SoCalChiSox

Interesting. Someone suggested De Paula...his bat seems to have extremely high potential but is years away. There was the suggestion by several posters to focus on best talent and not 2024 team needs, but remember JR doesn't want another slog of a rebuild, he wants prospects that are pretty much ready to play in the MLB. Rightly or wrongly, they want to refill the seats in 24 and on the cheap too. I don't think they are going to take major pieces that are years away regardless of the logic.

We need to have someone to replace Eloy in the 4 hole. If the trade is with BAL, it's Hjerstad, if it's LAD it's Busch. There has to be someone in the lineup with legit power besides Robert cause Beni doesn't have it, Moncada's disappeared and Vaughn is just meh. The problem is they need to fill 3 spots with good cheap talent (OF, IF, SP) and in a trade they'll likely be able to only hit two. They should throw in Santos if it will get it done but I doubt it will. Pages (if healthy and shoulder checks out medically) + Busch + one of LAD SP prospects is probably superior to Kjerstad + Ortiz + Povich.

Frasso, Pages (platoon with Colas in RF, Busch (try him at 2B, if not then 1B or DH) and Knack. I'd do that deal with LAD. Actually based on baseball trade values it would be almost even and we'd be getting only an extra 6m in SV....so maybe we can throw in a reliever or something. If they balked, I'd also take Stone/Frasso, Busch and Pages and drop the 4th piece. C Cheap FA bridge 1B Vaughn 2B Lopez SS Montgomery 3B Moncada/Ramos DH Busch LF Beni CF Robert RF Pages/Colas platoon

Yeah I have a gut feeling that he's a Dodgers lab created player that would be a JAG anywhere else. IMO, Baltimore is the best match unless the LAD are super desperate.

But..but we were told Cease had relatively little value because owners would somehow prefer to pay well over a hundred million dollars and burn through their profits!

The LAD thing is interesting....but they aren't as good of a fit for us as BAL is. Maybe we leaked it to Bob to pressure Elias to let go of certain people. Getz said they want to focus on defense and athleticism...Busch is a butcher in the field and Rushing the Savage is a bat first player and somewhat duplicative with Quero. I like both players alot but it doesn't seem like this is what Getz wants. I feel this is more about leaking to pressure BAL.

Then there's a zero percent chance they will get him. The market for Dylan Cease almost certainly will be 2 Top 100s plus maybe a semi-useful third piece. To get a similar pitcher on the open market would cost somewhere around 80-100m (in a long term commitment) more than Cease will be paid the next few years and alot of owners would prefer a trade than paying big money for a FA SP. If BAL is gonna play the prospect hugging game again like at the deadline, then f*** em. Cowser and Ortiz OR Hjerstad, Ortiz and Povich.

I dont think BAL will give up 3 Top 100s for Cease....2 Top 100s yes but 3 of them for two years of Cease....no I don't think so.

The values are roughly equal on baseball trade values...who says no? To BAL: Robert, Cease. To CWS: Rodriguez, Cowser, Basallo, Kjerstad, Ortiz.

Not a Cease rumor per se....but that Bartolo guy claims Colas is being discussed as a possible add on to Eloy/Moncada talks and they are open to selling high on Santos. Does this mean Hjerstad the Savage is being targeted for RF? I'm not sure adding Colas will make someone eat Moncada's money even if it's just for one year.

If it's NYM.....Drew Gilbert, Ronny Mauricio and Mike Vasil line up pretty well value wise for Cease.

Sounds like he's holding out for a somewhat better offer.

I feel Sox will also go after Manaea as he opted out. They have wanted him for awhile. I think Nastrini will also be in the rotation maybe even to start the year. And one of Flaherty/Giolito due to Katz...although JR may veto the latter even if its relatively cheap and they'll let Eder sink or swim. Basically they can create an entire rotation plus a swing man (Bush?) with very little spending. They got some potentially useful pieces/depth and a bridge SS for Montgomery so it's hard to be upset with the return here.

This would actually be a really cool lineup. Even the bottom third is really promising. If they can get Kjerstad, Ortiz and a close to MLB SP like Povich you gotta do it. Between Nastrini, Eder, Povich, Mena, Bush, Thompson and Cannon, I'd like to think at least 2 can be solid reliable members of the rotation and maybe even 3.

I dont know about Top 14 suitors for Ohtani, but here's a spoiler alert, the Sox aren't among the Top 29 suitors for Ohtani.

For what its worth and that's not much, according to Baseball Trade Values, Cease's surplus value (44.80) is virtually identical to the combined surplus value of Kjerstad, Ortiz, Bradfield and Povich (44.30). I'm pretty sure no one here would turn down that package for Cease.

This. Boras will never allow an extension much less a reasonable one and JR doesn't pay pitchers.

If JR is ok with it, they should bring back Giolito on a cheap prove it deal, they'll prolly sign Manaea who recently opted out as their "splash", Kopech will be the 3, Nastrini 4, and 5 will be between Bush and/or Eder or MLB ready prospect from trades. To answer Sarava, we aren't "trying" to lose 110 games but the end result might be relatively close to that. The rotation will be rough this year but see what you you have with youngsters. If they can get Kjerstad and Ortiz that would be great and solve alot of issues on the field...esp since Ramos and Montgomery are expected in 24. So we could reshape most of lineup quickly.

Then I hope October pain is something they enjoy. Again.

I'm never opposed to more left handed savagery.

Cowser, Ortiz (if Montgomery cannot stick at SS he can be the guy there defensively, if not he can be 2B) and Povich for Cease. If BAL says no, remind them they won as many playoff games in 23 as the Sox.

Holy s%*#. A LHH shortstop with mega OBP AND 70 grade game power? That's literally an actual unicorn.

MOAR over the hill RHH, what could go wrong?

Good moves it seems from most reviews.

Maybe later in his career but if he play well at SS for 3-4 years before moving to 3B that would still be great.