It's not quite the swallows returning to Capistrano, but a celebrated annual tradition took place on Wednesday afternoon: White Sox scouting director Mike Shirley's pre-draft media availability.
There's a longer article about it coming, which won't be spoiled by revealing the obvious stuff Shirley said like the decision being down to Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey, all of whom have had private meetings with the team. It was at least a little interesting to hear him give a direct answer about who makes the final call on the pick.
"I think we’re all making the final decision together, this is collaboration, the change that’s happened here is real and how we’re all collaborating together," Shirley said. "But Chris Getz is running this organization and I believe Jerry really trusts Chris to make the final decision."
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Miguel Vargas spoke to Chicago media at long last about making the All-Star team. In a similar way, there was a wait for him to talk to his father Lazaro about the honor.
"We couldn’t speak, I called them and they were kind of screaming and crying and so I have to wait for a couple of hours to talk to them," Vargas said. "That’s my role model and my hero. That’s the reason I play this game and for me to have his last name on my back and his number too, it means a lot to me. I’m representing something he couldn’t have the opportunity to do. For me and my family, it means a lot."
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Will Venable said all went well with Munetaka Murakami's recovery after his first rehab game on Tuesday, as he'll try to get through seven innings, or more, on Wednesday (He's already doubled in his first at-bat). No one with the Sox has gotten more specific than expecting Murakami back before the All-Star break, but know that all the beat writers you know think he's going to be back Friday.
Hard not to notice that the Home Run Derby field has not been entirely set yet either. Might be something to that.
Anyway, what happens to Jacob Gonzalez when that "starting first baseman for the White Sox" role closes up?
"He’s done a great job of it, but yeah, he can play different positions," Will Venable said. "It’s something we value. We talk about defensive versatility for all our guys. Certainly Jacob has that. As we continue to evaluate the best fit for Jacob and all these guys, him being able to play multiple positions is factored in."
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As he told Sox Machine, Davis Martin said he would be ready to pitch as an All-Star substitute if called upon. That's more than Venable really has to offer on the topic.
"I don’t know what the process how it’s going to unfold or play out," Venable said. "He’s certainly deserving and has been our guy from Day 1. There’s a number of guys out there who are looking from the outside and deserve a chance. Davis is definitely one of them."
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Back-to-back starts for Junior Pérez? In this economy? Plenty of lefty starters on tap this weekend against the A's, so there's liable to be more coming.
"Really good toolset, where he’s playing an above average defense at multiple positions," Venable said. "He can really run, he can throw. He’s a good swing decision guy. We’ve seen the power. It’s nice to see him get a couple of starts in a row and see more of that stuff come out. The way he’s in the clubhouse, the way he’s engaging with our coaches, there’s a ton of aptitude where he’s making adjustments and doing everything he can to get better. Really big fan of JP."
This is often the way guys with questionable hit tools get talked about, but Pérez has a nickname from the manager, so he's basically a made man.
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Venable went 1-for-5 against Justin Verlander for his career with an RBI double and two punchouts, so he's able to speak from experience about his soon-to-conclude career.
"One of the best of all time," Venable said. "He’s somebody, he was drafted the year before me and he’s still going at it. So, unbelievable career. He’s pitched for a long time at a really long time at a really high level. Obviously a first ballot Hall of Famer and he’s meant a lot to the game."
I wonder what he'd say about Johnny Cueto, since Venable went 7-for-17 against him with two home runs and a 1.265 OPS.
First pitch: White Sox vs. Red Sox
TV: CHSN
Radio: ESPN 1000 AM
Lineups:
| Red Sox | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Seigler, 2B | 1 | Miguel Vargas, 1B |
| Ceddanne Rafaela, CF | 2 | Randal Grichuk, DH |
| Wilyer Abreu, RF | 3 | Colson Montgomery, 3B |
| Willson Contreras, 1B | 4 | Chase Meidroth, 2B |
| Masataka Yoshida, DH | 5 | Sam Antonacci, LF |
| Caleb Durbin, 3B | 6 | Braden Montgomery, RF |
| Jarren Duran, LF | 7 | Junior Pérez, CF |
| Carlos Narváez, C | 8 | Kyle Teel, C |
| Tsung-Che Cheng, SS | 9 | Luisangel Acuña, SS |
| Jake Bennett | SP | Davis Martin |
