Rival Roundup, Vol. 43: Cal Me Maybe [sic]

OH MY GOD, WE’RE HAVING A RIVAL ROUNDUP!

• The Jason Benetti saga continues, as the White Sox fittingly find their dirty laundry aired out as their well-regarded play-by-play man leaves the booth. Chicago’s found that, organizationally, they leave a bit to be desired these days — a contentious exchange with Chicago executive Brooks Boyer may have hastened Benetti’s departure.

• No self-respecting Twins fan would have ever heard this, but apparently Hawk Harrelson was on A.J. Pierzynski’s podcast earlier this year (what a sentence) and was not subtle in his negative review of exec Boyer, who appears to helm the sales and marketing department for the organization. (As I’ve always said, one of the most important ways to sell your product is to get rid of your best on-air talent.)
• Mostly, I’m just enjoying the continual free-fall on all levels that the Chicago White Sox have been experiencing since winning the 2021 American League Central championship.
• On the Tigers’ side of things, I was amused by a headline that suggested Dan Dickerson would fall on the sword to — be promoted to the television gig as needed. All jokes aside, Dickerson is one of the best in the business, and the Tigers are lucky to round out their TV offering so that it’s just as good as the product they’ve been delivering over radio for so many years. Special mention to longtime color man Jim Price, who passed away this season, and is now in a nicer area than ours.
• Elsewhere in Tiger Town, Austin Meadows and Spencer Turnbull were a pair of Detroit’s notable non-tenders.
• In news that more closely resembles on-field news, the Guardians made the biggest intra-division tender decision of the winter, DFA’ing starter Cal Quantrill (projected at $6.6MM in arb money, with multiple years of control left on the docket) and shipping him off to the Colorado Rockies.

• If you’ve said, “wait, doesn’t Cal Quantrill’s flyball, contact-heavy profile seem like an abysmal fit for the Rockies?” then congratulations, you’ve taken your first step into Dick Monfort’s screwed-up reality.
• Also in Cleveland(land), a bit of historical significance off to Cooperstown, as John Adams’ famous drum has made it to the Hall.

• A big week for Cleveland baseball, as Andres Gimenez took home the Platinum Glove, and the Diamond Sports Group suggested that Cleveland’s TV deal might be the next on the chopping block, as the Bally parent attempts to shed all contract weight legally possible.
• Finally, the Kansas City Royals, we must imagine, still exist.
• Oh, wait! At the buzzer (of my own personal design), they’ve traded Jackson Kowar to the Braves and brought back righty Kyle Wright. It seems Wright won’t pitch next year, but the Royals, as always, are looking to the future.

With international postings due Monday, the “real” Winter Meetings coming up before too long, and the general holiday season about to be launched into full swing, it’s a sleeper hit of a time to be a baseball fan. Rumors already abound throughout the league, without much of substance having actually happened yet. As they do, I’ll be here rounding it up, and you’ll be there, having just heard your Saturday morning “Rival Roundup” alarm go off, danish in hand, ready to consume another S-tier linkdump.

Until next week!