Guest: James Fegan, The Athletic
Rundown:
- Chicago White Sox held a mini-camp after the season to give extra reps for players who have missed time due to injury like Dane Dunning and Zack Burdi. Guest James Fegan shares his insight on their progress, and what the White Sox could possibly do this offseason to help improve the team.
- Josh and Jim cover the other odds and ends including the start of the Arizona Fall League, Miguel Sano’s latest off-the-field issue, and the MLB postseason action.
- We answered a couple of your questions in P.O. Sox. There will be more once we figure out the technical difficulties.
If you were a wizard and could add one tool / skill / pitch / characteristic to any member of the 2018 #WhiteSox to improve that player for the future #WhiteSox squads, what would it be and to what player? #POSox
— BeefLoaf (@MrDelicious13) October 7, 2018
Who will be the faces of the franchise next year? Who will be the guys we see in commercials and in promos for 2019. I felt like Kopech was a lead candidate but will be gone. Anyone else jump out?
— Pete Chapman (@PeteCha56613119) October 7, 2018
Presented by SeatGeek.
To listen, click play below:
Thanks for the podcast. So, for Fegan, the White Sox are more likely to add pitching than hitting? I think that’s the wrong strategy. Not only wrong, it has been a strategy KW/RH has used widely with terrible results.
I think this team is in high need of position players that produce a decent amount of fWAR. We don’t have that. Eloy is the only one coming that can produce. The rest is so far away. Not only that, but only Eloy is the only one that is a sure thing.
Yes, pitching and run prevention is important, but scoring runs is very important too. This playoffs has teams that not really have that great pitching (As, Braves, Brewers and Cubs), but they can manufacture runs. Yet, teams with great pitching like the Mets, DBacks, Phillies and the Mariners couldn’t make it.
I think the Sox farm has more pitching depth than hitting depth, so Hahn should focus on hitting. Not only that, but many of the pitching prospects are closer to contribute in the majors than the hitters.
How would you address the White Sox need going into 2019 for the starting pitching staff?
2019 is another tanking year. The question is how do you address 2020: Rodon, Lopez, prospect (Cease), Kopech, free agent, Giolito (?!?), Matt Harvey.
The Brewers ace is Chacin…and they just used Wade Miley to start a play off game. With bullpen’s specialty, teams really don’t need 2 or 3 great starters. Just pitchers that can go 4 or 5 innings. Then have your Josh Haders/Wade Davies/Andrew Millers/ etc ready.
Nowadays, even bullpen pitchers are starting games. We don’t need the Mets starting rotation. We need to score runs, and catch the balls that are hit in play.
DeGrom just had a fantastic season, so what? His team lost more of his games than won….why? Because the Mets are terrible at scoring runs. Yet better than the White Sox. If you have the White Sox offense, opposing teams only need to socre 2 or 3 runs to win. Jacob deGrom can be an MVP, yet he was as useful as Giolito. Matter of fact, I think the White Sox won more games with Giolito starting than when the Mets used deGrom
Whether or not 2019 is a tanking year, the White Sox still need to get through the 162-game season. One can’t figure out what the 2020 roster is until next year is played out.
Bring James Shields back. Sign Harvey. Sign Happ. Sign Wade Miley…tons of cheap arms our there.
If I were a wizard, I would pick Jason Heyward’s fielding skill to Daniel Palka. He will be a mosnter.
Wizard powers:
Giolito with the curveball he showed in Spring Training.
Palka with at least a .330 OBP.
Davidson to hit in 1 NL park (probably Atlanta or San Diego) like he did in KC. Trade him as a 2-way 3B/reliever/pinch hitter.