Flash

What about all 3 for Woodruff and Hader?

My bad. It looks as though we were both responding to SoCalChiSox (below) and I clicked on your response by mistake. 18 hours ago, SoCalChiSox said: I'm really spooked by rabbits twitter post. I dont like this idea of draining the farm just cause they don't want to spend so if thats the plan to compensate for blowing our wad all on Hendriks then I'd rather pass on Hendriks if that is gonna be what they will do to "buy" a SP and a LH bat. Sounds like there's gonna be no second part of this window. They will clean out the young pitching for 2021-2023. JR and TLR won't be around after that so they don't give a damn about anything after 2023. This is so stupid.

It was a rhetorical question. No scenario Brewers trade Woodruff and/or Sox would ante up the price. Besides, Brewers might just be NL Central favorites despite the holes in their lineup.

Does anyone seriously think the Brewers would consider trading Woodruff and, if yes, and Kopech and Vaughn (and Eloy, etc.) are off limits, the Sox could put an acceptable package together?

and you feel this way this based upon?

Its January and there have been next to no meaningful moves made by anyone other than the Padres. Bauer, LeMahieu, Springer, Realmuto, Semien, etc. all still unsigned and not much noise about when they might. No Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels making moves. Except for signing McCann, the Mets and Steve Cohen's money have been quiet. Any wonder why teams, Sox included, might be a bit reluctant to to make meaningful payroll commitments yet?

Maybe, but at $118M, Sox are currently 5th in the AL in '21 payroll (behind, Houston, LAA, NYY and Boston). Does that mean teams won't loosen the pursestrings in the weeks ahead, not necessarily...but, it might be that teams (Sox included) aren't entirely confident that gate-related revenue will return to pre-pandemic levels.

Honestly, I believe the 'best of the rest' after Hendriks is Colome. Too many question marks with Yates, Rosenthal (who I like) and Bradley. If we don't sign Hendriks, I'd be okay with Colome at $7-8M w/option...especially if we use the savings toward the best starter (Q seems like perfect fit). That said, Hendriks is rightfully the priority.

Its actual guaranteed salaries + arb. eligible (EST. $1.95 for Lopez and $3.9 for Giolito) + est. for pre-arb. players ($9.7)

Unless I am missing something (always possible). Below is excerpted from FG Roster Resource. Estimated 2021 Payroll: $119M Legend: FREE AGENT Club Option Player Option Mutual Option Vesting Option Estimated Final 2020 Payroll: $142M

Who's we?

Not sure I understand the question

Its not what I think. Do some research on Preciado and Santana. Of course they might bust but the upside is Tatis Jr. I understand Hoyer had to trim payroll but if he didn't think this was a strong package based on Cubs situation, he would have listened to Portillos and moved Darvish to the Sox for Madrigal (yeah right).

What people don't seem to understand is Cubs/Hoyer didn't just target a certain type of player (young, skilled, up the middle, athletic, etc.), he targeted specific talent in Padres organization. Before Darvish' contract is over, my guess is at least one if not 2/3 of these guys will be among the highest rated prospects in MLB. My sense is it wouldn't have mattered whether Cease or Kopech were the headliners. For the type of player(s) Hoyer was seeking and the time-window he was focused on, the White Sox were not a good trade partner.

Just saw this...all the best and God speed

Fangraphs /Roster Resource has them currently at $119M

Now that we've seen the return and Cubs focus on young, high-upside guys who can play up the middle, what would a Sox package look like that would have topped the Padres package?

Absolutely agree. Hoyer knew what he was doing. Cubs, unlike Rays, are looking several years odown the road. All four of these guys move into Cubs top 10-12 prospects. Cubs weren't interested in major league ready talent. Just tooled-up, high upside athletes and thats what they got. I give this trade a win-win.

Seems like a perfect target for Dodgers...especially with recent Padres activity.

Not my point. The young LatAm guys were the core of the package and Cubs lacked players of their profile. Sure if Cease were offered (something I advocated for in prior posts), its unclear who the other complementary pieces would be but given the reboot now underway, my guess is the Cubs feel pretty good about this haul (although I'm surprise no pitchers, ie Morejon or salary dumps, i.e Kimbrel).

Except it wasn't just Davies they traded for.

Sox did not have comparable talent to match or exceed this package. Its possible Cease could have replaced Davies as headliner but the other 4 pieces are extremally tooled up teenagers with mature physiques (2 SS, 2CF). These kids are gonna be very good...just not for several years.

I believe Cubs carefully culled the Padres talent pool and plucked some terrific prospects. The problem is they are all very young 17, 18, 18, 20. My sense is at least 3 of them, if not all. will will become top 100 prospects in next year or two and all of them have star potential. Cubs obviously entering rebuild with a several year horizon. What I don't understand is why Hoyer couldn't convince Preller to take on Kimbrels contract as part of the deal. It would have helped even things up and shed a big chunk of dinero.

Just one mans opinion but I think the Cubs did just fine and Sox would have had a challenge competing with that package.

Will be interesting to see what Darvish brings in trade. Among all the 'gettable' pitcher names who have been bantered about, he is the guy I'd want. Notwithstanding the Cubs-Sox dynamic, we shouldn't sit back and let Padres or anyone else acquire him without a fight. Maybe the Padres have some bullets left in the chamber but their prospect capital at this point can't be that much stronger than ours.