SoCalChiSox

I won't be upset if they lose out to a 6 year bid. The risk is too high there. I will be upset if they lose out to a 5 year bid by a handful of millions (like 105 vs 110) when they wasted alot of money on Abreu.

It's going to be tough to win a WS at less than 150m.

If push comes to shove and Joc is awesome for us but we can't agree on a long term deal, can't we give him a QO for 2021? Yes it would be a big overpayment but it would secure his services for another year during the window and no one is giving up a 2nd rounder for a platoon player. I think we also have alot of space in 2021.

6/125 is too much. At that point, I'd just go with Ryu if we could get him on a 3 yr/50m deal.

Even Billy Hamilton thinks that's too much compensation.

How about Codi Heuer and Sheets.

If someone else gives him a sixth year and the Sox bow out they are gonna need to get Ryu or someone good signed pronto to quell the eruption of anger that is bound to occur. Oh wait I forgot they have never cared about what the fans think, never mind. Maybe they'll just sign Keuchel AND Hamels to 2 year inflated deals and declare the pitching issue "addressed" as if we are stupid or something.

Joc please. Don't overthink it, Rick.

A lefty RF would be nice. Stop focusing on righties.

The Sox FO cannot get away with avoiding big ticket pitchers in favor of mediocre slop after last year's disastrous winter and after wasting money on Abreu. They have to make big moves. They are boxed into a corner. There's no more putting lipstick on a pig. They have to spend....and not on short term trash.

That tweet is nonsensical and thus not credible. How can teams pivot to Wheeler if he signs first? Also he said the Reds were focused on other bats and didn't even mention Moustakas and then he signs out of the blue. BS.

Greg, it isn't "monopoly money" because we know JR has a budget and thus every dollar overpaid to person X will eventually have to be paid for by underpaying person Y which may well result in not securing the services of person Y. Unfortunately we are very much a rob Peter to pay Paul organization. I just hope we didn't rob Wheeler to pay Abreu.

Yes but it's Boras so the deal won't get done till March and the FO is acutely aware of fan pressure and the cheapness angle. I don't think PR wise they can sign only Hamels from now until then on a 1 year deal.

Forget about Castellanos. With Abreu basically having to be the DH long term, there's no place for Castellanos and no putting Robert between two butchers in the corners is not a great idea. We badly need the RF to be competent defensively and a lefty power guy. Pederson is a much better choice and will cost much less in salary. Leury can play vs LHP until Basabe is ready.

Ryu could probably be had for a 3/50 deal.

I don't want to trade him either, before he got hurt, he had the highest floor of any of the pitching prospects but TJS introduces some uncertainty into the equation and if the market for Wheeler gets to 6 years, i think that's too much risk. Since we can't/won't pay for Cole/Strasburg the Sox would have to trade for a pitcher as Ryu has injury issues and Boras issues and Madbum isn't a good fit.

If Jack is right and the market gets up to like 6/125, I'd prolly fold there. I know we want them to spend but 5 years with Wheeler is already probably 1 too many. I wonder if we could get Marco Gonzalez from SEA for Dunning/Walker and a third piece.

The Reds needed offense badly and once Grandal was off the market, the agent had them cornered. They are prolly out on Wheeler now I imagine especially if they still want Gregorius.

Im not disputing that Trout is worth more than the 35m or whatever his AAV is. But he's gonna be 29 so of the remaining 11 or 12 years of his deal, I don't think he can produce 8+ WAR per year for more than maybe 3 more seasons. Once he has to move to the corner which will happen at some point, his value will take a hit too. Once you get past 32 or so, it's gonna be rough. Looking at the next 3-4 years when Robert is making peanuts, I guess I'd rather have a 3-5 WAR player making 1m or less than an 8-9 WAR player making 35m. Trout's production in his early thirties in no way will be worth 35x Robert's and even a prime Trout's production (10 WAR) still wouldn't be worth 35x Roberts. With his defense in CF, Robert's floor is prolly a 3 win player. He is that much of a monster. With some plate discipline and experience, I wouldn't be even remotely shocked if he is a 5 win guy consistently in his prime. You'll have to pluck Robert from my cold, dead hands. Hell no to any trade.

It would be a bargain if Trout were 25. He will turn 29 during the season. I wouldn't touch that deal.

Trout has a 400+ million contract we would have to absorb. The latter half of it will be bad even if he is still a decent player and Robert is cost controlled for 7 years which means we get practically all his 20s which will be his prime years. So no.....I wouldn't trade Robert for Trout.

I wouldn't do Nimmo for Bummer straight up. Nimmo is hurt too much and I don't see the power there. Id prefer Joc....although I wouldnt give up multiple years of Bummer for him, either.

Yeah Bloom is gonna have to put in some serious work to solve that problem. That's right I forgot about that we need a stopgap lefty starter to eat some innings. So we should finish 130-135m in total payroll and actually will have a good roster. Next year about 20m comes off the books in Colome and Herrera, hopefully by that time Burdi is able to take a big step forward and Bummer remains consistent. If we didn't do that awful Abreu extension, we'd have even more breathing room to help offset the start of arbitration salaries for some big guns.

86m plus 21m (Wheeler) (107) Plus 10m (Pederson/Calhoun, preferably the former) (117) Reliever (9m) (126m total)

We back?