Perfect Vision

Not a single starter will enter spring training ready to throw 5+ innings. They all build up arm strength over those 6 weeks. I agree they need to see how it goes. But if/when he outperforms Covey or whoever, he should be in the opening day rotation.

It is a question.

But I assume you think that Cease has earned a rotation spot. He only has 73 MLB innings and they weren't particularly great ones. Pick one: He hasn't earned a rotation spot or he needs to build up arm strength and face hitters. Those are two separate things. If you don't think he's earned a spot, I would argue neither has Cease. But I don't think anyone is assuming he won't be in the opening day rotation. If you think he needs to build up arm strength, that's exactly what spring training is for. No reason that he can't be on the same strengthening program as all the other starters beginning in February through the end of spring training.

I think it's dumb that they're planning on sending Kopech to AAA to start the season. Hahn's comments are nonsensical. He says it's been 18 months since he's thrown a pitch to a hitter. So what. That's what spring training is for. If he enters spring training healthy and without restriction, then he's in the same boat as all the other pitchers: use those 6 weeks to build up arm strength and shake off the rust. Then Hahn talks about letting the kid develop. Um, he's developed. They called him up in August 2018 because he was developed. Does someone suddenly lose their MLB readiness from a development standpoint because they get injured? There's a critical distinction between rehab and development that Hahn is blurring. Kopech's dominance in AAA and call up in 2018 is evidence that he is developed and MLB ready. He doesn't need to go to AAA for further development. Since he was injured, we're just talking about rehab, and at the end of spring training next year he should be fully rehabbed and used to pitching against hitters again. This is service time manipulation. Period. And since Kopech is going to be better than whoever he's competing with to be the 5th starter, he should be in the opening day rotation.

I don't think that's necessarily true. I actually think most of the teams in on Bumgarner (seeking $100 mil), Keuchel (likely 4/80) and Ryu (3-4/70) would prefer Price at 3/60. Which of course complicates things, because if true than Boston can seek prospects in return since there would be multiple suitors for him. I think the fact that Boston is not only willing to pay part of Price's salary, but would prefer to do so rather than send a valuable piece over with Price, hurts the Sox's chances of landing him.

We'll see. Hahn has said a lot of stuff that's turned out to not be true. He'll be on an innings limit, but how about he pitches in April - July, and is replaced by Rodon when he's ready? Isn't that better than having Covey or some other bargain bin pitcher starting games for the Sox in April and May?

People shouldn't assume that, but people also shouldn't assume that he won't be part of the opening day rotation (and yes I know Hahn previously said something like that). Missing Wheeler obviously changed things. My personal hope is that the Sox sign Keuchel or Ryu in the coming weeks, then wait until the end of the offseason to see what starters are still out there (Wood? Nova?) and sign someone to a minor league deal with invite to spring training, with the thought being there will be a competition between that guy and Kopech for the 5th starter spot. If Kopech is healthy and mowing people down, he should be in the opening day rotation (service time be damned). If he is rusty or still feeling some effects from TJS, then have the other guy be the #5 to start the season.

Rather than sign Gennett or another 2B, I hope that Hahn approaches Madrigal about signing a deal like he did with Eloy last year, so Madrigal can be on the opening day roster and you avoid the need to sign a veteran to a short term contract. They can just roll with Mendick and Leury as the backups.

Reinsdorf won't work with Boras. Bottom line. It's personal.

My first impression to this was, duh, of course there's interest in Vaughn and Madrigal. But I wonder if Hahn is referring to Dalquist and Thompson here.

The Winter Meetings would be so amazing if all trade proposals were required to be made public at the time made. Discussions/arguments would be crazy and entertaining as hell.

Has anybody asked Hahn in an interview why they were willing to offer Machado 8/250 guaranteed with plenty of incentives, but not offer Rendon 7/230-250? The only reasons I can think is that Manny is 2 years younger (but difference minimized because there would be 1 less year on the Rendon deal, and Rendon still figures to be awfully productive in his age 35 season), and because Moncada had a breakout year at 3B so they think they are set there (but he could easily be moved back to 2B and Madrigal packaged with Vaughn and Stiever to bring back an elite, controllable starting pitcher, like Snell).

Fine. Go get Rendon or Price/JDM and I'll understand saving money on RF. But if all he does is sign Keuchel or Ryu, well, the Sox absolutely could have afforded a better free agent RF.

Add the Rays to interested teams

Hahn seems to be doing a lot of talking about the labor without actually delivering any babies.

I don't think the Grandal signing is any sort of indictment of Collins. If anything, it has more to do with the Sox understanding that McCann isn't a long term answer. If Collins isn't traded, the plan is probably for him to be the back up catcher to Grandal starting in 2021. The league values good offense/questionable defense catchers much higher than good defense/questionable offense catchers. Collins only has to be adequate behind the plate to be a really attractive trade chip and I think he's trending in that direction.

It was reported that the Sox aggressively pursued Jordan Lyles after missing on Wheeler, so I don't think they're ready to punt on 2020 just yet.

The thing I wonder about number 2, though, is that the report was essentially "Ozuna to sign with the White Sox." That doesn't seem like something that would get another team to up a bid. Rather, they'd probably move on, thinking Ozuna had made up his mind. I would expect an agent leak to be more like "Sox hotly pursuing Ozuna" or "Sox make aggressive offer to Ozuna that he is seriously considering."

200K followers but their tweets get no interaction. I don't think that's a legit account.

No mention of the Sox. I could see Boras playing it slow with Castellanos, giving the Cubs time to shed salary.

I'd bet good money this is Vaughn and Stiever. A move like this is designed to make the Sox competitive in 2020, and Robert, Madrigal, and Cease all figure to be important parts of the 2020 team. Trading any of those guys is closing one hole by opening another. I like Vaughn, a lot, but it makes all the sense in the world for him to be on the table. He's a good enough prospect to headline a deal for an impact starter, and between Abreu, Grandal, and Collins -- all under team control for 3+ years -- the Sox figure to get good production from 1B even if Vaughn is traded.

It would make sense to me that they would talk with Ozuna, put an offer on the table, and tell him to let them know before the winter meetings if possible because they intend to talk trades and explore other alternatives for right field this week. Ozuna may have decided to accept just yesterday and word got to the DR reporter. When this broke yesterday, it's possible the Sox hadn't even been notified yet that Ozuna would accept their offer. Or.....this is just all baloney lol.

This whole thing is weird. I will say this: Hector Gomez was pretty tied in to the Machado pursuit last year and clearly cares about his reputation (defends his Machado reporting to anyone who brings it up). The fact that he ran with this means Frank Castillo is legit in the DR. Real sports reporters don't want to torch their reputations, so I think there's something to this. He made a pretty definitive Ozuna to the Sox statement.