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After losing in Wednesday’s game to the now 36-62 Royals (we got swept in the four-game series), Jose Abreu said the following:

https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1151963053535191050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1151963053535191050&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fontapsportsnet.com%2F2019%2F07%2F19%2Fabreu-gettin-spicy%2F

Woof! When the face of your franchise calls out the front office for inactivity and service time manipulation, you have a problem on your hands. He’s also a free agent at the end of this year, so if you want contract discussions to go well, you want him happy. This quote is obviously in reference to Luis Robert, who murders baseballs, but this can also extend to Danny Mendick or Zack Collins actually playing if you’re going to bring him up. Hell, we all know this frustration stems from not signing any premier pitching or talent in the offseason *cough* Manny Machado *cough*. The front office promised us. I can only imagine how players who work really hard to put on a winning performance feel.

Frustration is apparent. When the players are upset it makes for an unhappy clubhouse, hence the seven-game losing streak to start the second half. I know we’re missing Eloy and Tim, but there’s a shortage of depth. You need to get the best players out there. If you actually believe Robert is going to develop more with a juiced ball in a hitter’s ballpark in AAA Charlotte, get over yourself.

The Sox are looking like sellers. Maybe the .319 BABIP (“batting average on balls in play,” good for second in the majors), as a whole, and the run differential of now -104 have been telling us something all along. This team is not good. We expected something different last November. Be better, White Sox!

This team is now looking like sellers.

Featured Photo: USA Today

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There have been a few indications that IF the White Sox were to buy before this season’s deadline, they will not be going all out for the big names like Bumgarner, Greinke, or Stroman. With that said, here is a list of three players the Sox might have a shot at acquiring at a low cost.

Aaron Sanchez

Sanchez hasn’t had the best season (5.53 FIP, 0.2 fWAR). However, he does have a shot at improving. He has bounced back and forth between the minors, Injured List and MLB over the last couple seasons and only has one Arbitration season on his contract for 2020, which I do not see much of an increasing salary (currently $3.9 million), if he doesn’t turn things around. It depends what you need to give up to acquire him, but he’s a guy to keep in mind. He’s only 27, so he could be worth it.

Daniel Norris

Norris is having a decent season (4.62 FIP, 1.1 fWAR), and he’s only 26. The Tigers are bad. That rotation is young, but if they don’t plan on competing for a couple years, Norris could be on the way out. It’s worth the inquiry if the Tigers are willing to part with him.

Mike Leake

Leake is the most expensive option. He’s making $16 million this year, $15 million in 2020, and $18 million in 2021. It obviously depends on how much money the Mariners are willing to eat in a hypothetical trade, but he owns a 4.89 FIP and is currently worth 0.9 fWAR. The savvy veteran is worth a look.

Regardless of who the White Sox look to acquire, they need to act. This starting rotation is teetering. Reynaldo got shelled again yesterday. Detwiler has been OK through two starts. Gio has been fantastic. Cease could be a solid starter for the rest of this season, but he’s only one start in and showed a lack of control with his fastball. Bañuelos is eh. Covey wasn’t that great before but figures to return. Good teams need pitching depth. The above three acquisitions would improve the team. It’s worth the venture. Let’s beat those Cubbies, get to .500 before the break, get Anderson back and make the rest of the season even more exciting!

AARON SANCHEZ (AP Photo / Ben Margot)

DANIEL NORRIS (AP Photo / Ron Schwane)

MIKE LEAKE (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1144309727268081665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1144309727268081665&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fontapsportsnet.com%2F2019%2F06%2F27%2Fyonder-alonso-designated-for-assignment%2F

It looks like the White Sox pursuit of Manny Machado may be over. His brother-in-law, Yonder Alonso, was designated for assignment this afternoon just hours after his charity event was announced. Woof. The Sox usually keep things in-house, but I guess this leaked. On the other hand, FINALLY, WE SEE SOME JUSTICE!

With Yonder’s spot cleared, after he was slashing a measly .178/.275/.301 and posting a -1.1 fWAR, who will be promoted? I have two words for you (most names are two words, shockingly): DYLAN CEASE. Come on. This team is currently carrying five guys who can play the outfield. Promote Cease. Promote the recently acquired Hector Santiago, and slightly bolster your paltry rotation. This will make for an interesting situation as to when Cease makes his debut. I will be in attendance tomorrow and Saturday, although the weekend rotation has been announced, so selfishly I want him to start against the offensive juggernaut, Minnesota Twins. He’s going to have to face a good offense at one point. Don’t baby the guy. Let’s see what he can do.

Anyways, I don’t see the Sox adjusting the rotation, but with Anderson sidelined for a few weeks with thankfully only an ankle sprain and Moncada day-to-day, put a little excitement into the fanbase and promote some starting pitching. Lord knows we need all the help we can get. Go Sox!

Featured Photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

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Alright, I’ve been advocating for Zack Collins to be traded if he wouldn’t catch. Today, he gets his first start at DH… really? Are you extending Abreu? Is he not in your plans for the future? Yonder Alonso is bad, so he obviously cannot be in the plans. What’s the deal with Collins? He has a great OBP. That’s never been an issue. He can get on base, but will he struggle with adjusting to MLB pitching and have a 40%+ strikeout rate? He could. Unless he comes on the scene like a Gary Sanchez and absolutely mashes MLB pitching (which would be dope), then he can be a plus behind the dish, even with a poor glove or framing metrics. However, if you plan on DHing him and putting him in as a backup first baseman, the value greatly diminishes.

This has been the issue with the Sox for a little while. They take the safe route… a lot. If Collins is a DH or first baseman and the White Sox are signing Abreu for a few more years, Collins likely doesn’t have a spot on a future Sox roster. Right now, you have ONE competent starting pitcher. I know we had injuries to Michael Kopech, Carlos Rodon, and Dane Dunning. You knew two of these early on, and the other has had the propensity to get injured often, unfortunately. You created a team with no depth in the rotation, and Kopech and Dunning aren’t already Cy Young winners. If you’re not signing MLB talent in the likes of Gio Gonzalez for close to league minimum, then what’s really in the cards? How do you shore up the rotation to have potentially 5-7 starters on your team? This is what playoff teams do. People get injured. Trade a couple prospects, not all, for starting pitching. Stroman is still being shopped, as are other starters. Zig while other teams zag. Do the right thing if your prospects may not be in your future plans as originally projected.

Featured Photo: MLBlogs.com

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Alright, so we have Odrisamer Despaigne on the bump tonight. Who is he? Well, he’s basically a journeyman who has now been on five teams since 2014. Of course, he’s throwing for the Sox tonight because we can’t call up Dylan Cease until he works on his defense. Or wait…that was Eloy Jimenez. Outside of Cease’s poor performance yesterday (0.2 innings, 4 ER), he has looked pretty dang serviceable at a major league level. What’s the hold up now? For one, the Sox can now use yesterday’s performance as an excuse to not call him up for a week or so. How long can kicking the can down the road actually last? Dylan Covey is a distant second-best starter on the MLB team. Then you have Ivan Nova, Manny Banuelos, Fred Astaire, etc. I mean really, Cease seems to be the only viable option at this point. After yesterday, his ERA blossomed to 4.10, but it was around 3.44 before the game. I totally understand letting players develop, but eventually, AAA batters aren’t enough anymore. This looks to me like service time manipulation, through and through. Every time you check the White Sox roster moves, someone else is called up. Eventually, you run out of guys from the *Reliever Recycling Program™. Cease will be your only option.

This team isn’t the 2016-2018 White Sox. If you knock them down a few games, they’ll come battling back to one game under .500 every time. The days of top-eight picks in the draft are over. You’re not getting another Andrew Vaughn next year, so let your top prospects develop against major league pitching or hitting, especially when you’re at least somewhat competitive. I would wager that Dylan Cease, at his worst, is still probably better than everyone but Lucas Giolito in the starting rotation. Next, I’ll be vying for Luis Robert to come right to the MLB from AA Birmingham in a blog post (I already am on Twitter). I’ll take this one step at a time. Stop playing games, and bring up your best pitching prospect. If Despaigne struggles in tonight’s start, the wheels may already be in motion.

Featured Photo: NBCSports.com

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https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1136030745854652416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1136030745854652416&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fontapsportsnet.com%2F2019%2F06%2F04%2Fnicky-delmonico-done-for-season%2F

It looks like Delmonico’s season has come to an end, as he has just had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. We’ll always have that awesome walk-off against the Red Sox, but let’s hope Delmonico can recover from a very tough surgery to overcome.

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1124159687270834178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1124159687270834178&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fontapsportsnet.com%2F2019%2F06%2F04%2Fnicky-delmonico-done-for-season%2F

For him, this hurts his shot of possibly breaking his way back into the 25-man roster. Regardless, it would have probably been pretty tough to make it back.

Featured Photo: AP

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Now, I might say that this is very NBA Twitter of the former Cy Young-winner to retweet a tweet from Frank Kaminsky saying that Keuchel should sign with the White Sox. Maybe I am jumping the gun here, as are the rest of my fellow bloggers at OnTapSports, but this might mean something. The Sox are only one game under .500. Dallas Keuchel only costs money now that the draft has started. They are only two games out of the Wild Card race as well.

I’m not one to get my hopes up because the Machado news broke my heart, but Keuchel fits a need in a VERY shaky rotation. Outside of Lucas Giolito (player of the month Lucas Giolito btw), the Sox haven’t seen consistent starting pitching from anyone. Keuchel can help, especially if a deal is more than a year. Hell, I know the Braves and Yankees are front-runners, but maybe the White Sox can fly under the radar, like the Padres did with Machado and snag Keuchel. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Featured Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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The MLB draft is quickly approaching. The White Sox have their prized third overall pick due to their 2018 finish. I’ve heard rumblings that the Sox front office and scouting department may deviate from their past plan of specifically drafting college players to shore up the depth in the farm system and have closer-to MLB ready talent. However, this year, they could draft a high schooler. Here is how most, if not all, mock draft projections have gone.

Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon St. – Orioles

Bobby Witt, Jr., SS, Colleyville High School (Texas) – Royals

Either C.J. Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity High School (Georgia) or Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Cal – White Sox

There are some stragglers that could sneak into the top 3-4, but most mock drafts have the aforementioned list. Most have the Sox taking Abrams, who is more of a raw high schooler. This is a high risk, high reward-type draft pick. The reason is that Abrams is in high school. I know this is more of a Moneyball philosophy, but he hasn’t faced college pitching yet. Abrams is in the baseball hotbed of Texas, but he’s a five-tool player and very young.

Vaughn, on the other hand, is a junior in the Pac-12 slashing .402/.531/.819 with 23 HRs, 44 BBs, and 18 Ks. This is definitely the safer pick, as Vaughn could be MLB ready more quickly than Abrams, but you pretty much know what you’re getting in the high-power first baseman. If the Sox plan on keeping Collins and Abreu around, Vaughn is blocked for the foreseeable future, which might lead them to pick Abrams to have more talent up the middle. However, if they see Anderson and Madrigal in their future, that could block Abrams.

The follow-up to these two is J.J. Bleday, a Junior right fielder out of the baseball factory that is Vanderbilt. Bleday is slashing .357/.467/.752 with 26 HRs, 48 BBs, 48 Ks. The power is there, but I do not see the Sox adding to the already stacked outfield of young talent in their farm. It’s an option, but the Sox are taking Abrams or Vaughn unless someone completely changes their mind.

Frankly, I am on the side of drafting Vaughn. He’s already put together and you know what you’re getting. Abrams is a risk, and if Madrigal or Collins isn’t who we originally thought he was, taking a risk could hurt three straight drafts. Ideally, Rutschman falls due to his skills behind the dish, but a miracle will have to occur for this to happen. Having a top-three pick pretty much establishes who you are taking. In the second round, they will most likely go after a pitcher, so keep your eyes peeled! The White Sox will make a potentially franchise-altering pick on Monday. Get ready!

Featured Photo: Abrams – Perfect Game | Vaughn – Cal Athletics

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Remember when almost all White Sox fans were extremely frustrated with how the White Sox organization opted to keep Eloy Jimenez in AAA for an extra year of arbitration control? Well, Carter Stewart (Atlanta Braves’ 2018 first round pick) may have changed baseball as we know it. This story isn’t gaining enough prowess as it should, given how the current Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLB Player’s Union expires in 2021. The issue of service time manipulation, minor league salaries, and the MLB Draft could be driving issues of a strike if the union and the MLB cannot settle on a new CBA.

What exactly happened here? The Atlanta Braves drafted Carter Stewart with the 8th overall pick in 2018. Instead of offering closer to the $4.98 million of slot money they had, as a bonus for that pick, the Braves elected to lowball Stewart and give him $2 million. Having the league’s most well-known agent in his corner (Scott Boras), Stewart did not sign with the Braves. Everyone assumed he would just get selected in this year’s draft out of junior college. Instead, this week he signed a deal with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan’s Pacific League for six years and over $7 million. Why is this a big issue? Stewart will be an international free agent at the age of 25, instead of having to be under a team’s control with the league minimum salary. He found a loophole that could force the end of a draft, and if not that, added slot money for draft picks. I can understand this, as the MLB has lobbyists in Washington D.C., specifically to ensure that minor league ballplayers do not qualify for minimum wage. If anything, Stewart’s move to the Japan League will cause a domino effect in other highly-touted draft picks. If they can make more money elsewhere, instead of $15K per year in the minors, why wouldn’t they?

This will be interesting moving forward, especially with the MLB’s recent free agent freeze and how minor league salaries are gaining more and more press each season. If anything, this gives the Player’s Union more leverage in the CBA negotiations, which could honestly make the MLB settle on a more lenient CBA in 2021. Regardless, I think Stewart’s move will change the current format of the MLB draft, CBA, minor league system, and player control rules in general.

Featured Photo courtesy of AJC.com

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Remember when Ricky said he’d rather pull a pitcher sooner than later? Well, I’ve now attended three White Sox games this season where the game got out of hand because Ricky didn’t enact his own original philosophy. When they played the Red Sox and Ricky left Manny Banuelos to get tagged for a thousand runs a couple weeks ago, Ricky basically told fans and the team that the game was over in the 3rd inning. Tonight was the same story. Ivan Nova let up multiple hard hit balls in the first inning, including a home run. You knew the second time through the order would be a rough ride. That was the case. Instead of giving up 5-6 runs, Ricky let Nova give up 9. Then he made the pitching change while the game was already over. What does that tell fans and the players? You don’t care. Will that extra three outs really be that strenuous for the bullpen? Give me a break.

Alright, that’s enough complaining. How do we fix this? The White Sox should start using openers, at least for the period while we don’t have a full rotation. Hell, the rotation is weak even at “full strength.” At least the bullpen is slightly better. Throw the bullpen every fifth day with four to five pitchers. It will be more successful. Bullpen games work for teams with weak rotations (i.e. the Chicago White Sox). Just do something smart for once and try this out. It cannot be worse than getting trashed every fourth game because your pitchers aren’t good and Ricky forgets to pull them.

Featured Photo: USA Today

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Micker Adolfo, one of the White Sox top outfield prospects, has been sidelined but was supposed to come back to the field within a month or so. Today’s developments blindsided most of White Sox faithful with news that he’d miss the remainder of 2019 after arthroscopic surgery.

https://twitter.com/JRFegan/status/1128043142517800960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1128043142517800960&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fontapsportsnet.com%2F2019%2F05%2F13%2Frodon-jones-adolfo-done-for-2019%2F

On May 1st, Carlos Rodón exited the game after 3 2/3 innings. He didn’t look too sharp that day, but everyone worried when he was pulled so quickly and kept glancing at his forearm. Fast forward a week, and Rodón is getting a second opinion on Tommy John Surgery. Although this stings because Rodón is a free agent after the 2020 season, the team hopes he can return for the second half of 2020. This was also expected after the recent news about him.

Unfortunately, it seems as if Nate Jones can’t catch a break either. He has been injured in what seems like every White Sox season in recent memory. He’s a strong reliever, but his health is a problem. The White Sox heavy reliance on his health has also been a problem. Knowing this was an issue coming into the prior few seasons, maybe that extension wasn’t the best option. He is also set to miss the remainder of 2019 after flexor mass surgery.

Luckily, Seby Zavala, Zack Collins, and Eloy Jiménez are returning to action shortly, but it seems that the above pessimistic news dump will overshadow this. Again, it’s another rough day for the rebuild.

Featured Photo: Chris Robertson/MiLB.com

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The Sox added the pitching depth they so sorely need. You remember last week when Carlos Rodón went on the IL and doctors recommended Tommy John Surgery? Yaaaa, Rick Hahn said they’d have to “look outside the organization for depth.” It looks like this could be it. Ross Detwiler has a 4.36 career FIP while posting a 1.4 bWAR. That isn’t very good. If this was 2010, oh baby, would people be writing about it! It’s not. Cleveland lit up Manny Banuelos today, as did the Red Sox on Saturday. It might be the end of his time in the rotation. Right now, it just seems like the Sox have a revolving door of desperately cheap starting pitchers. If you want to know how to solve this, check out my Wheeling and Dealing blog from last week.

In addition to that, the Sox can still sign Dallas Keuchel. This would forfeit a second round pick, but to be honest, second round picks as of late haven’t turned out to be as valuable as the White Sox front office thinks. I can bet you a thousand Dunkin’ Donits (see below) that Keuchel is better than whoever the White Sox will draft in the second round this season.

Featured Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

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Since the beginning of the season, I noticed a trend of poor base-running between second and home. I narrow-mindedly looked at this as just having enough bad base-runners on the team originally, but that’s too simple of a scapegoat. I’ve since realized the problem, in a glaring way, no doubt. It’s Nick Capra, the White Sox third base coach. Last Thursday, the White Sox were losing 3-2 to the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox. David Price was pitching. The White Sox had finally gotten to him. Abreu walked. James McCann doubled to the gap, and Capra idiotically sent Abreu home, where he was out by a good 9 feet. Why would he do that? There was one out when this happened. Luckily, the Sox scored another run in the inning to tie it, but for a moment, this looked to be the difference in the ballgame.

Today, the White Sox were up 4-0 when on a Yoan Moncada double, Nick Capra sent Leury Garcia home. Again, Garcia was out by a mile. Now, you see the trend. It’s only May. Capra could have many more of these by the end of the season, but this team isn’t very good. Given the weaknesses throughout the pitching staff, the White Sox cannot afford to give free outs to other teams. Sabermetrics is a broad topic, but the emphasis is pretty simple: DON’T GIVE UP OUTS. It could be the influence of Ricky Renteria rejecting common sense and giving up outs by sacrifice bunting. Your team only has 27 of them per game. Don’t give up 3.7% of your chances because of stupidity. Choose someone else on the coaching staff to coach third base. It’s an easy fix.

The picture above shows a small run expectancy chart from Tantotiger. This is from 2010-2015, but the point is you should not give up outs, unless you’re only playing for one run late in games.

Photo courtesy of Tantotiger.net

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Featured Photo: Stroman – CBSSports | Greinke – USA Today 

D.J.’s got some roster arrangements. Since Mr. Wiffleball Swing (Khris Davis) received an extension from the OAKLAND ATHLETICS OF ALL TEAMS, I’ve needed to think of my mental contingency plan because I have a strong influence on the front office, obviously. I have you covered!

Now, Beefloaf of the 108 has already mentioned this, but I’ve been on board since last offseason. The White Sox need to trade for Zack Greinke. I’m not the only one on this hill. Nick Madrigal and Gavin Sheets would get the job done via trade. I know, Madrigal is the “prized prospect” no one wants to get rid of. You cannot just grant that the second baseman position to him yet. Yes, he’s a front-runner for it, and the team is selling him as potentially being on the White Sox roster by the end of the season. I would be shocked if that happens. He’s in Advanced-A ball! Think about it. He’s fast, but he cannot steal bases. He has good on base numbers, but he cannot hit for power. He doesn’t make errors, but how good is his range, really? You need to ask these questions. I don’t mean to be critical of a guy who is slightly shorter than me (I am not even tall), but these contributions matter. I think he projects to be an infield Jon Jay. I hope I’m wrong, but this could happen. The reason I would trade Sheets is that we have Abreu. We have Collins. Eloy will probably eventually move to 1B or DH after what we all thought was a season-ending injury last Friday night.

Next up, trade Steele Walker, Jameson Fisher, and Laz Rivera for Marcus Stroman. I know, a lot of White Sox fans did not like Stroman after his beef with Tim Anderson. Apparently, they settled that via Twitter,

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so why not trade for and extend a 27-year-old pitcher? Stroman is still relatively young. The White Sox do not have much starting pitching depth past AAA. Kopech and Dunning both just had Tommy John surgery in the past year. Stroman is a perfect fit. He has that fire on the hill. He’s a perfect for the South Side. He has one arbitration year left on his contract next season. Jump the gun, and you won’t have to give up as much for him.

Finally, (this is only if Marcell Ozuna, Yasiel Puig, and Nick Castellanos are not available via free agency next season, given how extensions have gone), trade Zack Collins +++ for Mitch Haniger. I’m not going to string together four different prospects to haul in Mitch Haniger from the Mariners (see what I did there), but let’s just say the Mariners have a weaker farm than the White Sox. They are going to be sellers at the break, so why not at least inquire about the power-hitting outfielder? Haniger is a free agent after 2022. Therefore, he has a few years left of team control and will require a pretty penny to be traded. Collins is blocked, especially if the Sox extend Abreu and Eloy moves to DH. I think he swings a great bat, but if his glove isn’t there catching-wise, he’s much more expendable.

Obviously, these won’t all happen, but the best way for the White Sox to get MLB stars on their teams is via trade because of their colossal 2019 free agency failure. I understand waiting until the prospects develop, but if you are banking on Abreu and Rodón (who is a free agent after 2021) to contribute to contending teams, the window starts to open earlier. Let me be clear: this is not just a series of 2019 moves. These are moves to improve the team for 2020 and beyond, even though Corey Kluber broke his arm yesterday. You have prospects you can trade without drastically impairing your farm system. If this improves your team, you do it.

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Extensions Galore Plus a Little More

If the Chicago White Sox are serious about contending they need to do the following things: extend Yoan Moncada before he goes to arbitration in 2021, extend José Abreu before the end of the 2019 season, and finally, sign Khris Davis next offseason.

Look, we know the White Sox let us all down by not signing a marquee, young free agent because of financial restrictions set by their owner, although they may not necessarily admit it. The Sox sound like they are definitely banking on their talent internally to fill the rotation and the back end of the bullpen. This is a gamble because we would need Rodon to pitch well (should possibly be extended if he’s healthy this season), Lopez to improve from last season, and Giolito to become who everyone thought he was when he was drafted. On their own, these seem doable, but all of these occurring in unison is where the White Sox my see a pothole in their road to success. They need to determine what their course of action would be to improving their already somewhat top-heavy lineup. The above helps solve that issue.

Through the first week of 2019 regular season action, Yoan Moncada is doing everything we expected of the guy we traded Chris Sale for. Yes, it’s early, but he has a totally different approach. We always knew he had a good eye, but he struck out a lot more last year (217 K's to be exact) due to being a little overly patient and not getting the benefit of the doubt from the umpires. This is baseball. If you’re not Joey Votto or Frank Thomas, you should swing on borderline pitches when you’re not an established “walker.” You can see that by the numbers: 23 plate appearances, three walks, three strikeouts, and a .522 OBP. His selective patience is paying off. For example, the dude hit a ball 439 feet on a borderline pitch at the letters on an 0-2 count yesterday. 2018 Moncada lets that pitch go by and possibly strikes out. He’s a different player. After the Sox set the precedent by locking up their young stud, Eloy Jiménez, and the Braves extended Ronald Acuña, more young prospects will be extended. Not to mention, a multitude of established, would-be free agents have already extended with their respective teams: Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts, Justin Verlander, Nolan Arenado, etc. Lock up Moncada if you plan on having him around for the next several years.

The White Sox need to also extend José Abreu. The current crop of American League infielders is subpar, to put it lightly. There’s a reason Abreu made the All-Star team last year as a starter in his worst statistical season. That said, even outside the A.L., strong hitting first basemen are hard to come by, which is unusual given how many guys are hitting home runs. Not counting an injury-driven 2018 campaign, Abreu is a 3.7 bWAR player on average throughout his career. That is good. He has been the best player on the team the last few years, and he wants to be on the White Sox for the rest of his career. More than likely, he will probably be a $22-25 million/year player to meet in the middle with the team for an extension. My take is that the White Sox aren’t giving him what he desires, and he and his agent value his production at a much higher level than the team does. Pay the man. You won’t be getting a better first baseman through free agency. You already have one in house.

The Sox need to sign Khris Davis. This is one of the only 2019-2020 free agents I can see not extending with his current team: the Oakland A’s. We know the A’s. They have much less money to work with than the White Sox. The Sox can play him in the outfield and at DH, rotating with Abreu (once they extend him). Davis will undoubtedly produce much more offensively than defensively, but the value he would bring from an outfield position would outweigh his lack of defense. Frankly, the White Sox don’t seem to care about defense anyways when they start Eloy and Palka in the outfield at the same time. My opinion has always been: get the best players you can and figure out what the hell to do with them position-wise later. The Brewers swapped two subpar fielders between 2B and 3B the last two seasons: Mike Moustakas and Travis Shaw. It won’t matter. That team could likely win the NL Central again.

Let’s look at stats. Davis has a career 122 DRC+. If you’re wondering what that means, see the following web page: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/drc-deserved-runs-created/. Per Baseball Prospectus, this is an advanced hitting metric called Deserved Runs Created +. It tells you how much better than average the hitter is. 100 is average. Davis is 22% better than average. This is essentially a revised version of Weighted Runs Created + because it is more descriptive and properly shows how effective a hitter is, given his production. If you want to keep it simple, Davis hit 42 homers in 2016, 43 in 2017, and 48 in 2018. Imagine those numbers in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. Regardless of his age, I think this is the appropriate move for the White Sox if they are not willing to give someone $300 million over ten years.

Obviously, the Sox have to improve on multiple aspects of the game, but this is a start to improving their roster for the long run and showing allegiance to what should be the “building blocks” of the rebuild. Moncada, Abreu, and Davis at leadoff, #2 hitter, and #4 hitter is a daunting task for an opposing pitcher. Get it done, White Sox. We need this!

*Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report

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2019 MLB Predictions

AL East

Boston Red Sox – (all in a Boston accent) Man do I hate them moah than those gold-chain and backwahds fitted hat wearin’ Yanks. The team just won the World Sehries in pretty easy fashion. How can I bet against ‘em? They have the same loyneup. Heck, if they strengthen theahr second base and catcha positions, there will be no stawpin’ ‘em.

New York Yankees – They added Adam Ottavino and Troy Tulowitzki. Their bullpen is filthy. They have enough home run hitters to knock it over that 200-foot right field wall. This team is poised to win 100 games. I dread watching a bunch of gold chains and bare-chested Yankee fans banging the padded outfield walls during the playoffs, but it’s going to happen, so I’ve just accepted it.

Tampa Bay Rays – This team was sneaky good last year. 90 wins and no one talked about them. Their analytics department is one of the best in baseball. They added Mike Zunino. They have an all-around solid team. They might be able to land that second wild card.

Toronto Blue Jays – They’ll hold Vlad Guerrero down until he works on his defense or loses weight until he magically figures it all out around a Super Two cutoff date. They are obviously rebuilding because they can’t compete with the top three teams above them.

Baltimore Orioles – This team is brutal. Unless Trey Mancini, Chris Davis, and Mark Trumbo find strokes again, they may lose 120 games.

AL Central

Cleveland Indians – They were rumored to be in talks with teams about trading Kluber or Bauer. They didn’t. Their lineup is still solid and they don’t have much competition in the Central.

Minnesota Twins – The Twins might be sneaky this season, unfortunately. Nelson Cruz at the DH helps. Berrios is a future Cy Young winner. They have talent.

Chicago White Sox – They didn’t land any marquee free agents. We know why. Moncada and Anderson will take steps forward. We can maybe even see the same from López and Rodón. Eloy will be up right around April 15 for some reason, and Abreu can stay healthy. They’re poised to win about 73 games…MAX.

Kansas City Royals – They’re somehow going to be worse than the Sox. They have some fast guys…I guess.

Detroit Tigers – They may trade Castellanos and Josh Harrison by the end of the season. Look for them to round off an VERY weak AL Central in 2019.

AL West

Houston Astros – Come on. It’s the Astros. My guy Alex Bregman will be in the MVP race and finish second to Michael Trout. Altuve, Correa, Cole, Verlander, Springer, etc. It’s still a loaded team.

Oakland A’s – I doubt they live up to what they did last year. They were a sneaky good team, but they also had Trevor Cahill and Edwin Jackson put together their best seasons. Not to mention, their closer was Blake Treinen. Treinen is back, but I don’t see this team being better than 2018. Maybe they’ll surprise me.

Los Angeles Angels – They got Trout. They got Ohtani. They’ll get 82 wins or something.

Seattle Mariners – They’re rebuilding. Kikuchi hides the ball better than a magician with a card up his sleeve. They have some youthful talent, but again that’s about it this season.

Texas Rangers – This is just not a very good team. That rotation is absolutely atrocious.

NL East

Washington Nationals – Eaton could be at full health. Maybe Drake LaRoche will lead them to a World Series. I don’t know. Losing Harper didn’t necessarily kill this team. They added Yan Gomes, as well.

Philadelphia Phillies – Harper joins them, and so does Cutch. This team is good now. The rotation needs some work, but the lineup can do the heavy lifting.

Atlanta Braves – They added Donaldson, but compared to the rest of the division, they didn’t improve as much over the offseason.

New York Mets – The rotation is always good, and everyone gets hurt by week 3 because their training staff is worse than coffee breath. Cano can always hit. Lowrie was a nice addition. The same goes for Wilson Ramos and Edwin Diaz. If the staff is healthy, this team is solid.

Miami Marlins – That sounds about right.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers – They added Grandal to catch. The rest of the team is the same. This is an easy pick.

Chicago Cubs – Watch them win the World Series because I put them here. If they don’t have injuries, this team can win the division.

St. Louis Cardinals – Goldschmidt was a heckuva addition. Maybe Fowler can stay healthy. This bullpen is still shaky, though.

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds added Kemp and Puig. They also added Sonny Gray. This team could surprise some people. That lineup is sneaky stacked.

Pittsburgh Pirates – This team is so-so. Unfortunately, they’re playing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers – They’re still good. Kershaw is experiencing injury issues again, sadly. The rest of the team is good. They added Pollock. Catcher could be shaky, but this is still a good ball club.

Colorado Rockies – They extended Arenado and Blackmon. This is a morale boost. They’re still good.

San Diego Padres – They added the prized possession, Manny Machado. Watch out for Franmil Reyes. They dude hits for power. Tatis, Jr. will be up around the same time as Eloy and Vlad. This team is the ultimate kick to the stomach for White Sox fans. Thank GOD, they play on the west coast.

San Francisco Giants – This team is not very strong. Their best players are older than Cub fans claiming no one goes to Sox games.

Arizona Diamondbacks – They’re as weak as George Costanza without his glasses.

AL Playoffs: Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Yankees (WC), Rays (WC) NL Playoffs: Dodgers, Nationals, Brewers, Cubs (WC), Phillies (WC) World Series: Yankees vs. Nationals, Yankees = Champions

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Modernizing Baseball

Yesterday, Jeff Passan of ESPN posted MLB rule change proposals that the league and player’s union are discussing. They are as follows:

· A three-batter minimum for pitchers

· A universal designated hitter

· A single trade deadline before the All-Star break

· A 20-second pitch clock

· The expansion of rosters to 26 men with a 12-pitcher maximum

· Draft advantages for winning teams and penalties for losing teams

· A study to lower the mound and rule that would allow two-sport amateurs to sign major league contracts.

Look, rule changes are always hard to digest, especially for us diehard baseball fans. I actually like a few of these, but I am going to harp on one of them. Baseball fans and the league have been talking about this since they instituted the rule in the 1973 season. I’m talkin’ ‘bout the designated hitter rule, people. Obviously, being a fan of an American League team, I have grown accustomed to watching a designated hitter. Maybe I was spoiled growing up with one of the all-time greats in Frank Thomas on my favorite team. Maybe that skewed my brain into thinking more hits are better for baseball.

I got an idea. Let me shoot down some common fallacies that advocates of pitchers hitting have been spewing since this rule came into effect.

· The National League is more fun because strategy is involved:

You mean to tell me you would rather watch your obese 65-year-old manager waddle to the mound, like Homer Simpson did when he intentionally gained enough weight to be over 300 pounds and qualify for a disability? Get out of here. Seriously, managers overuse “strategy”, and people buy into it. I am one of those guys who thinks managers are more a detriment to the game than they are a positive. Just because Joe Maddon brings the 7th lefty out of the bullpen and double switches 14 times per game for the Cubs doesn’t constitute being a genius baseball mind. It shows the manager knows how to use a pen and a lineup card. I had to get my Cubs dig in. Seriously, most managers still think bunting is a good idea, so let’s stop with this.

· Designated hitters are bad because a couple pitchers can hit:

This isn’t even true. No pitchers can hit. Out of every pitcher that had more than 40 at bats last season (not counting Ohtani), one had an OBP of .300 or higher: German Marquez. That’s right, and his OBP was .300 on the nose with 0 walks. That’s…not good. But what about the pitchers who rake, D.J.? Oh, you mean Jake Arrieta? He slashed a whooping .133/.188/.200 with 1 HR in 45 at bats. Alright, well what about Madison Bumgarner, who was injured in 2018? Alright, let’s look at his stats from 2016, when he led the National League in at bats by pitchers. The dude hit 3 homers in 86 at bats. Not bad…for a pitcher. Let’s say he had a full season of hitting. This would equate to about 17-18 homers. He still slashed .186/.268/.360. RELAX! So, no, the “pitchers who rake” is a total farce.

· Not that many teams would benefit from this rule change:

False. Let’s use the NL Central just to keep it simple with their current roster using 2018 stats. For example, the DH for the Pirates would probably be Corey Dickerson, who slashed .300/.330/.474. The best Pirates starter slashed .161/161/.194. The DH for the Reds would probably be Matt Kemp, who slashed .290/.338/.481. The best slash line by a starter for the Reds was .290/.333/.710. This is what we call a small sample size and an outlier in statistics. The DH for the Cubs would be Kyle Schwarber, who slashed .238/.356/.467. The best slash line for any Cubs starting pitcher was .160/.192/.160. The DH for the Cardinals would be Jose Martinez. The best starter for the Cardinals slashed .242/.235/.394. The DH for the Brewers would be Eric Thames, who slashed .219/.306/.478. The best slash line for a Brewers starter was .192/.323/.346. With this example, one starting pitcher slashed better than that prospective DH with a smaller sample size of at bats. I’d bet my 401k that in the same amount of at bats, Kemp would have hit better than that starting pitcher. In the words of the great “Hawk” Harrelson, “That’s enough of that B.S.” All of these NL Central teams would benefit from a DH.

So, yes, the MLB should adopt the DH for the National League. You want to get more fans in the seats? Add about 30 homers to each season. That will do more than any of the proposed rule changes already listed above. Seriously, the casual baseball fan is interested in the fireworks. The self-proclaimed baseball expert over the age of 50 who wants to keep pitchers batting in the NL and still thinks bunting is a good strategy will learn to adapt. Any person with common sense will notice this rule change is a good idea once it eventually happens. Let’s modernize baseball!