The Catbird Speaks

The White Sox randomly found themselves ready to sign Machado for a bargain and instead the Padres actually met his demands and now we're basically left with the 2018 roster plus Jon Jay and Yonder Alonso.--Despair;--Frustration;--...Prospects?

Anthony Rescan of the BP R&D team joins Nick Schaefer to talk about the wild range of possibilities for the White Sox from:1. Signing Manny Machado and where he'd play and whether that will happen;2. What the White Sox can do if they don't land someone big; and 3. Talk about the state of the current roster.

The White Sox 2018 season is over. They went 62-100. Nick Schaefer, Collin Whitchurch, and Frank Firke got together to talk about it. Among the subjects:-The general disappointment of the pitching staff. What to make of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and Carlos Rodon going forward.-The fact that there's still hope for Yoan Moncada, and optimism over Tim Anderson's production.-Thoughts on the White Sox's timeframe for contention, particularly given the glut of injuries to Michael Kopech and various other prospects.-Team-building thoughts coming off the success of this season's Milwaukee Brewers.-Postseason thoughts. Who is going to win the World Series? Who do we want to win the World Series?

Collin Whitchurch, Mark Primiano, and Frank Firke got together on a Thursday evening to talk about a number of White Sox things. Such as:-Disappointment over the fact that the White Sox have yet to promote phenom Eloy Jimenez as he continues to lay waste to Triple-A pitching.-Michael Kopech's bumpier minor league season and when we should expect to see him in Chicago.-Possible August trade candidates, such as James Shields, Leury Garcia, and a host of bullpen options.

Jeff Paternostro, the head of Baseball Prospectus' prospect team, joins Nick Schaefer to discuss the list, the White Sox prospects on it, the system in general, and the organization's future.--Eloy Jimenez;--Michael Kopech;--Dylan Cease;--Luis Robert;--Bryce Harper?!

Since our last podcast, the White Sox have played 16 games and even won one of them! --Carson Fulmer had a good outing;--Yoan Moncada is looking like a monster all of a sudden;--Justin Verlander is a big whiny baby;--Jose Abreu is still the best;--Is Giolito okay?And so much more!

Nick, Mark, and Frank chat White Sox, early 2018 MLB, animals, and the Unwritten Rules.Tune in for:--Tim Anderson and Matt Davidson talk;--The encouraging start of Reynaldo Lopez;--Royals & Tigers schadenfreude; --The Twins being ridiculous; and--Animal chat.

Lacking a guest, Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer got together to talk about the latest White Sox Spring Training happenings, the free agent market, and some Fantasy Baseball. Among the topics:-The White Sox roster situation, including Collin citing way too many Spring Training stats.-The remaining free agents, including reaction to the Mike Moustakas deal that was reported during recording.-Some self-indulgent fantasy talk, White Sox players we might target during our drafts, and general draft strategy.

In one corner you have James Fegan, editor emaritus of BP South Side, White Sox beat writer for The Athletic, and someone who has edited countless Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer posts over the years.In the other corner you have Paul Boyé, contributor to The Good Phight, BP Short Relief contributor, one of Nick Schaefer's best pals, and someone who has never met nor spoken to Collin Whitchurch before this episode was recorded.Listen, as the two match wits in guessing which BP Annual White Sox comments were written by Nick, and which were written by Collin, in an intense game in which you, the listener, is ultimately the winner.

We're less than one month from pitchers and catchers reporting, so Collin and Nick got together to talk about what the White Sox roster looks like, as well as reactions to the latest Hot Stove dealings and the 2018 Hall of Fame class. Among the talking points:-The Brewers' acquisitions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, what that means for them in 2018, and if this kind of model can be expected from the White Sox in a year or two.-What the White Sox roster is going to look like heading into Spring Training, as well as if they will or should take advantage of the stalled free agent market.-The differences in prospect lists from source to source, including some deep diving into the backend of the White Sox farm system rankings.-Jim Thome's election into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and some thoughts on the ballot as a whole.Be sure to follow BP South Side on Twitter @BPSouthSide. You can follow Collin @cowhitchurch and Nick @Nick_BPSS.

--Ohtani signing;--Giancarlo Stanton trade;--Jeter's ownership group;--The Mets;--Jack Morris & Alan Trammell;--Manny Machado rumors;--White Sox "buying" prospects?

There are seven former White Sox on the 2018 Hall of Fame ballot. Dr. Mark Primiano, fresh off his honeymoon, joins Nick Schaefer to discuss the candidacies and remember the careers of everyone from Lidge to Isringhausen. --The slam dunk candidates like Thome and Chipper;--The no chance but fun guys like Johnny Damon;--Defense-driven careers and weird profiles;--The candidates that will infuriate Nick for unhealthy reasons!All of this and more.

The White Sox Top 10 Prospects list was released Friday on Baseball Prospectus, and Jarrett Seidler of BP's prospect team joined Collin and Nick to talk about what went into the construction of the list. Among the topics:-The overall state of the White Sox farm system.-The upside of Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech, what sets them apart from the rest of the system, and what went into picking between the two for the No. 1 spot.-The high upside but risk of a prospect like Dylan Cease.-Alec Hansen's roller coaster ride from potential No. 1 draft pick to terrible college performance to top prospect.-How the hell you rank Luis Robert.-The next group of guys, what to like and dislike from Jake Burger, Dane Dunning, Blake Rutherford, and Zack Collins.-Thoughts on guys outside the Top 10, including Micker Adolfo, Spencer Adams, A.J. Puckett, Yeyson Yrizarri, and more.-Some always necessary talk about Japanese wrestling between Jarrett and Collin, while Nick tries not to fall asleep.Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searching for "The Catbird Speaks." Please be sure to rate and review us!

The White Sox aren't in the postseason and the offseason hasn't begun in earnest yet. So we sat down with Mo Narang, Yankee fan extraordinaire, and get some perspective from a fan whose team is a little further along in the rebuild than the White Sox are.--Perspective on the Yankees' season--Danny Tartabull--Macro level fantasy strategy--Pax Diamondbacks

Old friend James Fegan of The Athletic joins Collin and Nick to discuss the White Sox as the season winds to a close. Among the topics:-If Lucas Giolito's September success is sustainable.-Carson Fulmer's impressive few starts after a disasterous season.-Yoan Moncada is who we thought we was.-James' latest iteration of the White Sox Top 30 prospects.-Why James loves the Twins and Royals so much.You can subscribe to this podcast on Twitter by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

Nick and Collin got together on a Thursday afternoon to discuss the success of the White Sox young pitchers, the state of the AL Wild Card race, and a number of other random things. Among the topics:Lucas Giolito's most recent start, as well as how good he's looked during his brief time thus far with the White Sox.Reynaldo Lopez's return and whether or not there's any concern over the minor injury that kept him out for two weeks.Tim Anderson's rebound during the last month and what that means for his future.The Tigers' recent trades, what that means for them and what acquiring Justin Verlander means for the Astros.The mess of the AL Wild Card race and which teams, if any, are actually good.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

Collin and Nick got together on a Tuesday afternoon to talk about recent White Sox activity and all the interesting stuff going on with an otherwise bad baseball team. Among the topics:Carson Fulmer's rotation cameo and what his terrible season means for his future.Reynaldo Lopez's two starts, his injury, and what we've seen out of him in his brief time with the team.Leury Garcia's surprisingly successful season and chances of sticking around when the White Sox are ready to compete again.Season-long improvements from Avisail Garcia, and where he fits in with the White Sox in the future.2018 free agency and long-term financial implications.Jose Abreu being awesome forever and always.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

Cat Garcia (@TheBaseballGirl), former BPSS contributor and current White Sox writer for WLS-AM, joins Collin and Nick to talk about all the White Sox recent promotions and more. Among the topics:-Nicky Delmonico and what he's shown during his brief major league stint.-The patience of Yoan Moncada.-What to expect out of Reynaldo Lopez in his White Sox debut.-Tim Anderson's rough 2017 season.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searched for The Catbird Speaks. Follow up on Twitter! Nick: @Nick_BPSS, Collin: @cowhitchurch, BP South Side: @BPSouthside

Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer got together to react to the latest White Sox trade as well as the promotion of heralded prospect Yoan Moncada. Among the talking points:-The return for Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle.-The high difference of opinions on Blake Rutherford.-Whether trading Kahnle was the right thing to do.-Any other trades likely? Does anyone want Tommy Kahnle?-The insanely mediocre American League Central-Yoan Moncada's promotion and what to watch from him the rest of the season-Other prospects who might get called up this season. Reynaldo Lopez? Lucas Giolito?You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searching for "The Catbird Speaks.

A mere hours after the news of the White Sox trade that sent Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs broke, Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer got together to give us some instant reactions.Among the topics:-The trade market for Quintana, why they didn't trade him earlier, and why they said yes this time around.-What the additions of Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease bring to the White Sox.-The state of the White Sox farm system post-trade.-Randomly, the 2008 Futures Game, famous prospect busts, and how far the White Sox farm system has come in such a short time.-What Jose Quintana has meant to the White Sox from a fan's perspective.-What this means in terms of other White Sox trades that could be coming down the road.Be sure to read Ryan Schultz's quick take on the Quintana trade at BPSouthside.com. You can also read Nick Schaefer's Wednesday chat at BaseballProspectus.com, and several members of our staff participated in BP's Top 50 Prospect Busts list. Also be sure to head over to BPWrigleyville.com for perspective on the trade from the Cubs' point of view. And finally, check out the official Transaction Analysis at BP, as well.

Baseball Prospectus minor league editor Craig Goldstein joined Collin and Nick to talk prospects after BP released its Midseason Top 50 Prospects list on Thursday.Among the specific topics:-Why Reynaldo Lopez was omitted from the Top 50.-The difficulty of slotting in the newly signed Luis Robert.-What's the deal with Lucas Giolito?-Why Yoan Moncada isn't in the majors yet.-Lower ranked White Sox prospects and what Craig thinks of them.-Best names in the White Sox farm system.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or our BlogTalkRadio page by searching for The Catbird Speaks.

Our old, dear friend, James Fegan, the Chicago White Sox beat writer for The Athletic, returns home for one glorious day to banter about baseball with his good pals Collin Whitchurch, Nick Schaefer, and Mark Primiano. Among the topics:-Miguel Gonzalez's injury and James Shields' return.-The trade value of the White Sox bullpen pieces, as well as Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera.-Why none of the White Sox top prospects are putting together particularly good numbers.-Rick Renteria's affect on the clubhouse.-And More!You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

Dave Brown joined Collin and Nick to talk about the White Sox. Among the topics:-How and why Dave grew up a White Sox fan.-The White Sox better-than-expected start to the season and what it means for the future of Jose Quintana.-The surprising good starts of the likes of Avisail Garcia, Leury Garcia, and Matt Davidson.-Why the Kansas City Royals are bad now.-Which Star Wars character would Jose Quintana be?You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

With one month of the season in the books, Michael Baumann from The Ringer joins Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer to talk about a variety of topics. Among them:-Jose Quintana's trade market.-How to deal with following a rebuilding team. (Michael's a Phillies fan, so...)-MLB Draft, including some top college prospects to keep an eye on.-The progress of White Sox pitching prospects Dane Dunning and Alec Hansen.-The movie "Backdraft" and a new nickname for Anthony Swarzak.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by searching for "The Catbird Speaks," as well as on our BlogTalkRadio page or your favorite podcast app. 

Opening Day is here, and Collin Whitchurch, Nick Schaefer, and Frank Firke get together to discuss the 25-man roster, including the decisions the White Sox made regarding certain positions, and what options they have going forward. Later, they talk generally about the season as a whole, predictions for the rest of the American League, and they each give predictions on how many games the White Sox will win this season.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

As the White Sox make their way through Spring Training, Collin, Nick, and Cat get together to discuss all the latest musings out of Glendale. Among the topics:-Charlie Tilson's latest injury, what it means for him as well as what it means for the makeup of this year's roster.-Jose Quintana owning at the World Baseball Classic and how awesome that is.-The trade value of David Robertson.-The construction of this year's roster, what it might look like given Tilson's injury and the departure of Brett Lawrie.-Observations and insight from Collin after covering Sox camp last week in Glendale.-And we answer questions from our Twitter followers!You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, BlogTalkRadio, or your favorite podcast app by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

James Fegan, White Sox reporter for The Athletic Chicago and BPSouthside.com's Editor Emaritus, returns to the podcast fresh off of his flight to Arizona for Spring Training to help us preview White Sox camp.Among the topics:-Why all the new, young arms are among the things to most look forward to at camp,-What the catcher position is going to look like this season,-The trade markets of Jose Quintana and Jose Abreu,-Playing time for young players vs. trade chips,-Why Whataburger is a superior fast food chain to In-N-Out,-How much James loves and misses us already.You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, BlogTalkRadio or your favorite podcast app by searching for "The Catbird Speaks."

Collin Whitchurch and Nick Schaefer welcome Baseball Prospectus Senior Prospect Writer Jeff Paternostro to talk about the White Sox Top 10 prospects. Among the topics:-Whether or not Reynaldo Lopez, Carson Fulmer, and other top pitching prospects are likely to be starters or relievers.-Zack Collins' bat, and his chances of sticking at catcher-Yoan Moncada's best position and whether or not he's destined for stardom-The White Sox U25 list and how he'd rank Moncada with the likes of Carlos Rodon and Tim AndersonThis podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and Blog Talk Radio by searching "The Catbird Speaks"

James is fresh from visiting SoxFest for his new work with The Athletic Chicago, and delights his friends Nick Schaefer, Frank Firke and Mark Primiano with tales of what the White Sox are saying about their state of affairs.--Excitement for the new prospect arms--Awkwardness for Jose Quintana and Todd Frazier--Tim Anderson's extreme confidence--Hope for Zack Collins at catcher--Rick Hahn's long-term rebuilding vision--Ceviche pedantry!This podcast is available for subscription on iTunes and Blog Talk Radio by searching "The Catbird Speaks"

James Fegan, Mark Primiano and Nick Schaefer broke the incredibly long drought of The Catbird Speaks recordings this weekend with the first episode since the White Sox teardown began in earnest. This episode finds the staff acclimating to the new Sox way of life, talking about Jose Quintana trades, the lack of heat behind other players, answering reader questions and, as always, bagging on other teams. Topics include:--Look at all these big-time prospects--Who makes a deal for Quintana? (Rockies? Pirates? Astros? Yankees? Braves? Mets?)--Some actual trade rumor info--Where are Frazier and Lawrie going to go?--When will this prospect bounty make it to the majors?--The Mariners look bad--Reacting to James' bad jokes--2017 White Sox win totalRemember that there are two ways to subscribe, by searching for "The Catbird Speaks" either on iTunes or on BlogTalkRadio.com. Also keep an eye on the 'podcasts' tab on the BP South Side home page. 

The gang of James Fegan, Ethan Spalding, Collin Whitchurch and Mark Primiano gather together to once again ponder the seemingly immiment but possibly never happening White Sox rebuild.--Will Chris Sale get traded? How long will it take? Can they rebuild without dealing Sale?--What about one-year rentals for Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera? When do the Sox get moving on that?--If the Sox don't move Sale, do they roll the dice on winning in 2017 without making any effort to improve?--Can Jose Abreu get traded in this market?--What if the Sox keep Jose Quintana? Can they build around him?

James Fegan and Collin Whitchurch gathered together to discuss the most important and shocking news that the White Sox world has to offer, such as Adam Eaton being a Gold Glove finalist and James Shields opting into the last two seasons of his contract.Or actually, they spent most of the podcast discussing the BP South Side Offseason Plan, a simple $140 million path to winning in 2017. 

It's playoff time, baby! That means the BP South Side gang is gathering around to talk about something else, because the White Sox are done for the year. James Fegan, Nick Schaefer and Frank Firke gathered together to discuss:--What was with all the weird machinations put in place just for Robin to step down?--Rick Renteria should be good, right?--The Sox are probably not rebuilding--Notable White Sox in the playoffs

Mark and James gathered together for a near-end of season podcast on the also-ran 2016 White Sox. Items of fun and uplifting discussion include:--Anxiety about a possible Sale departure--Managing the Tyler Saladino-Brett Lawrie situation--Possible free agent targets--Why trading Sale or Quintana but not both doesn't make sense--Can the Sox ever break out of the middle? Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Blog Talk Radio by searching "The Catbird Speaks."

James, Collin, and Matt get together for a late night discussion about what's even left to care about with the 2016 White Sox. There are complaints, expressions of sorrow, and James borrows from the greats of literature to express just how deep the sadness runs. 

Ethan Spalding and James Fegan gathered on a fine September weekend in Chicago to discuss what's left to enjoy about the dog days of the White Sox season. They settled on:--Carlos Rodon's ascent to becoming one of the best starters in the AL--Chris Sale's bid for the AL Cy Young--Tim Anderson being good--A suprise cameo from BP's own Mauricio Rubio to talk about Sox prospects--Todd Frazier's weird season--Jose Abreu's recovery--FRANK THOMAS WAS LITERALLY PERFECT, YOU JACKALS Subscribe to The Catbird Speaks on iTunes or BlogTalk Radio and follow @BPSouthSide on Twitter.

Ethan Spalding and James Fegan are joined by Baseball Prospectus' Minor League Editor Craig Goldstein for a late night cast discussing the future of the White Sox, as the present is not worth discussing (per usual).Topics for this spirited affair include:--Tim Anderson--How does a prospect like Anderson compare to a prospect like Carlos Rodon?--How do you build the next White Sox contender?--What will the White Sox do instead of that?--Comparing the Sox to the Dodgers, a team that acutally competed while strengthening their depth--25 Tim Andersons This podcast can be subscribed to on iTunes or on Blog Talk Radio. Just search for "The Catbird Speaks"

Nick Schaefer and James Fegan sat down to discuss the White Sox in the midst of trade deadline madness and a bizarre game against the Twins. Nothing happened and Chris Sale wasn't traded while they reacted and started screaming in real time.-How can we know what the Sox are doing for next year, if we don't understand what they did this year?-Compete in 2017 or total rebuild?-Will the Sox spend to make this a competitive club?-How much are Jose Abreu and Carlos Rodon to blame for sinking 2016?-Much more! This podcast can be found on iTunes and Blog Talk Radio by searching "The Catbird Speaks"

Nick and James sit down and gab forever about where the White Sox stand at the All-Star break.--Do they still have playoff hopes?--Should they buy at the deadline?--Why the moves they didn't make are responsible for putting them here--Should they keep their core together going forward?--What did their draft accomplish? Was it worth sitting out of most free agency?--Will James' bird feeder survive in this rainstorm? Subscribe to this podcast by searching for "The Catbird Speaks" on iTunes or Blog Talk Radio

This episode contains a fun game inside the game for listeners: guess what Ethan said during the dead spots that merited deletion?In between that:-Is all hope lost of catching the Indians in the AL Central?-Are the White Sox close enough to a playoff spot to justify trying to patch their many holes?-Are they really going to keep playing J.B Shuck all the time?-Tim Anderson is pretty fun, right?-Carlos Rodon is striking a lot of people out-Darin Erstad. What was that all about?-Is the White Sox front office good? Bad? Too middling to overcome other problems?This podcast is available on iTunes by searching "The Catbird Speaks" and contains explicit language.

Friend of the blog and prospect evaluator for 2080 Baseball Mauricio Rubio joined James and Ethan Sunday for a very profane and candid podcast not to be listened to in polite company.Listen to enjoy the following segments:--Assessment of the White Sox current awfulness--Ideas for fixing the current awfulness--James getting increasingly dismayed by the Jamaican National Team losing a soccer game--Guessing what thing Ethan said about ownership that James felt the need to edit out--Mauricio previews Thursday's MLB Amateur Draft--The trio discusses the James Shields trade--Ethan makes an insane trade proposal for Jhonny Peralta--Much, much moreFind our podcast on iTunes by searching "The Catbird Speaks" or follow us on Blog Talk Radio. 

Mid-May finds the White Sox and our hosts in a strange place: the Sox are in first place and all there is to talk about is how they keep an excellent start to the season going. With the wind at their backs, Nick, Collin and James take out time to:--Trash all of the other AL Central contenders--Wonder aloud what's up with Jose Abreu--Discuss whether the Sox will seek rotation help or bats in the trade market--Deal with the ups and downs of Carlos Rodon-Much, much more