Treading Water

Have two teams with identical 6-10 records face off in a doubleheader, and what happens? Well, yesterday the Phillies and White Sox split, that’s what. Philadelphia took the first game, 7-4, with Lance Lynn doing a spot-on Dallas Keuchel imitation, giving up five runs on ten singles and three walks in 5.1 innings. The only difference is that, after a start, Lynn will tell reporters he stinks and needs to do better, rather than say how close he is to being back to his old self. Same result, though. The Sox got all their runs in one inning, just like they did on Sunday, just like they would do in game two. Because Jake Burger hit the ball very hard and long—a three-run homer that travelled 417 feet with an exit velocity of 118.2 mph—and Lucas Giolito threw six no-hit innings, the Sox took game two, 3-0. A few things about that. First, Burger, who now has five homers and ten RBIs for the season. Second, Giolito, who is in his walk year. Something has to give here with these two. Burger is no Yoan Moncada defensively, but, beyond a nice glove, what does Moncada offer, exactly? He’s had one nice season, and that was back in 2019. Every year since has been marred by illness and/or injury. He’s eligible to come off the IL on Friday, but manager Pedro Grifol sounds like Moncada’s sore back isn’t one-hundred percent healed.. Now, Giolito, who’ll drive you nuts trying to figure out what kind of pitcher he is. Also keep in mind…Lance Lynn, who either makes $18 million next year or has his option bought out for $1 million. Another year of a brutally honest Dallas Keuchel? Or do you swallow hard and sign Giolito long-term? Or do you work one or more trades involving Burger; Moncada; Giolito; and/or Lynn? I can live without Moncada and Lynn. But the real question is, can the Sox do without Burger and Giolito?