First Pitch: White Sox vs. Guardians
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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.
96 and several whiffs from Clevinger. Would be nice if he showed out for the scouts in the seats.
Hey, that was cool and fun. I love it when the white sox show off their strongest aspect (defense)
Tim finally got one!! We’re coming all the way back boys!
I really think it would be a mistake to trade TA or Eloy at this point, not because they should be “untouchable”, but because I really think they are both going to have good years next year and no one’s going to give appropriate value for either one right now.
Yea, I agree. I think TA will have a really big contract year
Yeah – a trade at the deadline next season fits better with Montgomery’s timeline as well. The only reason to do it now is if the offer is clearly a win for the Sox.
Well, I guess trading him now and playing Sosa there in 2024 saves $14M for the Sox, so they probably would think about that as well. But in terms of winning even long term, selling low seems like a bad bet
I don’t know. I’ve been of the mind that they should hold onto TA and Cease, sign some vets in the off-season, and see what happens in 2024.
But after seeing the return for the Sox trades thus far, it’s confirmed we’re in a seller’s market. Of course, it always depends on whether or not someone meets the asking price. But if I were Hahn, I’d be asking around on TA and Cease. With TA’s recent hot streak, I think the value has ticked up as he’s looking more like his old self.
Reading what analysts are saying about these trade returns, they generally like them but there’s nothing so overwhelming that it should alter the plan, if they happen to have one.
They could get a ton for Cease right now, certainly, but I think they’re looking at the presumed continued weakness of the division next year. I think the plan is to sign two midrotation SPs for multi-year contracts, plus some ancillary moves such as a 5th starter type, bullpen lottery tickets like Santos, a bounceback candidate hitter or two.
If they hit their like 75th percentile outcome, they win a really weak division with a mid-80s win total. If they don’t, they sell off TA, Moncada, Hendriks, mb Cease, plus any one-year contracts. Then they just continue retooling around the crop of Double-Aish infielders & Quero + the smorgasbord of pitchers for 2025. The two midrotation starters don’t hurt that plan.
Click seems like an ideal person to execute this retooling …oh well
Yeah if that’s the plan, it sounds good to me. And obviously all this depends on what the offers are. I’m mostly just skeptical they’ll ever get better offers than what they’d get this deadline for TA or Cease. So if they aren’t going to sign some guys and try in 24, it probably makes sense to trade them now.
100% on Cease
Clevinger is looking very good tonight. Got away with that mistake to Bell, but the fastball has more life than we’ve seen in a minute.
Looks like he’s having fun out there.
He does. He’s thinking about pitching for a contender next week.
He’s also always been vocal about enjoying sticking it to Cleveland. Who, in retrospect, made a fantastic decision in trading him away when they did lol
Come on Rangers, stop letting Scherzer jerk you around. We’ll give you Clevinger for Acuna, no questions asked.
I don’t know enough about the rest of the league, but there can’t be too many third basemen better defensively than Yoan Moncada.
Agreed. I’m loving the defense tonight. It’s fun to watch.
He’s very good. Not in the Arenado/Chapman/Hayes elite tier, but solidly in the second tier after those hot corner wizards.
Compared to the defense played by most of the team, watching Robert and Moncada is a breath of fresh air.
Tonight Remillard, Burger, and Vaughn have flashed the leather.
Remillard might be okay at 2B, but he looks pretty lost in the outfield. Burger’s been fine tonight, but over the course of a season he’d be the worst defensive 2B in the league by far. Same for Vaughn at first.
Yeah. I was talking about how they’ve looked tonight.
Is Burger that bad at 2B? I haven’t seen him play an inning there so I’m genuinely asking. I will say—on eye test alone—he’s surprised me at 3B. If he could become a below-average-but-not-a-disaster 2B, that’d be really helpful.
The eye test may say one thing, but the metrics don’t like his defense at 3B, even though he admittedly has improved there. It’s hard to believe that a relative butcher at the position he’s played his entire career could successfully transition to a new one midseason. I’m confident once there’s enough to establish some data there, it won’t be kind. He’s made a couple of nice highlight reel plays, but they look the kind that would haven’t required dives from players with average range. He’s also noticeably slow getting to the bag for double plays, to the point where TA is just going to have to handle some himself that would normally be 6-4-3.
Zach was tentative on that one.
Attaboy Yoan.
Having a hard time seeing the Guardians as the heirs to the Central based off prospect rankings when they’re being blanked for fifteen consecutive innings by guys who mostly belong in AAA
Their farm system is supposed to be good, but not much on this team scares me. I still think this division is wide open for the foreseeable future.
They have a bajillion future midrotation to backend starters and high contact/below average pop hitters. Unless the ball gets deadened again or they make some really aggressive trades with those guys— not their M.O.— I just don’t think they have the star power to be scary.
The ream lacks power. Good players and prospects, but too many slappers. We know how hard is to win like that.
Oh, NOW we’re taking walks and elevating the ball? Where was this all year?
We need Keynan to look good this weekend.
The contact was lame, but it resulted in a run. I don’t think that will turn any teams off him.
Yeah, I thought he looked okay.
These two games conclusively prove that it was Giolito, Lynn Lopez graveman and Kelly who were holding us back.
It’s not too late to buy 🤪
Remember a few years ago when Minnesota started buying, and then they switched to selling after like 3 days?
What a f****** relief that we are back to no expectation to compete. Let’s just hope that the re-tool goes well. Of course they are winning now. Vulgar message, I hope so.
My fave moment of game was TA “rocking the baby” in front of Naylor. Better late than never