A brief programming note before we begin: The Sox Machine Podcast returns to its usual weekly schedule next Monday, and we'll take P.O. Sox back to the audio format. That said, perhaps we'll still use Patreon-exclusive posts for particularly heavy mailbags, or questions that work better in text than conversation. Just like Major League Baseball during the pandemic, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Andrew asks:
Thinking about a comment Jim Callis made during his interview with Josh - how many starters do you think the Sox need this year as they adapt to a full (?) schedule of games? I’m asking more about injury/fatigue than ineffectiveness. Who do you think gets those starts?
When writing about the Carlos Rodón signing, I threw this innings distribution out there off the cuff.
- Lance Lynn: 200
- Lucas Giolito: 180
- Dallas Keuchel: 170
- Dylan Cease: 160
- Michael Kopech: 90
- Reynaldo López: 50
- Carlos Rodón: 50
I liked how Jimmy Lambert looked more than Jonathan Stiever last year, so if you're looking for an eighth starter to pick up a few games, I guess that's the next guy I'd turn to. At least until spring training gives us new data.
One of the unfortunate things about Tony La Russa's baggage is that we know precious little about how he actually considers running a team in 2020. Is he cool with the opener? Is he comfortable with bullpen games? Is he open to churning the pitching staff during the season? Because if he's down with that kind of setup, and if the White Sox have a handful of doubleheaders, the potential need for a starter starter is lessened a little. We knew what Rick Renteria wanted from the guy throwing the first pitch and could plan for that, but La Russa is a bit of a blank slate after such a long layoff.
Philip asks:
Piggy backing on Andrew's question, why wouldn't the Sox load up on a few of the remaining starters in the free agent market? Julio Teheran, Mike Leake, Taijuan Walker should be targets to build depth. Pitching depth is always important but this year maybe more than any time in recent memory.
The problem is the White Sox no longer present a decent opportunity for starting pitchers who are looking to re-establish their stock. The Rodón signing fills the role of "guy who can win the job for April and make the younger questionable pitchers earn it later." I think we'd all prefer to have a more durable option come in and make the enterprise less reliant on Rodón, but it appears the Sox gave the money they had budgeted for that extra starter to him. If a guy like Walker came in, the Sox would have wasted those $3 million on Rodón, and the Sox are acting as though they don't have $3 million to waste.
Perhaps a guy coming off as terrible a season as Teheran can be had on a minor-league deal, but even then, he'd probably want a team whose rotation picture is less crowded. The Sox are probably going to have to manufacture further starting depth themselves for the first couple months, be it an incumbent prospect or Emilio Vargas.
Asinwreck asks:
If Michael Kopech actually begins 2021 in the MLB rotation, is Reynaldo López headed to Charlotte? Who are the baker's dozen pitchers you see breaking camp (assuming no injuries in Glendale)?
Jon Morosi caused a bit of a stir when he tweeted that the White Sox anticipated Michael Kopech breaking camp in the MLB rotation.
His correction restored the situation to what we'd understood to be the case all along.
I can still see a scenario where Kopech breaks camp in the rotation, but he'd have to look incredible, and a couple guys ahead of him would have to look busted. If Kopech's maintaining 99 through five innings while Rodón's unavailable and López is topping out at 95, perhaps they give him a go, then try to manage his innings with programmed rests down the line. If rosters are limited to 26 all year, I can see a lot of such pitcher shuffling throughout the season.
If Rodón and everybody else remain intact, then this looks like an initial 13-man staff to me, given that López hasn't shown what he can do in relief.
- Lucas Giolito
- Dallas Keuchel
- Lance Lynn
- Dylan Cease
- Carlos Rodón
- Jimmy Cordero
- Matt Foster
- Jace Fry
- Evan Marshall
- Garrett Crochet
- Aaron Bummer
- Codi Heuer
- Liam Hendriks
Mark asks:
what low cost free agents remain available that are worth targeting?
If Jonathan Lucroy is the solution for the spot a Tyler Flowers could occupy, and if Carlos Rodón is indeed the back-end depth in the rotation, then I think the idea of "low-cost" is down to guys who don't require a 40-man roster spot. Brandon Workman was a mess last year, but a good reliever in the few years prior. I still think Travis Shaw makes a fair amount of sense on a non-guaranteed deal for both player and team. If he shows any signs of life, the Sox can mix in a left-handed infielder around the diamond. That was the role that people liked for Brad Miller, but he's supposedly signing with the Phillies for $3 million or so, so even that might be too much.
Southpaw Jackson asks:
If you and Josh were tasked with choosing the new name for Cleveland. What are your top 2 choices?
Fun fact: Josh and I actually talked about this topic on the podcast, but I had stopped recording on my end, and my side sounded terrible on Josh's backup recording, so we had to scratch it.
The Spiders is the coolest, easiest solution, but there historical ties to awful, cheap ownership that I wouldn't blame the current-day franchise for being unwilling to inherit. If that'sthe case, my two leading ideas:
No. 1: The Cleveland Nine. If Washington Football Team takes hold, and if MLS makes "SC" and other generic descriptors more commonplace, then I think "the Nine" is the best way to put forth that idea in baseball.
No. 2: The Forest City Ewoks. I've seen the Cleveland Foresters suggested as a nod to the city's nickname, but if Star Wars is going to be a permanent part of the pop-culture landscape and thus promotional fodder for every professional baseball franchise, the Dolans may as well give in and prepare for a merchandising windfall.
