Tag / Draft

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The Annual Selloff Begins

With the trade deadline approaching, the White Sox made their first deal, sending outfielder Austin Slater to the Yankees for right-handed pitcher Gage Ziehl.  Slater, 32, was signed as a free agent last November and has five home runs in 123 at bats this season.  Ziehl, 22, was the Yankees’ fourth round pick in the 2024 draft and has split time between three levels in the Yankee system and is their 18th ranked prospect.

We have less than 29 hours to go until the deadline, so I expect there to be more moves, both by the White Sox and the Cubs, coming soon.

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Crossing Sides Of Town

So far in 2025, Brad Keller, Mike Tauchman, Nicky Lopez, and Reese McGuire pushed the total of players I’ve seen take the field in person for both the Cubs and the White Sox to 47.  With the final round of crosstown kicking off tonight at Rate Field, here’s a look at those players, in alphabetical order.

David Aardsma

After posting a decent season with the Cubs in 2006, Aardsma was traded to the White Sox for Neal Cotts.  Aardsma lasted one season with the Sox, where he was unable to duplicate his success from the year before.

Jason Bere

Drafted by the White Sox in the 36th round in 1990, Bere debuted with the big-league club in 1993, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting.  After an All Star selection in 1994, injuries marred the remainder of his tenure on the South Side, which ended in 1998.  He resurfaced with the Cubs in 2001 and had a decent season, but he went 1-10 in 2002 before being let go.

Emilio Bonifacio

Bonifacio spent back-to-back partial seasons in Chicago, first for the Cubs in 2014 after signing as a free agent, where he played decently enough to be flipped at the trade deadline, along with James Russell, to the Braves for a young catching prospect by the name of Victor Caratini.  He returned to Chicago in 2015, signing with the White Sox, where he he did not do well at all, hitting .167 in 47 games before being released in August.

Welington Castillo

Debuting with the Cubs in 2010, Castillo spent time behind the plate for the Cubs until May of 2015, when, having been replaced in the starting lineup by Miguel Montero, he was flipped to the Mariners.  He returned to Chicago in 2018 after signing with the White Sox as a free agent.  On May 24th of that season, he was suspended 80 games for a violation of the PED policy.  The White Sox then cut bait following the 2019 season, shipping him off to the Rangers.

Neal Cotts

Acquired by the White Sox in the Billy Koch trade, he debuted with the team in 2003.  He was a key contributor in the bullpen during the 2005 championship season and was the only relief pitcher to appear in all 3 rounds of the playoffs that season.  Following the 2006 season, he was traded to the Cubs for David Aardsma, and he spent the next 3 injury filled seasons on the North Side.

Scott Eyre

Joining the White Sox organization in a 1994 trade with the Rangers, he debuted with the big-league team in 1997.  He split the next 4 seasons between the rotation and the bullpen, not to mention between Chicago and Charlotte, before being moved to the Blue Jays following the 2000 ALDS loss to the Mariners.  He joined the Cubs as a free agent for the 2006 season and enjoyed 2 seasons of relative success, before falling apart in 2008, when he was traded to the Phillies.

Clint Frazier

After missing the second half of 2021 with an injury, Frazier was DFA’d by the Yankees.  He signed a deal with the Cubs that offseason, though he notched just 45 plate appearances before being DFA’s once again.  He chose to finish the year in the Cubs system before becoming a free agent following the season.  After failing to catch on with the Rangers, he signed a minor league deal with the White Sox, eventually hitting .197 in 33 games with the big-league club.

Kosuke Fukudome Continue reading →

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iTunes Top 200: #6

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

We continue this week with the two tracks tied for sixth on this countdown with 152 plays apiece, both of which have ties to the local ballclub and neither of which would classify as a traditional song.

#7: sox05_montage
iTunes stats: 152 plays, most recently on 8/28/2024
Previous ranking: #6

In 2005, the White Sox won their first division title since 2000, their first ALDS and ALCS ever, and, finally, their first World Series championship since 1917.  This track contains radio highlights from John Rooney and Ed Farmer, courtesy of the team’s flagship ESPN 1000, of the entire 2005 season, starting with a 1-0 victory over Cleveland at US Cellular Field and culminating in a 1-0 victory against the Astros in Houston to give the White Sox their first championship in 88 years.  It featured on my White Sox victory playlists for the next decade, finally dropping off in 2015.

#6: Gordon Beckham Intro
iTunes stats: 152 plays, most recently on 6/27/2024
Previous ranking: #6

Drafted by the White Sox as the eighth overall pick in 2008, Gordon Beckham made a splash when he first broke into the Major Leagues in 2009.  He used The Outfield’s hit Your Love as his walkup song, which was not part of my collection at the time.  This recording, featuring Gene Honda introducing the former White Sox infielder as he came up to the plate, was a part of my White Sox victory playlist until I was able to track down a copy of the real thing.

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Cutting Bait

Never quite reaching the promise of when he was drafted, Andrew Vaughn’s tenure on the Southside ended Friday when he was traded to the Brewers for pitcher Aaron Civale.  Vaughn, the third overall pick of the 2019 draft by the White Sox, spent just 55 games in the minor leagues before making his debut with the big-league club in 2021.  Expected to be the next in a long line of mashers a first base, following Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, and Jose Abreu, Vaughn never quite lived up to that reputation.  His best season came in 2023 and, even then, he was worth only 1.1 WAR.  His struggles this year, which saw him sent back to Charlotte on May 23, wiped out all of the positive gains of his career, leaving him with a negative WAR.  He was looking at a non-tender at the end of this season, so getting something useful back for him is surprising.

Civale has a 40-37 in seven seasons with the Guardians, Rays, and Brewers.  He should fill the hole left by Martin Perez’s injury, giving the young pitching staff a veteran presence.

Vaughn’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

Continue reading →

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Making A Move

Looking to make a splash of their own, the Cubs acquired outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Astros in exchange for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski, and Cam Smith.  Tucker, 27, is a three-time All-Star and has averaged over 5 WAR over the past four seasons.  He is in his final year of arbitration and will become a free agent after the season.

The price for this single season of Tucker is fairly steep.  Paredes, reacquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline last summer, was penciled in as the starting third baseman and was under cheap team control through 2027.  Wesneski split time between the bullpen and the rotation last year and was a useful piece.  Smith was the team’s 2024 first round draft choice and is the 73rd ranked prospect in baseball.

Given Tucker’s contract situation, this looks like a win-now move for a team that has been mired in mediocracy since tearing down the remnants of their championship roster in 2021.  The next steps would seem to be moving on from Cody Bellinger to free up salary.  What happens after that is anyone’s guess at this point.

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Here We Go Again

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.  In order to jumpstart their latest rebuilding effort, the White Sox have traded their stud left-handed starter to the Red Sox for four prospects.  Hopefully the end result will be different from the Chris Sale deal back in 2016.  This time around, Garrett Crochet is heading east, while the White Sox will receive catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez.

Crochet was the 11th overall selection by the White Sox in the 2020 draft.  Thanks to the pandemic, he didn’t spend any time in the minor leagues before making his major league debut on September 18, throwing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts against the Reds.  Crochet worked out of the bullpen for the remainder of the year, giving up just three hits without allowing a run to score in five appearances as the White Sox made the post-season for the first time since 2008.  He made a single appearance in the Wild Card round against the A’s, striking out the two batters he faced.

Crochet returned to the bullpen in 2021, going 3-5 with a 2.82 ERA.  He appeared in three of the four games in the ALDS against the Astros, giving up five hits in just two and a third innings without surrendering a run.  An elbow injury and Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2022 season, and he returned to the big leagues in 2023, making thirteen appearances with a 3.55 ERA.

Last year, following the Dylan Cease trade, Crochet moved to the starting rotation full time and was named the opening day starter.  Coming off the injury and having totaled 73 total career innings, he was restricted to save his arm.  After notching his first All-Star, he struggled a little in the second half, finishing the season with 32 starts and a 6-2 record, posting a 3.58 ERA.

Teel, ranked as the #25 prospect in all of baseball, is the centerpiece of the deal.  A 22-year-old left-handed hitter, he was the first round draft choice of the Red Sox in 2023.  He split 2024 between Double A and Triple A and is expected to be ready to reach the major leagues next year.  Montgomery, a 21-year-old switch hitter, is ranked as the #54 prospect and was the top pick for the Red Sox in this summer’s draft.  Meidroth, a 23-year-old right hander, spent last season in Triple A, showing good plate discipline with little pop.  Gonzalez, 22, posted a 4.73 ERA in Double A last season, working mostly as a starter.

Will this deal work out better for the White Sox than the Sale trade did eight years ago?  Only time will tell, as the south siders look to bounce back from the worst season in baseball history.

Crochet’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were: Continue reading →

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2024 Hall Of Fame Ballot – The Newcomers

On Monday, the BBWAA released their ballot for the Hall of Fame class of 2023, with the results of the vote are due to be revealed on January 23rd, and induction taking place July 21st.  With Scott Rolen as the sole electee last year, the new ballot contains fourteen holdovers along with twelve newcomers.

Yesterday, we looked at the returning candidates.  Today, it’s time to look at the newcomers and who see may be thankful come January.

Jose Bautista

The long-time Blue Jays slugger will likely get enough consideration to stick around on the ballot, but has no real chance at induction.

Adrián Beltré

Beltré finished his career with 3166 hits, 477 home runs, and 5 Gold Gloves at third base.  He is the closest thing to a shoo-in we’ve seen in years.

Bartolo Colon

The all-time wins leader, with 247, among Latin American pitchers, Colon will end up on the outside looking in, thanks to a 4.12 career ERA and a PED suspension in 2012.

Adrián González

The first overall pick of the 2000 draft, González put together a very fine career.  Just not one that will get him to Cooperstown.

Matt Holliday

Again, Holliday had a very fine career, although he will get dinged for part of that career taking place in Colorado, but I don’t see him getting in.

Victor Martinez

If he spent his entire career playing against the White Sox, he would be a first ballot, all-time great.  Unfortunately, he had to play against the other teams as well, which means he has to “settle” for having a very good career, but not a Hall of Fame career.

Joe Mauer

One MVP award, three Gold Gloves, and three batting titles, as a catcher, make me think Mauer will eventually find his way to Cooperstown, but he may need to wait a while.

Brandon Phillips Continue reading →

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That’s A Bummer

The tear down of the disappointing 2023 White Sox continued late last night, when Chris Getz pulled the trigger on his first trade, sending Aaron Bummer to the Braves for Mike Soroka, Jared Shuster, Nicky Lopez, Braden Shewmake, and Riley Gowens.  Bummer, selected by the White Sox in the 19th round of the 2014 draft, debuted with the team in July of 2017.  Since then, he has been a steady presence in the bullpen, appearing in 289 games over the past seven seasons.  He struggled in 2023, posting a career-worst 6.79 ERA.

Mike Soroka, 26, went 2-2 with a 6.40 ERA in seven games for the Braves in 2023 while working his way back from injury.  He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a 2020 start and then re-tore it again in 2021 while rehabbing from the initial injury, causing him to miss the entire 2022 season as well.

Jared Shuster, a left-handed pitcher, made his major league debut for the Braves in 2023.  He made eleven starts with the big-league club, going 4-3 with a 5.81 ERA.  Nicky Lopez, a local product who attended Naperville Central high school, spent parts of five seasons with the Royals (of course!) before being traded to the Braves last July at the trade deadline.  He is a career .249 hitter with 6 home runs.

Braden Shewmake, a 25-year-old shortstop, was the 15th ranked prospect in the Braves organization.  He made two appearances for the Braves in May during a brief call-up.  Riley Gowens is another local product, a 24-year-old pitcher from Libertyville who played college ball at Illinois.  He made five appearances in the Braves system after being selected in the 2023 draft.

Bummer’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

Continue reading →

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A Change Can Do You Good

New general manager Chris Getz put his first stamp on the White Sox organization yesterday, declining the team’s $14 million option on Tim Anderson’s contract for 2024, making him a free agent.  Anderson, who was arguably the face of the franchise, saw his fortunes fall in the second half of 2022 and continued to freefall in 2023.

Drafter by the White Sox in the first round in 2013, Tim Anderson made his major league debut on June 10, 2016, going 2-3 in a victory against the Royals at US Cellular Field.  Replacing veteran Jimmy Rollins, who would be released five days later, Anderson played 99 games, hitting .283 with nine home runs, and finished seventh in Rookie of the Year balloting.  Showing that he was still a work in progress, Anderson slashed .257/.276/.402 in 2017, with a 2.1% walk rate, the lowest in the major leagues.  Defensively, he led the major leagues in errors, with 28, as well as fielding errors (16) and throwing errors (12).  He showed slight improvements in 2018, with slight improvements in his OBP and slugging percentage, while reducing his overall errors.

2019 was Anderson’s coming out party.  He led the major leagues with a .335 average while raising his OPS to .865, setting career highs with 167 hits, 32 doubles, and 81 runs.  He still had some issues on defense, leading all major league players with 26 errors, leading to the lowest fielding percentage amongst all shortstops.  His hot bat continued into the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, notching a .322 average and an .886 OPS.  He won his first Silver Slugger award while leading the White Sox to their first post-season appearance since 2008.  He thrived in the Wild Card series against the A’s, going 9-14 in the three-game series.

Anderson continued to prove that he his offensive improvement wasn’t a fluke when baseball returned full time in 2021.  He was named to his first All Star team and, on the game’s biggest stage, he hit a walk-off home run against the Yankees in the inaugural Field of Dreams game in the cornfields of Iowa.  Overall, he hit .309 and posted an .807 OPS while hitting 17 home runs and driving in 61 RBIs.  Continuing where he left off the previous October, Anderson hit .368 in the ALDS against the Astros.

Things started to sour for Anderson in 2022, both on the field and off.  Injuries limited him to just 79 games and left him with his lowest OPS since 2018.  Off the field, an Instagram post by a woman who was not Anderson’s wife insinuated they were in a relationship, and he was the father of her unborn child.  Looking for a fresh start, Anderson played with Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, earning praise from manager Mark DeRose and outfielder Mike Trout.  Unfortunately, those good vibes did not spill over to the 2023 season.  After an early injury, Anderson struggled the entire year, his OPS dropped to a career-low .582 and he managed just a single home run.

Now Anderson will look to rebuild his career outside of the only franchise he has ever known while the White Sox look to find a stopgap shortstop for 2024 until 2021 first round draft pick Colson Montgomery is ready to take the reins.

Anderson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

Continue reading →

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Cleaning House

In a shocking development, the White Sox announced this afternoon that executive vice president Kenny Williams and senior vice president and general manager Rick Hahn have been relieved of their duties, effective immediately.  The team, expected to be in the middle of a contention window following a rebuild at the end of the last decade, find themselves 49-76 heading into tonight’s game.

Williams first joined the White Sox as a player via the 3rd round of the 1982 draft.  He debuted with the team in 1986 and spent parts of the following two seasons with the club.  He rejoined the White Sox organization following his retirement as a scout in November of 1992 before becoming a special assistant to Jerry Reinsdorf in 1994.  The following year, he was named director of minor league operations from 1995-1996 and served as vice president of player development from 1997-2000.  Following the 2000 season, Williams was named general manager, just the third African American in baseball history to hold the position.  He was elevated to the executive vice president role following the 2012 season, the role he served until this afternoon.

Hahn joined the White Sox organization in 2002 as the assistant general manager.  He was promoted to general manager following the 2012 season.  He was responsible for convincing Jerry Reinsdorf of the need for the rebuild and did a spectacular job of tearing down the major league team to the studs, bringing in a bevy of prospects.  It was that next step, of surrounding those prospects with the right mix of free agent veterans, where Hahn failed, either of his own accord or due to meddling from his superiors.

The announcement from the White Sox says that they plan to have a “single decision maker to lead the baseball operations department” and that they anticipate having this person in place by the end of the season.  Does Jerry Reinsdorf have it in him to bring someone new into the organization?  Or will he promote from within?  We should have the answer sometime in the next six weeks.