Podcast: Hello, Joe Kelly, Josh Harrison, and Vince Velasquez
Record Date: 3/13/2022
The Chicago White Sox have been busy post-lockout. They continue adding more relievers to their pitching staff, signing Joe Kelly and Vince Velasquez. To help at second base, veteran Josh Harrison was added to the fold. While these three signings support the White Sox with depth, we are still waiting for Rick Hahn to pull off the major move. Do the White Sox have it in them to bring an impact player like Michael Conforto?
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I know I keep hyping this but its just a real weird allocation of resources. We finally get a solid payroll and i’m scratching my head at how it has been divided out.
I judge a team by actions not what they say to the press and its hard for me to buy the sox front office doesn’t see the rise in salaries coming from some of their star players. They have seemingly decided the best way to mitigate the coming salary surge is by keeping RF, 2nd, DH, 1B somewhat open for Engel, Adolfo, Cespedes, Colas RF, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, 2nd, Vaughn Sheets Burger 1st/DH…
What other explanations exist for a 50 mil pen but not having a set lineup at multiple spots. And not doing anything yet this off season to combat their biggest achilleas heal which is right hand starting pitching.
I think you are spot on. The biggest problem as Trooper pointed out is that they can’t give out anything but short term deals. For Kelly, Harrison, Garcia, and Kimbrel they gave 53M or so in total contract dollars. What this team needed is a solid, well above average 2b or RF, and you can’t get one on a 1 or 2 year deal. This team is no closer to championship level than they were in October, really. And the reason is the same as it is every year. They still don’t even have a backup catcher.
It is a weird allocation of resources. But it’s also easily salvageable. (1) Turn Kimbrel into a prospect; (2) Sign Conforto; (3) Trade Kimbrel prospect + another for Mahle or Manaea; (4) Sign a backup catcher. This strikes me as both realistic and within the Sox budget constraints. And it makes what the Sox have done so far… less weird.
I would be very happy with all of those. But the only one I think likely to happen is signing a backup catcher. They can’t be planning on another summer of Collins/Zavala. If they find a taker for Kimbrel I will be surprised. Especially with TLR’s recent comments.
That seems like a lot that has to happen in a very short window, it is feasible I guess though.
If they are starting from square one, it’s probably too much. But Hahn *should* have made *some* movement in all these areas—both pre- and post- lockout.
Conforto or Schwarber. Landing one of them is the only way to salvage this offseason.
A lot can happen between now and October, but man I cant believe they would enter another post season without addressing adding a lefty bat. They are very vulnerable to RH SP.
Add Castellanos to list. He may not be lefty but hits RHP very well. A pipe dream given what he would cost, but he certainly would be a massive help.
The White Sox are gonna have to eat a ton of money to move Kimbrel, which makes picking up his option just the worst.
Nice episode. That last mulling of Velazquez following Lance Lynn’s all-fastball approach makes me think the Sox are spending $3 million to give it a shot.
We know who the #6 and #7 starters are (Reynaldo and VV). Could the #8 starter be Kyle Crick?
Also, I needed to put this here because I want to see this happen in a spring training game that does not count (and also does not have either Luis Robert or Adam Engel in center for fear of injury):
https://twitter.com/scottmerkin/status/1503449717585301508
Why would Crick, a career reliever, be considered the #8 starter? I’m not even sure he’s the #8 reliever on this team.