TCS Morning 10: Welcome to awful September baseball

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In the soon-to-be seven year drought between White Sox playoff berths, and in the nine years out of the last 10 where they have missed the playoffs, the Sox have finished within five games of first place in their division just once. That year, 2012, is probably more remembered as a gut-wrenching collapse than a spirited playoff bid that finished just short. Their next-most impressive season, 2010, saw 88 victories, but was dead on its feet after Jim Thome walked-off the Sox with a 450-foot blast of irony out of Target Field in mid-August. In gunning for the playoffs with annual thirst, the Sox have not only failed to deliver anything to hang a banner about, but they failed to deliver us from the doldrums of expanded roster September goof-off sessions.

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2015 White Sox Over/Under Extravaganza

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As you probably know, you can gamble on just about everything under the sun nowadays. Who will be the President in 2016? Which movie will win Best Picture at the Academy Awards? How many home runs will Jose Abreu hit?

You probably have an opinion on that last one (maybe the other two, we don't know). Either way, the staff at The Catbird Seat decided to make some over/under predictions for the 2015 White Sox.

We came up with a starting point, compiled by Collin Whitchurch through a combination of looking at last year's numbers, this year's projections, and some just plain out of thin air, and each staff member predicted whether the final 2015 tally would be over or under that number. Some are fun. Some are sad. Some are ridiculous.

Enjoy, and let us know your predictions in the comments section.

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A Case for J.B. Shuck

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Those of you out there who listen to our podcasts are probably used to hearing me complain about defensive metrics. In the end, my objections to defensive metrics are limited in their scope - I just think they should be approached as pieces of data, rather than definitive, precise measurements. However, that does not mean that I don't care about defense, or that I don't think it's important. For a long time, defense was so underrated that it was one of the market inefficiencies that Billy Beane tried to exploit. Picked up off the scrap heap, J.B. Shuck could provide a lot of value with his glove this year - especially given the White Sox' recent history.

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Samardzija's "debut" with the White Sox

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Jeff Samardzija is scheduled to pitch for the White Sox Tuesday, against the White Sox, after Monday's White Sox vs. White Sox competition got rained out in the middle of the desert. Since the proper Cactus League Opener is on Wednesday with Jose Quintana, a preview of freaking out about actual, fake baseball could have waited a day, but I'm out of ideas now.

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Dayan's gone & White Sox notes

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Rick Hahn is known for at least outwardly broadcasting a very aggressive negotiating position, but at this stage, I want to grant him the benefit of the doubt and conclude that there is not a verifiable soul working in an MLB front office that wants to give up anything of substance for Dayan Viciedo. In which case, probably good that they didn't give him 500 more PA's and a gang of innings in the outfield. 

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Surely someone can be tricked into Dayan Viciedo

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Some other club will just come along and rescue the Sox from their self-made hell. But what team wants Dayan Viciedo in "a greater role?" Well, this is probably a very bad team. Let's find them. Let's only search the AL, though, because proposing a team needs Dayan Viciedo is bad enough, let's not wish a full season of defense on these clubs too.

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White Sox Reportedly Sign Melky Cabrera to 3-Year-Deal

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As the White Sox have begun to load up for 2015 contention, a persistent worry has been what to do with the last outfield position. Simply put, a team that won only 73 games in 2014 would be hard-pressed to contend while relying on a bat-first left fielder who can’t really hit and really can’t field. This sentiment was clearly shared by Rick Hahn & Co., who late Saturday night reportedly agreed to sign former Blue Jay Melky Cabrera to a three-year deal reportedly in the $45 million range.

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The Dayan dream deferred

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Trading Dayan Viciedo to the Mariners never made much sense, even in the thick of 2014. Viciedo was in the middle of a career-worst season, and was revealing himself to be a power-only right-handed clod, who would potentially play in a park that absorbs right-handed power and erases any trace of its existence.

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White Sox payroll/Dayan Viciedo check

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I look at the White Sox 2015 payroll and I have the same reaction as any fan: why can't my job find more for me in the budget, man? I work hard.

But the secondary reaction, after curses whispered through tears, is figuring there's still some room for some deals.

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White Sox search for left fielder stretches on

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We enter Day 35 of the offseason, and the days themselves have become drops in an unceasing ocean that does not so much meet the horizon as it fades into the sky, until they are one. The Winter Meetings are said to be drawing near, but they are not visible through the fog, and nothing stirs to disperse the haze

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The Sox Stove: 2015 Edition, Part 3 - Michael Saunders

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The first two parts of this offseason series have focused on free agency - but that's not the only way to improve a roster.  Last winter we saw two major White Sox trades. One worked out gloriously (Adam Eaton!), and one had a very disappointing initial return (Matt Davidson is still young, but 2014 was a huge step backward).  Perhaps the White Sox can take advantage of another dysfunctional organization this offseason.

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Who should get booted from the White Sox 40-man roster?

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These are people on the White Sox 40-man roster. Grown men. Proud men. They've dedicated their lives to a challenging, brutal craft and many have lived their last few years fighting against the odds to keep it going, even as the once dreamed about financial windfall become faded and childish fantasies, they've trudged on dutifully and fought to keep playing until they're asked to go.

Let's fantasize about cutting them.

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