Bring Up Tim Elko

Hopefully in the very near future, Luis Robert will return to the White Sox. Luis is such an exciting player that it will make the viewing experience at least watchable. That move will likely push Tommy Pham to right field, which I will be more than happy to watch from Section 108.

That, however, moves Gavin Sheets to the bench? I can’t believe that, in the lord’s year of 2024, I would be taken aback by that thought. I’m not buying into the Gavin figured it out and now he’s a star, but I am very sure I’d rather watch him bat than Andrew Vaughn. So what do they do?

Moving Vaughn to the bench and only using him against lefties is an option. Though that feels like giving up on him. You could have him go on the IL with an “injury”, but that gives fuel to the Vaughn truthers which we do not need. Or you can send him down to the minors to figure things out there. I actually like this idea. I ain’t saying it’ll fix him, but it’s worth trying. It’d be a crazy “everyone was wrong” moment if he and Jose Abreu were in the minors at the same time.

I remember this happening with Mike Moustakas in 2014. He was sent down after being in the bigs for a few years. Did a short stint in the minors to get right, came back and had 9 HR in the following two months. And then had an OPS+ of 110 or higher for the next 3 years.

Now back to why we’re here. Let’s assume the White Sox take that path, who you bringing up? I might have advocated for Bryan Ramos, but that’s already happening. You may look at Jared Walsh and say “well he’s been a major league first basemen, why not?” Walsh is redundant if you’re giving Sheets ABs. You want a righty bat, mostly for pinch hitting purposes. Someone will scream Lenyn Sosa at the top of their lungs, which I will ignore. I opt for Tim Elko. His strikeout rate is around my waist size (I ain’t skinny) and he hasn’t been all that promising with the move to Double A. But if we’re bringing up a guy for the purposes of cranking a HR late in a game, this is the guy I want! A Joey Gallo-esque approach at the plate completely devoid of double plays. We ain’t even talking three outcomes, this is a two outcome at bat.

Give me Tim Elko.

-Chorizy-E