The Plan Shifts in Chicago

 With less than a week before the start of the season, things have taken a bit of a snag for the White Sox. 

First of all, Eloy Jimenez is injured, and will be out for a few months. Either you can chalk this up to the overworking theory of 2021 Spring Training that's dooming a lot of people, or this is genuinely something that happened besides the fact. Bottom line, one of the big pieces of this team that was hitting really well out of camp is now out for the first third of the season. So now either Adam Engel is gonna get a lot more time in right or Leury Garcia is gonna be phased back into an outfield position. Both ideas are fine, but maybe not to the caliber of Jimenez, especially considering his 2020 season.

Similarly, Luis Robert isn't hitting. He's played 16 games, which means he's been given several opportunities to hit, but has only mustered 11 hits, including 4 RBIs. He's also struck out 16 times. For a guy who is supposed to be the hero once again, this isn't a great camp showing. It may not translate immediately to how his season is going to go, but if he's already striking out this many times, it may not be a good sign. Like, we already know the big strikeout-guy Jimenez is gonna be out for a bit, it's not like Robert needs to take over.

And there's little things abound as well. There's the catching thing, where Grandal still may not be ready for Opening Day and the Sox might need to bring Jonathan Lucroy with them, but now him and Zack Collins are fighting for the backup position, and it's not clear what's gonna happen there. You also have to factor in some early spring woes from Jose Abreu and Dallas Keuchel.

But really, a lot of this is an attempt to make the Chicago White Sox look more human in a year where, until now, they looked unstoppable. This is a team that could still go very far into the playoffs, and now these little foibles are enough to get teams to underestimate them again. Oh, Jimenez is hurt, Abreu isn't his 2020 self, maybe we can beat them? Wrong. There's still a lot of punch left in this team, especially with Giolito and Adam Eaton having excellent springs. I do think they'll go far into it this year, even if Jimenez takes a bit to come back. They have the team that can withstand things like that.

Coming Tomorrow- Former low-average power hitter for LA, current low-average power hitter in Chicago, replacing a fan-favorite low-average power hitter who used to play in Chicago.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Nationals

 

Okay. The Washington Nationals, without Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Sean Doolittle, were a last-place team. It is that simple. Yes, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer and Juan Soto all did well, but the uniformity and consistency across the board that made the Nationals borderline good enough to catch fire in October was gone this year. And it's very clear why.

First of all, Victor Robles, who was fantastic last year, was back to his usual middling performances. Dude hit .220 and led the team in strikeouts with 53. Nothing close to his 2019, and the outfield sort of wilted without his better numbers.

2021 Prediction: An improvement, and more of a contact year, but I feel like every subsequent Victor Robles season is gonna pale in comparison to last year.

On the last season of his multi-year deal in Washington, Adam Eaton hit the first Nats home run of the season, and the first home run off of Gerrit Cole in 2020, but beyond that he continued his post-White-Sox decline, hitting .226 with 17 RBIs. After hitting at least .280-something in his prior seasons, this was the weakest year of Eaton's career, and it was a huge hit to his free agency chances.

2021 Prediction: A reunion with the Chicago White Sox will revitalize his offense numbers even as his defensive numbers continue to go downhill.

In the absence of Stephen Strasburg, and Anibal Sanchez' better numbers, Erick Fedde still provided solid rotation support for Scherzer and Corbin. In 11 games he had a 4.29 ERA with 28 Ks, not bad for a lower-tier arm. 

2021 Prediction: Officially becomes the fourth man in that rotation. Like, there's a difference between being fourth in the rotation and being the FOURTH of Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin and Fedde. And I think 2021 is his year. 

It's not gonna show in like 8 years when he's up for HOF election, but Kurt Suzuki might be one of the more reliable backstops of the 2010s. The A's, Twins, Braves and Nats have enjoyed his [mostly backup] catching material for years, and 2020 was no exception. Zuk hit .270 off the bench, with 30 hits and 17 RBIs in 33 games. 

2021 Prediction: I think one more season backing up somewhere [hell, maybe back in Oakland] before he calls it a career.

Right. Now we get into the saga of the million middle infielders in Washington. Buckle up, cause this is where it becomes clear why the Nats sucked this year. 

Starlin Castro was signed during the offseason to play 2nd for the Nats. I thought it was a good deal for them, and as the season began, Castro seemed to look very sharp, hitting .267 with 2 homers in his first 16 games. Then he gets injured, and is out for the season, throwing 2nd base into limbo for the remainder of the season.

2021 Prediction: More health, but a gradual shift to DH.

So now we go to other infield options. Asdrubal Cabrera played some games at 2nd, as it's his primary position, but he played more at 1st, switching with Eric Thames. At 36, Cabrera may no longer be a feasible defensive option, as his defensive levels were at replacement level, and he only hit .242 this year. So he wasn't the answer.

2021 Prediction: I don't think anyone's gonna sign him this offseason.

The next option would be Howie Kendrick, who also came up as a second baseman, yet has been starting a lot at 1st. This year, he was the primary DH in Washington, and hit .275 with 14 RBIs when he wasn't injured. Okay, so two members of this team aren't feasible 2nd base replacements. Now bring in some signees.

2021 Prediction: Perhaps a victory lap season before he retires.

After being released by the Phillies right before the beginning of the season, Josh Harrison was very quickly scooped up by the Nats, and was the next, and more substantial, 2nd base option of the early season. Harrison hit .278 with 14 RBIs in 33 games, though his defense wasn't quite as starry. 

2021 Prediction: Seemingly more backup work in Washington. 

But then they also get Brock Holt from the Brewers, and plug him into utility work, which makes FIVE SECOND BASE OPTIONS, and five infielders over 30 roaming the roster and preventing over, younger infielders from getting work. And the ones that did, like Carter Kieboom and Wilmer Difo, weren't great. So Holt is the starting 3rd baseman for a bit this year, does a decent job with a .262 average, but is more of the same veteran mediocrity that is bringing this team down.

2021 Prediction: A similar, multi-team backup year to this one. 

FINALLY, in September, the Nationals found an answer with their sixth middle infield option, as Luis Garcia got the 2nd base gig and seemed to earn it. In 40 games, he has 37 hits, 16 RBIs and bats .276, the kind of wild start that gets some heads, especially his clutch abilities. The Nats were teasing good things from this guy for 2021, and I believe them.

2021 Prediction: Starts the whole year at 2nd, hits 25 homers and gets 75 RBIs and we never have this problem again. 

Coming Tomorrow- Surprisingly the Orioles weren't completely terrible this year. 

Eaton Mess

So, to recap: the Nationals aren't going to make the playoffs. Not even remotely. But that doesn't mean they can't decide some outcomes by still being alright enough to beat competitors.

This team is still relatively dangerous, even without Daniel Murphy and Gio Gonzalez. Max Scherzer is still a Cy Young caliber ace, Bryce Harper's still hitting home runs, and there's still a ton of versatility here, with a lot of players just popping up and being good at several things at once. Plus, we're getting a fuller performance from Adam Eaton for the first time since 2016, and he's been doing a great job in center as...well, technically a backup for Michael Taylor, but Eaton's having the better year.

Now, obviously there are problems, like the back half of the rotation, which is now beginning to show due to Gonzalez' loss; Erick Fedde and Jefry Rodriguez aren't really up to the caliber that the rest of this rotation is used to. Plus, the Doolittle-less bullpen is weaker, especially now that Madson is in LA, and it's been illuminated that there wasn't really a succeeding closing option in Doolittle's absence (so thank god he's back).

This team will be going into another off year, and will be losing Bryce Harper, and possibly more, at its end. And they need to figure out if they want to ride high on their farm system, which isn't yielding much else right now, or if they still want to try to squeeze one more playoff team out of this lineup. But it's a tough choice.

Coming Tomorrow- A team that's so much of a playoff gimme that even their catcher's name sounds like 'yawn'

Winter Meetings Update: Day Three

Phew. Yeah. Uh, a lot happened today. Might as well detail the big stuff.

In terms of this Adam Eaton move, today was a slightly more superior sequel to yesterday, as, from Washington's standpoint, everything bad from yesterday was righted. The Nats couldn't get their hands on Chris Sale, so they landed one of the most impressive outfielders in baseball. This is...surprisingly a good deal.

The Nats' outfield was slightly weaker than usual last season, on account of Ben Revere aging 10 years over the course of 1. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Jayson Werth were gonna be the supposed starters, but with Adam Eaton coming in, one of two things will happen- either Werth, on the last year of his 7-year contract, will be phased out and be played as an alternate, or Trea Turner will be phased into an infield role, preferably at shortstop, as he's a bit better of an option than Danny Espinosa at this point. There's at least some flexibility, but it's overall a nice move for the Nats.

Additionally, this sort of rights things in Chicago as well, making sure that Lucas Giolito, who had a slow start but definitely has potential, has a place where can grow without being overshadowed. Yes, this may be wishful thinking, sorta like Carlos Rodon, but...you never know. Giolito wasn't getting 'best prospect in the system' claims for nothing. Also...who'd have thought that Giolito and Yoan Moncada, two prospects from 2016, would wind up on the same season, hurtling towards some full-rookie-seasons in 2017?

Additionally, the Cubs made a move that proves they're willing to move on from their 2016 season, while at the same time proving they're trying to win again. Yeah, not every miracle lasts forever, and Aroldis Chapman's gonna have to find somewhere else to close games next year (preferably New York).

This move, in gaining closer Wade Davis from the Royals, in exchange for consistently-suffocated outfielder Jorge Soler, is a great one. The Cubs have a definite closer/reliever that can get them through 2017, while the Royals have another outfielder, along with Billy Burns, to repopulate the now in-flux lineup, especially considering that they're suddenly shopping Lorenzo Cain.

Pretty sound move overall. Not a ton of outcry from me.

If you want outcry, watch me talk about the Rockies' move to add Ian Desmond.

I understand that the Rox needed to fill their first base position after the supposed departure of Mark Reynolds, but...Ian Desmond's an odd choice. He's a middle-infielder, and an outfielder...and converting him now to play first is a bit...concerning. No, he'll probably be great, and he's proven extreme range in his season in Arlington, but giving him a TON of money and 5 years in order to play a position he's never consistently played professionally before...is a risky bet.

I mean, offense-wise, he'll probably be fine, as it's Coors Field and it usually rewards nice-average people like Desmond, but...overall it's an odd, concerning kind of move, which...kind of sums up the Rockies of late.

Meanwhile, the Marlins are...very quietly making some decent moves. They added Jeff Locke as a late-rotation helper today, as well as adding AJ Ellis as a potential backup catcher. They're preparing for an above .500 season, and they're chasing people. They're also reportedly in the running for Aroldis Chapman...which is kind of pointless because they already have a good enough closer in A.J. Ramos, but...I'm not gonna tell the Marlins' GM how to live his life...as it'd probably kill me.

That's basically it for today, but I guarantee more crazy shit is waiting around the corner.

Succeeding without a Rehaul (In Chicago)

One of the reasons why I'm so happy for the success of this Sox team is because this wasn't the case of the entire team being dealt and trading for superstars and starting from the ground up.

Last year, the pieces were in place. Eaton was hitting, Abreu was hitting, Chris Sale was surging, Melky was hitting. It wasn't complete, but it wasn't all horrible. Heck, David Robertson was still one of the best closers in baseball, and the Sox didn't have to be entirely good.

All it took was filling in the infield with Brett Lawrie, Jimmy Rollins and Todd Frazier, getting little pieces like Austin Jackson and Mat Latos, and shoring up Jose Quintana. This was a winning team waiting to happen, and the fact that it's happening now is incredibly fortunate.

Adam Eaton's become one of the most powerful batters on the team, with a fantastic average and a really nice positive WAR. He's become the centerpiece of the team- he works better than Jose Abreu, whose specialty is high-power, low-average seasons. Todd Frazier's a fantastic hitter but he's not as complete as Eaton this year.

Look, if the Sox become a huge thing, they should rally around Eaton. It's taken him a while, but he's come into his own as a hitter, as well as an outfielder.

Coming Tomorrow- They're gaining on the Cubs, and their third baseman is surging again.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: White Sox

Well, how about the White Sox, then? Sure, in 2015 they were a fourth-place team, but there are so many bits of promise lying around that roster than they can't possibly do it again in 2016.

Adam Eaton, continuing his good luck from 2014, got even more done, becoming even more of a star in the outfield, and having a more consistent season than his glory-grubbing teammate from 2014, Jose Abreu.

David Robertson, who pitched for my Yankees last season, continued his superb work in the ninth for the White Sox. Yeah, he wasn't gonna be the next Mariano Rivera, but he's still an awesome closer, and could be an even bigger factor when he actually has a great team to close for.

Adam LaRoche didn't do as much as was promised by his Washington numbers, but was still a solid DH. Hell, he hit a homer when I saw the Sox play at Comiskey this year, so he's at least still got some stuff left.

Carlos Rodon is the guy everyone's watching out for in 2015, because his stuff was pretty nasty in short-form last year, and he's a young arm who's gonna get more emphasis now that Jeff Samardzija is gone. Imagine him, Sale and Quintana, all in a row. That's gotta be horrifying.

Coming Tomorrow- At last, my New York Yankees.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2014: White Sox

Yep. Still finishing these up. Why? 2015 customs are coming up. Gotta clear the 2014 ones out before they do.

This was my second Abreu custom of 2014, because I selected a few huge stars of the year to have 2 customs, because why not. Abreu had a monster season in 2014, and all of Chicago is betting on him to have another huge one in 2015, especially given the fact that the Sox have gotten a few more contracts on the team.

Meanwhile, the other megahitter in Chicago had a less-than-stellar season. This custom is probably the best part of his season. I mean, it looks like a comic book cover. Viciedo is not sitting comfortably in...wherever the Blue Jays have Spring Training, waiting to squeeze his way onto the 40-man.

Alexei Ramirez, now that Paul Konerko is gone, is now the longest-standing member of the Chicago White Sox. And he got there after I started collecting. Man, it's tough wrapping my head around that one. Anyway, Ramirez is a consistently great shortstop, and will likely have another great season in 2015.

This guy was the real man of the hour in 2014, besides Abreu. If it wasn't for Corey Kluber, Chris Sale would have likely nabbed his first Cy Young award. And now it looks like he won't be ready in time for Opening Day, which is bad for the Sox, as they'll be forced to start Jeff Samardzija instead (which...isn't that bad).

Meanwhile in sophomore-land, Adam Eaton had a decent enough season away from Phoenix, settling into his role in the Chicago offense. He's not all the way there yet, but there's still hope.

Let me tell you, if I'd posted this in December like I was supposed to, this card would definitely would have made the top 5 on my Best Customs of the Year list, because it's that good. Just the smile on his face, contrasted with the helmets on the back of the wall. That is a great shot, and it's now a great custom.

Coming...Tomorrow, I hope: Finally I'll finish out these damn posts with the Yankees.

Custom Card of the Day: Eaton Edition

Not much else to say tonight, because I'm currently transfixed on my Philadelphia Eagles. How are they actually winning?

Coming Tomorrow- Hopefully a more thought-provoking post.