The success or failure of teams in the MLB Draft is difficult to determine. The main reason for this is because it takes so long for most draftees to reach the majors, and players shuffle from team to team so often (whether it's by trade or otherwise) that looking at a particular team's draft class for a particular year will often only yield one or two players who actually made an impact on that team's major league roster.
Read MoreDespite the fact that the Royals squeaked past Oakland in the Wild Card game and then rode their elite bullpen into the World Series, the 2014 Tigers were objectively the best team in the division. Detroit would win the division and boasted a run differential of +52 as opposed to Kansas City's +27. In fact, they have won the AL Central every year since 2010. Their core has gotten older and slipped some, Dombrowski finally messed up a major trade last offseason, and the window looks like it may be closing. But, like the White Sox, they have had a very busy winter so far. How do they look at the moment?
Read MoreVoting for this year's All-Star game in Minneapolis ended Thursday and on Sunday the rosters will be announced. Hopefully you have your typing fingers in good shape so that when Random Good Player X is left off the roster for Slightly Worse Player Y, you can decry the entire process on social media.
Luckily, for the White Sox, there shouldn't be a whole lot of drama regarding who does and does not make the team. Let's take a look at the obvious candidates.
Read MoreThe matchup can’t be any worse than Leesman v. Verlander now can it? Andre Rienzo’s got an inning’s worth of work this season for the White Sox, not much to go on, but his 13 innings in Charlotte are not encouraging. He’s allowed 15 hits and 7 walks in that time for an ERA of 4.85 that almost exactly matches his short-sample ERA in the big leagues last season of 4.82.
Read MoreChris Sale's disheartening injury and uncertain future was already going to be more than enough to cast a pall over game. But paired with injuries to Adam Eaton, Conor Gillaspie and an emergency start for Charlie Leesman against Justin Verlander, it was hard to feel like the White Sox were doing much more than fulfilling their league requirement to attend and play the game.
Read MoreWhile we continue to mourn and hold our collective breath after yesterday's news that Chris Sale will spend an undetermined amount of time on the disabled list, baseball games, unfortunately, must continue. And the White Sox will look to survive their first post-Sale start on Tuesday when Charlie Leesman takes the bump for the second of a four-game set against the Detroit Tigers.
Read MoreWe’ve watched these games with more promise than we have in over a year. We’ve watched the offense succeed, we’ve watched pieces of the pitching staff excel as others struggle, and we’ve watched a team that has not yet cashed it in for the season. But we watch while reminding ourselves that this team is not going to win any divisions. This team is supposed to be taking a step towards being a team that wins divisions. If for some reason this team does want to make a go of things, it would behoove them to win some games that simultaneously notch tallies in the Detroit Tigers’ loss column.
Read MoreMiguel Cabrera was likely always going to have one last mondo-payday, and his elite skills were likely always going to allow him to receive something that outstripped contracts given to Prince Fielder, Joey Votto and even Albert Pujols. But again, he had two years to get through, still produce and still ward off the creeping specter of injury before he could demand such things.
Ryan Howard was still pretty awesome when he signed his extension with the Phillies, now the emptied husk of his once robust production is the designated cudgel of every saber-friendly analyst. Cabrera is a much better actor, but the script still stinks.
Read MoreThe Catbird Seat is a White Sox blog by White Sox fans that focuses on intelligent and humorous baseball commentary. Brought to you by ESPN's SweetSpot Network.
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