Andrew Benintendi out 4-6 weeks with fracture

The White Sox collected their first spring win of the season Thursday, defeating the Cleveland Guardians, 4-2.

The victory came at a price, however, as left fielder Andrew Benintendi will miss four to six weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand. The veteran was struck with a pitch from Cleveland left-hander Logan Allen in the bottom of the first inning.

The injury comes exactly four weeks before the season opener on March 27, so we should not expect to see Benintendi back in the lineup by then. Mid-April is probably a more realistic timeline.

Earlier this month, I noted that the Sox outfield was pretty much set, with Luis Robert Jr., Benintendi, Austin Slater, Mike Tauchman and Michael A. Taylor all in camp on major league contracts.

The injury gods had other ideas, and now there's a spot open. Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas are the other two outfielders on the 40-man roster, so one would assume that opportunity will knock for one of them.

If I'm being honest, I've seen about enough of Colas. I've watched three of the six spring games, and I've already seen the 26-year-old Cuban make two egregious defensive miscues -- including one where a fly ball smacked him right in the face. 

Fletcher, 27, played 72 games with the Sox last season, and he demonstrated that he cannot hit. He batted just .206/.252/.256 with one home run, only eight doubles and 17 RBIs. That said, Fletcher has shown that he is a plus defender at corner outfield spots, and he can stand in center field in a pinch (although Taylor is best suited to back up Robert Jr. in that role.)

When choosing a backup outfielder, I prefer the guy who can catch the ball, so I'll take Fletcher over Colas.

If you're wondering about free agent outfielders, Alex Verdugo, Aaron Hicks, Robbie Grossman, Adam Duvall and David Peralta are all still out there.

Verdugo, 29, is the only one of that group younger than age 35. He batted .233/.291/.356 with the New York Yankees last season. That doesn't wow anyone, and it seems unlikely that Sox ownership will open the wallet to raise the floor of the team to compensate for a short-term injury.

Fletcher or Colas it shall likely be.

Chris Getz quote ... cringeworthy

White Sox general manager Chris Getz had his usual start-of-a-homestand press conference before Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians.

Check out his lead quote from this article on ESPN.com:

"I think if you would have told me we were going to end up flirting with the record I would have been a little surprised," Getz said on Monday afternoon. "Now if you would have told me prior to the year that we would have ended up with over 100 losses, 105, 110, I wouldn't have been as surprised. But this is the cards that we've been dealt at this point. You try to make the best of it, and I think it's an opportunity to embrace the situation that we're in."

Where to start with this? There are three key points.

First, the Sox are not "flirting with the record." After Monday's 5-3 loss to Cleveland, their record is 33-112. They are on pace for 125 losses. The all-time record is 120 losses. The Sox are poised to blow right by this record and obliterate it. "Flirting" my ass.

Second, Getz speaks of "the cards we've been dealt." Chris, my man, you're the dealer. You're the general manager. You're responsible for the makeup of the roster.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, anti-tanking rules prevent the Sox from drafting any higher than 10th in the 2025 MLB draft. So, why would you be OK going into a season with a roster that could lose 105 or 110 games without it being a surprise? 

This is losing without a purpose. There is no development occurring at the big league level. There is no promise of a top draft choice as a result of all this losing. This isn't failing while getting better. It's just failure, and it's a waste of fans' time.

Thank goodness I haven't spent a single cent at Guaranteed Rate Field this season.

It's not Gavin Sheets' fault

Gavin Sheets went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs on Wednesday night.

The White Sox still lost, 7-6, in 10 innings to the Cleveland Guardians.

That's because the Sox only went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position. All three of those hits were by Sheets, including a 3-run homer in the top of the third inning that put the Sox ahead 5-0.

But for the second straight night, the Sox blew a five-run lead. On Tuesday, they were able to overcome that and win anyway.

On Wednesday, the game went extra innings. The Sox took a 6-5 lead in the 10th on an RBI double by ... Sheets, of course. 

Sheets got to third with one out on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Pillar, but Andrew Benintendi and Martin Maldonado both struck out.

For some reason, manager Pedro Grifol summoned washed-up veteran Bryan Shaw to try to protect the one-run lead. Naturally, Shaw allowed the ghost runner to score, plus one more, and lost the game. Typical.

The Sox are 2-10. Only 150 more games of this crap to go.

Yoan Moncada injured in White Sox win at Cleveland

Yoan Moncada (right)

During spring training, White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said his goal was to play 150 games during the 2024 season, alongside teammates Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

That's not looking possible right now. Only 11 games into the season, Jimenez and Robert are already on the injured list, and Moncada is almost certainly heading there after suffering an adductor strain during Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

Moncada was ... wait for it ... running to first base in the second inning after hitting a grounder to the left side of the infield. He went down as if he were shot about halfway down the line and rolled around in agony.

After the game, manager Pedro Grifol described Moncada as being in "severe pain" on the field. He added that more would be known tomorrow after the injury is evaluated.

Reports indicate the Sox will call up outfielder Oscar Colas to take Moncada's spot on the roster ahead of Wednesday's series finale in Cleveland.

Two of the top prospects in the Sox farm system are infielders -- shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Bryan Ramos. However, neither is ready for the majors, and the Sox are wisely resisting the temptation to call them up prematurely.

Montgomery, who is at Triple-A Charlotte, and Ramos, who is at Double-A Birmingham, should be allowed to continue their development in the minor leagues. They should be called up when they are ready for the big leagues. They should NOT be called up to solve a crisis in Chicago.

As for the game, the Sox scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but starting pitcher Michael Soroka couldn't hold it. The Guardians tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

That's where the score stayed until the top of the eighth, when Dominic Fletcher delivered a two-run double to put the Sox ahead 7-5.

Michael Kopech took it from there, firing two scoreless innings of relief for his second save of the season. The right-hander retired all six men he faced, four by strikeout, and threw 15 pitches that were 100 mph or faster. It was the kind of performance you'd like to see more often from Kopech.

The Sox are 2-9.

2024 MLB Draft Lottery results

Major League Baseball held its Draft Lottery on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings. And here is your 2024 draft order:

1. Guardians
2. Reds
3. Rockies
4. Athletics
5. White Sox
6. Royals
7. Cardinals
8. Angels
9. Pirates
10. Nationals
11. Tigers
12. Red Sox
13. Giants
14. Cubs
15. Mariners
16. Marlins
17. Brewers
18. Rays
19. Mets
20. Blue Jays
21. Twins
22. Orioles
23. Dodgers
24. Braves
25. Padres
26. Yankees
27. Phillies
28. Astros
29. D-backs
30. Rangers
31. D-backs
32. Orioles
33. Twins

The Sox had the fourth-worst record in baseball in 2023, and thus had the fourth-best odds for getting the No. 1 pick at 14.7%. Instead, they drop down to the No. 5 spot.

In addition, the Sox will pick no higher than No. 10 in the 2025 draft, because large-market teams cannot be in the lottery in back-to-back seasons, according to the terms of the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Keep that in mind next season, when casual fans excuse terrible play and justify mounting losses by saying, "At least the Sox will get a better draft pick." Actually, no they will not.

And, of course, AL Central rival Cleveland gets the top selection, even though the Guardians only had a 2.0% chance of doing so. Nobody can say it was fixed.

Lucas Giolito struggles through poor start against Mets

Lucas Giolito

On Tuesday afternoon, I saw a Twitter poll asking whether Lucas Giolito's start against the New York Mets would be his last as a member of the White Sox.

It's a reasonable question. After all, the Sox entered Tuesday's action 15 games below .500 and eight games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division. Giolito is in the last year of his contract, and he would have value for a contending team.

I voted "no" in the poll. My opinion was the minority one. At the time I voted, 64% of respondents said "yes."

But here's why I think Giolito will hang around for one more start and perhaps two: The Sox play at Minnesota this weekend, and the team very clearly set their post All-Star break rotation with that series in mind. Lance Lynn will pitch Friday. Dylan Cease is scheduled to work Saturday, and Giolito's next turn is Sunday. 

These three games against the Twins represent the last gasp of the season. If the Sox were to somehow sweep that series and get within, say, five games of the division lead, management would probably delay their sell-off for another week -- at least until the four-game set against the Cleveland Guardians from July 27-30 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Guardians are another team the Sox need to catch, and Giolito would be scheduled to work the third game of that four-game set -- if there are no changes to the rotation.

You might be saying this is all pie in the sky. You might be saying that the Sox suck, and they are out of it. And I agree with you 100%. But you have to think along with team brass here. They still believe they assembled a "talented" roster, and I expect them to fight to the death.

By the time that Cleveland series is over, the Sox still have time to trade key players before the deadline, if they indeed are buried in the division race. And let's be honest: Not much gets done in MLB until right before the deadline. Teams are trying to broker the best deal possible, and they often don't move until the last possible minute.

Back to Tuesday's start ... Giolito was awful. He had his worst start in a long time, allowing eight earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. He struck out five, walked five and allowed three home runs in a 11-10 loss.

Those same Sox fans on Twitter are having a meltdown in the wake of this poor performance, believing Giolito has "cratered" his trade value.

With all due respect, that is pure idiocy.

Giolito had allowed two earned runs or less in six of his previous seven starts. He's had a good season overall. 

Not to mention, he's been in the American League for six-plus seasons. He's a veteran pitcher, with a huge career sample size and a well-established track record. GMs and scouts know exactly what Giolito can do -- and what he cannot do. 

Fans allow their emotions to get involved when they see a poor result, but that's not the way to look at the situation. Those who work in baseball are not going to change their assessment of a player based upon one game. They are going to take a bigger-picture view of that player's performance.

Giolito is almost certainly going to be dealt by the end of the month. A contender will want him. And the Sox should get a respectable return, at least as far as rental players go.

Michael Kopech dominates for second straight outing

At one point in time, Michael Kopech was the White Sox prospect I was most excited about. I even said as much on a hype video that was played during the opening ceremonies at SoxFest 2018.

However, between injuries and inconsistency, Kopech has never lived up to the high hopes I had for him. Recently, I've been telling friends, "I think he's good enough to be a starting pitcher in the majors, but he's not special."

Two games isn't enough to change that assessment, but that said, Kopech has been special in his past two outings.

On Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland, Kopech struck out nine and allowed only two hits over seven shutout innings, leading the Sox to a 6-0 victory over the Guardians.

This comes on the heels of Kopech's win over the Kansas City Royals last Friday, when he flirted with a perfect game and allowed only hit over eight shutout innings.

Here's the combined line for Kopech over his past two starts:

15 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 19 Ks, 1 BB

Kopech (3-4) has lowered his ERA from 5.74 to 4.24. What's different? Well, he's sticking with his best pitch -- the fastball -- and commanding it exceptionally well. Kopech walked 28 batters over his first eight starts. Now, he's stopped issuing free passes.

Of the 92 pitches Kopech threw Wednesday, 62 were strikes. Coincidentally, he also threw 62 fastballs, which generated 12 of Cleveland's 16 swing-and-misses on the day. 

Some might say both Kansas City and Cleveland are weak-hitting teams, and that's not wrong. But I would counter by saying we've seen the Royals and Guardians crush Sox pitching before, so I'm not going to demean the accomplishment.

It's also worth noting that this was only the 43rd start of Kopech's career. That's somewhat hard to believe, since he made his major league debut almost five years ago. Perhaps there's still some growth to be made, given his relative inexperience -- in terms of starts and innings, not years of service.

It sure would help the Sox if Kopech becomes a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

The Sox are 21-30.

White Sox bats arrive in late innings at Cleveland

Dylan Cease

Remember when the White Sox were 15-0 against left-handed starters in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season? 

Unfortunately, you can't count on that as an offensive strength for the Sox anymore. Entering Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians, the South Siders were 2-7 this season when facing a left-handed pitcher.

Make it 3-7.

It didn't look good early, but the Sox bats arrived in the late innings to beat Cleveland and lefty Logan Allen, 4-2.

Through four innings, the Sox managed only one hit and trailed, 1-0. But catcher Yasmani Grandal hit his fourth home run of the season -- on an 0-2 pitch, no less -- to tie the game at 1.

Cleveland retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Josh Naylor, but the 2-1 advantage would be short-lived.

The first five Sox batters reached base against Allen in the top of the seventh. Andrew Vaughn reached on an infield single and advanced to third on a double by Andrew Benintendi.

Vaughn scored when Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez booted a grounder off Grandal's bat. Clint Frazier walked to loaded the bases, with still no outs, and Romy Gonzalez delivered a two-run double to put the Sox ahead, 4-2.

The line stopped moving there, however. Enyel De Los Santos relieved for Cleveland, and he struck out Tim Anderson, Jake Burger and Luis Robert Jr. in succession to strand runners on second and third.

That was a missed opportunity to blow the game wide open, but it turned out that was all the runs the Sox needed.

Dylan Cease (3-3) picked up his first win since April 10 with six innings of two-run ball. The Sox ace was once again lacking his swing-and-miss stuff, as he struck out only three. But he walked only two and limited the Guardians to five hits.

Keynan Middleton, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Graveman -- who earned his fourth save of 2023 -- allowed a walk and a hit, but a well-timed double play kept the Guardians off the board. 

The Sox are 20-30. The Guardians are 21-27.

White Sox limited to three hits in loss at Cleveland

So much for the good vibes from that series sweep of Kansas City, huh?

The White Sox managed only three hits Monday and lost, 3-0, to the Cleveland Guardians in the first game of a three-game series in Cleveland. 

Cleveland starter Hunter Gaddis entered this game with a 6.86 ERA in five previous games. He last faced the Sox on Sept. 15, 2022. In that game, he gave up seven earned runs -- including five homers -- over four innings pitched.

But on Monday, he threw six scoreless innings of two-hit ball to earn his first major league victory. 

Embarrassing for the Sox, although we shouldn't be surprised.

What's frustrating is the Sox got exactly what they needed from Triple-A call-up Jesse Scholtens (0-2), who was added to the roster after Mike Clevinger hit the 15-day injured list with right wrist inflammation.

Scholtens pitched five innings and allowed one run on two hits. The only run scored on a wild pitch, which should have been caught by Yasmani Grandal -- frankly, I thought it was a passed ball.

The Guardians got some breathing room in the seventh inning when Mike Zunino hit a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer off Gregory Santos to make it 3-0. 

Zunino had been in a 1-for-31 slump, so giving up a big hit to him right now is tough to accept.

As a matter of fact, everything about this game was tough to accept, but there is a reason the Sox are 19-30.

White Sox blow opportunity to sweep Guardians

I concluded Thursday's blog by noting that the White Sox need to sweep some divisional opponents to get back in the AL Central race. Taking two out of three games isn't enough.

The Sox had an opportunity to sweep the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field, but they kicked away that chance, losing 3-1.

They lost despite having ace Dylan Cease on the mound. They lost despite Cleveland being without its two best run producers in Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor. They lost despite loading the bases with no outs in the second inning -- a golden scoring chance that the Sox let go by the boards.

They lost because Tim Anderson couldn't execute a routine play at shortstop. With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the seventh inning, the Guardians placed runners on second and third with one out.

Cease induced a weak grounder off the bat of rookie infielder Brayan Rocchio. Had Anderson fielded it cleanly, he had Will Brennan -- the Cleveland runner on third -- dead in the water at home plate. Instead, the dribbler clanked off Anderson's glove for an error. Brennan scored to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead. The Guardians added another run in that inning and closed out the game from there.

The Sox are 16-29. The Guardians are 20-23. This game was the difference between being three games behind Cleveland and five games behind. 

The Sox are five games behind. This is not how you get back in the race.

Home runs fuel White Sox offense in win vs. Cleveland

It stands to reason that a team increases its odds of winning by hitting two or more home runs in a game.

The White Sox have done that 14 times in 44 games during the 2023 season. In those 14 games, they are 7-7. That doesn't seem like much until you realize the team is 16-28 overall, which means they are 9-21 when they don't hit at least two homers.

But, they are 2-0 in their last two games against the Cleveland Guardians, and they've hit six homers in these two wins -- including three Wednesday in a 7-2 victory.

Gavin Sheets (No. 6) and Andrew Vaughn (No. 5) hit solo home runs, and Jake Burger (No. 10) had a two-run homer to fuel the offense. 

Burger went 3 for 4 and finished a double short of the cycle. It's fair to say he enjoys hitting at Guaranteed Rate Field, where he has hit nine of his 10 homers. For the season, he has only 89 plate appearances. One home run per every 8.9 plate appearances ... yeah, that's something you like to see from the player who is serving as your designated hitter.

In 52 at-bats at home, Burger has 50 total bases. In 27 road at-bats, he has nine total bases. Those are insane home-road splits.

Mike Clevinger (3-3) picked up the win for the Sox. He went six-plus innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked four, with two of the walks coming in the seventh inning.

Clevinger departed in the seventh inning, leading 7-1, with the bases loaded and no outs. Reynaldo Lopez walked in a run, but was able to get three outs without allowing any further damage.

Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman each worked a scoreless inning to close it out.

The Sox have not swept a series yet this season, and they'll have the opportunity to so Thursday afternoon. Given the hole this team has dug for itself, realistically, they need to sweep some divisional opponents if they hope to get back in the race.

Lance Lynn gets back on track against weak-hitting Cleveland Guardians

Lance Lynn

White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn has had a terrible start to the 2023 season. 

Coming into Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians, Lynn was 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA and a 1.602 WHIP in eight starts. Opponents had a .420 batting average against him while he was pitching out of the stretch. Ouch. 

However, the Guardians have been one of the weakest offenses in the American League so far this season. Among the 15 AL teams, Cleveland ranked 14th in runs scored (142) and dead last in batting average (.228), slugging percentage (.342) and OPS (.645) before Tuesday's game.

Lynn had a chance to get back on track against a slumping opponent, and he did just that. He pitched seven-plus innings to pick up the victory as the Sox beat the Guardians, 8-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Through seven innings, Lynn (2-5) allowed only one earned run before he got dinged for a couple of unearned runs in the eighth. His final line: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 7 Ks, 0 BBs.

The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, when the Sox scored six two-out runs against Cleveland ace Shane Bieber (3-2). All the runs against Bieber were unearned, after Luis Robert Jr. started the lengthy rally by reaching base on catcher's interference.

On a hit-and-run play, Robert Jr. scored from first base on a single by Yoan Moncada. After a single by Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets hit his fifth home run of the season -- a 3-run shot to make it 4-0.

After Yasmani Grandal singled, Jake Burger's two-run homer made it 6-0. Burger has homered in each of the two games he's played in since returning from the injured list. He ranks second on the Sox with nine homers.

The Sox home run leader? That would be Robert Jr., who capped the scoring with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth -- his 12th home run of the year.

Robert Jr. has homered in four straight games. The last Sox player to do that was Matt Davidson, from June 12-15, 2017.

In a roster move before the game, pitcher Garrett Crochet was activated off the injured list, and pitcher Nicholas Padilla was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Crochet missed all of the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery. He gives the Sox another left-handed option in the bullpen.

The Sox are 15-28. The Guardians are 19-22.

OK, now Carlos Correa is going back to the Twins (pending a physical)

Carlos Correa

Is the never-ending saga of the 2022-23 offseason finally ending? Carlos Correa is not going to the San Francisco Giants on a 13-year, $350 million deal, nor is he going to the New York Mets on a 12-year, $315 million agreement.

Both those contracts fell apart, because both clubs had concerns about Correa's right leg, which was surgically repaired after an injury he suffered when he was 19 years old.

Now, apparently, Correa is going back to where he was last season -- the Minnesota Twins. The deal is worth six years and $200 million. The contract can max out at $270 million, with vesting options for four additional years.

Physical pending. Of course.

For White Sox fans, it's not great news to have Correa staying in the AL Central. After Correa reached his previous agreements, I was pleased to see the Twins left out in the cold in the derby for premium free agent shortstops. Now, by a stroke of good luck, they have their guy, and they are a better team than they were yesterday.

Physical pending. Of course.

All that said, are the Twins are better team than they were in 2022? They had Correa last season, too, yet they only won 78 games and finished third in the mediocre AL Central. In fact, the godawful 2022 White Sox won three more games than the Correa-led 2022 Twins.

In Minnesota, some feel they've addressed their two greatest needs, shortstop and catcher. Correa and Christian Vazquez are slated to fill those two spots. Perhaps that's correct, but I still have serious questions about Minnesota's starting rotation and bullpen.

Here's their projected rotation: Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle and Bailey Ober. Is that good enough to win the AL Central? I don't think so. Maybe the Twins pass the Sox by if they finally get a healthy season from Byron Buxton, and they find some answers in their bullpen, but I don't see them making up the 14-game gap that existed between them and the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

It's worth noting that the Twins stunk last season, despite Correa's overall excellence.

Cleveland Guardians address need for designated hitter

Josh Bell

The Cleveland Guardians won the AL Central Division title in 2022, but it wasn't because they received good production from their designated hitters.

In fact, Cleveland DHs combined to bat .217/.276/.309 with only eight home runs and 57 RBIs last season. That's poor, given that whichever player you put in that spot in supposed to be able to hit.

The Guardians moved to address that weakness Tuesday, signing veteran switch-hitter Josh Bell to a two-year contract worth $33 million. The deal includes an opt-out clause after the 2023 season.

Bell split time between the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres last season. He was traded to the Padres midseason as part of the blockbuster Juan Soto deal.

He finished 2022 with .266/.362/.422 slash line, with 29 doubles, 17 home runs and 71 RBIs.

In other words, he performed better than all the Cleveland DHs combined. So, yes, I think this is a smart move by Cleveland.

I saw a lot of my fellow White Sox fans melting down on Twitter after this signing was announced. The reaction is somewhat understandable because, hey, the team that whooped your ass in the division last season just got better.

That said, it isn't like the Sox should have bid on Bell. They don't need anymore 1B/DH types, and while Bell is a good player, he wouldn't fit on the South Side of Chicago from a positional need standpoint.

I commend the Guardians for getting better. Of course, the problem from my perspective isn't what Cleveland is doing. The problem is what the Sox aren't doing. So far, Sox GM Rick Hahn gives the impression that he's sitting around watching the world go by.

Bellinger, Haniger also sign

A couple of free agent outfielders signed with new teams Tuesday. Cody Bellinger is joining the Cubs on a one-year, $17.5 million deal. Mitch Haniger is now with the San Francisco Giants after agreeing on a three-year, $43.5 million contract.

These signings also contributed to Sox fan angst, as we all know the Sox need outfielders. Obviously, these moves mean there are two fewer options available on the board, although I'm not sure either one of these two guys would have fit on the South Side.

Bellinger is still a good defensive outfielder, and he could help any club on that side of the ball. He will certainly make the Cubs a better defensive team. The question mark is his bat. Bellinger won the 2019 National League MVP award as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he's not been the same hitter the past three years after suffering a shoulder injury. He had a .654 OPS and 78 OPS+ plus last season, meaning he was 22% below league average.

Injuries limited Haniger to 57 games last season with the Seattle Mariners, and again, I'm not a huge proponent of signing injured guys -- although Haniger's production was fine when he was healthy. He had a .736 OPS and a 114 OPS+, meaning he was 14% above league average as a corner outfielder. 

Mainly, I look at these deals and come to the conclusion that it's going to take anywhere from $14 million to $20 million per season to sign a competent starting corner outfielder. The Sox need to do that this offseason, but until proven otherwise, I'm bracing to hear that they "weren't comfortable" going to those lengths for any of the available players.

If that's the case, the Sox should get "comfortable" with finishing second or third in the AL Central again next season.

Yankees beat Guardians in Game 5, advance to ALCS

Giancarlo Stanton

So, did Monday night's postponement of Game 5 of the American League Division Series help the New York Yankees? Perhaps.

The Yankees scored four runs in the first two innings Tuesday afternoon and went on to beat the Cleveland Guardians, 5-1, in the deciding game of the best-of-five series.

One thing is for certain: The rain opened the door for each manager to change his pitching plans, and the Yankees took advantage.

Had the game been played Monday night, we would have seen a matchup of No. 4 starters -- Jameson Taillon for the Yankees and Aaron Civale for the Guardians.

But given the extra day of rest, New York manager Aaron Boone brought back his No. 2 starter, Nestor Cortes, on three days' rest to pitch Game 5. Cleveland manager Terry Francona could have used his ace, Shane Bieber, but he opted to stick with Civale.

That decision by Francona backfired immediately. Civale recorded only one out before being knocked out of the game. He walked Gleyber Torres, hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch and surrendered a 3-run homer to Giancarlo Stanton.

Four batters into the bottom of the first inning, the Yankees had a 3-0 lead, and the game was effectively over.

Cortes held up his end of the bargain, tossing five innings of one-run ball. Three New York relievers combined for four shutout innings to close it out, leaving Cleveland to wonder what might have been had it used Bieber in this game.

The Yankees, who won 99 games in the regular season, will take on the 106-win Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series, starting Wednesday. 

No surprise to see those two teams meet at this stage of the playoffs. All summer long, it's been the Astros, Yankees and everyone else in the AL. They've been on a collision course, and now they'll collide.

2 trades that helped the Cleveland Guardians win the AL Central

Francisco Lindor

Monday night's Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees was postponed because of inclement weather in New York.

The game will be played at 3 o'clock CDT Tuesday. The winner will travel to Houston to face the Astros in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Wednesday.

That's a quick turnaround, so the big winner in this postponement would appear to be the Astros.

Regardless, I've been thinking lately about how the Guardians managed to win 92 games and basically blow the White Sox and Minnesota Twins out of the water in the AL Central this season. 

Hell, Cleveland was picked to finish third or fourth in a lot of preseason magazines, which is only proof that one never knows.

Two trades that Cleveland made in the recent past come to mind:

Aug. 31, 2020: Cleveland traded Mike Clevinger, Greg Allen and a player to be named later to the San Diego Padres for Josh Naylor, Owen Miller, Austin Hedges, Cal Quantrill, Gabriel Arias and Joey Cantillo.

Jan. 7, 2021: Cleveland traded Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets for Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf.

Look at that return that Cleveland got in that Clevinger deal. Is that about half their roster? 

Naylor is their cleanup hitter and second-best run producer. Miller appeared in 130 games for the Guardians this season as an all-purpose player. Hedges can't hit a lick, but he's Cleveland's primary catcher because of his outstanding defensive work at a premium position. 

Quantrill went 15-5 in 32 starts this season as Cleveland's No. 3 starter. Arias is a 22-year-old who appeared in only 16 regular season games for the Guardians, but hey, he was in the lineup for Game 4 against the Yankees.

Of those six guys in the Clevinger deal, five of them are helping the Guardians right now.

And Clevinger? He missed all of 2021 with an injury. Since the trade, the 31-year-old right-hander has posted a 4.12 ERA and 4.60 FIP over 27 appearances. 

Yes, I think the Guardians are happy with that trade.

I remember when Lindor was traded in January 2021, and many people -- including me -- thought Cleveland got fleeced. We were wrong.

Sure, Lindor is still a good player. He bounced back from a lackluster 2021 to post 26 homers, 107 RBIs and a 125 OPS+ for the New York Mets this season. And Carrasco provided New York with 29 decent starts in 2022 -- he was 15-7 with a 3.97 ERA.

However, I don't think the Guardians are disappointed in the return they got for those two players -- Gimenez and Rosario now are starting middle infielders for them on a playoff team.

Gimenez had a 7.2 WAR and made the All-Star team in his age-23 season this year. He batted .297 with 17 homers, 69 RBIs, an .837 OPS and a 141 OPS+. And oh yeah, he's the likely Gold Glove winner at second base in the American League this season.

That 7.2 WAR equals the best season Lindor had in a Cleveland uniform -- that coming in 2018.

The 26-year-old Rosario isn't quite as good Gimenez, but I don't think Cleveland fans are disappointed in the 4.1-WAR season they have received from their shortstop. Rosario batted .283 with 11 homers, 18 steals, 71 RBIs, a .715 OPS and a 106 OPS+ in 2022. That's not All-Star level, but it's certainly above league average.

So, how did Cleveland get this good? There are a few different reasons. Shane Bieber is an elite, reliable starting pitcher. Triston McKenzie has made strides to join him at the top of the rotation. Emmanuel Clase is the best closer in the AL, and he has two good relievers setting him up in James Karinchak and Trevor Stephan.

But when you're telling the story of this Cleveland Guardians team, you have to look at these two trades, which netted them three-quarters of their starting infield -- including one All-Star -- a starting catcher and a starting pitcher, plus two other players who are at least helping on the margins.

While the Guardians did move three decent-to-great players in those deals, they absolutely got quality coming the other way.

National League favorites out of playoffs early

The National League Championship Series will feature the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres.

Just as we all predicted, right? 

OK, nobody predicted that the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds would advance to the NLCS. The NL produced three 100-win teams this season -- the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. Shockingly, those favored teams have all been eliminated.

The 87-win Phillies, third-place finishers in the NL East, swept a best-of-three series from the 93-win St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card round. They went on to beat the 101-win Braves, 3 games to 1, in a best-of-five NL Division Series.

The 89-win Padres are even bigger giant killers. They won a winner-take-all Game 3 over the 101-win Mets in the wild card round. Then they shocked the universe by knocking out the 111-win Dodgers, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS.

During the regular season, the Dodgers defeated the Padres in 14 out of 19 meetings. Second-place San Diego finished 22 games behind NL West champion Los Angeles. Didn't amount to a hill of beans in the playoffs. 

Over in the American League, the 99-win New York Yankees staved off elimination with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland on Sunday night. With the win, the Yankees tied that best-of-five series at 2. That sets up a winner-take-all Game 5 on Monday night in New York.

The 106-win Houston Astros are the only prohibitive favorite not to be challenged in the divisional round. Well, maybe that's a little bit of an overstatement. The Astros won two one-run games in a three-game sweep of the 90-win Seattle Mariners, including a 1-0, 18-inning marathon in Game 3 on Saturday night. Houston was challenged, but passed the test.

The Astros will play Monday night's winner in the American League Championship Series.

All these upsets have created questions about Major League Baseball's new playoff format this year. Two teams that received byes through the wild card round -- the Dodgers and Braves -- lost, and a third team -- the Yankees -- is being pushed to the limit. 

Did the bye create rust for those powerhouse teams? Is it actually a disadvantage to have five days off between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs?

Those are interesting questions, but I'm reluctant to draw any conclusions based on a one-year sample size. 

Keep in mind that the four teams who received byes went 3-1 in the first game of their respective division series. The Dodgers won Game 1, before losing three straight. The Yankees also won Game 1 in their series. The Astros, of course, won Game 1 on their way to a sweep. Only the Braves lost their first game after the extended layoff.

If rust is a key factor in the outcome of these series, wouldn't you think it would show up right away in a Game 1 scenario?

White Sox complete 0-6 homestand ... LOL

Remember last week when the White Sox were four games out of first and getting ready to start a "big series" against the Cleveland Guardians? 

All the talk was about how the Sox could get back in the hunt for the AL Central title with a three-game sweep. 

Well, instead, the Guardians swept, and then the last-place Detroit Tigers came into Chicago and swept the Sox, too. That completes an 0-6 homestand, and the irony is Sox starting pitchers turned in six consecutive quality starts.

Alas, the Sox are a terrible offensive team with an overpaid, overrated bullpen. So, they blew all the games. Meanwhile, Cleveland won every day and clinched the division title Sunday.

The Guardians are 86-67. The Sox are 76-77. That's a 10-game difference with nine games to play. Season over.

In case you were wondering, the Sox have never gone 0-6 on a homestand in the history of Comiskey Park II/U.S. Cellular Field/Guaranteed Rate Field.

In 1989, at Old Comiskey Park, the Sox went 0-6 on a homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles from May 19-24.

Making history! In a bad way! Remember when people tried to tell us this 2022 Sox team was championship caliber? LOL. It's time for change.

White Sox fans: Let's talk about our feelings with 25 games to go

Maybe you're feeling optimistic after the White Sox rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Seattle Mariners, 9-6, on Wednesday. If so, that's cool.

Or maybe you're feeling pessimistic because, after all, the Sox are only one game over .500 (69-68) on Sept. 7, and they haven't looked like a playoff team all season. If so, that's also fine.

You can be whatever kind of fan you want to be. But me personally, my tendency is to look at the math and let that inform my view.

With 25 games to go, the White Sox are tied for second place with the Minnesota Twins, two games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Can that deficit be overcome? Of course. Is it a good bet? Ehh, not sure about that.

The Guardians are 70-65 with 27 games left on their schedule. For the sake of argument, let's say they go 14-13 the rest of the way and finish 84-78. Seems like a plausible scenario, right?

Keep in mind that Cleveland leads the season series with the Sox, 9 games to 6, which means the tiebreaker goes to the Guardians. If Cleveland wins 84 games, then the Sox must win 85, or no playoffs.

The Sox are 69-68, so that means they would have to go 16-9 in their remaining 25 games to reach 85 wins. Mathematically possible? You bet, but it will require the Sox to sustain a stretch of winning baseball over a period of weeks -- something they've had trouble doing all year. They've had good weeks here and there, but they've been alternating winning and losing months and haven't had much consistency.

And that's assuming Cleveland doesn't do better than 14-13. They could do better; they could do worse. I'm just taking a reasonable guess.

Playoff odds have been on my mind today because the Sox have invoiced their fans for postseason tickets. Money is due by Sept. 20, and I find that date interesting -- it's the first day of a three-game series against the Guardians. That series will be the final matchup between Chicago and Cleveland this season, and it could decide the division.

So, Sox brass wants to know whether fans are in or out before we know the results of that critical series. Typical, because the Sox know if they lose that series, nobody will pay the playoff invoice, and then they won't be able to keep our money (without interest) over the offseason. 

For those who are not educated in this process, any money that goes toward playoff games that don't happen gets credited toward season tickets for the following season. If you demand a refund, you lose your seat location for next year.

Yeah, it's a dirty trick, so that makes this decision about whether to pay the invoice an important one.

Right now, my thought is that I'm not going to pay unless the Sox are either tied or ahead in the division by Sept. 20. That will require a hot streak over the next two weeks. So, this team needs to put up or shut up now. The schedule is favorable -- four at Oakland, two vs. Colorado, a makeup game at Cleveland and three at Detroit -- leading into Sept. 20.

The Sox probably need to win seven or eight of those 10. The margin for error is slim. Those are my feelings right now.

White Sox finish 'make-or-break' stretch with a 10-9 record

Dylan Cease

The White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians, 6-3, on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field to salvage a split in a four-game series.

Dylan Cease (10-4) got the win with six innings of shutout ball. Leury Garcia and AJ Pollock homered off Cleveland starter Shane Bieber (4-6) as part of a five-run second inning, and Eloy Jimenez also homered for the Sox.

The game completed what was described as a "crucial, make-or-break" 19-game stretch during which the Sox saw nothing but American League Central Division opponents.

Turns out, the Sox went 10-9 during those 19 games. When this stretch started, the Sox were 4.5 games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins. Today, they are 4.0 games behind the Twins. 

In other words, nothing has changed, really. That's on brand for this 2022 Sox team.

The Sox are neither "made" nor "broken" after this "make-or-break" stretch. They are simply stuck in neutral, spinning their wheels, as they have all season. They have been a .500 team, and they have the 48-48 record to prove it. 

And they've been a .500 team during these divisional games. They are doing enough to stay within striking distance of the division lead, but they haven't made anything resembling a strong push, either.

Cease, however, has been ridiculously good. Over his last 11 starts, he's allowed a grand total of three earned runs. 

Only twice in baseball history has a pitcher allowed only three earned runs in an 11-start span. Hall of Famer Bob Gibson did it in 1968, and now Cease. That's it. Nobody else.

Cease leads the AL in strikeouts with 154. His ERA is 2.03. If it said "New York" or "Boston" across his chest, he'd probably be getting more Cy Young hype. At the very least, he would have received an All-Star Game selection.