Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

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Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by HoosierVic » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:06 pm

By Rick Mariotti
Chicago Sports Online

Sarasota, Fla. – As members of the Chicago Black Sox trickle into the team’s Spring Training complex here this week, a number of interesting dilemmas present themselves.

Among them:
  • Who will play center field?
  • How will the Sox handle designated hitter this year?
  • Who will the fourth and fifth spots in the starting rotation?
  • Can the team find a roster spot for third baseman Victor Bedolla?

The Center Field Dilemma

Sox manager Bret Richards is adamant that the team needs better defensive play in center than it got last season from perennial fan favorite Tim Torres.

Image
Jim Lorenzen
“We’re moving into a ballpark with generous outfields and lots of space in the gaps, so we need someone with enough range to go after balls that ordinary mortals might not reach,” Richards said.

Ultimately, the team feels Jim Lorenzen, acquired last season in a trade with California, might be the superman they need in center. Scouts grade his range at a 10 and his glove at an 8, although his arm is a fairly pedestrian 6.

The main issue is whether Lorenzen has developed enough as a hitter. Some coaches believe he has, but Richards has said he would prefer the youngster get a little more seasoning at AAA Carolina before getting thrown into the BBA maelstrom.

A strong spring might help Lorenzen make the case that he’s ready now.

If not, the Sox may go with 23-year-old Howard James, who has been working himself through the minor league system. Although not quite as good as Lorenzen, he’s considered a superior fielder and coaches feel he’s about maxed out his hitting skills. He slashed .276/.355/.471 for the Flight last season and has blazing speed on the base paths. Scouts grade his fielding range at a 9, his glove as a 7, and his arm at a 9. He could, coaches believe, be a stopgap solution until Lorenzen is ready.
Image
Howard James
But where, you may be wondering, will Torres go? He most likely would be a defensive replacement in left field for Fernando Reyes, who’s formidable at the plate and sure-handed with his glove, but barely above average with his range.

Torres is a good player and popular with fans, but how he would react to coming off the bench is unknown. There appears to be no clean solution here, outside of a possible trade - which the Sox are reluctant to attempt.

The DH Dilemma

Thorny as the center field situation may be, it pales beside the logjam at designated hitter.

The arrival of star first baseman Mark Simpson via free agency has created a fairly knotty problem – complicated by what scouts say is fairly dramatic offseason development by perennial top prospect Tommy Cochran who finally may be on the verge of fulfilling his enormous potential.

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Tommy Cochran


Coaches say the scouting sheet on Cochran now grades him out as an 8 for contact, an 8 for gap power, an 8 for home run power, a 5 for his batting eye, and a 7 for his ability to avoid strikeouts.

Overall, they grade his current development as a 65, with an 80 potential. As a point of comparison, at the end of last season they graded him as a 45/70.

“If Cochran has a strong spring and proves he can hit right handed pitching as well as left handed, how are the Sox going to keep him on the bench as part of a platoon?” said Malcolm Wilkes, who covers the new Frick League Heartland Division for BBA Weekly.

The problem is that a couple of other talented players are caught in the snarl at DH: Emilio Lugo, who had a top-notch season at first base last year, and Norris Rutledge, who struggled in 2039 but still led the team in home runs with 28.

“With Lugo, you’re talking about a guy who slashed .312/.366/.550 last year and hit 24 homers,” said Wilkes. “He’s not a minor talent.”

Neither, of course, is Rutledge, who still has a formidable home run bat and impressive speed (40 stolen bases), but struggled to a .213/.279/.414 slash line last year.

“As problems go, this is a nice problem to have, I guess,” said Wilkes. “But make no mistake, it’s still a problem.”

The 4th and 5th Starter Dilemma

The first three spots in the Sox rotation are solid, most observers feel. Juan Nicto, Amayas Moelling, and Manuel Peña are locked and loaded.

But after that, there are question marks.

Alejandro Soto had a … difficult … 2039 in the No. 4 spot, going 7-16 with a 4.91 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 4.1 BB/9.

The No. 5 spot was a revolving door all season, with no one laying claim for more than a few weeks at a time.

Sox management may well still try to address this issue through trades, but the team may also try to find an answer in-house.

François Mangin likely will be given a shot to snag one of the spots, and Manager Richards has high hopes that the 25-year-old right hander will find the new pitcher-friendly Black Sox Park more to his liking than the Opera House in Huntsville.

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François Mangin
Mangin was roughed up during a couple of stints in the majors last year, finishing with a 2-6 record and a 5.72 ERA – fueled in part by a 1.7 HR/9 ratio, meaning he gave up nearly 2 homers per outing.

“We’ll see how he does in the new park – this may be a seriously good move for Mangin,” said Wilkes. “It’ll be interesting to see how he does this spring.”

Others vying for the spots at the back end of the rotation are 23-year-old left-hander Vito Reyes, who had a dismal stint with Huntsville last season but impressed at Carolina, and Hector Reyes, who had some decent moments in a late-season callup to Huntsville.

“None of these guys are going to be vying for a Steve Nebraska award, but if they can at least provide some quality innings and not be total disasters, that’ll be more than the team had last year,” said Wilkes.

The Bedolla Dilemma

Finally, the Sox hope they can figure out a way to stash third baseman Victor Bedolla.

Third base, of course, is currently held down by All-Star Luis González, who also won the team’s Hitter of the Year award after slashing a career-best .336/.384/.467 last season.

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Victor Bedolla
The problem is that González can opt out of his $13 million-per-year contract at the end of this season, which observers think is likely if he comes even close to matching his 2039 numbers.

Bedolla is a valuable insurance policy against that eventuality, but he’s out of minor league options and only plays third base. He also has chafed at playing in Carolina and likely would not voluntarily play in the minors again in 2040.

That means the Sox either will need to use a valuable roster spot for Bedolla, or let him go and gamble that González stays or that they can replace him if he leaves.

How the Sox meet each of these dilemmas will go a long way towards determining how their first season back in the Windy City unfolds, and Spring Training will provide the first clues.

Play ball!

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Re: Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by jleddy » Tue Sep 24, 2019 11:38 am

"The Bedolla Dilemma" sounds like a Ridley Scott-directed international caper that I'd want to watch.
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Re: Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by usnspecialist » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:08 pm

is rick mariotti related to Jay? Not sure I can endorse this.
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Re: Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by HoosierVic » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:10 pm

usnspecialist wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:08 pm
is rick mariotti related to Jay? Not sure I can endorse this.
Tough to get anything by you Chicagoans!

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Re: Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by usnspecialist » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:11 pm

HoosierVic wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:10 pm
usnspecialist wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:08 pm
is rick mariotti related to Jay? Not sure I can endorse this.
Tough to get anything by you Chicagoans!
should be dick mariotti, not rick.
Randy Weigand

Havana Sugar Kings/San Fernando Bears: 32-50 (1608-1481)
Des Moines Kernels: 52-

League Champion- 34
JL Champion- 34
FL Champion- 36, 37
JL Southern- 34
FL Pacific- 37, 39
Wild Card- 33, 35, 36, 40, 43

Image

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HoosierVic
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Re: Sox Scoops 40.022: Spring Training Poses Interesting Dilemmas

Post by HoosierVic » Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:13 pm

usnspecialist wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:11 pm
HoosierVic wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:10 pm
usnspecialist wrote:
Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:08 pm
is rick mariotti related to Jay? Not sure I can endorse this.
Tough to get anything by you Chicagoans!
should be dick mariotti, not rick.
Ha!

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