Random Thoughts 2.2

[Jiddy]

If we fail to accomplish anything with this current team iteration, I will always refer to it as the Yo-Yo era.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

This article clearly shows how Cease got the big hose with the AS snub:

Examining the Egregiousness of Dylan Cease's All-Star Snub

The proof is in the pudding.

ontapsportsnet.com

 

[Mingo]

It seems like the Sox are hitting home runs again.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

It seems like the Sox are hitting home runs again.

It seems that the Sox for a number of years have been, for better or worse, a warm weather team, at least offensively. But we shouldn't have to wait until June or July for our bats to warm up. Our lack of hitting and lack of dingers in particular really put us in a hole this season. And now that our bats have awoken, can our pitching hold up? All I can say is thankfully the Good Guys play in a pretty weak division. Shit, we'd be in dead last if we were in the AL East.

 

[Mingo]

It seems that the Sox for a number of years have been, for better or worse, a warm weather team, at least offensively. But we shouldn't have to wait until June or July for our bats to warm up. Our lack of hitting and lack of dingers in particular really put us in a hole this season. And now that our bats have awoken, can our pitching hold up? All I can say is thankfully the Good Guys play in a pretty weak division. Shit, we'd be in dead last if we were in the AL East.

Case in point - Toronto with a winning record has already fired their manager.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Case in point - Toronto with a winning record has already fired their manager.

Didn't know this. Toronto to some degree has had as disappointing season as the Sox. An awful lot of talent to be stuck with a 47-43 record, altho they also play a lot more games within their very tough division. Still for many, expectations were pretty high for them this year.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Santa came a bit early for me. I hoped that we'd at least leave these last two series on the road against our division rivals with a split, if not winning a majority. Taking 5 out of 8 is a bit short of calling it domination, but we definitely showed we belong in the race. Another outstanding performance by the AS screwed Dylan Cease, who is quickly becoming the team ace (altho the old Cro-Magnon Johnny Cueto might have a thing or two to say about that). Dylan's slider was killing it today, absolutely killing it.

 

[Mingo]

The Sox are 8 games above .500 on the road. If they were as good at home -they would be running away with the Central.

 

[Mingo]

Thoughts on the Sox at the break:

1) Being 8 games above .500 on the road is perhaps the best indication that the Sox are capable of turning this season around as they are actually a team staffed to perform well at Guaranteed Rate Field.

2) If the Sox do turn it around in the 2nd half - I expect Dylan Cease will be a top 3 vote getter for the Cy Young award. I like his chances based on his current groove. Even not making the All-Star team as brought his pitching prowess a lot of attention.

3) I find it alarming that Luis Robert's "light headedness" is still an issue days later.

4) The Sox offense has appeared to have finally found its punch as all of a sudden batted balls are leaving the ballpark rather than being caught against the wall for outs.

5) Rey Lopez has become a valuable relief pitcher and a real cog on Sox success.

6) I love to watch Andrew Vaughn take at bats. He is going to be a top star in the AL.

7) Sheets may not be the answer for the needed LH power (bat or maybe he is), but he has proven to be a more than adequate RF,

8) Engel's play in the field and at the plate has been great - I think he's playing D in CF better than Robert has this season and at the plate he has shown he is a better hitter than a situational substitute.

9) Jonny Cueto was an incredibly good find off the trash heap this year.

10) Moncada and Luery Garcia have both crossed the Mendoza line and have their averages north of .200. Sadly, I don't think Garcia is useful as a middle infield guy any longer - way too many errors.

11) Josh Harrison is surging in his contributions at the plate and on the field. I like guys like this.

12) Pito has shortened up his swing and shot his BA way up, but I don't see him getting to 30 Hrs and 100 RBIs this year.

13) Tim Anderson made a major league play on the line drive where he skied about 36" off the ground and snagged a line drive out. One thing still true about the White Sox is that Timmy is still the straw that stirs the drink.

14) Giolito just hasn't been the same pitcher since MLB cracked down on tacky substances on pitcher's hands, but he knows how to pitch even without the great spin rates. I agree with the fellow here on the forum who said he is about a number 3 starter now.

15) One key to the remainder of the season will be if Lance Lynn can get his pitching rhythm back and perform like he did last year, I'm betting that he will.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Excellent set of observations, Mingo!!!! Not one disagreement with any of them!

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Thoughts on the MLB in general at the break (can't top Mingo's super breakdown of the Sox, so I'll go more general):

*As weak as the AL Central is overall, with perhaps the NL Central arguably being the very worst, it's also producing the best divisional race at this point. Ours is the only division currently involved in a three team race. Three others, the AL East and West, plus the NL West, have their division leaders pretty much locking up their respective races already. Only the NL East and Central also have competition, but in both of their cases, it's just a two team race.

*Clearly the class of the NL is as usual the Dodgers - what a great run organization. Here in the AL the Yankees have an even better record, but never count out Houston. In fact, speaking of the latter, it's interesting that the 'Stros are doing it more this year with their pitching rather than their bats. It's usually the other way around. This is not to dismiss tho the accomplishments of the 2nd place team, the Mariners. Right now at the break they're riding a 14 game winning streak, THE hottest team in Baseball. We diehard Sox fans can only drool over such a streak.

*Crazy factoid: As poorly as the Good Guys have hit for much of the year, they're the only team in either league with 4 starters batting .300 or better.

*MVP - AL: It's a pretty good battle between four players at this juncture. Aaron Judge, Jose Ramirez, Rafael Devers, and Jordan Alvarez. Others are worthy of mention, but at this point, I think it's between these four, with perhaps Judge being the top dog. But of course things can change.

*MVP - NL: Not following the Senor Circuit as much, but to me it looks like it's Paul Goldschmidt's award to lose. He's currently right up there battling for the Triple Crown. Maybe Freddie Freeman or Pete Alonzo can be factored as well, but the race isn't as tight as it is in the AL.

*Cy Young - AL: Right now it would be between Justin Verlander and Shane McClanahan, but others like Logan Gilbert, Alek Manoah, and our own Dylan Cease are definitely in the mix.

*Cy Young - NL: Tight battle overall, but at this point one pitcher sticks out and that's Tony Gonsolin. 11-0 record to date with good stats. I wouldn't count out Sandy Alcantara tho, a lower ERA and higher WAR. Unfortunately for him he's stuck playing for a losing team.

*Fireman - AL: Too close to call. No one's really killing it, but at the present the saves leader is Jordan Romano. Our own Lance Hendriks is right there as well.

*Fireman - NL: Another tight race, but so far I have Josh Hader, Taylor Rodgers, and Kenley Jansen duking it out.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Alright, WTF is wrong with Robert. No one is 'lightheaded', then misses multiple games, including tonight's and that's after a nice 4 day break from the game. I can't find a single thing indicating the problem. Anyone else have an update?

 

[Mingo]

Alright, WTF is wrong with Robert. No one is 'lightheaded', then misses multiple games, including tonight's and that's after a nice 4 day break from the game. I can't find a single thing indicating the problem. Anyone else have an update?

@Jiddy has seemingly been lightheaded all his life - so how serious can it be?

 

[Mingo]

How about:

Andrew Vaughn
Oscar Colas
Jose Rodriquez
J. Kelley

For two and a half years of Juan Soto?

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

How about:

Andrew Vaughn
Oscar Colas
Jose Rodriquez
J. Kelley

For two and a half years of Juan Soto?

I'd hate like hell to give up Vaughn. Maybe throw in another higher end prospect in his place and I'd certainly consider it.

 

[Bearsfan81]

How about:

Andrew Vaughn
Oscar Colas
Jose Rodriquez
J. Kelley

For two and a half years of Juan Soto?

That is an incredibly lopsided offer. The Nationals would have to eat salary for the White Sox to even consider such a deal.

 

[Mingo]

That is an incredibly lopsided offer. The Nationals would have to eat salary for the White Sox to even consider such a deal.

Juan Soto is still toiling for reasonable money for the next 2.5 seasons.

 

[Mingo]

I'd hate like hell to give up Vaughn. Maybe throw in another higher end prospect in his place and I'd certainly consider it.

My logic goes like this - Soto replaces Vaughn and the Sox lose a right-handed batter for a LH RF. With a LH power bat in RF until 2225 - Colas isn't needed. Jose Rodriquez is a good young talent, but Colson Mongomery replaces him. J. Kelley is a talent, but still pitching hot and cold in the low A team.

 

[Bearsfan81]

My logic goes like this - Soto replaces Vaughn and the Sox lose a right-handed batter for a LH RF. With a LH power bat in RF until 2225 - Colas isn't needed. Jose Rodriquez is a good young talent, but Colson Mongomery replaces him. J. Kelley is a talent, but still pitching hot and cold in the low A team.

Wait you're serious? You know that the Nationals asking price is sky high right? I would think any offer from the White Sox would have to include Eloy or Robert. I don't see the Sox (or any team frankly) having the capital to meet the National's current demands. At a minimum we'd have to be willing to eat Corbin's contract.

 

[idseer]

that's a big NO from me.