The Chicago Shite Sox

[Oleg]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

[SKO]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

I don't think they're going to bad, that's the problem. Projections peg them as an 81-83 win team. They have two major black holes they could easily address: Avi Garcia's -1.3 WAR from last year in RF and SS. There are players who wouldn't require a major commitment in years like Fowler and Desmond who are available and instead they're dumpster diving for Rollins and talking up Garcia as BSOHL.

It would irritate me as a Sox fan to see them pass up easy opportunities to add marginal wins for reasons that appear to be entirely based on being cheap. Even if Fowler is a 2 win player for them that's a net gain of 3 wins over Garcia, same with Desmond vs. Rollins/Saladino.

Instead they're going to gamble on that 81-83 win projection and hope it's enough. They have no margin for error, either. If LaRoche and Cabrera don't bounce back at all, if Rodon doesn't take the expected leap forward in year two, if Latos is still cooked, if Rollins/Garcia still suck etc. they are fucked. They could give themselves more room for error and seem like they refuse to do so.

But who knows, maybe the Fowler-To-Baltimore rumor is just a rumor and not a foregone conclusion like it's supposedly been the last few days and the Sox are actually planning to swoop in and grab Dex. If so I take about 70% of this back

[Saul Goodman]

I am impressed with the amount of knowledge you folks have about the Sox.  I know of only two guys who are playing for them, Appling and Minoso.

I find them interesting because it feels like watching the Hendry Cubs from the outside looking in. It's interesting to compare and contrast their way of doing things with the Cubs. Also I'm really bored.

Concur with this completely. The smartest baseball fan I know beyond this board and the internets is a Sox fan who admits he enjoys watching the Cubs lose more than the Sox win. Even he is thisclose to rooting for the Cubs, at least as long as this CHAMMENSHIP WINDER is open. Just a matter of time. 

[Quality Start Machine]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

[SKO]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar are great, Bauer is still more potential than production at this point and their 5th starter spot is questionable like almost everyone's. Their offense was bad last year, they're relying on a very old Juan Uribe at 3rd, and Brantley may not be healthy for the start of the season. They have as many question marks as everyone else in that division, including the White Sox.

[Saul Goodman]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar are great, Bauer is still more potential than production at this point and their 5th starter spot is questionable like almost everyone's. Their offense was bad last year, they're relying on a very old Juan Uribe at 3rd, and Brantley may not be healthy for the start of the season. They have as many question marks as everyone else in that division, including the White Sox.

Seems for the last few years running Cleveland keeps getting picked to contend in the Central but disappoints once the games are played. I'll believe it when I see it.

[Eli]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar are great, Bauer is still more potential than production at this point and their 5th starter spot is questionable like almost everyone's. Their offense was bad last year, they're relying on a very old Juan Uribe at 3rd, and Brantley may not be healthy for the start of the season. They have as many question marks as everyone else in that division, including the White Sox.

And I understand where the skepticism of the Royals comes from, but it's hard to argue with their last 350ish games. I don't think their Opening Day roster looks significantly worse/different than last year's.

ETA: In fact, it might be better due to the sheer fact that they got a combined -0.7 WAR from Alex Rios and Omar Infante last year.

[SKO]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar are great, Bauer is still more potential than production at this point and their 5th starter spot is questionable like almost everyone's. Their offense was bad last year, they're relying on a very old Juan Uribe at 3rd, and Brantley may not be healthy for the start of the season. They have as many question marks as everyone else in that division, including the White Sox.

And I understand where the skepticism of the Royals comes from, but it's hard to argue with their last 350ish games. I don't think their Opening Day roster looks significantly worse/different than last year's.

ETA: In fact, it might be better due to the sheer fact that they got a combined -0.7 WAR from Alex Rios and Omar Infante last year.

Yeah but isn't Infante still projected as their starter at second?  And who is in right? Orlando? Seems those are still black holes.

I mean my gut tells me the Royals and Indians are probably the two best teams, but I could buy an argument for any team in that division except maybe the Twins. Those 83 wins last year were lucky as hell and they don't have a single starting pitcher projected as even average this year.

[Eli]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

Cleveland's the best team in the division. With all that starting pitching, all they really need to get is one bat to pull away from the pack.

Kluber/Carrasco/Salazar are great, Bauer is still more potential than production at this point and their 5th starter spot is questionable like almost everyone's. Their offense was bad last year, they're relying on a very old Juan Uribe at 3rd, and Brantley may not be healthy for the start of the season. They have as many question marks as everyone else in that division, including the White Sox.

And I understand where the skepticism of the Royals comes from, but it's hard to argue with their last 350ish games. I don't think their Opening Day roster looks significantly worse/different than last year's.

ETA: In fact, it might be better due to the sheer fact that they got a combined -0.7 WAR from Alex Rios and Omar Infante last year.

Yeah but isn't Infante still projected as their starter at second?  And who is in right? Orlando? Seems those are still black holes.

I mean my gut tells me the Royals and Indians are probably the two best teams, but I could buy an argument for any team in that division except maybe the Twins. Those 83 wins last year were lucky as hell and they don't have a single starting pitcher projected as even average this year.

Infante does. He was kind of banged up last year, so I just assumed he could be bad instead of awful this year.

[Slaky]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

You're an idiot

[InternetApex]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

You're an idiot

That seems like the kind of quote that should follow Oleg around like a wet fart as the Sox lumber toward their inevitable 79 win, 4th place finish. Can't wait.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Seriously, how can everyone not peg the Royals as the prohibitive favorite in that division?  They've got good players and such and have come within 1 George Brett-sized hemorrhoid of consecutive World Series chammenships.  I don't get it.

[SKO]

Seriously, how can everyone not peg the Royals as the prohibitive favorite in that division?  They've got good players and such and have come within 1 George Brett-sized hemorrhoid of consecutive World Series chammenships.  I don't get it.

Mostly because projection systems hate them and have a hard time pegging the exact worth of their two biggest strengths: defense and the bullpen. History told us there was no way a bullpen could repeat what the Royals did in 2014, and then they were pretty much just as good in 2015.

Also Hosmer, Moustakas, and Cain all had their career best years last year after the first two especially were pretty shitty in 2014, so any projection system is going to assume that their 2016 seasons are probably going to split the difference.

Basically they are on a two year stretch of a lot of really improbable things going right for them, and unless they have stolen the Cardinals magic (which would be awesome), it's got to end at some point?

Yeah I'm not buying it either. They win the division by ten.

[Slaky]

I think anyone here who's expecting the Sox to be bad are going to be disappointed.  They have just as good of a shot to win their division (and the pennant) as any other team in the AL.

You're an idiot

That seems like the kind of quote that should follow Oleg around like a wet fart as the Sox lumber toward their inevitable 79 win, 4th place finish. Can't wait.

Wait...there might be an explanation for this. Oleg, are you banging a sox fan?

[SKO]

So with Fowler officially signing for three years for $33 million, which is a fucking steal, I have to again reiterate that this entire White Sox offseason can be summed up as "Reinsdorf is a fucking cheapskate."

They first claimed they weren't going after any outfielders who wanted more than 3 years to explain why they weren't in on Heyward/Gordon/Upton, but then that bit them on the ass when Cespedes, Span, and Fowler have all signed for 3 years.

They can say they didn't want to give up a draft pick for Fowler, but neither Cespedes or Span would have cost a pick. They're going to bank on an 81 win true talent team getting enough lucky breaks to make the playoffs and not waste another year of Sale/Abreu's primes because they'd rather let Avi Garcia spike himself in the dick in right field than pay barely $10 mil a year for Span or $11 mil for Fowler.

Meanwhile the Sun Times is still somewhere writing another column about how the Heyward contract shouldn't fool you into thinking the Ricketts aren't still cheap and terrible and stuff.