Dugout Metrics Podcast 5 — Trade Deadline Targets — 2021-07-23

So, the legend of Dugout Metrics lives on, the podcast you couldn’t live without is here again. Ex-players and metrics aces Trevor Lines and Luke Smailes hop on with Brett Ballantini to focus on the freshest news of the day, and trade deadline targets to fortify the White Sox for the stretch run.

And yes, all the goofy topics are ones being pushed by Brett:

• Trevor and Luke take a look at the Yermín Mercedes retirement/unretirement story from a unique angle: Imagining what his Charlotte Knights teammates are feeling about it
• Nelson Cruz has been dealt, potentially haunting the White Sox not in the regular season but the playoffs. Was the price too high?
• How will Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert return to the White Sox, given the long layoff: full strength, replacement level, or somewhere in-between?
• What is the status of Robert and his Domino’s pizza baby?
• Luke is prioritizing relief pitching help as his top target in the stretch run of trade season, and his top target is a Cubs reliever — but probably not the one you think. Also, Luke doesn’t think the Cubs are afraid to make a deal with the White Sox, and the White Sox will not be afraid of Cubbie stink invading this 2021 roster
• Trevor is opting for second base help, preferably a left-handed hitter, and he’s shooting for the moon ... looking toward Pittsburgh and everyone’s favorite target
• Do we need to temper expectations for the deadline given a distinct lack of prospect capital to deal for the Adam Fraziers or Joey Gallos?
• And yes, no-look tags count for more outs than a “regular-look” tag. Thanks, Javy and @MLB

Listen on the Megaphone player above, or check out this and the entire family of SSS podcasts on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also watch the podcast at the South Side Hit Pen YouTube channel.