2015 MLB Draft: One last look before the speculation ends

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The thing about projecting the MLB Draft, which begins with the first two rounds tonight, is that, like most drafts, it's a fool's practice. As Ben Lindbergh noted on Grantland last week, nobody gets anything right. Even Kevin Goldstein, for years one of the top prospect minds in the game who now works for the Houston Astros, only got 18 picks right over a six year period, and in 2010 only got the No. 1 overall pick correctly before whiffing on every other pick, as noted in Lindbergh's piece.

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The Catbird Speaks: How could you not be complaining at this point

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James, Collin, Ethan, and Matt once again lament the state of the White Sox, their failed pieces, and who among them may be candidates for trade with such potential trade partners as the Dodgers, Astros, and the Cubs. Some last minute opinions on who the White Sox should target in the 2015 draft are offered before things get de-baseballed and challenges are issued. 

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TCS Morning 10: Say, those WERE a lot of Rodon strikeouts

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Carlos Rodon split the plate with the first fastball he threw to Delino DeShields, and after getting taken into the gap for a leadoff double, he looked lost missing badly with fastballs and walking Shin-Soo Choo.

And then just like Chris Sale the night before, Rodon snapped into place. Or it's better said, his slider took control of the game. The only run he allowed all night came that same inning, when he completely overwhelmed Prince Fielder, only for that brilliant hitter to poke an off balance seeing-eye single through on him. No one else fared better. Rodon's slider filleted everyone, overwhelming a lefty-centered lineup, covering up his walks, putting away hitters who fell behind, enticing swings from hitters who were ahead and had to know the slider was coming. He recorded 10 of his first 15 outs via strikeout, and braved six outstanding innings with two pitches, and really only one pitch worth worrying about.

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TCS Morning 10: Back to feeling awful about Samardzija, Sox again

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It would have been nice to realize while it was happening that May was Samardzija's hot stretch of command. Instead, I didn't realize until his last two starts that he was beginning to look as advertised, and now he's pounding the zone with mistakes on the upper half again and getting pounded in return. Samardzija was annihilated for nine runs on 12 hits in five-plus innings in Tuesday night's 15-2 demolition in Arlington, but probably could have taken the game into the seventh if they wanted to stretch his pitch count. He was so efficient at pounding the zone with pitches to drive, floating every cutter and slider over the center of the plate, that he still was on 95 pitches despite facing 28 batters on the night. 

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TCS Morning 10: On to Texas

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The cruelest mockery: The Rangers will mark the arrival of the White Sox in Texas by calling up the type of fearsome, high-ceiling, top-10 offensive prospect that the Sox have been unable to generate in over a decade. Joey Gallo will reportedly be called up to the big club on Tuesday, straight from Double-A.

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TCS Morning 10 is a work-in-progress

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What the hell got into John Danks? What got into the White Sox in general? How have the Astros been winning? Danks' shutout was very him; a combination of his best control, consistent contact but avoiding the huge, deflating bomb, and a definitively weird event that kept his tab empty. In another world, Jonathan Villar's triple-that-wasn't-quite-an-inside-the-park-home-run is a lineout to center that Adam Eaton reads correctly, but let he who has not allowed the speeding bullet over his outfielder's head cast the first stone.

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