wrathofhahn

They want Acuna ++ when engaging the braves no thanks

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 15, 2018 -> 10:40 PM) If I could get a top 50 prospect I would totally take on that payroll and give up Garcia. I do not believe the Giants would do that. There was an article a day or two ago about how, despite the fact that they want to contend, the Giants don't want to give up the few pieces they have remaining, including their draft pick for Cain or their 1 or 2 remaining top prospects. I can't find it right now due to the Giants making a tiny bit of news today. I don't see the logic from their side at all. Pence was bad last year but he was also unlucky (BABIP) he was also .800 OPS hitter as early as the year before. My guess before giving up assets to dump his contract they'll give him a chance to bounce back first. He's a sunk cost at this point. I guess the only way it sort of makes sense is if they have one other move they really want to make and Pence salary plus the luxury tax prevents them from doing so. But honestly McCutchen who is a much better hitter then Garcia (BABIP aside) didn't get a top 50 prospect. It's sort of hard to envision the sox getting one. The curtain has sort of been lifted on what the market is for OF with the McCutchen and Granderson deals and it aint pretty. Best bet is to probably wait till the deadline. I honestly doubt teams are offering more then a fringy top 100 prospect at this point let alone a top 50 prospect. People need to adjust their expectations its a buyers market right now.

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Jan 16, 2018 -> 12:33 AM) Really paints a good picture of why Q didn't end up on the Astros. Hahn certainly looks like one of the better GM's in the game when it comes to negotiating deals. Cole, hurt or not, should have netted a better package that this. Cease the 2nd player in the deal is better then any of the prospects they got back as a headliner. Crazy. Pitt got robbed

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jan 15, 2018 -> 02:36 AM) Well that makes much more sense laid out like that - but Sheets is no where near the bigs for sure. Yeah, I should have been clearer I meant more then this year. JD if signed would be clogging up the DH spot for 5 years at the very least. So at that point if Abreu is still here then you have no space for a 1B/DH. Also another thing it prevents is keeping Abreu or Moncada in the lineup if you want to give them a day off fielding. I guess in Abreu case you could play JD there but with Moncada you'd have to sit him. Most 2B play 130-140 games. Sanchez and Davidson give us the flexibility to rotate out Moncada to the DH spot when he needs rest.

QUOTE (fredmanrique @ Jan 15, 2018 -> 07:30 PM) I bet they'd love to move that pence contract. Avi and shedding the pence contract, which has one year left for heliot Ramos. sounds like he's a legit top 50 guy in the next rankings... and a top 50 guy is fairly great for 2 years of Avi I don't see it. They kept Ramos as an untouchable for both the Andrew and Longo trades. Maybe. around the deadline if Avi is still hitting and they start to get desperate.

Obviously it's a buyers market right now. That or Neal is just that bad.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Jan 15, 2018 -> 10:23 AM) As I think all us baseball fans who frequent a message board in January know, this has been an extremely slow offseason with almost no activity out there. This is the kind of offseason I hope next year is like when we are step closer to competing, because at this point one can probably pick up some really nice pieces that can contribute. I know it's unlikely the Sox will add for two reasons. A) they want to know what they have and let their own guys like a Tilson or Cordell play it out. See what Yolmer can do again in 2018, Leury, etc. Plus we are full on our 40 man. b) why add payroll to a team that is very likely not to make the playoffs? However below are some names I've compiled that I'd be interested in kicking the tires on for either the reason to flip them. Or, possibly on a 2-3 year deal to where they might be able to help us make a run in 2019 or 2020. Eduardo Nunez - I think you can nab a guy like this on a 2-3 year deal. He can play 3B, spell Anderson, Moncada, play in the OF. Basically all over the place. He also can steal bases and hit for average. You say Leury, I say Eduardo. Davidson is not the 3B of the future. Yolmer is fine and well as a utility guy. I'd pickup Nunez and slot him in at 3B. You can rotate him as necessary to get looks for the guys you want. He's a nice insurance plan if a Machado or other big name doesn't sign with us at 3B. He is also insurance in the OF and at SS in case of a trade or injury. If we do end up signing a Machado he slots in a super UTIL. I see very little downside. Jonathan Lucroy - This really isn't on my list NOW. However, and this is just my opinion, I'd rather have signed him than Castillo. Who knows how that will play out. I just think Lucroy has a better chance of being something special again. Jon Jay - If nothing else he's a good filler. I want to see Tilson and Cordell along with the others too. Jon Jay isn't exciting. If nothing else a small one year deal and flip him for some low end prospect to a contender in June/July. Melky - Poor mans Jon Jay. Not sure he really serves a role anymore. Hes probably stealing AB's from Tilson, Cordell and Nicky. So not a huge advocate here. But in the right role and at the right cost? Who knows. You could probably pick him up for $2-3mm Tillman - Can never have enough fliers at pitcher. I don't care about Shields. He's as much dead weight as was Johnny Danks. Bucholz - in the same light.. why not? Lastly, I would CONSIDER, not advocate for looking into Alex Cobb, Lynn or JD Martinez. I get it's pissing away money this year. But if you can get them at a HIGHLY discounted price? You saw it with the Astros and Cubs among other teams over the past few years.. it doesn't take a whole bunch to go from a young team to a WC contender. In a perfect world Eloy and Kopech come up this year and progress to real contributors ala Judge or Severino (just used those comps cause both were on the same team). If Moncada takes steps forward? You upgraded Catcher. You have Abreu still. Throw in a healthy Rodon and Hansen, etc, etc. Giolito, Lopez... It's not out of the question that we take a big step forward in 2019. So if you can get a JD for 5 years... or if the Lynn and Cobb market is not what it should be? You throw away a bit of money this year.. but you never know. Just for s***s and giggles.. lets say JD.. Going into 2019. DH - JD RF - Eloy CF - Leury/Tilson/Cordell/Engel/FA Signing LF - Avi 1B - Abreu 2B - Moncada SS - Anderson 3B - Nunez C - Castillo UTIL - Leury/Yolmer/Nicky Pitching - Rodon, Kopech, Giolito, Hansen, Lopez. So although you'd piss away a year of JD? Again, not advocating for it, just kind of pointing out that we are an Eloy, Kopech, and Hansen + 1 year from really being a player away from competing seriously. So although this may seem like a dumb time to be involved in FA, with how its progressing, it may actually be a great time. I'll hang up and listen. Starting pitching is the biggest need. Could use at least one maybe two more starters. Brett Anderson. Tillman. Buchholz. Liriano. Those would be the names I'd be paying attention to. My guess is they don't want to burn a year of service time with Hansen or Kopech. Shields maybe completely done. We'll have to see but his stuff has taken a huge step back over the last several years. His FB now sits mainly under 90MPH. Rondon isn't likely to be ready. Miguel is a guy who got through last year mainly on smoke and mirrors. Lopez and Giolito are really the only two guys healthy with non fringy stuff.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2018 -> 08:50 PM) This is something the White Sox are going to have to figure out at some point - what do you do when frontline talent is 2 years from free agency and not behaving like a star? Hold onto them and hope they become a frontline player and you're 1 year from free agency or take the best deal you can? Heck, that's the same scenario we have right now with Garcia. I think the difference for Garcia is right now we'd be selling high. The Pirates sold low on Cole. If he bounces back and has a solid season which has decent chance of happening considering his stuff and pedigree that package is absolute garbage compared to what they would have gotten at the deadline.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 14, 2018 -> 02:13 AM) Hold onto him only for Cole to get hurt yet again? If the return was good sure why take the risk but if it's terrible as the Pitts got what they really losing the chance to make a bad trade? If he gets injured they can still make a bad deal next year assuming his arm doesn't fall off or he needs TJ. He was under control for two years. You can't GM scared what may happen. We took a risk with Q and it paid off teams ALWAYS need pitching at the deadline.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Jan 14, 2018 -> 01:11 AM) Sheets and Fisher? Ummmmm.... maybe in 2020? I mean Fisher is already 24 he's at the age where he'll either advance a couple of levels next year or be viewed as a non prospect. You sign Martinez you basically block him along with Gillaspie. Also at some point Burger with his frame maybe moved to 1B too. I don't want the 1B/DH position clogged with any FA for 5 years even someone of good a hitter as Martinez and 2020 is pretty much the plan Hahn set out at his end of season press conference last year. He'll be what 33 and on his steep decline phase. No thanks.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jan 13, 2018 -> 10:54 PM) No. too high of a price for a DH. Agreed. He also doesn't match the window at all. His contract will be terrible by the time the whitesox are good. Awful idea. If they want a DH type there are veteran guys on the market. Duda for example. Bautista. Holliday. There is also internal options in Sheets. Fisher and Gilaspie

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 13, 2018 -> 06:32 PM) after 2 disappointing seasons for Cole, it seems unsurprising. If he had been a strong pitcher the last 2 years, the Pirates probably wouldn't have been trading him because they'd have been much more competitive. I don't understand why they didn't just hold onto him. Hard to see them getting a worse offer at the deadline. Only real upside to this deal is it f Boras over badly Astros actually had money to spend but they are basically saying we'd rather swing a trade then do an Arrietta deal.

It will probably be James Shields but it should be Giolito or Lopez. Shields has no future here. His stuff is gone. He throws 89 MPH meatballs.

QUOTE (bighurt574 @ Jan 12, 2018 -> 03:07 PM) MLBTR also acknowledges that its model might be off for Abreu. Not exactly sure how his prior contract plays into the arbitration calculations. It plays deeply because usually there are soft limits on how much of a raise a player gets year to year. I don't have the numbers infront of me but MLBTR had him receiving a 6 million dollar raise this year the fact he got 2 million will affect the formula and how much money he'll get next year. So yeah instead of getting 40 million over the next two. He'll probably at best get 30 million. Makes it more likely he either signs an extension or moved.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jan 12, 2018 -> 01:45 PM) Personally I think his career as a TOR starter is over. I don't trust what the Sox are selling about the surgery. I think he'll probably be a reliever by the time he's on his first FA deal. It looked like a great pick at the time but I don't think it's going to work out for the Sox or Rodon how they expected. His agent is Boras though. I find it hard to believe he'll accept a demotion to a reliever role unless it's performance based. Even a 4th starter coming off TJ typically makes more then a middle or 7th inning reliever.

MLBTR had him projected at 17.9 strange he would agree to such a below the line contract without going to ARB. It will definitely cost him next year.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 04:24 PM) Fangraphs Depth Charts project him as tied at the 12th best RF with Kepler and Polanco and right behind Haniger (the RF projections list includes Hicks/Springer/Cruz/Eaton and Matt Olson also above Avi, but I wouldn't count them as RF), and really you should put him 11th unless you want to count both Stanton and Judge as RF this year. That also includes JD Martinez, who might not end up in RF if he signs with Boston, thus moving Avi up another spot. Next in line after Haniger are Mazara and Heyward, and you could argue for Avi over those two. #8 definitely doesn't seem outrageous even with regression. It really depends on how much he regresses. If he regresses back to the replacement level player he was prior then yes it is pretty outrageous. We just don't know at this point. Which is why I don't blame teams that are not knocking on the door offering top 100 prospects. They could be burned pretty badly offering him 8th RF value in a trade

QUOTE (CWSpalehoseCWS @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 05:52 PM) Kind of surprised by this. I always liked Miggy, but I thought the Sox would have taken a chance on bringing in a new face. I don't have any high expectations that he'll be as successful as last year. Still would like to see 1 more depth signing for Charlotte's rotation. Sox only have House, Covey, and Danish as depth, and they need someone to eat innings at the end of the year if they decide to shut Gio, Lopez, and/or Fulmer down. Espn had the article that he signed for something like 4.5 million. So I don't think it really prevents us from bringing in someone else. I also think the return we can get for Migo is pretty limited. We basically traded him at his peak last year and got Ti'Quan Forbes back. Ideally you would want someone with a little more upside like Tillman or Buchholz that you could pump and dump

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 03:24 PM) It's Rodon and he should be back by June at the latest. Kopech will be starting in AAA. The rotation is likely: Shields/Giolito/Lopez/Gonzalez/Fulmer to start the year. Rodon will take a spot at some point. Michael Kopech will take a spot at some point. Agreed but between opening day and june someone is going to likely miss time. Also Gonzalez and Shields are not sure things just from an ability to perform standpoint. Neither is Lopez who got hit around at times and longterm maybe more of a reliever. That is without taking into account injuries. I think they need another guy.

Some of those older guys aren't really prospects. Whether they are ready or not they'll be the ones promoted to make space. From an organizational standpoint they'll probably want to see what they have anyways.

The longer this drags on the more likely they are to circle back to Abreu.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 02:40 PM) Why? Rodon and Kopech figure to be in the plans too. That's 7 total starters. After this signing, we have enough depth Pretty sure the plan is to start Kopech down in AA/AAA. Rondon is a huge ??? from a health standpoint. Shields looked done last year. The last thing I want to do is burn through our young guys service time playing them in meaningless games both Fulmer and Giolito were able to preserve an extra year by not calling them up at the beginning of the season.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 12:21 PM) So the rotation on opening day is shaped up to be: Giolito, Lopez, Fulmer, Gonzalez, Shields (no specific order)? Yep they need to bring in at least one more guy.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 11, 2018 -> 09:57 AM) Yeah there has. And I guess he wants a 1-year deal. He should probably go somewhere like Minnesota where the team can be competitive again and the ballpark could help his numbers. I think he'll likely prioritize opportunity over winning considering it will be a one year deal. Our rotation is bad he'd have zero competition for the 5th spot until june-ish when you can call players up without starting their clock. In fact, that would be really the main purpose of Tilman he would be a meat shield and save us having to start the clock of one of our young pitchers early. It's actually one of the big concerns of this current rotation. I don't want the sox to burn through the service time of our young pitchers to find a 5th starter. Right now the rotation looks something like: Shields Rondon (???) Fulmer Giolito Lopez Shields is done. Rondon is a ???. Forget 5th starter ideally we should bring in two starters.

Reminds me of Jerry McGuire who was always around Tidwell when he was showering. What player showers at his agents house?