I don’t mind the bad feedback. I’m sharing my opinion to see what other fans think, so I’m getting what I asked for lol.

With regard to sitting Grandal out for McCann for game one, Grandal is every bit as good for a pitcher as McCann, and it’d be great if Lucas could use either catcher. I agree with sjboyd0137 that if they do choose to use McCann for Giolito that they should have Grandal play DH, and Edwin can ride the bench.

@jaw breaker - Fangraphs is projecting Grandal for a higher OBP and OPS than Timmy. Do you like Timmy up top because he will steal more bases, or do you think the projections are off? I think OBP and OPS are more important stats. Plus, I think the benefit of making a pitcher throw more balls at the top of the lineup is worth something.

@Chet’s coat – Your wishlist doesn't feel very different from mine, but I like what you did too. My big thing is Yoan and Grandal 1-2. And I also like filling in the 3-4-5 with some combination of Anderson, Abreu, and Eloy. I also think it’s crucial to protect Timmy and to put Abreu behind him isn’t a bad idea. What were your deciding factors for the bottom of the lineup?

@Good Dolphin – I wasn’t predicting what Renteria would do. I think he’s gone on record suggesting that Timmy is going to lead off, so that’d be my guess.

@Antarctica good call adding Betts to your "wishlist".

I like your thoughts..ignore the cun..nts

Can’t bat EE above Abreu

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Say what you want about the new guy but he shows his work. More than most of you losers (and me) can say

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

It is time to start checking ego's at the door. Guys bat where they fit into the lineup, not based on their status.

Sox could've beaten the Dodgers offer. Vaughn, Madrigal and Stiever would've gotten them Betts. Too bad.

Agree but Abreu has earned the status of a #3/4 hitter to start the year. I want my middle of the rotation slugger hitting bombs and knocking in runs. Don’t care much to see him walk

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Well EE is a better hitter than Abreu, also with better power. So are Eloy and Moncada. Cant have all the RHH batting together.

Ok nvm I see I wrote down my lineup wrong in the first place.

understood, but everything else is mental masturbation

I don't see Ricky as a guy who will ever bat a catcher leadoff, even if the numbers scream to do so (I don't think they do right now).

Madrigal seems like good 1-2 and Robert should be no lower than 6th but Ricky has already made his opinion on them known so I don't see where it pays to fantasize about an opening day lineup that we know for certain will not reflect reality.

Also, they did not go out in free agency/trades this off season to specifically get left handed/switch bats only to bunch them together in the order, even in light of the new relief rules.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

You want Grandal leading off?


I agree that Giolito should be able to throw to either catcher, but I wouldn't do that in April. He's comfortable with McCann and it worked for nearly all of 2019. Why try and fix it? Let McCann catch Giolito's first four or five starts, and then see what happens.

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5 weeks in Arizona seems like it's a great time to figure that shit out.

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Betts doesn't make the pitching better. Too many question there. It would be a waste, unless you signed him long term.

I really hate to get ourselves into one of those situations. I think personal catchers end up breeding contempt in the clubhouse.

Mc Cann is gone at the end of the year. He better learn to throw to others.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Possibly. But if Giolito repeats his 2019 season, I think he earns the right to have McCann on the roster as the #2 catcher for 2021. This is especially true if McCann repeats his 2019 season as well.

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..

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I do not think Madrigal will be on the team when they break spring training. When he does get called up, they will bat him at the top and move Timmay to the two hole.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

After a lot of thought and assuming Madrigal isn't there at the beginning and assuming that Giolitto starts the game, this is the line-up I'd throw out there:

1. Grandal DH
2. Anderson SS
3. Moncada 3B
4 Abreu 1B
5. Jimenez LF
6. Mazara RF
7. Robert CF
8. McCann C
9. Mendick 2B

Their normal everyday line-up will be: With a left throwing, though, Moncada will be dropped to 6th in the order and Abreau, Jimenez, and EE moved up a spot.

1. Grandal C
2. Anderson SS
3. Moncada 3B
4. Abreu 1B
5. Jimenez LF
6. Encarnacion DH
7. Mazara RF
8. Robert CF
9. Mendick 2B

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

I really don't understand the love for Grandal at leadoff here. There hasn't been a catcher regularly leading off in MLB since Jason Kendall, and his OBP was around .400. He was also stealing 20+ bases.

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I've changed my mind about Moncada batting leadoff, after looking at some numbers from last year.

The White Sox were 21st in scoring runs in the first inning with 28.57%. Teams 9-17 were between 32 and 34%. That's a difference of 8-10 games a year.

To me it's imperative that they focus on 1-3 and that means keeping Madrigal in the 9 spot for 2020 until he's showing that he's really good at leading off MLB innings.

But Moncada was only .267/.301/.403 leading off innings in 127 PA, substantially worse than the rest of the time. Leads me to believe that he benefits more than typical from having somebody on base in front of him.

By comparison, Timmay was an astounding albeit perhaps highly BABIP driven .455/.470/.714! in 115 PA, with a .529 BABIP in 115 PA.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I agree. IF they couldn't sign Betts to a new contract, it would be a real waste of talent. They are fine where they are right now except for the fact that they do need some more relief pitching. They probably want to look at their minor league guys in camp before making more moves, though. They definitely have some good young arms in the pen including Kopech who may start the season in the pen like they did with Chris Sale when he came up.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

It isn't ideal but Grandal is probably going to draw more walks than anyone on the entire team so until Madrigal comes up, I'd say that he is the best option. And Timmay is perfect really in the two spot because he puts the ball in play a lot and will drive in more runs in the two hole than he does at lead-off.

Once Madrigal, come up, He will go to lead-off and Grandal would slot into the middle of the order.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

i would put people in places that they are most comfortable with. whatever that is. I don't really care. I'd probably put Robert #9

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

To me, Moncada is the guy you want in the 3 hole, particularly when he is facing a right handed pitcher and with Abreu hitting behind him he is going to see a lot of fastballs. I expect him to win an MVP sometime in his career. When they talk about 5 tool players in the game, he is one of the best in my book.

_________________
An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

This

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yep, I've come around to this position, even if it means batting Timmay leadoff.

When Madrigal eventually shows that he can bat leadoff, then I don't know what you do with Timmay, as batting him 5 seems like a waste

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Fun problems figuring how best to destroy the opposition's pitching.

Definitely Moncada at 3.
Timmay will start the season at leadoff and eventually, you see between Robert and Madrigal who makes more sense.

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Yup.

"Which All Star catcher do The Sox start on opening day, and does one of them bat leadoff?"
Good problems to have.

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7 weeks away.

Guys, we are talking about Ricky here, making the lineup. Do we really think, he is going to make sense where people bat? Wouldn't be shocked, if he had Anderson batting 9th.