White Sox Minor Keys: May 27, 2018
Intimidators Stadium in Kannapolis (Jim Margalus)
Since I didn’t notice it initially, I should draw attention to the Kannapolis Intimidators finally lowering the average age of their roster.
Luis Curbelo, the sixth-round pick of the White Sox in 2016, signed for well over slot value ($700,000, compared to $286,700) in order to forgo a commitment to the University of Miami, but a knee injury cut his 2017 season short after a few games. He joined the Intimidators on Friday to give the roster its first 20-year-old, and he’s made two starts at third base.
Even with Curbelo on board, Kannapolis’ position players are one-tenth of a year older than their peers at Winston-Salem.
Charlotte 4, Indianapolis 3
- Hm.
Birmingham 7, Jackson 5
- Danny Mendick went 0-for-3 with two walks.
- Zack Collins, 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a strikeout.
- Eloy Jimenez went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and strikeout.
- Jameson Fisher, 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.
- Tito Polo hit his first homer, part of a 2-for-4 day. He also struck out and stole a base.
- Ian Clarkin: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP
- Ryan Burr: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
- Ian Hamilton: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Potomac 4, Winston-Salem 0
- Joel Booker went 2-for-4 with a strikeout. He was caught stealing.
- Blake Rutherford went 0-for-4 with a K.
- Micker Adolfo was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Gavin Sheets, 0-for-2.
- Alex Call went 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Ti’Quan Forbes singled and struck out twice.
- Yeyson Yrizarri was 1-for-3.
- Jimmy Lambert: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 WP
Kannapolis 11, West Virginia 0 (Game 1, 7 innings)
- Luis Gonzalez did his job at the top of the order: a homer, double, two walks and four runs scored.
- Justin Yurchak and Luis Curbelo both were 0-for-4 with a K.
- Evan Skoug went 1-for-4 with a homer and two strikeouts.
- Blake Battenfield: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
- Will Kincanon made his first appearance: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
Kannapolis 2, West Virginia 1 (Game 2, 8 innings)
- Luis Gonzalez tripled and struck out thrice.
- Justin Yurchak was 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
- Carlos Perez was 0-for-3.
- Tyler Johnson: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Author
Collins now hitting .268 with a .916 OPS, 2nd on the Barons to Jimenez in both categories.
Since reverting back to his old swing after his brutal 2-for-37 start, he’s slashing .343/.507/.581 with more walks than strikeouts (34 to 33) in 142 PA’s.Â
Those numbers come with an obviously unsustainable BABIP, but it’s still a ridiculously impressive bounce back.Â
AAA hole completely justifiable, but you’d take the yesterday’s Knights pitching if it had happened on the South Side: Cromulent+ 6 IP from Donn Roach, followed by three innings of hitless relief from Xavier Cedeno, Jeanmar Gomez, and Jaun Minaya. I have seen the future, and it was on the mound yesterday in Charlotte.
Cedeno and Gomez have been outstanding this season. Both are older players with significant service time already logged. I’m wondering how the Sox plan on handling them, Gomez especially. He’s something like four weeks short of a full six years of MLB, so if the Sox use him pretty much at all, he’s a FA for next year.
At some point if you think Gomez had turned a corner, gotten whatever difference-making boost the org can impart, I would think the best move would be to let him pitch enough innings of MLB ball to prove to other clubs that he’s worth trading for.
Unless the Sox are already convinced enough themselves to sign Gomez to an ultra-cheap big league deal that runs beyond this season, he’s out the door come October. Bring him up and hope he engenders the same pleasant fantasies (less) among GMs that Swarzak did a year ago. Seems like the definition of a guy you flip for whatever, or throw in as a sweetener.
Probables: Kopech, Banks, Parke. B’Ham off.
Ya, those 2 have been pitching extremely well in AAA. The Sox need to find a way to get them on the big league roster to attempt to prove they’ve made a turnaround, whether it be for a trade or for the Sox next year.Â
That being said, I think the biggest problem is they need guys like Volstad and Beck to eat innings way too frequently. I’m not sure that’s a role either of Gomez or Cedeno are comfortable with. If the starting pitchers prove they can consistently go 5+, it’d be an easy call to swap those guys.Â
That, and the Sox already have a massive 40-man squeeze while just trying to give Renteria a lineup card. They had to add Skole because Davidson’s on the DL. Rodon will need his spot back, and Kopech and Eloy will also need a place.