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The White Sox Are Going To Be Bad…And That Is Perfect

By
Emmet McClain
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The “All In” days are over on the South Side. With a Chris Sale trade here and an Adam Eaton trade there, the Chicago White Sox have announced to the baseball world that they have seen the light and winning now has to wait. Rick Hahn doesn’t appear to be done unloading either, as Todd Frazier and Jose Quintana continue to pop up on the Hot Stove. That being said, it’s no secret that they are going to be horrible next season. And by horrible, I mean like, really really horrible.

Struggles Ahead

With a starting rotation consisting of Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields and Derek Holland, it sure seems destined to give up dingers for days. Jose Quintana, if they choose to hold on to him, along with an improving Carlos Rodon would give them a solid 1-2, but leaves a lot left to be desired. You have a rather raw Omar Navarez currently listed as the starting catcher, and we will have another full season of Avasail Garcia in right field.  I throw up in my mouth just thinking about it; however, there is light at the end of the tunnel, White Sox fans.

While they are going to be a very bad team in 2017, they will still be fun to watch.

Image result for white sox gif

For every player on the big league roster that makes you shudder with disgust, there is one waiting behind the scenes that will make your hair stand on end.

New Faces Will Appear

Yoan Moncada will make his Sox debut no later than the end of May. Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez will eventually make their way into the rotation. We will get to watch Tim Anderson take the next step in his first full season at the team’s future at shortstop. So, while there’s going to be plenty of bad, but I think White Sox fans can finally appreciate the direction the team chose to take. It was long overdue for a change to the franchise and although it sucks seeing Chris Sale in a red pair of socks, the club’s arrow is pointing up.

With a horrible record, comes a top draft pick, and boy are the White Sox going to have a high draft pick. With a possible top five pick in their future, and a draft in which nearly everyone will most likely be begging their respective team to draft the young phenom Seth Beer out of Clemson, they are not in a terrible situation. If you have not had the pleasure of watching this kid’s highlight reel, stop, watch and admire.

In what should have been his senior year of high school (he graduated a semester early and enrolled in Clemson last January), he set a school record in walks per at-bat (3.27), slugged .700 and hit for a .369 average. He did all this as a 6’2″, 195-pound freshman. This “kid” is an absolute tank and is projected as a right fielder in the MLB.

“I tell people all the time that he’s the best freshman I’ve ever seen, ” said Clemson coach Monte Lee, in his first year as successor to ousted legend Jack Leggett. “It really is pretty incredible.”

If the White Sox can get their hands on this guy, watch out. Also, the marketing ads would basically write themselves.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Potentially the best part about the White Sox getting all of the veteran contracts off the books is the money they will have to spend in the loaded 2018 free agent class. With their future rotation right-handed-heavy, they could go out and sign a top left handed starter on the market. Those probable names? Clayton Kershaw, David Price and Dallas Keuchel. And yes, the White Sox will more than likely have that type of money to spend. On the flip side, if Chicago chooses to go offense, Manny Machado and Josh Donaldson would surely look nice covering the hot corner for the South Siders.

With their financial in order and a bankroll behind Hahn, the high-end draft pick they will eventually possess and the current and future stud prospects in the system, the White Sox are sure to be a force to be reckoned with 2-3 years from now. We will get a better idea of what they will look like by the time Spring Training rolls around and more trades have been completed, but for now fans need to trust the process. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is growing brighter every passing day.

White Sox Must Bring Back This Fan Favorite When They Are Ready to Compete

By
Emmet McClain
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By now, every Chicago White Sox fan (hopefully) knows that the franchise is in complete rebuild mode. Having witnessed the Cubs complete a successful rebuild in just over five years time, Rick Hahn and Co. were given a shot of adrenaline and appear prepared to try and emulate their efforts by turning over their entire franchise, top to bottom.

With that being said, the White Sox currently still possess a few elite assets which could help net them a return big enough to see the club turn things around in just three years. When that time comes, fans probably would want to see the franchise hire a manager who can get through to the young players similar to how Joe Maddon connected with the youngsters on the Cubs.

This is not a jab at Rick Renteria, as we have yet to see him manage a game on the South Side. He could end up being a great manager, but it seems that he is nothing more than a bridge manager until the White Sox become relevant again. When that time comes, Chicago should definitely consider bringing back a man who was, and still is, loved by every White Sox fan.

His name?

A.J. Pierzynski.

Before anyone has any knee jerk reactions to this proposal, remember this is all hypothetical. A.J. has never managed an MLB game before. That much is known; however, who can forget listening to Hawk Harrelson gush about A.J. at every given opportunity. He, along with many of Pierzynski’s teammates, would constantly point out that A.J. is the smartest player in baseball and knew every rule in the game.

Drop third strike anyone?

When you think about it, A.J. as a future manager for the White Sox almost makes too much sense. He cares about winning, almost to a fault, has that South Side “swagger”, he will stick up for his players, and he is one of the smartest people in the game. Most importantly, he knows what it takes to win a World Series.

The former South Side backstop has made it perfectly clear, he wants to return to baseball as a manager. Having just completed his 19th season, on his seventh team, A.J. is a baseball lifer.

“Well, I mean, if somebody comes to you and says, ‘Do you want to be a big league manager?’ It’s kind of hard to say no to that, especially when you’ve played for a long time, and you want to give back, ” said the 39-year-old Pierzynski.

According to Terence Moore of MLB.com,  Pierzynski will lead one of baseball’s 30 teams someday, and that team will be the better for it. We’re talking about a former player who would manage like a bunch of other former players who were hired to handle a Major League roster despite no previous experience. This is quite common nowadays.

“Having played for a guy like Mike Matheny in St. Louis, he never managed before, and he does it the right way, ” Pierzynski said. “Brad Ausmus [of the Tigers], just playing against him and watching him, he does it the right way. Having played for Robin [Ventura of the White Sox], he’s in that same category, and they all join a bunch of guys who didn’t have a lot of experience and have been successful, and it’s encouraging to me that it can happen.”

Again, this is all speculation and hypothetical, but A.J. Pierzynski managing a new and improved White Sox team three years from now seems like the perfect fit. And Chicago would surely welcome him back with open arms.

Question Is, Would Kenny Williams Even Entertain It?

RUMOR: White Sox Asking Price For Closer David Robertson Revealed

By
Dan Fappiano
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One of the White Sox best remaining trade pieces is closer David Robertson. We all saw this offseason how coveted late inning pitching is with Mark Melancon, Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman all receiving contracts over $60 million.

Before free agency was the World Series. In the seven game set both Chapman and Andrew Miller proved just how important great relief pitching was. As team’s assemble their 2017 rosters, they’re likely looking at the Cubs and Indians for inspiration

Of course, not all teams could have a dominant closer. With Melancon, Chapman and Jansen off the boards, there isn’t much left in free agency. There’s Greg Holland, but he is coming off of an injury-riddled season. Teams may feel uncomfortable signing him to a high-dollar contract.

Which leads us to Robertson.

The White Sox closer has been in the MLB for the past nine years, playing for the Yankees before the White Sox. In Robertson’s 524 career games, he holds a 36-27 record with a 2.97 ERA and a 685/211 K/BB ratio. Robertson has 118 career saves with atleast 34 saves the past three seasons.

Beyond his performance on the mound, teams are interested in Robertson’s team-friendly contract. Robertson is making just $25 million over the next two years. Fairly cheap compared to what the big three received this offseason.

In acquiring Robertson, teams are getting one of the better closers in the MLB at a discounted rate. With relief pitching becoming so important in today’s MLB, any team with a need at the back end of their bullpen could be interested in Robertson.

The White Sox have more than enough reasons to trade him. The South Siders are going through a rebuild, meaning that talented closers are more of a luxury than a necessity. The team is better off moving Robertson for a high price rather than wasting his potential/contract on throw-away seasons. The White Sox also have reliever Zack Burdi waiting in the wings, who has the potential to be the team’s closer of the future.

It still seems likely that Robertson will be traded at some point. The only questions that remain are where, and for what?

The Washington Nationals are one team that has shown interest in the closer. As are the New York Mets and New York Yankees. Teams with known needs at closer such as the Rockies and Royals could perhaps show interest. Robertson’s market should be endless, it all comes down to who is willing to pay for his services.

While Robertson has been available, it has been unclear as to what his price would be. He is one of the better closers in the league, but would teams really trade their top prospects for him?

A new report attempts to shine some light on to how much Robertson may cost.

These Trends Explain Why The Chicago Bears Are So Awful Drafting QBs

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

It’s been a serious problem for decades. While other franchises have adapted to the reality of modern football, the Chicago Bears continue to lag behind. Why, oh why can’t this team successfully draft quarterbacks? It’s certainly not for lack of trying. Since the Super Bowl era began in 1966, the organization has selected 30 quarterbacks. Yet only one of them managed to make a single Pro Bowl.

This has forced them to live off the discarded remains of other teams or pay through the nose to get ones that are any good via trade. It hasn’t worked. Now the team is coming off its most abysmal season in years. A 3-13 debacle filled with rampant injuries and questions of whether this team will ever get the QB position right.

In order to answer that question, it’s important to understand where they’ve gone wrong. Plenty of mistakes have been made in the past, but there are two trends to their drafting that have stuck out the most. Suffice to say they clearly haven’t learned their lessons, and until they do good fortune isn’t likely to come.

CBS Sports Suggests White Sox Should Sign This Former All Star

By
Dan Fappiano
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Jul 30, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first basemen Brandon Moss (21) bats in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox are not going to compete in 2017. If the team holds on to Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu and David Robertson there’s a chance they can reach their 78-84 mark of last season.

However it seems incredibly unlikely that those four players end the season with the Sox. Chicago isn’t necessarily “tanking”, yet fans shouldn’t expect to see the White Sox in the playoffs in 2017.

While the team won’t be competitive, it doesn’t mean they won’t be active in free agency. The White Sox have already signed Derek Holland to a major league contract while signing Cody Asche, Geovany Soto and Everth Cabrera to minor league contracts.

The White Sox still need a field a team in 2017. Players like Asche and Soto fill holes left by prior trades. Roster Resource has both Asche and Soto as projected starters for the club.

Holland, on the other hand, represents a bounce-back type free agent. He has succeeded in the past, but has struggled due to injuries recently. If he can prove that he still has some gas left in the tank, not only will he be a worthwhile acquisition for the White Sox, but he could become a trade piece at the Trade Deadline.

The White Sox will more likely than not sign at least one more MLB free agent. Fan Rag Sports Jon Heyman reported earlier this offseason that the team was interested in a power bat.

Chicago should be targeting players who have succeeded in the past, and could be traded at the deadline. That way the White Sox could add more prospects towards their future playoff run. While the free agent will perform in 2017, the end goal is adding a talented prospect who could perform greater in the future.

Jimmy Butler’s Contract Is The Best Value In The NBA…For Now

By
Matt Peck
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bulls jimmy butler contract best value nba

Bulls guard and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade recently spoke about how he’ll make his decision this summer. He has a player option to opt out of his contract or stay in Chicago for the 2017-18 season. Based on Wade’s words, it sounds like he’s not interested in sticking around for a rebuild if Gar Forman and John Paxson decide to trade Jimmy Butler before the NBA’s deadline.

Cheap Labor

Speaking of contracts, the Bulls are currently stealing from their newly minted All Star starter. Compare Butler’s contract to his level of production and the new contracts that were signed when the salary cap jumped last summer. What you get is a picture of a man grossly underpaid. That’s something GarPax must weigh heavily in their decision when contemplating a trade to ship out Butler for a haul of picks and/or players. Will they be able to get equal value in return? Knowing that they have Butler under contract for $17.5 million next season and $18.6 million the following year makes it hard to see how they’d win any trade that involves him leaving. At 27, Jimmy is a superstar who’s just now hitting his prime years. And you’re paying him peanuts.

Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated agrees. He recently published a column highlighting the best 30 contracts (i.e. team-friendly contracts) in the NBA. Mahoney breaks the players down into subcategories based on their star status and type of contract. Under the category of “max deals”, guess which player Mahoney lists first?

Jimmy G. Buckets.

Mahoney’s take:

The 28th-highest-paid player in the NBA this season does everything. Solo shot creation? Check. Facilitating for others? Butler makes it look easy. Those defensive assignments most of the league’s load-bearing superstars pass off? Butler somehow finds the energy to handle them in between high-energy offensive possessions. Having that kind of two-way pillar is an incredible luxury for a franchise, particularly when he has another three years remaining under contract beyond this season at a rate hardly becoming of a superstar. Such is the nature of the league with a sharply rising cap. Any players locked in on long-term at just the right time will give their teams wiggle room to build around a foundational talent. Considering how much roster reshapsing Chicago still has ahead, that lasting benefit could make all the difference.

Mahoney is correct in all of this analysis. I especially like that he cites Butler’s defense as a big reason for his value. The Bulls’ franchise player is now arguably one of the top five two-way players in the game alongside Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Paul George. Some of the other superstar players in the league (Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Steph Curry) can make magic offensively but don’t do much on the defensive end. Jimmy’s talent on both ends is a big reason why his contract is so valuable. It’s also a big reason why GarPax should keep him in town.

There will come a day, though, when Jimmy’s services become much more expensive.

[USE ARROWS TO CONTINUE READING]

The Next Cubs Phenom Is Expected To Destroy MLB Pitching By 2019

By
Aldo Soto
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Although the Chicago Cubs no longer hold the title for the best farm system in MLB, the 2016 World Series champions still have some studs in the minors. Earlier this week Baseball Prospectus released its top-10 Cubs prospects rankings and the list is headlined by none other than Eloy Jimenez.

The power-hitting outfielder mashed the baseball with the South Bend Cubs in 2016. At 19-years-old, Jimenez had a slash line of .329/.369/.532, with 14 home runs in 112 games at the Low-A level. After the Cubs traded Gleyber Torres as part of a package to the New York Yankees for Aroldis Chapman in July 2016,  Jimenez shot up the system’s rankings to No. 1.

It was a bitter pill to swallow when the Cubs traded away Torres, but after winning a World Series title the organization is just fine holding on to Jimenez, who has reminded team officials of a young Kris Bryant.

This 19-Year-Old Prospect Reminds The Cubs Of Kris Bryant

So, how good is Jimenez expected to be? Here’s a quick breakdown from Baseball Prospectus’ Jeffrey Paternostro.

Jimenez progressed from a raw, toolsy, but exciting corner outfield prospect in April to one of the best offensive prospects in baseball by the end of the year. He has plus-plus raw power and enough barrel control to get almost all of it into games. There’s leverage and bat speed, and all those good scouty words, but cutting to the chase, we are talking a potential 30-home-run hitter, and even with the ball a bit more juiced—allegedly—that is no common feat. He’s no mere corner masher either—although there would be enough mashing for a corner—he’s an advanced hitter for a teenager, and his approach improved throughout the season against the more experienced arms of the Midwest League.

Jimenez does have his limitations, mainly his average at best projection as a corner outfielder. That being said, expectations are high for the Dominican, who is viewed as a future All-Star. He’s still young, only reaching Low-A in 2016, but so far the Cubs have shown that their highly-touted prospects pan out more often than not since 2011.

Cubs fans should be ready to see what Jimenez can do in the Major League level by 2019.

Here’s the rest of the top-10 Cubs prospects as ranked by Baseball Prospectus.

Report Suggests Blackhawks Are Trying To Land Veteran Defenseman At Trade Deadline

By
Matt Barbato
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Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks, Press Conference, Notre Dame

The NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching, but some might be surprised about the latest report regarding what the Chicago Blackhawks might be looking for.

According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, the Blackhawks are searching around for a veteran defenseman to add at the deadline. This might come as a surprise to some, as it was expected the Hawks could go out and pursue a winger to provide depth to a thin forward corps. A reunion with Patrick Sharp was even mentioned.

A source told Powers that the Hawks will be looking for help on the blue line, also.

“They’re looking for a forward and veteran defenseman, ” the source told Powers. “They need help back there.”

The Blackhawks will most likely only get to address one position effectively at the deadline. They currently have only $3.34 million in cap space at the moment, per Cap Friendly. Chicago’s depth woes have been well documented and the bulk of Chicago’s scoring production has come from a small group of players. General manager Stan Bowman also might opt to try and find a linemate to ignite Jonathan Toews a la last year’s Andrew Ladd trade.

The fact that Chicago is even looking for help on the blue line is concerning, to say the least. This past offseason, the Hawks added Brian Campbell, Michal Kempny and Gustav Forsling to help solidify their putrid defensive depth. Those moves haven’t panned out as well as many had expected and the Blackhawks are mediocre in both goals against and shots against per game categories.

It’s uncertain at the moment who the Blackhawks could pursue in a potential trade, but one name mentioned by Powers was Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone. The 26-year-old defender has seven assists and a -9 rating in 33 games with the Coyotes this season.

ESPN’s Keith Law Ranks The White Sox Farm System Surprisingly Low

By
Dan Fappiano
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While the White Sox rebuild has been universally praised, ESPN's Keith Law still thinks more needs to be done. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)

The White Sox rebuild has been universally praised by the baseball universe.

In trading Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, Chicago was able to get a number of prospects including Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. Those four players are currently the team’s four best prospects, and all sit within the top 100 prospects in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. Coupled with Carson Fulmer and Zack Collins, the White Sox currently have six top 100 prospects.

The White Sox future seems bright on the South Side. The team has rebuffed their farm system and could be true World Series contenders in a few years.

While most feel that Rick Hahn has been doing an excellent job, one analyst feels that more needs to be done.

ESPN’s Keith Law recently released his top ten farm system rankings. Most would assume that the White Sox would be ranked first or second. But on Law’s list, the South Siders slip all the way to tenth.

The Braves, Yankees, Padres, Pirates, Dodgers, Brewers, Mets, Reds and Rockies are all ranked higher the White Sox. Law writes:

The White Sox went from a probable bottom-five system to the border of the top 10 thanks to a great draft and two enormous hauls in trades of major leaguers, giving them the strongest farm system they’ve had in the 10 years I’ve been doing these rankings. Eight of their top 10 prospects weren’t in the organization on June 1, 2016. They may have landed a second first-round talent with Alec Hansen, their third pick of last year’s draft, and they’re going to be all over my top 25. So why aren’t they ranked higher?

Well, once you get past those eight guys, it falls off fast. Of their top 10 from last year, No. 1 graduated, and the next nine guys all had poor to lousy seasons. Some of the younger guys on the list still have promise but just haven’t performed. There’s no sugarcoating the lack of progress — which I think made Rick Hahn’s decision to rebuild all the smarter, given what was on the way. And perhaps the infusion of older prospects will let the White Sox give some of their youngest prospects more time in low- or high-A to develop physically and mentally.

To paraphrase, Law feels that beyond the White Sox top prospects, Chicago’s farm system is pretty weak. While Moncada, Kopech, Giolito, Lopez and even Alex Hansen are impressive, the depth in the system is weak.

For the most part, Law is correct. The White Sox have a ton of uncertainty in their farm system. The team has a ton of prospects who have not lived up to their potential. Courtney Hawkins, Adam Engel and Micker Adolfo to name a few.

While those prospects could pan out, it is far from certain they ever reach their ceiling. That uncertainty is what led to the Sox being ranked so low on Law’s list.

The White Sox system may not be the deepest, but it is still shocking to see them ranked so low. Among the nine teams ahead of the White Sox, only the Braves and Brewers have more top 100 prospects.

Of course, a lot could change between now and the start of the season. The team is still expected to move Jose Quintana and potentially Todd Frazier, David Robertson and others. Assuming the Sox make those moves, Chicago should see their farm system rise up Law’s ranks.

Interesting to note is that both the Yankees and Pirates have shown interest in Quintana, and are both higher than the White Sox on this list.

Overall, Keith Law’s rankings are just another baseball analysts opinion. Other analysts have named the Sox farm system the best in the MLB. But Law is right in pointing out that Chicago needs more depth to truly be considered World Series contenders in a few years.

If Rick Hahn starts moving players like he did at the Winter Meetings, the Chicago White Sox should have no problem doing just that.

 

Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14

Top Insider Hints Key Bears Free Agent Target May Actually Be Available

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears eric berry

Can the Chicago Bears actually go from their worst franchise finish in a 16-game season ever (3-13) to a possible playoff berth in 2017? It’s happened before. They did go from 5-11 to 13-3 from 2000 to 2001. GM Ryan Pace is adamant that he understands the situation. Anything he or the coaching staff says at this point can’t be taken at face value because they haven’t won anything.

Until they do, it’s just talk. That means it will take action for them to get this thing straightened out. The good news? They are well-stocked with the ammunition to really make a run at upgrading this roster. Not only do they hold the #3 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, but they also will have over $54 million in salary cap space. To say nothing of the moves they could make to create more.

That means they have the green light to be active on the free agent market. It’s a matter of figuring out where they should focus their dollars. Ask around and pretty much everybody will give the same answer:  the secondary. Chicago badly needs help at cornerback and safety. Turns out one of the biggest fish may actually make it to the pond this year.

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