The White Sox won five of their last six games but couldn’t avoid history, as the 41-121 club had the most losses of any team in the modern era. In an open letter to fans today, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf described the season in such terms as “a failure,” “embarrassing,” “completely unacceptable,” and others, while noting that “as the leader of this organization, that is my ultimate responsibility. There are no excuses.”
In terms of what is next, Reinsdorf said the team is “embracing new ideas and outside perspectives” to get things on track. “This will include further development of players on our current roster, development within our system, evaluating the trade and free agent markets to improve our ballclub and new leadership for our analytics department, allowing us to elevate and improve every process within our organization with a focus for competing for championships….When named general manager in 2023, Chris Getz and his staff immediately began conducting a top-to-bottom evaluation of our existing operations. Chris is rebuilding the foundation of our baseball operations department, with key personnel changes already happening in player development, international scouting, professional scouting and analytics. Some of these changes will be apparent quickly while others will need time to produce the results we all want to see at the major-league level.”
More from around the American League…
- John Schneider listed catching, bullpen, and power hitting as the Blue Jays’ biggest offseason needs, the manager told The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath and other reporters today. “I think you need a little bit more than just a [catcher] that’s going to play once or twice a week,” Schneider said, implying that Toronto will be looking for a timeshare partner for Alejandro Kirk rather than a backup. Finding help behind the plate could be tricky in a typically thin free agent catching market, though Kirk’s offensive improvement in the second half of the season provides some hope that Kirk can get back to his All-Star form from 2022. Basically any improvement is needed for a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball, but Schneider specified that “I think that you need unique looks and unique stuff — stuff that complements one another, guys that can do different things.” How the Jays address these needs and several other roster holes will be a challenge for a team that is still largely reliant on such core players as Kirk, Bo Bichette, George Springer, and others to be much better than they were in 2024.
- The Rays are another AL East team with an underachieving lineup, and Yandy Diaz unsurprisingly feels that “one or two more bats” are needed this winter, the infielder told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Diaz’s own production dropped from the highs of his 2022-23 seasons, as a slow start diminished his numbers even if Diaz returned to his usual form over time. In fact, Diaz’s most productive month (.879 OPS) came in September, even though he said he was dealing with patellar tendinitis in his left knee. Diaz isn’t worried that the injury will require any surgical treatment, and said “I need to work on my strength, my knee and exercises, and get ready for Spring Training, and hopefully everything’s going to be OK.”
- In other Rays news from Topkin, the team intends to retain its coaching staff for next season. Of course, outside factors could complicate these plans, as rival clubs routinely interviews Rays coaches for other jobs, such as managerial or bench coach vacancies.
Obviously there’s a typo in the article. When you click the link you can see the Jays are not projected over the luxury tax threshold. There projected commitments for 2025 are somewhere between $124-$138M
The $138 figure is not including all the players who are yet to finalise arbitration salaries for 2025. e.g Guerroro alone will probably add another $26M.
Not just Guerrero (and $26m is optomistic). Also missing arbs for Kirk, Varsho, Romano, Swanson, Cabrera and Manoah. Those 7 add to $50m this year and they’re all Arb 3. Figure 50% bump and you’ve got $75m. Add benefits, minimum contracts, etc and you’re very close to the line. Maybe $15m to cross it and that’s pretty much the roster that was swept by Miami, with Bichette added.
Looks grim and what are the odds that Berrios, Gausman and Bassitt post almost 100 quasi effective starts next year? I’d say they need to spend more than $15m on veteran depth additions to the pitching alone.
We have 4 number #3 pitchers. Two of them with potential to be an ace. Who’s the #5 addition, assuming Manoah is cooked?
Well they don’t need another big catcher addition. Someone like Austin Hedges would do fine. Why they keep suggesting that “Kirk can’t handle the work load” I don’t know. He is 25 and he handles the work load just fine every year when Jansen was on the DL. But this is also a team that thought Jansen could handle the work load in spite of him only appearing in 80ish games a year. (shakes head)
If they want to save money start dumping some of the useless repetition on the team in coaches and AAAA players that have no future here.
I changed Kirk’s age to 25 and it showed the change but when I comeback its 35 again?
Reinsdorf said the team is “embracing new ideas and outside perspectives”
———
Here’s an idea from outside the organization …
You’re the problem, leave now.
I agree with JR that he has been an utter failure as a MLB owner, an embarrassment to the entire MLB, and completely unacceptable. He should sell the team to someone that actually cares about winning and who will put competent baseball people into baseball operations and let them do their jobs.
What Toronto needs…is to FIRE SHAPIRO ansd ATKINS !!
Both Incompetent Clowns….
Too late, Reinsdork. You’ll always be scorned in Chicago.
Uh, John, you had that catcher. He’s now playing in Arizona along with one of those bats you also need.
Why Jays management thought a platoon of Kirk (can’t catch) and Jansen (can’t hit) was good enough to give up the TOP prospect in baseball at that time, plus get statistically worse at the plate to improve their outfield defence and “ balance the lineup” is beyond me. You know what’s much easier to find in the FA or trade markets than a highly projected two way catcher??? A leftie OF bat!
Huh? Kirk caught 31% of base stealers and is noted for being excellent at blocking and framing.
Moreno caught 29% BTW.
Missing the point Ducey. I know he’s solid behind the plate. He can’t catch five days a week though. He’s a 2-3 time a week week behind the plate + 3 times a week as a DH. Read Schneider’s comment about him, he isn’t wrong.
Two other points:
One of these guys earned a GG during his first full season in the Majors, want to guess which one it was?
Caught Stealing is a useless statistic as evidenced by Yad’s CS rate. Guys would only steal off Molina when they were pretty sure they had the bag stolen.
It’s strange that is still the prevailing view of Kirk. Since the deadline, Kirk has been in the workload range of a typical starting catcher and he’s been able to handle it. Not only the catching part, but hitting much better with more regular work too.
Greg1 what makes you think (other than Rogers Media repeating it) Kirk can’t do it in spite of doing it for the last three years every time Jansen went on the DL?
Also of note is the more Kirk plays the better he plays EXCEPT he gets off to a slow start at the beginning of each year.
Yeah…but gets thrown out at second frequently, and isn’t fast enough to get to first on regular routine singles. His biggest weak point is he is not a fast runner.
Don’t forget…he handled the workload of a losing team. An upgrade is required.
He was one half of the bullpen battery that failed miserably.
As for Kirk’s speed yeah he is slow but there have been many MLB players who were slow and had successful careers. Also Rogers Media really make to big of deal of this….more so than any other announcers/analyst do..
You think Boston complained about David Ortiz or Padres about Ken Caminitti or the tigers about Caprera (later in career?
Darthyen, you realize you just made my point for me, right???!
Ortiz – DH
Caminitti – 3B/DH
Cabrera (late career) – DH
I am all for the Jays keeping Kirky and having him DH 3-4 times a week and catch 1-2, but he’s not an everyday catcher.
Gregs i didn’t make your point…..the point is he is a catcher thus it would be even harder for him BUT he is in the same category (of speed) as those DHs.
Also I did not want to do a long list and they were the first three that came to mind but if you insist on catchers..
.Jjim Leyritz, Jose Molina, Benji Molina,and even Johnny Bench were all slower than average players and they were catchers. Yes some were faster than Kirk but my point is they too had their speed “issues” but no one was complaining about them like the Rogers Media group does about Kirk.
Kirk would be fine with catching 5 times a week with the off days/other catcher days in between.
Excellent in blocking and framing….but that didn’t help any of the bullpen pitchers. Wasn’t he responsible for calling pitches?…or did that come from bench
OK by your same logic wasn’t he responsible for the starting pitchers? Also that bullpen was mostly nonMLBers and they were mismanaged and over used.
Games that could have been 3 pitchers to finish it out Brainstorm on the bench uses 6.
And no not all pitches were called by the catcher as, if you watched all the games, you would have saw on many occasions singles from the bench even after the catcher or pitcher punched something into pitch com
To me, ‘Pitch framing’ is a lousy excuse to keep poor hitting catchers on major league rosters.
Sure he gets you a strike or two in a game, but it does not matter much IMO if he cannot drive in runners and hits .092. Who cares if he buys a strike (or even an out) if he also leaves 4 guys on base during the game?
Im hoping for an electronic strike zone just so we can stop hearing about ‘pitch framing’.
nrdxx38 you do realize Kirk had 54 RBIs in 113 games and 340 at bats this year in spite of a slow start and starting only once a week at times. good enough for fourth on the team.
Also more than double then Joe Sidal’s love toy Danny Jansen.
BTW Gregs Its not that Jansen can’t hit, he is streaky when he does hit and his hitting is unproductive. Jansen can’t catch either he is literally one of the worst catchers in the league and gets worse each year………..he post negative stats in almost every defensive category and the Jays in no way should try to resign him…
Contrary to your belief on Kirk he is one of the better catchers in the league and is a GREAT defender, drawing positive marks in all defensive categories. He is tied, among all players, for 13th in DRS and 4th among catchers.
Just out of curiosity, and you Kirky’s father, or brother?!
Obviously having a little fun with the comment above. You do however defend him like he’s the next Molina. Benji yes, Yadi no.
Actually I think Benji is probably a good comparable to Kirk. Big guy who was more solid defensively than you would have thought with his body type, and could put a little bat on ball. Like Benji though, would make a great backup catcher who could be pressed into starter “minutes” if/when an injury arises.
No I am neither of those but I do hate how Rogers Media has brainwashed everybody in to thinking Jansen is God’s gift to catchers and Kirk is a rollie pollie that can’t catch or run.
Is he a hefty dude that is slower of foot? sure. but many a ball player has been and had success while some of the “George Springer” body types have seen more DL stints than ABs.
BTW Gregs (forgot to add this earlier) Benji was a starter for all his career and for some really good teams in San Fran.
Maybe you were mixing up the brothers and thinking of Jose although he was not as big as Benji.
Jays issues run deeper than Atkins and Shapiro. Too many guys from the Ricciardi-era still in the organization, and too many non-baseball Ivy leaguers in the organization. They’ve adopted a philosophy that does not work, clearly. Atkins was a pitcher and played the game, but it’s time to start leaning on different people who can bring in talent, and coaches who can nurture the talent. Not these iPad holders who spot spin rates and bat speed. Get back to fundamentals and execution with less analytical people who never picked up a glove.
@its_happening
You mean guys like Cashman who played only University ball, or maybe Anthopoulos who never played ball at all. Replace those guys too?
AA started as an intern at 15 or 16 with Montreal. Worked his way up. Respectable.
More like the Keith Law-types, who did nothing to help the Blue Jays during his time with the club and managed to parlay that gig along with his baseball prospectus writing into a solid ESPN gig.
@its_happening
Anthopoulos started in the mail room after he got his degree in economics. No pro or semipro ball.
How about Friedman then ? Success with both the Dodgers and Rays. Just university ball on his CV.
I haven’t checked all the teams, but I’ll take the over that the vast majority of POBO’s and GM’s have university paper in a business type of study.
The Jays don’t have the capital in the minors to significantly update the positions of need. FA cost probably exceeds the ’25 budget. They should have torn it down at the deadline.
The broadcast made it seem like Berroa and De La Santos were the second coming of Harper and Soto.
@its_happening
I like Schulman but it’s time to send Buck into the cornfield in Iowa.
I know Buck still has an “old school mentality” about him BUT he is better than any of the other options.
He is far better than Don Sidal or Joe …Jim whatever his name is. That guy that talks and talks and talks like he knows everything about everything baseball and 90% of what he says is wrong if you look up the facts/stats……..well that has been the case for the few times I forced myself to listen to him but he is mostly a channel change or mute when he starts talking.
Reinsdorf should shoulder the whole blame because he wouldn’t open his wallet. It was obvious last winter/spring that the Sox were in trouble for 2024 because they did absolutely nothing to address the bullpen problem. Anybody notice how many times the bullpen blew leads and lost the game this year? Lots of times. The only problem I have with Reinsdorf selling the team is that a new owner might just move the team to Nashville or Hoboken or somewhere, which would be totally unacceptable to me, a 70-year Sox fan.
The Blue Jays have very few clear answers on the depth charts around the diamond or in the lineup. In that regard, saying they need a catcher that can catch more than once or twice a week seems like a misallocation of resources. That suggests Kirk is unable to catch with 2 days off a week. That doesn’t seem like an overly big workload. They don’t seem to have a lot of money to address the needs without a pretty big budget bump. They had a collective 85 wRC+ from the OF this year. That’s not a one power bat fix. There are other positions without clear answers too and lots of spots in the bullpen open for upgrades. In those circumstances, I think you just hope Kirk stays healthy catching 4-5 times a week.
@KamKid
5 times a week would be a stretch. 4 times a week while DH’ing once or twice would be optimal.
Most weeks have 6 games and a built in off day. 4 times a week is fine. In those long stretches with games every day, you make the best decisions you can based on how everyone is doing. Can he catch 3 in a row, day off, two in a row in a 7 day stretch? I think so. As long as he gets the day off frequently enough. I guess the bigger worry is that catchers are kind of in the line of fire often and that puts your backup and third catcher into much bigger roles if the starter goes down. I just don’t think worrying about having a second starting calibre catcher is worth worrying about when they don’t have starting calibre players at most positions on the diamond.
To Eeinsdorf: You may you are embracing new views from outside, yet you hired Getz as GM when he was responsible for draft and development prior to being promoted.
To Kirk: People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. You didn’t live up to expectations, so you’re part of the problem. You have no right to say what should be done.
That is all. Carry on.
Chad Mottola needs to be fired. If he’s going to keep preaching to these guys that strikeouts and low batting averages are part of the game and are ok if you are a good fielder, the Rays will have no chance no matter how good/healthy their pitching staff is. Watching Jackson hit was horrible. Walls can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Siri wasn’t much better. If nobody is going to convince $ternberg to spend money, the Rays aren’t going to change their organizational philosophy, and are going to keep teaching hitters that Ks are ok, defense is more valuable than your offense, not to mention pitchers blowing their arms off trying to get maximum spin rate. May as well try somebody else as a hitting coach, like one of the Durham/Montgomery coaches, or better yet, someone from an organization that actually values hitting line drives and not so much the defense.
This is all a big PR stunt to generate season ticket sales. Jerry has owned the team since 1981 and could give a rat’s backside about the fans, He’s pitching all this crap to potential advertisers on his new TV network, If he said “”as the leader I am responsible, I am a horrible leader, therefore I will be selling the team to make it more competitive..” That would be met with cheers from Sox fans. But it will never happen and the misery will continue.
Yandy Diaz says he needs to work on his strength? Are you kidding me? Dude is a beast.
I think he was talking about strength in the knee/leg, but the article wasn’t very clear on that point.
Reinsdorf trying to pin the blame on Getz, the general manager. He isn’t the president of baseball operations. Reinsdorf is. Getz even said last week he knew this team wasn’t going to compete and be horrible . It’s like another white flag trade.
From a position player standpoint, here are the people and positions locked into next year:
SS Bichette
CF Varsho
C Kirk
1B Guerrero
And that’s it, with Guerrero a possibility at 3B instead of 1B depending on how this offseason plays out.
One of many possibilities is to do some of the following:
* Sign Christain Walker to pay 1B and move Guerrero to 3b, which he seems very favorable to do. That gets you a multi-gold glove 1B and power hitter who would fit the team well.
* Trade multiple players in a package for the final year of Brent Rooker and place him in LF. A prospect pitcher and 2-3 out of Schneider, Loperfido, Horwitz, Berroa, Clement, De Los Santos and Wagner should work there.
* A platoon situation at 2B with Wagner or Horwitz from the left side and Clement and Schneider from right side would work there. Basically,
whomever is left from the Rooker trade.
* Sign Guerrero to a 12yr/330Mish figure and keep him a Jay for life. He would make more than Devers which is the comp here.
* Springer becomes the full time DH with multiple starts in the OF as the 4th OF.
* And the big move here is to throw stupid money at Soto. 14/560m which is 40M annually. Can it happen? Maybe if its just about money. Soto will always be in Judge’s shadow in NY and in Toronto he can share the limelight with Vlad.
So, that makes a starting lineup that would look something like this:
Bichette
Soto
Guerrero
Rooker
Walker
Springer
Kirk
Varsho
Wagner/Clement
That lineup looks light years more dangerous than the last few years. It can happen even if the Jays don’t want to pick up Walker and want to save money and put Horwitz at 1B. It would not be as powerful, or as good defensively, but Horwitz is a good hitter and OBP guy and would not embarrass you there.
Is some of this pie in the sky? Of course! But we could pull off the Rooker trade because the As will be trading him this offseason. And money gets you Soto which would fundamentally change the team’s perception. There is a lot more work to be done, especially on the bullpen front. But this was focused on the position player side.
I am sorry dude but I am glad you are not the GM. I love the passion but…..
A) Vladdy should not be a everyday option at third but he is an option if needed, 25-30 starts is more realistic. If you play Vladdy there to much you may expose some of the reasons he got moved to first the last time and that could also effect his offense. So leave well enough alone. They could cover third with some Vladdy Clement and another util player until one of the young players forces his way to the majors.
b) Horwitz CAN’T FIELD!!!! So second base is not even a consideration. First base should not be an option either. The guy can’t catch the ball unless it is at his glove and he just don’t have good defensive instincts.
c) Wagner is a good prospect that should not be traded and SHOULD be looked at as the second baseman of the future when he forces his way to the majors. Also he should not be looked at as a throw in for a deal. Clase should be considered the same way.
d) Trading Clement creates another hole and his value is not much more than that of a utility infielder. Has more value to the Jays.
e) signing Soto sounds nice and I would not be mad if they did BUT they need to many pieces (many you point out) and signing Soto would greatly limit that even with a payroll increase. I would rather see them sign two outfielders like Teo and Santandier.. As Varsho is not an everyday player nor is Springer at this point so the odd man out sits or DHs thus filling the DH spot especially when you include Vladdy into that mix. Also Springer didn’t sign on to be a full time DH and it would not do the Jays PR good to force him into full DH. Also his fielding wasn’t the problem.
The rest I mostly agree with….:)
Could take a stab at Goldschmidt for a one year contract if Walker gets nabbed up earlier than expected. I like these moves a lot but of all the return crop we received this year in trades, I would be doing whatever we can to keep Wagner. He’s got a good ceiling ahead of him.
I agree with e). The odds of having two injured at the same time are less. Having additional two power bats better than one.
I like the idea of Springer moving to full time DH. Only 2 years left on his contract, he’s untradeable, so such a move should at least minimize his IL stints. I know he may not WANT to make that move, but the time has come.
Why? His defense is not the issue. That is why I suggested he be rotated through the DH IF they bring in two quality outfielders that hit for power.
In Toronto Shapiro and his lackie Atkins will have their end of the season pressers at 6:30 a.m. on Canadian Thanksgiving….!!
Well…the hitting coach is now gone…let’s keep going!
How about that Turner guy from Seattle as a new Jays hitting coach?
Jerry-atric Reinsdorf’s words are like his brain, hollow. If he cared he would sell while he can and to someone who wants to win, not someone picking his carcass clean when he leaves this Earth and his kids and ownership group sell to the first buyer that appears..
He will have the distinction of being one of the most despised owners despite being one of the most ‘successful’ owners, in terms of # of total championships, in the city’s history.
‘Congrats’ Jerry.. now SELL!!!!
Offseason needs
1) New team president
2) New GM
3) New manager
4) New coaching staff