Criznit
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Maybe it'll be the wakeup call they need?
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2023 Season | Series #16 | White Sox @ Guardians | May 22-24, 2023
- Thread starter Wham with the Right Hand
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KluberSociety
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They have a day to rest and meditate, and then they face the Cardinals before they play 6 consecutive teams with winning records. After making it through these teams maybe there will be a little more clarity on the rest of the season.
macbdog
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Tito Francona is the Doc Rivers of baseball, living off a World Series from 15 years ago. Debate me.
macbdog
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Biebers words are telling. Telling the team leadership they spent the offseason huffing their own farts instead of improving the lineup is pretty damn bold- and fwiw, his comment was a nicer way of saying 'I don't want to offend anyone but'- he meant what he said.
CBBI
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Biebers words are telling. Telling the team leadership they spent the offseason huffing their own farts instead of improving the lineup is pretty damn bold- and fwiw, his comment was a nicer way of saying 'I don't want to offend anyone but'- he meant what he said.
It would be one thing if they ran it back with the exact same group. But they actually got aggressive and spent a combined 22M this season to (theoretically) upgrade both the C and DH spots.
They made significant financial investment (for them) on upgrading the lineup, it just hasn't worked out.
KluberSociety
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Just makes me think more and more that so much of the game is luck.
Just as the Cleveland FO isn't stupid for signing Bell and Zunino, or for extending Straw, Clase, Stephan, and Gimenez, they also weren't necessarily special for some of their other successful signings/extensions/buyouts of the past. At least by going the route of multiple small signings though, you should in theory be reducing variance a bit. So far that hasn't really played out but I think some of these guys should rebound.
CBBI
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Last year they got a combined .533 OPS from their catcher position, so they signed a FA catcher with a career .678 OPS to fill that spot.
Last year they got a combined .585 OPS from their DH position, so they signed a FA DH with a career .803 OPS to fill that spot.
I just can't say they didn't try to upgrade the offense this offseason. They clearly tried. It just hasn't worked out for a variety of reasons.
Last year they got a combined .585 OPS from their DH position, so they signed a FA DH with a career .803 OPS to fill that spot.
I just can't say they didn't try to upgrade the offense this offseason. They clearly tried. It just hasn't worked out for a variety of reasons.
sportscoach
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I agree, they made some moves and they haven't worked...
Also I feel like Bell is actually starting to come around as well... He's been seeing the ball well (aka one of the lead leaders in walks) and has been focusing on contact. He will start getting some HRs in due time. That will help at the end of the day...
The problem is, guys like Gimenez, OGonz and some others didn't produce right away and to be sincere I feel like over the last weekish the offense has been doing better since guys like JRam and Naylor have been getting big hits... That's something we did really well last season, big hits... We have been absolute shit in those situations...
I know people say lineup protection is a myth, but I feel like JRam isn't going to get pitches until the guys in front and behind him start producing. Until we get JRam someone worthy of the two hole, we aren't going to be as effective of an offense...
CDAV45
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They knew Zunino was a big gamble. That's why he was their fallback .
I liked the idea of signing Bell when it was clear they weren't going to trade Bieber. I would have preferred to do that and acquire more of a longterm up and comer in the return, but it didn't work like that. I actually think Bell is a shell of his former self and will never give us the production that we all expected or had hoped for. I don't hold it against them for signing him and I'll gladly admit I was wrong when he proves me to be.
All they need to do is get Straw, Rosario and Zunino out of the everyday lineup and you'll see an improvement.
Usually, I would say that not everything will work out and thus when a Zunino doesn't pan out, it is a good try. However, I was a bit hesitant on Bell at first due to the $$$ over 2 years (and was just okay with the gamble to buy a Comp A pick if he succeeded and went FA after this year) and thus is the bigger miss. However, is he blocking anyone right now? I would be okay with Freeman/Arias being a DH (or Arias at 1B for Naylor at DH). Yet, I know CDAV would hate weak hitting Freeman at DH. Yet, if Rosario had a decent year, he could have (or soon would have) been shipped out where Arias/Freeman is then SS/2nd, anyways.
What I am concerned about is the drop off from almost every position player. We knew we would have some, but sooo much? If it is about clubhouse chemistry that is on Tito or if it was that our talent looked inflated last year then that is on FO for not making other moves. And, if they knew it wasn't our year due to inflated talent last year, then it should have been another designated another growth year without vets blocking the next wave of position players. The sell-off of Plesac, Rosario, ... should have started earlier (even without 100% of trade value gotten back) or Bell's 2-year deal should have been a 1-year deal at max as we wait on Valera and Noel versus trying to buy such a streaky talent that could bust and drag down the team in 2024. Now, I hope that proves motivation to him to prove me wrong but his upside now is a decent Santana talent that provides a good OBP but not the true middle of the order talent we were thinking and hoping for.
Benway
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To me, a rebound from Bell is absolutely vital for this franchise.
His athleticism is absolutely off the charts, the other way. The wrong way.
He can't field or run At All, and his reactions may have slowed to the point where he is begging for walks. (Call it Toby Harrah disease.)
If he can't reasonably gamble on his own future earning potential by the end of the season, We Are Screwed for another year.
His athleticism is absolutely off the charts, the other way. The wrong way.
He can't field or run At All, and his reactions may have slowed to the point where he is begging for walks. (Call it Toby Harrah disease.)
If he can't reasonably gamble on his own future earning potential by the end of the season, We Are Screwed for another year.
KluberSociety
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I think Bell will be fine. His xwOBA isn't that far off from career norms and he's been striking out a little less so if anything I expect it to trend up, and with neutral luck that will be fine. By fine, I mean literally fine. Not great not terrible but someone that puts up professional at bats expected from the DH position, and maybe a little more.