ChiSoxFan

That's actually a fair comparison. But first, we're not really "relying" on him, he's probably No. 7 on the depth chart at best, and that's partially based on Chicago's recent history of moving guys up early. Also, wasn't Jay a closer all through college? Fulmer has already been a starter for years, so you would think he'd progress faster than a guy being converted from the pen to the rotation. Honestly, I don't expect the Sox to bring him up this year, unless he just forces their hand.

Ha! Leave it to you kind Minnesotans to insult me politely! Somehow I don't think I'd get that kind of treatment on a Philly fan site. If they could find a way to chuck a battery at me over the internet they'd do it!

Regarding the Sox rotation depth, I don't think it's as bad as most people seem to think. The top three is well documented, leaving Latos, Danks, Johnson, and probably Fulmer to fill two spots. All the peripherals seem to indicate that Latos is a huge bounce back candidate with upside. Johnson pitched very well in limited action last year (3-1, 3.35 ERA and 30K/34INN in six starts). Danks is, if nothing else, at least a reliably mediocre innings eater. And Fulmer, like Sale and Rodon, is a more mature prespect who was picked in the top half of the first round after playing in college and was SEC Pitcher of the Year. (That's why the Sox keep bringing guys up so quickly; they draft 22 year olds, not 16 year olds. Also, they unfortunately have a lot of really high draft picks). Anyway, that looks to me like four very good options for the last two spots in the rotation. Okay, Piranhas, what's the low-down on your Twinkies?

Thanks! All the real baseball fans in this town are on the South Side!

A few notes from a Sox fan: Yes, our hitting last year was attrocious, but we turned over a full third of the line-up...so far. We replaced the worst 3B contingient in the league with a power hitting all star. We replaced the least productive 2Bs in the league with a solid young player with 15+ HR potential. Also, we got rid of weak hitting Tyler Flowers at catcher and replaced him with a platoon of above average bats. Regarding the bullpen, according to WAR the Sox have easily the best bully in the division. http://www.southsidesox.com/2016/1/21/10803828/how-the-white-sox-stack-up-in-al-central Regarding the rotation, the top three are rock solid. In case you missed it, Rodon was a BEAST down the stretch last year! Latos might be the bargain of the winter. That leaves Danks or Johnson as the fitth starter. Danks may not be worth what they're paying him, but 200 innings and a 4.25 ERA for your fifth starter isn't terrible. Should he struggle (which is likely), Johnson is young and has a lot of upside, and Fulmer might be ready, too. Or maybe rent Buehrle for 4 months? At shortstop, Saladino is nothing to brag about, but his defense will definitely be better than Alexei, and he'll likely hit about as well. Probably a slight improvement, albeit a small one. That leaves OF and DH, which are somewhat related. Starting with the latter, LaRoche might just be an old guy in decline, but he might also be a guy who moved his family to a new city and had to adjust to a new league and bat in a bad line-up. He doesn't have to hit 30 homers to be a big improvement over last season. In OF, Melky actually played fairly well after a terrible start. Avi Garcia, on the other hand, is absolutely terrible. He's basically what they got in exchange for Jake Peavy, so the front office is giving him every chance they can. I'd love to see them sign Fowler, but even a glove-first platoon guy who can hit lefties would be a massive improvement.