Pedro Grifol Releases Shocking Lineup Change For Game 2

One day after the White Sox had a tremendous come-from-behind win to beat the defending World Series champs, manager Pedro Grifol is baffling people with his interesting lineup for game two. 

The Lineups Have Been LaRussa Esque 

On opening day against a lefty, Grifol opted to start utility man Romy Gonzalez over top prospect Oscar Colas. It seemed his reasoning was because of a tough lefty matchup against starter Framber Valdez, as once he left the game, Grifol subbed in Colas. This ended up working well, but one would think that Colas should be getting consistent playing time, even against lefties, if they want him to unlock his full potential. 

Today, there was another very interesting lineup. Andrew Benintendi was moved up to third in the order, and a significant bat was missing from the lineup, Andrew Vaughn. The hero from yesterday’s game, it is surprising to have Vaughn sit out a game already. For someone who is an integral part of the lineup, getting Vaughn consistent at-bats is key to the White Sox’s success. Not only is Vaughn a rising star, but he was also last year’s RBI leader on the team. The Astros are a tough team, and we need all the firepower in the lineup if they want to win. 

Some of the biggest complaints of Tony LaRussa were that his lineups were inconsistent and that he gave too much playing time to the backups. Two games into the season, and these lineups feel like Tony never left. 

Is Grifol Misuisng Vaughn? 

One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was letting Jose Abreu go in free agency. There are many conflicting reports on whether Abreu wanted to leave, if the Sox did not give him a proper offer, or a combination of the two. Regardless, the White Sox have a hole at first base and the middle of the lineup with Abreu’s departure. 

One of the few positives of Abreu’s departure was the fact that it allowed Andrew Vaughn to move to his natural position of first base and to get consistent playing time there. It also allowed Eloy to move to full-time DH, which was the best place for him to be. 

Now that Vaughn had first base all to himself, it would be assumed that he would play a good portion of the season at first base and would not have to split time with anyone. But, only one game into the season, Grifol is starting Gavin Sheets over Vaughn at first base. 

This is concerning this early into the season. Andrew Vaughn is not a platoon player. He should be starting every single day. There should be no reason that he should be taken out to get a lefty-righty matchup. Vaughn is too good of a hitter off both righties and lefties to be in a platoon. Vaughn is a far superior hitter to Sheets, and it is advantageous for the Sox to get Vaughn off to a hot start. This is not a slight against Sheets, but his role on this team is as a reserve and a pinch hitter. If they were going to take playing time away from Vaughn, then there was no need to let Jose Abreu go in free agency. For Vaughn to truly develop into a superstar, he needs to be in the lineup every day.

Unless there is an unknown injury to Vaughn, there is no reason to have him sit out the season’s second game. While he was dealing with back issues in the spring, that is behind him now. He looked completely fine yesterday, so he should be playing. The fact that he isn’t is concerning.

Grifol Is Already Contradicting Himself

This lineup comes as a complete contradiction of what Grifol has said to the media. According to Grifol, he doesn’t like to change up his lineups. He “likes to create a little bit of consistency.” Well, with two different lineups in two days, he is already going back on his word. 

I understand that as a manager you have to look at matchups. At some points, it is smart to move a guy around or have a pinch hitter to create a favorable matchup. Yesterday, subbing in Colas was a smart idea. But, realistically Colas should have been starting. He is one of your nine best players.  

These adjustments should come later in the season or they should be in-game adjustments. Early in the year, you need to have your best nine players in the lineup. It is still early, so players need to get as many at-bats as possible. 

Andrew Vaughn is not a rookie. He is going into his third year and is expected to take the next step in filling the strong legacy of first basemen for the Sox. He can’t do that if he is splitting time with Gavin Sheets. Hopefully, Grifol has a reasonable explanation for this move, or it will be a long season.