White Sox trade Garrett Crochet to Boston for 4 prospects

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The White Sox traded an ace left-handed starter to the Boston Red Sox for four prospects.

We all remember when Chris Sale was traded on Dec. 6, 2016, to kick off the last rebuild. That didn't work out so well, so we're all left to hope this latest move works a little better.

The Sox sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox on Wednesday, in exchange for Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez.

You won't get any excitement about prospects from me. Until I see some guys become productive players in Chicago, I'm going to cast a cynical eye toward this move. I've been burned before. That said, here's what we know about the four players acquired:

Teel: The left-handed-hitting catcher is a consensus top 30 prospect in baseball, and he was ranked the No. 4 prospect in the Boston system. A first-round selection in the 2023 draft, the 22-year-old started last season at Double-A Portland, where he batted .299/.390/.462 with 11 homers and 60 RBIs in 84 games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Worcester, where the numbers were more modest in a smaller sample: .255/.374/.343 with two homers and 18 RBIs in 28 games.

Teel is an athletic player with a strong arm, and he's described as a good enough receiver that he should be able to stay behind the plate, although he has played some games at corner outfield positions. Note the high on-base percentage at both levels last season. Teel isn't projected to have big power, but we know the Sox have a need for batters who can get on base.

Montgomery: A first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2024 draft, the 21-year-old outfielder has yet to make his professional debut because of a gruesome ankle injury suffered in the College World Series in June. He was the fifth-ranked prospect in the Boston system.

A switch-hitter, Montgomery is a power prospect who projects as a corner outfielder -- most likely right field, as he possesses enough arm strength to play there. He batted .322/.454/.733 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs for Texas A&M University last spring. Most of his power comes from the left side of the plate, so if you want to dream, we know left-handed power plays well at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The question, of course, is how Montgomery recovers from the ankle injury. He's expected to be ready for spring training. We'll see. Again, note the on-base percentage.

Meidroth: The 23-year-old infielder is likely the closest to major league ready of any player the Sox acquired in this deal. Meidroth spent 2024 at Triple-A Worcester, where he batted .293/.407/.401 with seven homers, 57 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He was the No. 11 player in the Boston system.

Again, note the on-base percentage. Meidroth drew 105 walks during the 2024 season, and he struck out in only 12.7% of his plate appearances. Expect a lot contact, but probably not a lot of hard contact. Meidroth has played second base, shortstop and third base, with his most likely long-term home being second base.

Hey, the Sox have a gaping hole at second base! Getting traded to Chicago might be this kid's lucky day.

Gonzalez: The right-handed pitcher was the No. 14 prospect in the Boston system. Gonzalez, 22, has a fastball that tops out at 98 mph, but to quote Lou Brown, somebody better teach this kid some control before he kills somebody. He walked 46 guys in 83.2 innings at Double-A Portland in 2024. 

Gonzalez went 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA in 24 games, 19 of them starts. The book on him is he throws fastball, slider, change. The slider is a relatively new pitch, and if he can harness it, maybe he sticks as a starter. If not, he's destined for the bullpen.

And he's Venezuelan, which means Ozzie Guillen will love him!

There you have it. That's the best I can do to put a positive spin on the trade. As they always say, it will be years before we can fully judge it. We can fully judge the Sale trade now. It stunk. Hope this one is better.

Liam Hendriks heads to Boston on 2-year contract

Former White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is now a member of the Red Sox, after agreeing to a two-year deal with Boston worth $10 million.

Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in late 2022. He won his battle with that disease and returned to the White Sox in May 2023, but he only pitched five games before he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar ligament in his pitching elbow.

It is unlikely that Hendriks will contribute much to the Red Sox this season. The most optimistic timeline for him returning from Tommy John surgery would be in August. Essentially, Boston is betting the 35-year-old can return to form and be a force at the back end of its bullpen in 2025.

Hendriks spent three years in Chicago and was effective before his cancer diagnosis. He led the American League with 38 saves in 2021, and he followed that up with 37 saves in 2022. All total, he went 14-7 with a 2.76 ERA and 76 saves in 132 games with the White Sox.

I'm seeing some unhappiness among Chicago fans online with this Boston signing. It's clear that some fans wanted Hendriks back with the White Sox. The usual arguments about the organization being cheap are out in full force. Hendriks, of course, is a fan favorite and an inspiration to many because he overcame a life-threatening illness -- and did so with a remarkably positive attitude.

And while there's no question the White Sox are cheap, it's important to note that Hendriks is 35 years old, and he's running out of chances to win. Do you see a World Series coming to Chicago in the next couple of years? Nope, me neither.

One might argue that Boston is not on the cusp of greatness either, especially playing in the rugged American League East. However, the truth is everyone in the AL except for Oakland presents a better chance to win than Chicago, and it's tough to sell a veteran free agent on coming to the White Sox right now.

Not to mention, if the White Sox were going to spend some money, they should be spending it on something other than the bullpen. I still see plenty of holes in the lineup and in the starting rotation.

As I've always said about closers, they cannot do their job until everyone else does theirs. What good is an elite closer if he doesn't have many leads to protect?

Lucas Giolito, Chris Sale joining new teams

Lucas Giolito

Erase the idea of Lucas Giolito coming back to the White Sox on a one-year prove-it deal. The 29-year-old right-hander did better than that on the open market, securing a two-year contract worth $38.5 million from the Boston Red Sox.

Giolito will earn $18 million in 2024, with an option to get out of the deal next winter. He will receive a $1 million buyout if he opts out. His 2025 salary will be $19 million if he opts in.

If he opts in, that activates a conditional option covering 2026. If Giolito throws fewer than 140 innings in 2025, the Red Sox have a $14 million team option for 2026. If Giolito tops 140 innings, there's a $19 million mutual option. Buyouts in either case would total $1.5 million.

Giolito had a bizarre 2023 campaign. The White Sox traded him to the Los Angeles Angels in late July. Eventually, the Angels placed him on waivers, where he was claimed by Cleveland. He finished his season with the Guardians. Here's how he fared with each of the three teams:

• White Sox: 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA over 20 starts; 134 Ks in 121 IP.
• Angels: 1-5 with a 6.89 ERA over 6 starts; 34 Ks in 32.2 IP.
• Guardians: 1-4 with a 7.04 ERA over 6 starts; 39 Ks in 30.2 IP.

Would you believe it if I told you Giolito allowed 41 home runs over 184.1 innings last season? Forty-one!

But here's the funny thing: He allowed 20 of those homers over his 21 starts with Chicago. That home run rate is certainly higher than one might like, but that's nothing until you consider that Giolito allowed 21(!) homers in his combined 12 starts with the Angels and Guardians.

Indeed, this is the rare player who got WORSE when he left the White Sox. He couldn't keep the ball in the yard with the Angels or Guardians. What does that mean for him pitching with Boston and the short porch in left field at Fenway Park? We shall see.

What we do know is Giolito will not be teammates with former Sox ace Chris Sale, who was traded from Boston to Atlanta for infielder Vaughn Grissom. Sale waived his no-trade clause, and Boston included $17 million in the deal to help the Braves cope with Sale's $27.5 million salary for this upcoming season.

Around here, we're not too interested in the composition of the Atlanta rotation, but I do think this move means the Braves are OUT on any potential deal for Sox right-hander Dylan Cease. Atlanta just wasn't going to give up multiple prospects to fortify its pitching staff, and it didn't have to do that in order to acquire Sale.

If you're still thinking Cease will be on the move this offseason, potential suitors might include the Red Sox, as well as the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees or Cincinnati Reds.

Knee injury ends Luis Robert Jr.'s season

The White Sox on Tuesday placed center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a mild MCL sprain in his left knee.

Robert injured the knee when he made an awkward slide on a wet field during Sunday's 3-2, rain-shortened win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Before Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Sox selected the contract of 32-year-old outfielder Tyler Naquin from Triple-A Charlotte. To make room for Naquin on the 40-man roster, the Sox transferred right-handed pitcher Jimmy Lambert (right ankle surgery) to the 60-day injured list.

With only six games to play in the regular season, Robert's 2023 campaign is over. That said, the 26-year-old had the best season of his career to date: Here are his accomplishments:

• 38 home runs
• 36 doubles
• 80 RBIs
• .542 slugging percentage
• 20 stolen bases
• 128 OPS+
• .857 OPS
• 4.9 bWAR
• 5.0 fWAR
• 13 outs above average in CF
• career-high 145 games played
• first career All-Star selection

It would be no surprise if Robert adds a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger to this list after the season.

The hell of it is, Robert had the breakout season all Sox fans were hoping for, yet the team swirled down the drain anyway.

Robert's pursuit of the 40-homer mark was one reason to watch the final week of this season. That reason is now gone. Good luck drawing fans to the ballpark this week, Sox. No, I don't think Naquin will move the needle.

It's interesting that the Sox added a journeyman outfielder to the roster, instead of recalling Oscar Colas, isn't it?

A few notable numbers as White Sox play out string

There's no need to report everything that's going on with the White Sox as they play out the string in a miserable 2023 season. But here are a few notable things that have happened recently:

• Mike Clevinger pitched all six innings of Sunday's rain-shortened 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander gave up two runs on five hits, and he neither struck out nor walked a batter. This is notable because it's the fifth straight start for Clevinger without a walk. He should get one more start before the season ends. The last time a Sox pitcher went six straight starts without a walk? That was LaMarr Hoyt in his 1983 Cy Young-winning season. Clevinger is 9-8 with a 3.40 ERA this year.
• I was talking baseball with some people at a party Saturday afternoon, and a Sox fan who is in his 70s asked me, "How many hit batters do they have this season? My whole life, I've never seen a pitching staff hit so many batters." I guessed, "More than 70," then went about the business of looking it up. Turns out, the Sox had hit 88 batters as of Saturday afternoon. Well, Clevinger hit two Boston batters on Sunday. That makes 90 hit batsmen, and yes, that is a new team record.
• Dylan Cease had perhaps his best outing of the season Saturday in a 1-0 victory over Boston. He went seven innings, allowing no runs on six hits. He struck out 11 and did not issue a walk. During this performance, Cease cleared the 200-strikeout mark for the third straight season. He has 207 strikeouts this year, after posting 226 strikeouts in 2021 and 227 strikeouts in 2022. Cease becomes only the third pitcher in Sox history to compile 200 or more strikeouts in three different years. The others are Chris Sale, who did it four times from 2013-16, and Ed Walsh, who holds the franchise record with five such years (1907-08, 1910-12).
• In that 1-0 victory, the winning run scored in the top of the ninth inning on Luis Robert Jr.'s 38th home run of the season. With six games to play, Robert still has an outside shot at reaching both 40 doubles and 40 home runs for the season -- he has 36 doubles. The All-Star center fielder also collected his 20th stolen base of the year in Sunday's win. Unfortunately, Robert slid awkwardly in the wet dirt and had to leave the game with right knee soreness. Hopefully, he'll be able to return to the lineup Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and continue his pursuit of the 40-homer mark.
• The Sox won two of three in Boston despite only scoring six runs in the three-game series. Man, this offense is sleepy. The Sox are 60-96. They will need a 3-3 homestand to avoid a 100-loss season. 

Luis Robert Jr. looks like favorite to represent White Sox in All-Star Game

About an hour before game time Sunday, in Suite 250.

Luis Robert Jr. went 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs on Sunday, lifting the White Sox to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox in the rubber match of a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Robert Jr.'s first homer was in the fourth inning, a high fly to right-center field that just cleared the fence. The two-run shot gave the Sox their first lead of the game at 2-1.

Andrew Benintendi's RBI double scored Gavin Sheets, who had walked, in the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Robert Jr. then capped the scoring in the sixth with a screaming liner to left field that cleared the Sox bullpen.

On the pitching side, it was a bullpen game for the Sox. Tanner Banks started and gave up the lone Boston run over 2.2 innings pitched. Jesse Scholtens (1-2) went four scoreless innings to pick up the first win of his career, and Keynan Middleton worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his second save of the season.

Robert Jr. now has 21 home runs this season, to go along with 20 doubles.

Here is a list of Sox players to clear 20 home runs and 20 doubles before the All-Star break:

• Frank Thomas, 1993
• Frank Thomas, 1994
• Magglio Ordonez, 2000
• Frank Thomas, 2003
• Jermaine Dye, 2008
• Jose Abreu, 2014
• Jose Abreu, 2019
• Luis Robert Jr., 2023

It's exclusive list. Robert Jr.'s slash line is now .269/.326/.559. Even with his high strikeout totals (91 in 315 plate appearances), his extra-base power and premium defense in center field easily make Robert Jr. the most effective player on the Sox this season.

It's hard to see a scenario where he isn't the guy to represent the Sox during the MLB All-Star Game next month in Seattle.

My modest suggestion for improving the ghost-runner rule

The ghost-runner rule is here to stay, sources say.

In all extra inning games -- at least during the regular season -- a runner will be placed on second base to begin the 10th inning, and in every extra inning after that, until a winner is determined.

Am I a fan of this rule? No. 

Unlike a lot of folks, I think it's fun on those rare occasions when a game would last 14, 15 innings or more. One of my favorite baseball memories came in July 2006, when I attended this 19-inning game between the White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. It's a little sad to know there's almost no chance I'll ever be at a game such as that again. The odds of a game lasting 19 innings in this era are almost nil.

This rule was first instituted to preserve pitchers' arms during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020. How big of an impact has the rule had, you ask?

Well, here are the numbers: In 2019, the last season before this rule was implemented, 37 games went 13 innings or longer. Eight games went 15 innings or longer. Last season, in 2022, there were only 11 games that lasted 13 innings or longer. A game lasting 15 innings or longer? Ummm ... those are extinct.

And, of course, the run-scoring increases quite a bit in extra innings under this rule. How often have you seen a game go to extra innings with the score tied at 3, and the final score ends up being 7-6? Happens all the time now, right? So, yes, this rule is fundamentally changing the game.

While I might not be a fan, the rule is definitely here to stay. Front offices like it because it eliminates the roster juggling that becomes necessary the day after a game that goes 15 innings or more. Players like it because it eliminates five-hour games and the like. Pitchers, in particular, like it because getting games over reduces wear on their arms.

So, everyone likes it except curmudgeons like me. However, here's my modest suggestion: I think I would be OK with this rule if the ghost-runner started the inning on first base, not second. The odds of the offense scoring are still increased, but it creates a little more of a challenge.

At minimum, the offensive team would more than likely have to get at least one hit in the inning to score a run if the runner starts on first. Also, if the runner starts on first, that puts the stolen base and the hit-and-run more in play for the offensive team's manager. Those are plays that I would like to see more often in baseball.

I'm just looking for a middle ground here. I know nobody wants to hear an old man yelling at clouds, trying to switch things back to the way they used to be. So, I'm accepting change as inevitable. I'd just like to see a different kind of change than the one that's being implemented.

How does White Sox bullpen shape up heading into spring training?

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn famously said at the start of the offseason that the trade market would be "more fruitful" for the team than free agency this winter.

To this point, that statement is false. The Sox have not made any impact acquisitions via trade this offseason, but they did swing a minor deal over the weekend. The South Siders picked up right-handed reliever Franklin German from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for relief pitching prospect Theo Denlinger.

German, 25, was Boston's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season. He made a combined 43 relief appearances between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, going 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA, seven saves and 64 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. 

He was rewarded with a late-season audition in Boston, which did not go so well. He allowed eight earned runs in four innings over five appearances. German was designated for assignment in late January. The White Sox likely put a waiver claim in on him, and that led to this trade.

Scouting reports say German is a fastball-slider pitcher, with his heater topping out around 97 mph. This is a depth acquisition. It wouldn't be a surprise if German spends most of the season at Triple-A Charlotte, while getting a recall at some point when the big league club needs an extra arm.

So, how does the Sox bullpen look going into spring training? We know Liam Hendriks will be missing. He's out indefinitely while he undergoes treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We should also expect Garrett Crochet to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from elbow surgery.

There are eight spots available in the bullpen. Assuming good health (a big assumption with this group), here's how things look right now:

Roster locks (5)

• RHP Kendall Graveman
• RHP Joe Kelly
• LHP Aaron Bummer
• RHP Reynaldo Lopez
• LHP Jake Diekman

Likely to make the roster (2)

• RHP Jose Ruiz
• RHP Jimmy Lambert

Others in competition (7)

• RHP Nick Avila
• RHP A.J. Alexy
• LHP Tanner Banks
• RHP Matt Foster
• RHP Franklin German
• RHP Gregory Santos
• LHP Bennett Sousa

Non-roster invitees to watch (3)

• RHP Keynan Middleton
• RHP Jesse Scholtens
• LHP Nate Fisher

A few notes to bring up here: Ruiz is out of options, so he'll probably stick with the club unless he has a disastrous spring. Lambert had a strong season last year after converting from starting pitcher to reliever, but his historical inconsistency makes me reluctant to make him a "roster lock." That said, a decent spring should be good enough for him to break with the team.

If those top seven guys are all healthy and functioning, that leaves only one spot open. Avila figures to be the odds-on favorite, as he is a Rule 5 draftee. If he doesn't stick on the Opening Day roster, the Sox have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants. The guess here is he'll be given every opportunity to stick.

Banks is the likely choice if the Sox decide they'd like a third lefty in the bullpen. Alexy is most likely going to be stretched out as starting pitching depth, but you never know. If he shows well enough, he could be kept on the roster as a swing man. 

We've seen Foster succeed sporadically in the past. He's split his time between Chicago and Triple-A Charlotte over the past two seasons. However, he may have been passed by on the depth chart with the offseason acquisitions of Santos and German.

This is one area of the roster where the Sox seem to have some depth. They will no doubt miss Hendriks and Crochet, who are the most dominant relief arms on the 40-man roster. But they have options to try if whatever their Plan A is doesn't succeed.

Carlton Fisk, now age 75, was the rare great White Sox free agent signing

It's been almost 30 years since Carlton Fisk was unceremoniously let go by the White Sox in the summer of 1993, and he was age 45 at the time. 

So, I shouldn't be surprised that a player I grew up watching is now 75 years old -- Fisk's birthday was Dec. 26. When I read Fisk's age the other day, my first thought was, "Geez, he's almost as old as Tony La Russa!" 

My second thought: Fisk has to be on the short list of rare great Sox free agent signings. After Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn bought the team, they were looking to make some headlines, so they signed Fisk on March 18, 1981.

At the time Fisk came to the South Side, he was 11 years into a Hall of Fame career, with all of those seasons being spent with the Boston Red Sox. And he had been named to the All-Star team in seven of those 11 seasons. 

The signing paid immediate dividends on Opening Day -- April 10, 1981 -- when Fisk hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning in an eventual 5-3 Sox victory.

Fittingly, the home run came at Fenway Park against Boston. Harry Caray's call is now immortalized as part of the introduction to Chuck Garfien's White Sox Talk podcast:

For you kiddos out there, yes, Caray was once a Sox broadcaster.

This home run was the first of 214 Fisk hit over his 13 seasons with the White Sox. He made four more All-Star appearances with the South Siders (for a career total of 11) and was third in AL MVP voting in 1983, which is the first season of Sox baseball that I can remember. 

That season, Fisk hit .289/.355/.518 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs. In 1985, Fisk hit 37 homers and 107 RBIs, both career highs. As late as 1991, at age 43, he made the All-Star team.

Sometimes it pays to sign a premium free agent, doesn't it? 

Believe it or not, it's been almost 23 years since Fisk was inducted into Hall of Fame. He was elected in 2000. Time flies.

White Sox sweep Red Sox at Fenway Park

Jose Abreu

The White Sox have scored four runs or fewer in each of their past six games. However, they've won all six of them. That's never happened before in franchise history.

As Chris Kamka pointed out on Twitter, the Sox once had a five-game winning streak where they scored four runs or fewer in every game -- from Sept. 18-25, 1904.

Has the dead ball era returned? The run-scoring environment has certainly been low in Major League Baseball so far this season, but this weekend in Boston, the Sox managed to score a run or two more than the Red Sox every day and complete a three-game sweep.

Let's look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, May 6

White Sox 4, Red Sox 2: A three-run third inning ended up being all the Sox needed in this game. Tim Anderson and AJ Pollock singled. Jose Abreu hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Anderson, and Luis Robert hit his fourth home run of the season -- a two-run shot -- to put the Sox ahead 3-0. Boston never caught up.

Vince Velasquez (2-2) pitched five innings of one-run ball to earn his second victory during this winning streak. Four relievers combined to limit the Red Sox to one run on three hits over four innings. Liam Hendriks worked a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his eighth save of the season.

Saturday, May 7

White Sox 3, Red Sox 1 (10 innings): This was an extremely frustrating game for eight innings. Boston starter Nick Pivetta entered the game with a 7.64 ERA, and he blanked the Sox for six innings.

In fact, Boston took a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning. The Sox offense woke up just in time. Jake Burger drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a double by Adam Engel and scored on a sacrifice fly by Leury Garcia to tie the game and force the extra inning.

In the 10th, Abreu doubled in the ghost runner to put the Sox up 2-1. Robert then singled to score Abreu and account for the final margin.

Hendricks worked a 1-2-3 10th for his ninth save of the season, making a winner out of Reynaldo Lopez (4-0), who escaped a second-and-third, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth.

Dylan Cease struck out eight over five innings of one-run ball for the Sox.

Sunday, May 8

White Sox 3, Red Sox 2: Just like Friday night, a three-run third inning was all the Sox needed. The rally featured an RBI infield single by Garcia and a two-run double by Abreu. The Sox had only six hits in the game, but at least they bunched three of them in one inning.

Dallas Keuchel (2-3) might have been pitching for his job, and it showed. He kept Boston off the scoreboard for the first five innings, before cracking and allowing two runs in the sixth. Keuchel struck out five and walked only one, and he ended up getting the win because the lesser-known relievers in the Sox bullpen were able to hold a one-run edge over the last three innings.

Hendriks had worked five out of six days and was unavailable. Kendall Graveman and Aaron Bummer were also unavailable, with Bummer headed to the injured list with a knee problem.

Turns out Ryan Burr, Matt Foster, Jose Ruiz and Bennett Sousa got it done. Burr had a 1-2-3 seventh. Foster struck out the side in the eighth. Ruiz gave up a leadoff double in the ninth to J.D. Martinez, but he recorded two outs after that. Sousa came on and got pinch hitter Kevin Plawecki to fly out to Robert to end the game. For the left-handed rookie, it was his first career save.

The Sox are 14-13.

A walk-off home run by ... Leury Garcia

Leury Garcia

Give Leury Garcia credit for this: He has stepped up in Tim Anderson's absence. Not only has Garcia played a credible defensive shortstop, he's contributed to the White Sox with his bat, too.

Since Anderson went on the injured list on Aug. 29, Garcia has gone 14 for 40 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He homered in Saturday's 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox, and over the previous 14 days leading into Sunday, he was slashing .365/.407/.519.

But we hadn't seen anything yet.

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth Sunday, Garcia stepped to the plate with two outs and nobody on against Boston reliever Garrett Whitlock. Garcia fell behind 0-2 in the count, and it looked like the game was going to extra innings.

Instead, Garcia jumped on the 0-2 pitch and launched it 430 feet over the wall in center field for a walk-off homer and a 2-1 White Sox victory.

It was only his fifth home run of the season. Go figure. Unlikely hero.

Certainly, all Sox fans are looking forward to Anderson's return to the lineup, which reportedly will happen Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. 

But Garcia has done his job in a backup role. During parts of nine seasons with the Sox, Garcia has played seven different positions on the field, including pitcher. When he first joined the professional ranks, he was a shortstop by trade, and honestly, it feels as though his most productive times at the plate have occurred when he's playing shortstop and filling in for Anderson.

He just must be most comfortable at that position, although he there's no chance he'll take Anderson's job. In the meantime, he deserves his props for a big hit Sunday.

The Sox are 82-61 after taking two of three from Boston. Their AL Central lead is 12. Their magic number is 9.

A solution for the White Sox OF/DH problem that doesn't involve George Springer

Michael Brantley

Do we really believe White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is going to open his wallet this offseason and sign George Springer, the best free agent position player on the market?

Sure, the Sox have a gaping hole in right field, and Springer would look good there. But I'll file that possibility under, "I'll believe it when I see it." Even amid a pandemic, signing Springer is going to take a nine-figure outlay, which is something the Sox have yet to do in team history.

So, if not Springer, then what?

Here's my proposal: Sign *both* Michael Brantley and Jackie Bradley Jr.

Make the 33-year-old Brantley the primary designated hitter, but he's still young enough and decent enough defensively to spend some time in left field. Eloy Jimenez remains your primary left fielder, but he can DH sometimes.

Luis Robert is the everyday center fielder. Duh.

And Bradley Jr. becomes the left-handed half of a right-field platoon with Adam Engel. Whichever player doesn't start in right field becomes the late-inning defensive replacement for Jimenez when the Sox are trying to protect a lead.

These proposed signings would give the Sox three outfielders capable of playing center field -- Robert, Engel and Bradley Jr. -- and can you imagine all three of them being in the outfield at the same time in the ninth inning? A one-run lead feels a little safer with that defensive alignment, no?

Brantley has a career .297/.354/.440 slash line. He's hit .300 or higher for three consecutive years. His OPS has been .800 or better for four consecutive years. And he swings left-handed, to help balance out the Sox's right-handed-heavy lineup. Not to mention, Brantley doesn't strike out much -- he had only 28 strikeouts in 187 plate appearances for the Houston Astros in 2020.

A left-handed contact hitter with gap power sounds like exactly what the Sox lineup needs.

Bradley Jr. is 30 years old and coming off one of his better seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He slashed .283/.364/.450 with seven homers. He's also a left-handed hitter. He can run; he takes some walks; and he's an high-end defensive outfielder. Those are all skills the Sox could use.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not going to be angry if the Sox somehow come up with the cash to sign Springer. But the objective here is to replace *both* Edwin Encarnacion and Nomar Mazara, who weighed down the Sox lineup at DH and RF, respectively, in 2020.

If you can't get the All-Star, it's not necessarily a bad thing to take two quality players who set a higher floor for your team and add to your depth and platoon flexibility.

Chris Sale: Best strikeout-to-walk ratio among those with 2,000 or more Ks

Chris Sale

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale is out for 2020, if the season happens, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. But, of course, I never miss an opportunity to mention my favorite former White Sox pitcher of all-time, so ...

I was reading Baseball Digest recently when I learned that Sale has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of all-time among pitchers with at least 2,000 career strikeouts.

Sale reached that career milestone in 2019, despite having a down and injury-plagued season.

Here is that leaderboard. Four of the top seven pitchers are active:

1. *Sale: 2,007 Ks, 374 BBs, 5.37 ratio
2. Curt Schilling: 3,116 Ks, 711 BBs, 4.38 ratio
3. *Max Scherzer: 2,692 Ks, 618 BBs, 4.36 ratio
4. *Clayton Kershaw: 2,464 Ks, 577 BBs, 4.27 ratio
5. Pedro Martinez: 3,154 Ks, 760 BBs, 4.15 ratio
6. Dan Haren: 2,013 Ks, 500 BBs, 4.03 ratio
7. *Zack Greinke: 2,622 Ks, 667 BBs, 3.93 ratio

*active player

Baseball Digest also believing in the White Sox

One of the things I like about the Baseball Digest season preview is it comes out a little later than the other ones. That means it takes trades and other roster moves that happened late in the offseason into account.

For instance, this magazine has Mookie Betts as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers -- not the Boston Red Sox -- and that makes it different than some of the other ones I've read.

I try not to give away too much about these magazines' predictions -- copyright infringement and all -- but it's been quite unusual to read positive thoughts on the White Sox.

Baseball Digest has the Sox finishing second in the American League Central behind the Minnesota Twins, a forecast that is both optimistic and realistic.

The magazine notes that the Sox have the longest postseason drought of any team in their division, and the second-longest drought of any team in the American League. It also refers to "octogenarian chairman Jerry Reinsdorf," which is quite amusing, and notes that Reinsdorf and general Rick Hahn were out to end that postseason drought with significant moves this offseason.

And three of the Baseball Digest's "five rookies to watch" in the AL Central are members of the Sox: Luis Robert, Michael Kopech and Nick Madrigal.

Hey, at least the days of being picked to finish last are gone, right?

Worthwhile read on former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks

Bobby Jenks

Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks lost his career, his marriage and almost lost his life to a botched back surgery and an addiction to painkillers.

Jenks talked about his troubles, which occurred in 2011-12 when he was a member of the Boston Red Sox, in a first-person article this week for The Players' Tribune.

It appears that things are much better for Jenks now, as he received a $5.1 million settlement from the hospital that botched his back surgery.

Jenks has been sober for more than seven years, but that will be an ongoing battle for him for the rest of his days. He's also speaking out to draw attention to the practice of concurrent surgeries, which he says led to his doctor screwing up his back.

The article is lengthy, but it's worth your time, when you have the time. I found it to be a nice break from reading about offseason free agency rumors.

Do networks know the Boston Red Sox aren't going to make the playoffs?

Dave Dombrowski

The Boston Red Sox on Monday fired Dave Dombrowski, their president of baseball operations.

The move comes only 11 months after the Red Sox won 108 games and claimed the 2018 World Series championship. Boston has won the AL East the past three seasons, but it will not be repeating this year.

While the Red Sox were a respectable 79-64 entering Monday's play, they were 17.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. And, they were eight games out of a wild-card spot with two teams to pass. With only three weeks left in the regular season, they need a miracle to qualify for the 2019 postseason, and we don't believe in miracles here at The Baseball Kid.

So, Dombrowski was fired, because he's handed out some big contracts that didn't net Boston ownership a good return on investment, and he is no longer seen as the right guy to lead the Red Sox moving forward. Standards are high in Boston, and the tolerance for losing is low.

I can recite the Red Sox's problems chapter and verse:

1. Chris Sale has been a combination of injured and bad all season. He's out for the year with elbow inflammation.
2. Injuries have limited David Price to 22 starts this season.
3. Rick Porcello has had a terrible year, with an ERA up near 6.
4. Postseason hero Nathan Eovaldi was given a big contract as a reward, but he too has been injured and ineffective.
5. Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly, key Boston relievers a year ago, left the team via free agency. And while neither man has had a great season for their new teams, the Red Sox haven't had a reliable back end of the bullpen. No current Boston reliever has more than 11 saves.

Why do I know all this about the Red Sox? Because they are on TV all the time! On any day of the week, you can find Boston on one of the networks, and the announcers will inevitably touch on the five bullet points listed above.

The Red Sox are completing a four-game series Monday against the Yankees, and literally all four games were televised here -- in Chicago. MLB Network had the New York-Boston game on Friday Night Baseball and Monday Night Baseball.

The Saturday Game of the Week on FS1? Yep, New York at Boston.

Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN? Yep, New York at Boston.

Meanwhile, there were four weekend series in Major League Baseball that were more compelling and more vital to the playoff races: Indians-Twins, Nationals-Braves, Brewers-Cubs and Phillies-Mets.

I know the Red Sox are defending champions. I know they play in a big market. I know they are a TV draw. But can't these networks flex to some other games? This is September, and there is plenty of meaningful baseball being played, and this year it just doesn't involve Boston.

If the Red Sox were in it, Dombrowski probably wouldn't be getting fired.

Tim Anderson is hurt, but at least Jose Abreu came up with a big home run

Tim Anderson

Just when it looked as though the White Sox were going to get swept in Boston and limp home (literally) with a 2-6 record on their eight-game road trip, Jose Abreu flipped the script.

The Sox's first baseman capped a three-hit, four-RBI performance Wednesday with a two-run homer with one out in the ninth off Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes. The blast turned a 7-6 Sox deficit into an 8-7 victory and put an end to an afternoon of frustration that saw the South Siders blow the 6-3 lead they had going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

It was a long, tough trip, with two games against the Cubs, three against the Texas Rangers and three against the Red Sox. My hope was that the Sox would manage a win in each stadium, and that's exactly what they did. A 3-5 record is hardly brilliant, but given the lack of starting pitching and a taxed bullpen, cobbling together a few victories against three hard-hitting teams is good enough for now.

The worst news for the Sox? Shortstop Tim Anderson, who is in the midst of a breakout year, left Tuesday night's game in Boston (a 6-3 loss) with a high ankle sprain. Anderson's X-rays were negative, and he was scheduled for a MRI on Wednesday. When I saw the play, I feared a season-ending torn Achilles, so if it's not that, I feel lucky.

Nevertheless, Anderson is going to miss some time. How much time is unclear, but I would expect him to be placed on the injured list during Thursday's off day, before the Sox open a three-game weekend series at home against the Minnesota Twins.

Former Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar has been playing at Triple-A Charlotte this season, and some think he'll get the call-up as a result of Anderson's misfortune.

I'm not so sure. The Sox have three players on the 25-man roster -- Leury Garcia, Jose Rondon and Yolmer Sanchez -- who have played shortstop in their careers. They also have only three starting pitchers on the roster, and no starting pitcher has been named for Friday's series opener against the Twins.

Both Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito are receiving an extra day of rest in between starts. They will pitch Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Does that make Friday night another bullpen day? The Sox just did that Tuesday. Or will they call up another starter?

Either way, I think a pitcher replaces Anderson on the roster. It's either another starter to pitch Friday night, or it's a bullpen arm to help get through Friday's game.

Fans hoping to see either Escobar or Danny Mendick may have to wait. Even if the already-present options at shortstop aren't great, they are still better than the options among starting pitchers.

White Sox's pitching house of cards crumbles vs. Red Sox

Chris Sale

Here's one way to look at this weekend: The White Sox won one more game against the Boston Red Sox than expected. It turned out to be the first game of the four-games series, but oh, those three losses ...

They were as ugly as ugly gets.

The starting pitching is crumbling on the South Side of Chicago, and we still have 130 games to go. Carlos Rodon is out for an extended period. Ivan Nova is failing miserably as the veteran innings-eater. Ervin Santana already has been released.

Manny Banuelos is NOT the answer the Sox hoped he would be when they touted his skills at SoxFest in January, and once again, we're stuck with Dylan Covey as the most viable option to fill space.

Here's a look back at the series that was:

Thursday, May 2
White Sox 6, Red Sox 4: Nicky Delmonico hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to turn a possible 4-3 loss into a Sox victory. And my main reaction was, "Well, at least they won't get swept."

Boston opened the door when third baseman Rafael Devers kicked a routine grounder hit by Jose Rondon. Yonder Alonso singled to move Rondon to third, and that set the table for Delmonico.

But, the one positive takeaway from this whole weekend, for me, was something else: Lucas Giolito looked competent on the mound in his first game back from the injured list. He worked five respectable innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two against a good lineup.

Obviously, we want more than five innings from Giolito his next time out, but this performance was encouraging.

Friday, May 3
Red Sox 6, White Sox 1: Chris Sale was 0-5 coming into this game. His velocity was down, he has a World Series hangover, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Whatever. That guy is still a great pitcher, and him being 0-5 just meant he was due for a win.

He's now 1-5 after blanked the Sox over six innings, striking out 10 and allowing only three hits. He kicked the Sox's asses fair and square, and that had to be satisfying for him.

Reynaldo Lopez (2-4) gave up a three-run homer to Devers in the top of the first inning, and that was all Sale would need.

Rondon pitched an inning of scoreless relief in the ninth for the Sox. I was scratching my head as to why a team with an eight-man bullpen was using an infielder to pitch in a five-run game. It was 6-1, not 15-2, you know?

Saturday, May 4
Red Sox 15, White Sox 2: About that 15-2 ... Banuelos retired the first eight men he faced. Then he gave up 10 straight hits as the Red Sox posted a nine-spot in the top of the third inning.

I actually felt bad for Banuelos, who should not have been left in the game that long. But the Sox have a taxed bullpen, so on and so forth, and they were trying to get a few more outs from him. Those outs simply weren't forthcoming.

Carson Fulmer appeared with his gas can and gave up five more runs in the fourth. He retired only one of the seven hitters he faced and walked three. After the game, Fulmer was mercifully sent back to Triple-A.

Here's the thing: If you can't throw strikes when there's no penalty for throwing strikes, such as when your team is down 9-1 in the fourth, you don't belong in the major leagues. Fulmer is a tremendous disappointment, being a former first-round draft pick.

Banuelos is a scrap-heap pickup who is being asked to handle more than he should. I have no bad feelings toward him. Rather, I have bad feelings toward those who erroneously believed he was a viable answer for this starting rotation.

Kelvin Herrera, a high-leverage reliever, finished this game instead of a position player, for some reason.

Sunday, May 5
Red Sox 9, White Sox 2: Covey did his job. I was hoping for four decent innings. He provided 4.2 decent innings, allowing two runs.

This game was tied at 2 through seven innings, and then Boston scored seven runs in the eighth against Herrera, Caleb Frare and Juan Minaya. (Yep, Minaya's back. Somebody had to take Fulmer's place. And maybe Herrera shouldn't have been wasting bullets Saturday.)

That Boston rally started with a clown shoes play that I'm not sure I can do justice. Devers hit one off the left-field fence, and Delmonico actually did a great job of playing the carom. He got the ball in quickly, holding Devers to a long single.

Problem is, Tim Anderson tried to catch Devers as he scrambled back to first, and he threw the ball away. As Devers broke for second, Jose Abreu retrieved the ball and decided he'd try to throw out the Boston runner. Instead, he chucked the ball into left field, allowing Devers to make third.

So, a one-out single turned into a Little League triple. Before you knew it, there were walks and hits and a grand slam by Xander Bogaerts, and the game was over.

There was a crowd of 36,553, more than on Opening Day. They were all still there when the eighth inning started. By the bottom of the eighth, there were about 6,000 there, and probably 5,000 of them were in Red Sox gear.

Oh well. Easier for me to get out of the parking lot, I guess. 

All this means the Sox got outscored 30-5 in the final three games of the series. Rick Hahn talks a lot about positioning the organization to "compete for multiple championships." He just got a lesson in how far away he truly is. 

Mookie Betts, Christian Yelich win MVP awards

Christian Yelich

The MVPs this season are both first-time winners, and neither of them is a surprise: outfielder Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox in the AL and outfielder Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL.

At the halfway point of the season, Yelich was not the front-runner for the award. But from July 8 on, he hit .367 with a .444 on-base percentage. His .770 slugging percentage after the All-Star Game was baseball's best in 14 years, and over 74 games, he totaled 25 home runs, 22 doubles and a 1.171 OPS.

The Brewers overtook the Cubs in the NL Central in a Game 163 and finished with a league-best 96 wins. Obviously, they do not accomplish that without Yelich's red-hot second half.

Yelich won the batting title with a .326 average. He finished tied for third in the league with 36 home runs, and his 110 RBIs ranked second.

Really, he was darn close to a Triple Crown, which made this vote obvious.

Yelich earned 29 of the 30 first-place votes -- the other went to New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom. The Cubs' Javier Baez had 19 second-place votes and finished second. Colorado's Nolan Arenado, who led the NL with 38 home runs, placed third.

As for Betts, he became the first player in MLB history to win a batting title in the same season in which he also had at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. The right fielder's slash line was .346/.438/.640, and simply put, he was the best player on the best team -- the 108-win and World Series champion Red Sox.

Betts finished with 47 doubles, 32 home runs, 129 runs scored and 30 stolen bases. He's also the best defensive right fielder in the game, earning his third consecutive Gold Glove at the position this season.

Twenty-eight of the 30 first-place votes went to Betts. Runner-up Mike Trout appeared first on one ballot, and he got 24 second-place votes. Cleveland infielder Jose Ramirez placed third.

Gold Glove winners announced: White Sox CF Adam Engel didn't win

Adam Engel

Major League Baseball announced its Gold Glove winners for the 2018 season Sunday night, and White Sox center fielder Adam Engel did not win.

In fact, I'm pretty sure Engel finished third among the three finalists for center field in the American League -- Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr. won the honor, and Los Angeles' Mike Trout was the other contender -- but there's really no shame in it for Engel.

I've often felt as though a player has to hit well in order to get consideration for a Gold Glove, which I know sounds completely ridiculous, but rare is the case when a player gets much publicity for being a defense-only guy -- especially on a 100-loss team such as the Sox.

Engel is a defense-only player. He finished the 2018 season with a .235/.279/.336 slash line, and that actually was an improvement over the .166/.235/.282 line he posted as a rookie in 2017.

And heck, Engel didn't even play his best defense the first couple months of the season. His error total (7) worked against him, and he only had five outfield assists all season. However, he gained attention in August when he made three spectacular catches to rob opposing players (Greg Bird, Kyle Higashioka and Yonder Alonso) of home runs in the same week. Each catch was better than the one before it, and it didn't hurt that two of them came against the high-profile New York Yankees.

In that context, it was a nice accomplishment for Engel to be named a finalist. His weak bat likely will knock him out of the Sox's everyday lineup at some point, so being in the Gold Glove conversation this season probably will go down as a career highlight for him.

Here is the list of Gold Glove winners from both leagues:

American League

Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel, Astros (fourth award)
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Royals (fifth award)
First base: Matt Olson, Athletics (first award)
Second base: Ian Kinsler, Red Sox (second award)
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Angels (fourth award)
Third base: Matt Chapman, Athletics (first award)
Left field: Alex Gordon, Royals (sixth award)
Center field: Bradley Jr., Red Sox (first award)
​Right field: Mookie Betts, Red Sox (third award)

 

National League

Pitcher: Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks (fifth award)
Catcher: Yadier Molina, Cardinals (ninth award)
First base: Freddie Freeman, Braves (first award) and Anthony Rizzo, Cubs (second award)
Second base: D.J. LeMahieu, Rockies (third award)
Shortstop: Nick Ahmed, Diamondbacks (first award)
Third base: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (sixth award)
Left field: Corey Dickerson, Pirates (first award)
Center field: Ender Inciarte, Braves (third award)
​Right field: Nick Markakis, Braves (third award)​