Cespedes Back on Market

[ijustposthere]

I seriously wonder if Hahn has any power whatsoever to make his own moves. Everything they do still reeks of Kenny.

 

[brett05]

But I think the "pieces" thing you've touched is really the larger point. The White Sox are a weird collection of ill-fitting pieces, albeit some of those pieces are very talented. But there's no apparent overall strategy to what they're doing with their roster. There's no inherent synergy that comes from searching for WAR upgrades at any position you can find them.

What is the White Sox bid for victory? Run suppression or run production? What does a "White Sox" pitcher look like? Great stuff & strikeouts? Weak contact specialist? Do they care about defense or not? What does a "White Sox" hitter look like? Patience and power or contact and aggressiveness? Do they prioritize speed and baserunning or not?

I'm not suggesting that the White Sox need to follow "the" plan, but seems obvious to me that they don't even have a plan. Every offseason is "Let's throw a bunch of WAR at the wall and see what sticks!" They are a completely rudderless front office.

I don't think you are too far off, at least from a non-pitching standpoint. I don't think you need to necessarily have a strategy to pitching like I only want flame throwers or I only want stamina pitchers. You want good pitchers in spades and any mix can work IMO.

But the rest, I agree. They made a move to upgrade 3b and they did so tremendously. May have improved that position more than anyone did in 2016 (up somewhere around 4.5-5 WAR). They needed an upgrade at DH and did nothing about it and got blessed by losing LaRoche. Needed an OF badly and got none. They did do well so far (still early to tell honestly) at SS with Anderson. Still no identity. No game plan that any of us can identify. And really, is it that hard to do that from a fan perspective? More so, if there is a plan why is it so secretive? This is year 3 in the 3 year plan that Hahn spoke of. Got me beat on what that is.

 

[theOHIOSTATE!]

NOOOO!!! We shouldn't be rebuilding. What does that mean? You think if we tank and trade away assetts for a few marginal pieces all of a sudden we will have a farm full of premium players that will become the core and take us to the promise land?

The Cubs fan above I can forgive for not understanding how elite the White Sox core is, but goddamnit we have a great young core.

Abreu, Anderson, Sale, Quintana, Eaton,

Those are some of the harder pieces to find. Leadoff, power first base that can hit, elite starters.


Some of the other guys are adaquate stand ins. A bull pen is not that hard to fix or expensive. You trade those big 4 guys and there is no telling if you can find their quality again.

With the farm the way it is they would have to spend a little money, but they need to spend smarter then they have been. They keep picking up bargain rip offs.

Young core?

None of those guys will be under 28 next yr with the exception of Anderson.....

Are you high?

If those guys were all like 26, you'd have a better point. Also, you aren't that close.....

 

[Parade_Rain]

I doubt the Sox sign him, not their M.O.

I doubt it, too. He isn't just a DH, which is what I was responding to.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I doubt it, too. He isn't just a DH, which is what I was responding to.

I don't like you.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I don't like you.

You don't like facts? He isn't a DH only.

 

[Raskolnikov]

You don't like facts? He isn't a DH only.

More for your money, more ways for him to make the lineup when injured because he is injury prone. Flexibility to add a DH.

 

[brett05]

He's not a DH only. Doesn't mean he shouldn't be.