There are a few weeks remaining before pitchers and catchers report to Arizona on Feb. 15, so even while we're issuing preliminary grades for Rick Hahn, the offseason isn't quite over.
That said, James Fegan's conversation with White Sox hitting coordinator Andy Barkett did come across as a dry run for reasoning themselves into making no other additions to address second base and right field.
There's no reason to doubt Barkett's sincerity in saying he's "a big Romy [González] fan," and there's certainly no reason to knock the work González has done to overcome the odds set by his draft status thus far, but improving pitch selection at the MLB level feels like a worthwhile project for a not-ready team, instead of a club that's desperately trying to prop open its window.
At least there are a few candidates to cycle through at second base, be they Lenyn Sosa, Leury García or even Hanser Alberto.
Oscar Colás is on an island in right field, and while he's (definitely) more talented and (probably) more ready for MLB action right now, Barkett's assessment tripped an alarm for me.
Similarly, he sees other developmental hurdles for Colás working themselves out on their own for the most part but thinks he will have to get through some periods of struggle for that to take place.
“There’s so much bat speed and there’s so much ability there that he’s kind of like an outlier,” Barkett said. “To get Oscar to follow a game plan, I don’t think he’s there yet. He’s just so good that he’s like: ‘Yeah, that’s the game plan. Fine. Give me the bat — I’m gonna kill this guy.’ There’s a lot of dudes that are like that, and that’s OK. That works for him. So until that stops working, I think that he’s going to — he’s gonna go out there and compete. He believes that the club in his bag is better than that ball that guy is throwing. That’s kind of where he is right now. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
This description of a right fielder reminds me of Avisaíl García, who hit .354/.404/.532 over his Triple-A career, but couldn't really duplicate that success until his fifth season in the majors. That Triple-A career only lasted 74 games, which created a natural tendency to wonder if he needed more seasoning, but when somebody's hitting .354/.404/.532 and is only striking out 24 percent of the time over any extended sample, who's actually capable of teaching him anything there?
In Colás favor, being left-handed makes his job a little bit easier, and his experience climbing the ranks of the Japanese professional system probably gives him more to draw upon than we're used to accounting. I'd fully understand and wholly support an Opening Day assignment if he continues to look the part in spring training, but man, I sure wish the Sox had a better backup plan if his introduction is a rocky one, or if Luis Robert misses months again.
Spare Parts
Speaking of Colás, he cracked Baseball America's top 100 list with room to spare, checking in at No. 89. Colson Montgomery is 50 spots higher, and deservedly so.
- Nashville group led by Dave Stewart makes pitch for Music City -- The Athletic
- Montreal has lots of nostalgia. But is that enough? -- The Athletic
The Athletic has been examining potential MLB expansion markets, and these are the two closest to my body and heart. There's also a story about Portland, but ... meh.
Considering the Royals changed GMs in part because the previous one wasn't transactional enough, I've been surprised with how sleepy the Royals have been all winter. The signing of Chapman, which joins Jordan Lyles as the only moves of note for KC, won't really change things.
- Reds president Phil Castellini rankles some with comments on team at Reds supporters club lunch -- The Athletic
- John Angelos says he's 'very transparent,' but actions show otherwise -- The Athletic
Between Phil Castellini telling some of the Reds' most ardent supporters that they run the team like a nonprofit and won't be keeping any of their best players, and John Angelos hiding behind Martin Luther King Jr. Day to avoid answering questions about Baltimore's turbulent ownership situation, it was a banner week for failsons.
Based on projections, the AL Central might be the least affected by the shift to the balanced schedule because they were already set to face the NL East had the league stuck with the previous interleague arrangement.
The White Sox have created a portal for fans to submit messages of support for Liam Hendriks. Words, videos and artwork are all welcome.
