wrong with a B. If our core is A quality, all the B's we signed this offseason will create a strong A team. ; )

 

[Jiddy]

I'm just being particular about it. A grades are for A players...We signed B players...End of story. You can pay all you want...so the opportunity was there for us to do so. We chose not to. So no A. Just kind of how it is. Nothing wrong with a B. If our core is A quality, all the B's we signed this offseason will create a strong A team. ; )

I guess technically, if this Robert guy is all we think he is and that I read he is...then it was most definitely an A offseason...since it includes that extension...but I wouldn't be one to count any chickens like that until we see on field results. So A grade is still possible if we want to stress over these "I told you so" things down the line. lulz.

 

[idseer]

I guess technically, if this Robert guy is all we think he is and that I read he is...then it was most definitely an A offseason...since it includes that extension...but I wouldn't be one to count any chickens like that until we see on field results. So A grade is still possible if we want to stress over these "I told you so" things down the line. lulz.

you had me until you gave the sox an A depending on robert. so disappointing. the fact is we gained a couple weeks of his use no matter what he does and that's not worth a jump to A for a player we already had.

 

[Jiddy]

you had me until you gave the sox an A depending on robert. so disappointing. the fact is we gained a couple weeks of his use no matter what he does and that's not worth a jump to A for a player we already had.

Wait...Am I missing something? We just gave him MORE money for years he was already on contract for? I thought he was actually extended further out?

 

[idseer]

Wait...Am I missing something? We just gave him MORE money for years he was already on contract for? I thought he was actually extended further out?

weak. he was our property. don't start!

 

[msgkings322]

I'm just being particular about it. A grades are for A players...We signed B players...End of story. You can pay all you want...so the opportunity was there for us to do so. We chose not to. So no A. Just kind of how it is. Nothing wrong with a B. If our core is A quality, all the B's we signed this offseason will create a strong A team. ; )

You can get an A grade if you sign quality players at positions of need. They did that

The big splashy signings are often not too helpful, most recently Harper in Philly

They are doing it right. When everyone complained the last couple of years that they didn't .and any real moves that was because it wasn't time yet. It's time now.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I'm just being particular about it. A grades are for A players...We signed B players...End of story. You can pay all you want...so the opportunity was there for us to do so. We chose not to. So no A. Just kind of how it is. Nothing wrong with a B. If our core is A quality, all the B's we signed this offseason will create a strong A team. ; )

I'm the first to concede we did not sign any 'A' player. But what I gave so far has been a team grade, not an individual player grade. I'm grading in part off of the totality of players who Hahn acquired/promoted, coupled with how the team fares on paper with the new folks vs what the team looked like at season's end. When I see those changes I have to give the man a minimum B+. Of course the real grades will come after we see how they perform next year, even the year after that.

 

[idseer]

I'm the first to concede we did not sign any 'A' player. But what I gave so far has been a team grade, not an individual player grade. I'm grading in part off of the totality of players who Hahn acquired/promoted, coupled with how the team fares on paper with the new folks vs what the team looked like at season's end. When I see those changes I have to give the man a minimum B+. Of course the real grades will come after we see how they perform next year, even the year after that.

actually you're grading activity, not quality. they've been busy therefore they deserve a high grade. sorry charlie ... does not work that way. IF they improve this coming season it will be mostly by players they already had having good seasons and their pitchers maturing. the only area they've actually improved at is DH. right field is still a question mark, it remains to be seen if letting sanchez go and replacing him with (eventually) madrigal. relief pitching is still the exact same ? it was last season (34 year old cishek notwithstanding). adding a C grade starter in keuchel might help but isn't much of an improvement. we certainly didn't improve our all star catching by adding grandal (may have actually hurt it because now mccann won't get as much playing time). LOTS of moves - very little improvement. robert SHOULD be an improvement in center but ... we already HAD him!

you are living in a fool's paradise.

if we are better next year it'll mostly be because our players from last year are improved/healthier.