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WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JANUARY 12, 2016 “Sox see Collins becoming 'very good catcher'” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Don Cooper’s 'Eyes Lit Up' Watching White Sox Prospect Michael Kopech” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Top White Sox Prospect Yoan Moncada Impresses Club at Minicamp” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox Outfielder Charlie Tilson Ready to Hit the Ground Running in 2017 After Serious Injury” …Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Rays claim OF Jason Coats, designate RHP Dylan Floro for assignment” … Associated Press “Baffoe: Goodbye, President Superfan” … Tim Baffoe, CBS Chicago Sox see Collins becoming 'very good catcher' No. 10 pick in '16 Draft cites Pilates for flexibility behind plate By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | January 11th, 2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. -- John Orton didn't know a great deal about Zack Collins when the White Sox selected the left-handed-hitting catcher with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. So the White Sox Minor League catching coordinator studied some of Collins' work as he played for the University of Miami in the College World Series. Orton immediately liked what he saw. "I thought his hands work good, and he blocked the ball pretty well. He doesn't look stiff back there," said Orton, speaking about Collins during this week's hitters' minicamp at Camelback Ranch. "So right away I was pleasantly surprised. "Everyone talked about his bat, which is his strength. But I think he's going to be a very good catcher. I see no reason why he shouldn't be an above-average Major League catcher someday." White Sox prospect Zack Collins talks about his focus on improving his skills with batting and as a catcher during the Arizona Fall League Collins, who's rated as the club's No. 6 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, was one of the 16 players to take part in the three-day camp from Monday to Wednesday. He had a busy 2016 with the Hurricanes and the White Sox, finishing as part of the taxi squad for the Arizona Fall League's Glendale Desert Dogs. After hitting .258 with six homers, seven doubles and 18 RBIs for Class A Winston-Salem, Collins had a mere 22 at-bats for Glendale. His focus fell upon catching as many bullpens as possible, further refining his defensive skills. "An uncountable amount," said Collins with a laugh when asked how many bullpen sessions he went through. "I caught a ton, but it was definitely good for me. I got a lot more comfortable with the older guys that throw harder and had better stuff." The remainder of the offseason produced a vacation to New York and a cruise to Mexico with his girlfriend and family, so no baseball until his return to Glendale this week. Collins also began doing Pilates, which directly helped him with catching. "My hips feel more flexible. I just feel a lot better and I guess have more endurance and stability throughout my body. I feel good," Collins said. "It's a lot of core strengthening: From your abs to your back muscle and flexibility throughout your hips and your body and stuff like that. "It keeps people healthy and I guess teaches you how to use every muscle in your body to do stuff that you do. We tend to just use the big muscles, quads and stuff like that, so I guess it's just different. It's not too much resistance, but it's a lot of body weight and you've never felt your body so heavy in your life. It's crazy." Offense never has been a concern with Collins. He hits the ball to all fields with power potential important at a premium position such as catcher. The question has been whether Collins can stick defensively. But Collins has nothing but confidence in his ability. The White Sox share that feeling. "He has the perfect demeanor to be an everyday catcher," Orton said. "He seems to pick things up very quick. He's a very smart kid. He researches a lot of things. He's always looking at other big league catchers or guys that do things a certain way and he comes to me with things, which is great. "I've kind of been trying to just be real simple and hands off, and he's already -- as far as just receiving and the blocking and throwing, the stuff we have worked on -- he's already picked up on a lot. He's already improved a lot in those areas." Don Cooper’s 'Eyes Lit Up' Watching White Sox Prospect Michael Kopech By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | January 11th, 2017 There are bittersweet emotions because he's no longer Chris Sale's pitching coach, but Don Cooper is excited about the future of the White Sox. The team's veteran pitching coach joined the White Sox Talk podcast on Tuesday and said even though he's sad see Sale go, it's hard to overlook the talent the team has received in return. Last month the White Sox traded their five-time All-Star to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for four prospects, including Michael Kopech. The club also added Lucas Giolito and two other pitching prospects in a trade for Adam Eaton. "When I saw Kopech, my eyes lit up," Cooper said. "Not only is he a big strong son of a gun, the stuff out of his hand is really good, life, energy stuff. He's just untapped talent right now. He's 20 years old. But he's already moved up the scale. "Delivery-wise it was like, 'Whoa.' Everything I like, he does. ... "If he stays healthy he has a chance to be a killer." Cooper also has high hopes for Giolito, baseball's top pitching prospect in 2016, who posted a 6.75 ERA in six big league games last season. He discounted Giolito's struggles as a small sample size and hopes to maximize the pitcher's talent. "He still has his good stuff," Cooper said. "We've got to mix it up. We need more strikes. We need more consistency." Cooper also noted that the stuff of Reynaldo Lopez, acquired with Giolito and Dane Dunning from Washington for Eaton, caught his eye. Combined with the pitching prospects already in the organization, Cooper thinks the White Sox have a talented farm system. "Looking around, all of a sudden, combined with the younger pitchers we had in the system already, the injection of these guys that Rick (Hahn) has traded for, it's giving us a stronger, stronger system," Cooper said. "We’re amassing a lot of good talent." Cooper said Sale is the most talented pitcher he's ever coached and he'll miss their everyday relationship. He described Sale as one of the 10 best pitchers on the planet. But Cooper hasn't been surprised by any moves since the White Sox allowed Mark Buehrle to leave via free agency. "It's sad that Chris is gone because my individual everyday relationship with him is over as a coach," Cooper said. "But the exciting thing is one of the reasons, the excitement of the guys you get back in return. "It was mixed. 'Listen man, I'm sad you’re leaving because of that, the relationship. The everyday relationship is no longer there. We're friends.' I know this guy. I've seen every pitch in the big leagues he's thrown. "When you get to see every pitch and you're with them every single day and that relationship is over, it's sad in some ways. But this has happened before. It happened to Buehrle. If it can happen to Buehrle, it can happen to everybody." Top White Sox Prospect Yoan Moncada Impresses Club at Minicamp By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | January 12th, 2017 It was a limited look, but Yoan Moncada made a strong first impression on the White Sox this week. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox last month in the Chris Sale trade, Moncada arrived in Glendale, Ariz., earlier this week with the franchise hopeful he'd offer a glimpse of the skills that earned him the designation as baseball's top prospect. Moncada didn't disappoint, either, as he had White Sox evaluators excited throughout a three-day hitters camp. Whether it's his physicality, how he carried himself or his baseball IQ, White Sox staffers couldn't have been happier about their first experience with their new prized possession. "(Moncada) looks like a linebacker, but he moves like a wide receiver," player development director Chris Getz said. "He's got good actions. He's obviously a switch hitter. He's got power. He can hit. He's got a good smile. He seems to be enjoying himself out here, he interacts well with his teammates. "So far it has been very impressive, and we look forward to seeing more." Hitting coach Todd Steverson said Moncada, 21, looked every bit the part when he first observed him from across the hall at the team's facility. Steverson spoke to friends in the scouting community and wasn't the least bit surprised when he encountered the 6-foot-2, 205-pound second baseman. Moncada was just as impressive on the field with his skills and effort, Steverson said. "This is a large specimen right here," Steverson said. "He's put together pretty well. "On defense it looks like he has some really good hands. "He got in the box and he hadn't swung for a while. But still, you could tell he had good hands going through the zone, has a nice approach and wants to work real hard." Moncada's fancy tools have been well publicized since he received a $31.5-million signing bonus from the Red Sox in March 2015.

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