This series will recap the performances of each White Sox minor league affiliate throughout the previous week. Here is the 16th installment of the 2022 season.
Charlotte Knights (34-59)
Weekly Record: 1-2
The Knights went to Jacksonville to play the Jumbo Shrimp post-break. The Shrimp bested Charlotte in their three game set, winning two matchups and the series. The Knights occupy last place and are 17 games back in the International League East Division.
The Knights didn’t have much to show on offense in this brief series. Charlotte concluded the series with a .190/.236/.350 slash line and a .586 OPS. Further, they scored 11 runs, had 19 hits in 100 at-bats, one double, no triples, five home runs, five walks to 28 strikeouts, and went 3-for-4 on stolen bases. Complete season totals for the Knights offense can be found here.
Similar to the offense, Charlotte’s pitching staff also stunk. The Knights had a team ERA of 8.28, a 1.80 WHIP, and a .295 Batting Average Against. They also allowed 23 runs (23 earned), 31 hits to 25 innings pitched, 14 walks to 19 strikeouts, hit one batter and allowed four home runs. Complete season totals for the Knights pitching staff can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
Carlos Perez with HR #2 on the night to tie the game at 5 for the #Knights. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/wQfKs88ZmS
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) July 24, 2022
Carlos Perez: In a tough week for the Knights, Carlos Perez stood out in the right way. The 25 year-old backstop slashed .250/.308/.750 for a 1.058 OPS, hit two home runs, four RBI, scored three runs, and had three hits in 12 at-bats.
Honorable Mentions: Yolbert Sanchez
Birmingham Barons (42-48)
Weekly Record: 1-2
First Half: 31-38
Second Half: 11-10
The Barons were in Rocket City last week playing the Trash Pandas. A sour beginning to the series ended sweetly for Birmingham as they were able to secure a win in the series finale. The Barons are tied for second place and one game back in the second half in the Southern League North Division.
Birmingham’s offense did their best to imitate the Knights offense last week. Birmingham slashed .177/.233/.344 for a .577 OPS. The Barons lineup also scored nine runs, had 17 hits in 96 at-bats, four doubles, no triples, four home runs, six walks to 23 strikeouts, and went 2-for-2 on stolen bases. Complete season totals for the Barons offense can be found here.
Birmingham’s pitching staff showed well in the short season with the raccoons. The Barons had a 3.60 team ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a .250 Batting Average Against. Moreover, Birmingham allowed 13 runs (10 earned), 25 hits to 25 innings pitched, seven walks to 29 strikeouts, hit no batters and allowed four home runs. Complete season totals for the Barons pitching staff can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
Oscar Colas' first multi-HR and 4 RBI game in Minors. He did it in Doble-A this Sunday. Unstoppable: .458 AVG.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) July 25, 2022
🎥 @MiLB pic.twitter.com/iJGzwrt5dY
Oscar Colás: In case you missed it, Oscar Colás torched the ball all weekend long. The 23 year-old Cuban outfielder blasted off on Rocket City pitching (see what I did there), slashing .545/.583/1.364 for a 1.947 OPS, hit three home runs, six RBI, scored three runs, and had six hits in 11 at-bats.
Honorable Mentions: Scott Blewett and Theo Denlinger
Winston-Salem Dash (44-46)
Weekly Record: 1-2
First Half: 33-33
Second Half: 11-13
The Dash welcomed the Rome Braves to play some baseball games against them last weekend. The struggles for Winston-Salem continued, Colson Montgomery‘s 50 game on base streak came to a close and they dropped two of three games in the series. The Dash are in third place and six games back in the second half in the South Atlantic League South Division.
The Dash’s offensive production bested that of Birmingham and Charlotte last week, although they still left room for further improvement. Winston-Salem finished their three game set with a .228/.295/.396 slash line and a .691 OPS. On top of that, the Dash scored 13 runs, had 23 hits in 101 at-bats, five doubles, no triples, four home runs, eight walks to 27 strikeouts, and went 3-for-3 on stolen bases. Complete season totals for the Dash offense can be found here.
Good news! The Winston-Salem pitching staff had a significant turnaround against the Rome lineup compared to the previous week. The Dash held a team ERA of 4.00, a 1.44 WHIP, and a .219 batting average against. The Dash also allowed 12 runs (12 earned) on 21 hits over 27 innings, 18 walks to 31 strikeouts, hitting no batters and allowing three home runs. Complete season totals for the Dash pitching staff can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
Ben Norman tops off his 4-4 game with a 💣. #Dash win 9-6. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/TulAEMShEc
— Ian Eskridge (@dailywhitesox) July 24, 2022
Ben Norman: Ben Norman made the most of his two starts last weekend. The 24 year-old outfielder slashed .750/.750/1.500 for a 2.250 OPS, hit two home runs, three RBI, scored four runs, went 1-for-1 on stolen bases and had six hits in eight at-bats.
Honorable Mentions: Luis Mieses and Luis Amaya
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (41-49)
Weekly Record: 2-1
First Half: 26-40
Second Half: 15-9
Kannapolis hosted the Fayetteville Woodpeckers post-break with the hopes of rebounding after a tough series prior. The Ballers were able to get the mojo in their favor, winning two of three games in the series. Kannapolis is in first place and a half game up in the second half in the Carolina League South Division.
The Ballers offense was scorching the ball against the Woodpeckers battery. Kannapolis finished with a .284/.400/.480 slash line for an .880 OPS. As a result of the hot hitting, Kannapolis also scored 21 runs, had 29 hits in 102 at-bats, five doubles, three triples, three home runs, 16 walks to 28 strikeouts, and went 2-for-3 on stolen bases. Complete season totals for the Cannon Ballers offense can be found here.
The Cannon Ballers pitching staff was so-so in the three game set against Fayetteville, but ultimately got the job done. Kannapolis possessed a team ERA of 4.33, a 1.48 WHIP, and a .243 Batting Average Against. In addition, they allowed 15 runs (13 earned) on 25 hits over 27 innings, issuing 15 walks against 35 strikeouts, while hitting two batters and allowing no home runs. Complete season totals for the Cannon Ballers pitching staff can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
Norge Vera pitches 4 scoreless on 66 pitches (43 strikes) and K’s 7. He surrenders 1 H and 2 BB’s. #Ballers #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/gPuf9rTgsr
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) July 24, 2022
Norge Vera: Norge Vera was nearly unhittable in his lone start over the weekend. The 22 year-old threw four innings, allowing only one hit, no runs, two walks, struck out seven, and had a .077 Batting Average Against and a 0.75 WHIP.
Honorable Mentions: Wilfred Veras, Andy Atwood, Misael Gonzalez, Hunter Dollander, and Jared Kelley
ACL White Sox (13-20)
Weekly Record: 1-2
After the All Star break hiatus, the ACL White Sox picked up right where they left off. The club dropped two of their three games this week as a season of struggles rolls on. The ACL White Sox are tied for last place and 13 games back in the ACL West. Full standings of the ACL can be found here.
While they only played three games last week, the ACL White Sox offense stunk. The desert affiliate hit .172/.241/.222 for a .463 OPS. Additionally, the ACL White Sox scored 11 runs, had 17 hits in 99 at-bats, two doubles, no triples, one home run, seven walks to 32 strikeouts, and went 1-for-1 on stolen bases. Complete batting stats for the ACL White Sox can be found here.
Perhaps they were following the offense’s lead, but the ACL White Sox pitching staff had a rough three games as well. The staff ended their week with a team ERA of 5.33, a 1.63 WHIP, and a .264 Batting Average Against. In addition, the staff was charged with 16 earned runs (21 runs allowed), 28 hits in 27 innings pitched, 16 walks to 28 strikeouts, hit two batters, and allowed two home runs. Complete pitching stats for the ACL White Sox can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
Anthony Espinoza (7) ACL White Sox #beisbolvenezolano #TalentoVenezolano #peloteroVenezolano#whitesox #chisox #chicagowhitesox #ChangeTheGame #southside #SouthSideOrDie
— Phrake Photography (@phrakephoto) September 20, 2021
@southsidehitpen @FutureSox pic.twitter.com/oM4NFH1piJ
Anthony Espinoza: Anthony Espinoza was a bright spot for a scuffling club last week. The 20-year-old infielder slashed .333/.333/.667 for a 1.000 OPS, hitting one home run, three RBI, scored one run, and had three hits in nine at-bats.
Honorable Mentions: Jake Suddreth and Dario Borrero
DSL White Sox (17-18)
Weekly Record: 2-2
The DSL White Sox saw the most action this week, playing in five games, one of which was suspended due to rain. The DSL squad worked an even split for the completed games last week and are in sixth place and six games back in the DSL San Pedro Division. Full standings of the DSL can be found here.
The DSL White Sox offense took a minor step back from the previous week, but were still productive. The DSL Sox hit .241/.331/.387 for a .718 OPS. The club also scored 22 runs, had 33 hits in 137 at-bats, 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 18 walks to 30 strikeouts, and went 2-for-7 on stolen bases. Complete batting stats for the DSL White Sox can be found here.
The DSL White Sox pitching staff was fantastic last week. The staff wrapped the week with a team ERA of 2.75, a 1.31 WHIP, and a .220 Batting Average Against. The DSL squad also allowed 11 earned runs to 20 runs allowed, 28 hits to 36 innings pitched, 19 walks to 31 strikeouts, hit three batters, and allowed no home runs. Complete pitching stats for the DSL White Sox can be found here.
🔥 Hot Player of the Week 🔥
In DSL action yesterday, Loidel Chapelli hit his 8th HR. #OurGuysRake @whitesox @dailywhitesox @FutureSox @NBCSWhiteSox pic.twitter.com/btiMaIGA1K
— Andy Barkett (@abarkett17) July 19, 2022
Loidel Chapelli: Loidel Chapelli was at it again last week for the DSL White Sox. The 20 year-old infielder and DSL All Star slashed .385/.429/.923 for a 1.352 OPS, two triples, one home run, four RBI, scored five runs, and had five hits in 13 at-bats.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Burrowes, Carlos Jimenez, Arnold Prado, Frankeli Arias and Ricardo Brizuela
White Sox Minor Keys
Nashville 5, Charlotte 2
- Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Carlos Pérez, 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Tyler Neslony went 2-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Yolbert Sánchez, 0-for-4.
Tennessee 7, Birmingham 6
- José Rodríguez went 0-for-3 with two walks, a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Oscar Colás was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and an HBP.
- Yoelqui Céspedes, 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, an HBP and a stolen base.
Greensboro 8, Winston-Salem 6
- Colson Montgomery went 0-for-3 with a walk and an HBP.
- Bryan Ramos, 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Luis Mieses, 2-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts.
- Adam Hackenberg was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
Kannapolis 5, Columbia 4
- Wes Kath went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and strikeout.
- Wilfred Veras struck out twice during an 0-for-4 night.
- DJ Gladney, 1-for-4.
ACL White Sox 8, ACL Padres 0
- Dario Borrero went 0-for-4 with two strikeotus.
- Victor Quezada, 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Manuel Guariman was 0-for-3 with a K.
- Cam Butler, 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Erick Bello: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 WP
- Carlos Hinestroza: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
DSL White Sox 7, DSL BAL Orange 5
- Guillermo Rodriguez was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Erick Hernandez, 1-for-5.
- Ryan Burrowes was 1-for-4 with a double.
- Carlos Jiménez, 2-for-3 with a walk.
- Ronny Herrnandez was 2-for-3 with a homer, double and two walks.
Have we talked about Montgomery’s HBPs yet? Is this projectible in terms of OBP or is it a function of minor league pitchers not having control? Does he crowd the plate? Are they trying to get him out inside and just missing? Seems like he gets hit a lot and I’d prefer our top prospect not break a hamate bone or something because a 20 year old kid doesn’t know how to go inside without plunking him.
Pitchers are definitely taught to try and get up and in on long-levered low-ball hitters like Montgomery. He’s been hit 13 times now, but he’s still well clear of the thoroughly bruised Colorado farmhand Braiden Ward, who has been hit an incredible 28 times in just 269 PA.
They are totally going to trade some of these exciting minor leaguers for someone boring like Happ or Quintana aren’t they?
I hope not. Neither of those guys changes the projected outcome in a series against the Yankees, Astros, or Jays. This is not going to be their year no matter what they do. Whether next year might be or not depends entirely on whether or not they do nothing in the offseason like last winter.
I would not trade Vera or Colas straight up for Happ, honestly. He doesn’t do that much for this team really. If he could play 2b full time with good defense, then yes. But he is pretty much OF only, and is no better than Pollock or Eloy if they were hitting their best.
The question should be is Happ even better than Colas? I’m not sure he is, maybe in the very short term but even then I’m not sure.
100000% this, im all for trading prospects for high end mlb talent that moves the needle on winning a world series (was totally fine with madrigal for kimbrel), but I want absolutely no part of these constant band aid fixes if it means giving up promising players.
Vera is a year away from being a top 100 prospect the arm is real deal front line stuff, he just needs the innings, his floor is probably high end reliever his high end could be ace
Colas would finally solve RF and lefty bat two glaring holes the sox organization has had for a long time. Reports are he handles CF well enough at AA and the arm is great so I have no doubt he will be solid in RF.
If you arent in the market for premium players then you may as well just hope grandal, eloy, pollack, giolito, and lynn get their shit together cause their high ends are better then what you would be trading for.
I think you inadvertently closed with one of the arguments for trading for a guy who may not be a difference maker in the playoffs. The best opportunity for Lynn and Giolito to get their shit together is to have a reliable innings eater that’s not necessarily going to start a playoff game but can take a start against Oakland or Kansas City here or there. Arguably, Davis Martin could fill that role as well so it’s a question of how much depth is necessary to load manage the guys that need to be managed.
I dont really buy that at all. These guys have thrown minimal innings, Giolito is on like 165ish pace I believe and Lynn much less then that. Pitchers need to pitch, Giolito especially guy should be in his prime he is 27 years old is he really more tired then say a Verlander or Cole?
I think it goes beyond either of them being tired, but they are both clearly not right. If having them pitch through it is the answer, then have them pitch through it. But when they are approaching 100 pitches in the 4th or 5th innings, we’re going to need someone to pick up the extra innings.
I’m not sure even Juan Soto and Luis Castillo would change the projected outcome in a series against the Yankees or Astros. So what are they supposed to do? Sit on their hands?
I don’t mind Happ, even at the cost of some of the guys you name, but only if they can get something else of value out of Eloy, Vaughn, Pollock, or Sheets. Otherwise, I’m not sure it’s worth it. But Happ would be a nice fit on this team and he’s controllable next year, too.
Agreed. Happ is a really good fit for this team and he isn’t a pure rental. I don’t know if I would give up Colas for him, but Vera? sure.
I’m not sure how we could trade Vera with as little pitching depth as we have. It seems like a guy we really need to keep.
I mean, Vera isn’t going to contribute to this window and there’s still Mena and Kelley(who seems to be actually improving and growing) and the recently drafted Schultz and Pallette. Happ checks so many of this team’s boxes that the move make sense. It just depends on what else the Cubs are asking for.
How is Happ a good fit for the WS? He’s an outfielder, and not a terribly good one. He last played 2b in 2021, 8 games; he’s a worse defender there. He’s a good hitter, but we already have good hitters/bad OF in Vaughn and Eloy. He’s not a 2b replacement.
Vera is WS best pitching prospect. And Colas may be Happ by the end of 2023, but a far better fielder. These would be desperation moves (certainly not out of WS wheelhouse).
He’s a 27 year old switch hitter with good numbers against RHP who gets on base and has pop? He’s not a gold glover but I guarantee you he’s faaarrrr superior to Vaughn and Sheets in RF. Sounds exactly like what this team needs.
So, we acquire Happ for RF, and sit Vaughn? Grandal? Doesn’t sound like much of an upgrade, if at all, that comes with a cost.
Happ has started like 20 games in RF since 2018. The Sox positional needs are RF and 2b. Happ is neither.
It’s hard to take this seriously when you look at who the Sox start in RF on a nightly basis.
He’s not a terribly good OF, but he’s also not a terribly bad one. He’s 16th (out of 57) in DRS among OF, for example. And he’s a switch hitter with a career 120 wRC+ vs RHP. Aside from certain superstars, it’d be difficult to find a better fit for the White Sox.
Well I disagree on both points
he is underwater defensively in left field according to fangraphs, we have a bunch of those guys already
He may be underwater defensively, but he’s not as underwater as who the Sox are currently sending out there. And that actually matters. But like I pointed out above, it also depends on what you look at: he’s 16th of 57 OF in DRS. He’s passable in a way Sheets/Vaughn aren’t.
Sheets has a -1.0 WAR on the year and Pollock is neutral. Happ is at 2.9 currently. Our bunch of those guys aren’t very good. It would depend on the prospect, but it’d be worth kick the tires over.
Totally agree on both your points, exactly what I was thinking.
I’m not saying they should sit on their hands, but the fact is their minor league system is pretty bad, and they don’t have the prospects to get premium players. For Colas and/or Vera, the only guys I would deal for would be Soto or Castillo. I’m fine with dealing lower level prospects for Quintana or Happ. But in the end, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.
Happ has only played LF this year, he isn’t even a right fielder. I’m not sure that minus a trade of Eloy or Pollock, that Happ is even a great fit for this roster at all. They have too many corner (especially left) outfielder/DH’s. Eloy, Vaughn, Pollock, plus Grandal splits time at DH. Eloy is starting to hit better, maybe. He can be just as good as Happ, if he finds himself again he is better. Pollock has had a good week and might be coming around, and like it or not he is due 10M next year. Happ would be a big improvement only if Eloy and Pollock do nothing. To give up Colas or Vera, two of their only prospects with any realistic hope of being average or above major leaguers, I don’t see the value in that. Happ is not a masher like Soto who could turn a playoff series. There is a chasm of difference between the Sox and the Astros/Yankees. Happ isn’t that difference, nor does he close it substantially. Soto or Castillo are about the only 2 that qualify, or if they got a premium 2b.
And that’s fine. I’m sympathetic with that. But that might result in them sitting on their hands. If they aren’t willing to meet the asking prices for these players because they value their prospects, that’s okay and I’m generally fine if they do that. As long as you realize you might be saying they should sit on their hands.
I think in 2022 that sitting on their hands (except a lefty RP) would be better than trading one or more of their few potentially + MLBers for a mild upgrade, if at all.
I greatly prefer them sitting on their hands to trading Colas and/or Vera for anybody other than Soto or Castillo. Quintana should be available for a lot less than that, we’ll see.
I don’t even see the point of getting Quintana. Would it be to eat innings, or with an eye on the playoffs? Both are stupid.
I mean… what? You may not think he’s worth the prospects. But he would obviously help. Lynn and Giolito are struggling, Kopech’s innings are likely to be strictly limited soon, and Cueto is likely headed for some regression. The Sox could use another starting pitcher. Are you suggesting they should just use a worse pitcher than Quintana? He’s actually been quite good.
Sure, Cueto could regress. But so could Quintana; look at his entire body of work since he left the Sox and tell me that it’s unlikely. I’d rather give Davis Martin a shot than trade for Quintana, but to be fair I’m always in favor of giving a young guy a shot over making that type of trade.
The continuing babying of Kopech is definitely weird though. Makes me wonder if there will ever be a point where the Sox start treating him like an MLB starting pitcher. Kinda doubt it at this point.
They’ve babied Kopech a lot less than I thought they would. He’s thrown almost 90 innings, only 3 less than Giolito. Unless they shut him down at some point (are there rumors of that? I had not heard), he might wind up with 140 innings, which is twice what he threw last year. That’s not too much babying. It was a little weird that he did not pitch more last year, to me.
As long as he keeps pitching well, he seems like he is on a decent pace to keep going 5-6 as needed, which is quite valuable to them.
There’s been nothing said about Kopech, only speculation by people outside the org. There’s also been little sign he is tiring at all. As you say, he’s currently on a decent pace, maybe he’ll reduce his pitch count some down the stretch but he’s not showing signs yet.
Maybe we’ll need to pick up 3-5 starts over the next 2 months, maybe, that can be gotten from within by either Martin or Lambert or BP days. It’s not something we need to waste precious trade capitol on. Everyone else needs pitching, be lucky that we don’t as it’s going to be expensive.
Injury is another rotation concern. Are these guys all going to hold up for 2 more month? And Lynn may need to rest his knees along the way.
Cueto’s FIP is about the same as last season. He has just avoided some big innings. Am less concerned about regression than health
Injury is a concern for every position, are we to trade for everybody’s replacement? In fact the SPs have stay much healthier the last couple of years than position players. SP is not a need for this team, it’s a nice to have or worse a source of contention.
That’s fair. I’m very torn on the extent to which I’d prefer the Sox to either (a) trade prospects not close to maximize the current window or (b) keep prospects to extend the window. I think I lean toward (b), but I go back and forth.
Either way, I wouldn’t be upset if they traded either of these guys for Happ. I don’t think it’s a slam dunk. But I think it helps this team this year and next—something I don’t expect from Colas or Vera.
Yeah, we might as well ride or die with the current crew. I’d much rather see if this team has the heart to get back into on their own than trade away young talent for middling people who are unlikely to do anything meaningful for us.
Does Colas have a strong enough arm to play right field?
Yup. It’s his best defensive attribute.
He was briefly (if not at all realistically) billed as the “Cuban Ohtani” because his NPB team had him pitching a little, where he was sitting 95. That and fringe CF range should translate to a pretty decent defender in RF.
I know rosters didn’t expand as much during Covid, is that still the case? If Colas continues to crush AA, would they move him to AAA or even a jump straight up to the majors? Or is it too late in the year and they’ll just have him finish with the Barons.
Unless it was part of a Soto deal(not happening), Colas is untouchable to me.
The Brewers have jumped out 3-0 after 3 batters in their game with Twins and Burnes is on the hill for the Brewers.
I’m glad to see this as someone who hopes the Sox win the division.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not optimistic about this team’s chances in October vs. several teams that are clearly better. But I’m not the least bit worried that they won’t win the division, I put their chances at like 80-90 percent. The next 18 games are amazing in terms of contrast of strength of schedule compared to their division rivals. By mid august the Sox should have a lead, with a few head to head games against their rivals that they should do no worse than .500 in after that to seal the deal.
I’m not one of the optimists here except when it comes to the division. As bad as the Sox have been, they are still a stone’s throw from first place. Their division is creampuff, it’s a shame because it lets them get away with pitiful offseasons like the past two without paying a high price like not making the playoffs. If they were in the AL East, forget about it.
The most optimistic posters only want to win the division and then hope for a few good starting pitcher performances in the playoffs.
I hope your calling the 2020 and 2021 seasons “pitiful” is hyperbole. If not, you may want to consider rooting for a better baseball team.
I believe he was referring to the last 2 off seasons. I personally still consider 2020 season as “unfortunate” in the grand scheme of things though a more generous telling could called it a “False Positive”.
I mostly keep it to myself, but I’m firmly in the “anything can happen in the playoffs” camp. Cease could be a series MVP. Giolito and Lynn could be healthy. Kopech could become a flamethrowing reliever. The ideal lineup of Anderson, Moncada, Robert, Abreu, Vaughn, Grandal, Jimenez, and a potential upgrade in RF and 2B (or Harrison and Pollock if necessary) should be as potent as anyone when all healthy and available. Our top end talent can compete when it’s available, but we’re not very deep. But if we don’t need the depth by the time the playoffs roll around I can imagine a non-zero probability of making a deep run.
Unless they land Soto, I would disagree strongly that their lineup is as potent as anyone. I think that’s a lot of wishful thinking from an inflated record and stats the past two years because of the division they play in. Had signed Semien like any of us would have done if we had the authority, instead of having league worst 2b production, they would be closer to a top tier offense if they got it together. As it stands, they can still be shut down by right handed pitching quite easily – just like they have since the start of 2020.
“As potent as anyone” would include New York and Toronto. I don’t think this team’s lineup when fully healthy, whatever that means, is as potent as either of those two lineups when fully healthy. Those two teams, along with Houston, are going to be tough matchups for us if we are lucky enough to get there.
Reinsdorf is firmly in the “anything can happen in the playoffs” camp too. It’s why they might go through 3 or 4 years of this rebuild with basically the same team and no major free agent signings.
I thought using the word “offseasons” removed ambiguity, but to clarify I meant that their free agent signings and hiring La Roosa were pitiful, that sort of thing. And no hyperbole there.