Record Date: 3/25/2021
Terrible news for the Chicago White Sox as Eloy Jimenez is out for the next 5-6 months. A big blow to their offense and postseason aspirations. Yet, there is still a path to the postseason for this White Sox squad. Josh and Jim look into both the internal and external options replacing Jimenez.
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Josh Nelson is the host and producer of the Sox Machine Podcast. For show suggestions, guest appearances, and sponsorship opportunities, you can reach him via email at josh@soxmachine.com.
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Josh Nelson is the host and producer of the Sox Machine Podcast. For show suggestions, guest appearances, and sponsorship opportunities, you can reach him via email at josh@soxmachine.com.
Andrew Vaughn in LF is a bad idea. A very bad idea. Slow, no experience there. It can be a source to opponent runs trickling down. I can see outs becoming hits, and hits becoming doubles and triples. And he can get hurt by trying to do what he is not used to. One thing is trying at the minor league level…but at the big league level? In a rookie year?
Additionally, this added pressure could affect his hitting tool which is his strength. Hahn needs to find an outfielder. Period. Maybe internally (Hamilton/Gonzalez/Williams) or externally, but Hahn must solve this problem before it becomes a bigger problem. Maybe when Engel comes back, it won’t be as bad.
I am guessing the Sox bring someone in before the season starts. It may not be the perfect solution, but now is the time players are available and shuffling around
Based on Hahn’s and Tony’s comments, it sounds far from a done deal. I love the idea of sticking him out there for these last few games to see what he looks like. I suspect it won’t be pretty, but if he’s unplayable there it’s not like it matters that you deprived him of looks at 1B. He’ll only DH, otherwise.
Going from Eloy’s 40 or more home runs and .900 OPS to Hamilton/Gonzalez/Williams’ .600 OPS is not acceptable. I don’t like the Andrew Vaughn to left idea, but of all the in-house options it is the best. Eloy’s problem in left was not that he was bad (he was), it was that he thought he was good, and continued to hurt himself with plays he had no business trying to make. Vaughn would have to be better at knowing his limitation than Eloy.
That being said, I would much rather see them acquire someone. Cespedes is the one free agent that might be worth a shot, but it would probably take him a while to get ready, provided he still has something left in the tank. So trading for Tauchman, or someone like Gallo becomes the best option.
I disagree. This is a year of contention, and we can’t be “trying” new stuff and see what sticks. If Vaughn had some outfield experience, then sure. but I read somewhere that Vaughn has played pitcher more than outfield in his amateur years.
The White Sox need, at the very least, to man left field with a professional fielder.This is not the little leagues or a tanking year. Hamilton/Williams/Gonzalez won’t hit?…sure, but that’s not Vaughn’s fault (it’s 100% Hahn’s).
You can’t just switch players around at the major legue level with no experience. We can’t do experiments in a contention year. He will be killed with line drives, and whatnot which will hurt his confidence and do more damage than good. I rather we have Hamilton in LF, at least until Engel returns.
But they were willing to man left field with Eloy, who really stretches the idea of professional fielder.
Eloy was bad, but he at least had experience playing in the outfield. Big difference. Vaughn literally has none.
Well, he gets a 1-week crash course. If it fails, go get someone else.
Eloy could teach that.
A scarecrow with a glove can be as effective defensively as Eloy. If Vaughn catches routine flies and hits the cut off man on throws he will be fine, you have a gazelle in CF and plenty of options to replace him for defensive purposes later in a game. Just get thru 3 or 4 at bats of Vaughn a game and make the switch. The defensive value gained with Hamilton, or Garcia, or Nick Williams is not going to outweigh the hitting upside of a Vaughn, Collins, maybe even Mercedes rotation.
The Major leagues are filled with competent hitters. You think every play in LF is chasing down a fly? A beheading laser line drive by Aaron Judge or Jose Ramirez or Matt Chapman and we will see relatively easy outs (for a competent LF) becoming doubles. I know, Eloy was atrocious, but he was capable to do the routine outs including some line drives. Vaughn? I have no clue what to expect, but I have a feeling it will be ugly.
I get the concern but he’s a Major League baseball player. He’s stood 90 ft from MLB hitters and not gotten hurt. They’re not asking him to become an NHL goalie overnight.
Vaughn is a Major League player? He hasn’t played a single game at the Majors…Sure, I think he is a Major League hitter, but LF? I highly doubt it.
Also, let’s play Jose Abreu in LF too. He is a professional Major League baseball player. What could go wrong?
As long as you’re this worried, I’d suggest Abreu would be better than Eloy by leaps and bounds in the outfield. Better athlete. Better arm. Seems to give a hoot about his defense.
A laser line drive is very likely to be a hit no matter what.
The difference is, Eloy would try to make the play and take one between the eyes. Vaughn will more than likely know to get out of the way!!
Perhaps, but most likely, instead of a hit, it will be double or a triple.
Vaughn in Left and Collins DH against RH SP has the best chance of replacing the value of Eloy in left and Vaughn DH. I think you have to give it a look.
At the same time with our top 3 SP, I’d like to think we have enough offense to still win.
Yeah, but we can’t be trying stuff that we know won’t work, like Billy Hamilton’s bat on a regular basis in LF. I’d rather try something that might work, that falling back to something that we know won’t work.
Hamilton will catch the ball professionally. That we know!
Hamilton will also OPS under .600. That we also know.
Gallo would be a great get, but Rangers are probably going to wait until deadline if they trade him. I wonder what we’d have to give up for him?
My guess is Crochet would have to be the headliner.
That’s probably about right.
I know Ken Griffey, Jr. can’t cover CF anymore but we can still get him for LF. Won’t cost any of the prospects that we can’t afford to trade plus Kenny loves him!
The Adam Dunn simile is hilarious – “trying not to scare a stray dog”. I’d go with a defense first OF to start most games early. Keep Vaughn getting some work in OF. If by some karmic balance Collins continues to perform, I think you’ve got to try Vaughn in left a bit.
If Yoenis looked relatively healthy at his showcase, I’d think someone would of signed him. He looked cooked and greatly hobbled in limited action with Mets last year. Tauchman would be a good option, but sounds like Yanks would keep him over Bruce, so do the Sox want to overpay at this point in the season? Doubt it.
Tell Vaughn to play deep, don’t dive, and don’t get in Robert’s way… it’s going to be interesting.
What’s Carlton Fisk up to these days?
I suggested Jim Edmonds yesterday. He knows LaRussa, he’s a better fielder than Eloy and I know he’s a better hitter than Billy Hamilton.
Even at 50.
I don’t know. Check the cornfields in New Lenox.
I guess Collins was never an option for left? It seems like the transition to left would be easier for a catcher (not built like Mercedes). Of course, I’m sure he never got any reps out there in the minors because he was “blocked” by Eloy and the plethora of amazing outfield prospects.
Hahn ruled him out.
https://twitter.com/C1McKnight/status/1375206711137595394
How quickly will Miami fall out of the race and be willing to part with Corey Dickerson? Lefty bat in his walk year that is pretty reliably above average.
The other trade options from non-contenders are guys controlled for multiple years and would probable cost more than a low-minors lottery ticket.
And honestly, if things get real bad in both corners, maybe you can package Dickerson and Marte together. It would probably cost you a legit prospect at that point (someone like Kelly maybe) but that would be worth it imo.
Sox aren’t the best at giving up low minors lottery tickets either
Article on MLB that Miami might want to give Bleday a chance. They seem to have a surplus. Wonder if they would make Garrett Cooper available.
I’m starting to get the feeling that the Sox’s strategy of having 3 players for 3 positions (OF) and 5 players for 2 positions (1B/C) wasn’t such a great strategy after all.
How telling is it that Rutherford, Gonzalez, and Adolfo are all on the 40-man and Plan B still involves asking a rookie 1st baseman to go play a position he hasn’t played since high school.
I never even thought of that…and now I’m going to curl in a ball in a corner for a few minutes.
The logjam suddenly turned into a bonfire.