Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Silver Lining


Silver Lining

 

According to reports, the White Sox offered Manny Machado $250 million guaranteed with another $100 million in incentives.  Incentives for Mr. “I’m not Johnny Hustle”?  Little wonder that Machado took a guaranteed $300 million from the Padres.


The good news here is that the White Sox front office now has nowhere to hide—in year three of a rebuild, their young players will either start to perform as hoped or they’ll start their way out the door, in which case team V.P. Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn should be right behind them.  I mean, what kind of brain trust uses their #1 draft pick last June for a middle infielder (Nick Madrigal) and then pursues a free agent third baseman who wants to become a middle infielder?

 

If Yoan Moncada was worth the price of Chris Sale, he should be able to make the switch to third (and cut way down on his 217 strikeouts last season).  If Eloy Jimenez is the real deal, he’s got left.  If Tim Anderson’s improved play at shortstop rubs off on his hitting, that helps the top of the order.  Throw in Adam Engel (see Anderson, above) along with Paul Bunyan, aka Daniel Palka, and you’ve got yourself a fun bunch to watch until Madrigal and/or starter Dylan Cease get post-All Star Game call ups.  No Manny Machado signing required.

And if Moncada et al don't pan out.  Then start showing them the door along with the execs who brought them here. 

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