Moan4Yoan

Yep, I misread your post. I thought you were saying they would be sticking with what they have.

Why?

I’m not so sure about this. I think Hahn is waiting for these bench guys to get desperate and accept a cheap or minor league deal as Spring Training gets closer. As you noted with your list, there are still some valuable players available but I think Hahn is looking to find a deal in his final dollar store shopping of the offseason. Sure, he could stick with Mendick but I would be surprised if he does after all the other moves this offseason.

Use your own research and thoughts. The FO is dead wrong if they think Mazara will be able to hit lefties. Look at his splits.

Great picks so far for a guy that can hit a bit and defend all over. Is anyone tempted by a little more pop and less defense with the other guys available? I know we don’t want to see Leury at SS anymore but I’m very curious what people think. These dudes are going to be dirt cheap as we get closer to the start of spring training and as much as I like Mendick, I would be shocked and disappointed if Hahn didn’t grab one of these veterans.

Brian Dozier Wilmer Flores Scooter Gennett Brock Holt Jason Kipnis Brad Miller Addison Russell (certified scumbag) Ben Zobrist

They know he’s going to be traded and the return isn’t going to be as good as Bryant himself so they are trying to minimize his value and importance to the team.

The Sox should add a guy like Dozier regardless. He will cost nothing. The Tigers just re-signed Jordy Mercer to a minor league deal.

Good riddance and not likely.

Goldschmidt was open to a reasonable extension. Betts wants to go to the highest bidder.

He can, but it would be stupid.

Agreed. And resigning a Giolito or Moncada and signing Joc could be better anyways.

What a class act. I realize it is his hometown area but not many MLB players would do this... http://wgntv.com/2020/01/26/after-canceled-flight-ben-zobrist-drives-over-350-miles-to-make-autograph-event-in-rural-illinois/

1. I could not find this announcement. Care to share a link? I did find this however... https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2019/12/10/scott-boras-says-he-and-kris-bryant-are-more-than-willing-to-discuss-an-extension-with-the-cubs/ 4. I am not an insider, nor do I aspire to be one. There are enough fakes on Twitter. But good to know you are not a fan of Ricky Bunteria.

1. Did Kris Bryant or his agent Boras ever officially announce from the beginning that they intended to wait for free agency and go to the highest bidder? 2. Now this is a reasonable perspective. 3. True, but do you think the Sox paid both Eloy and Robert exactly what the Sox estimate their worth to be? Of course not. Just look at the team options at the end of the deal. The Sox think they will be getting a deal on both guys in the long run. Yes, there is risk there for the Sox but I would venture to guess these types of deals for top prospects work far more often than fail (Jon Singleton is the only failed early extension I can think of). 4. When you are either always positive or always negative about absolutely EVERYTHING when it comes to the Sox, you will typically be right more often than not. If Madrigal isn’t extended, will that negate your Robert extension prediction? It’s pretty easy to simply predict extensions for the two players that need them to make the opening day roster, considering that is exactly how Eloy made the opening day roster last offseason. Finally, you also predicted that the Sox would re-sign Yolmer and offered up a few ridiculous contract terms. Meanwhile, you were way off and he signed for a minor league deal with the Giants. Your predictions are simply based on your love for current Sox players, 100% positivity, and guesswork. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

I think you are way off base here. Has there ever been a change made within an MLB CBA that retroactively affected situations prior to the agreement of the new CBA? https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/league-info/cba-history/ From a legal standpoint, this wouldn’t even make sense. Rules are rules and laws are laws until changes are agreed upon and the rules and laws are changed. Once they are changed, they go into effect. Once the owners and players are in agreement on the new CBA, and service time manipulation is addressed within this new CBA, it will take effect going forward.

It’s ultimately a business. Players are doing what is best for their lives, families, careers, etc. Obviously MLB players are getting paid at a much higher scale than the average 9-5 employee but have you ever applied to a better paying job while already employed at a different company? Have you ever accepted this better opportunity and turned down your current company’s counteroffer because the new job was a better fit for you due to the money, proximity to home, less travel, better chance of moving up, etc.? If so, you are being a hypocrite. I think your perspective is a bit ridiculous. Also, are you going to start disliking Moncada and/or Giolito if they don’t accept a contract extension from the Sox? Let’s be honest here, the Sox aren’t offering these young players long-term extensions because they want to do the players a favor. The Sox are looking at these extensions as team friendly deals that will likely save them a lot of money over the long run. Hahn and the Sox are being self-serving with these deals. I keep seeing you say you expect the Sox to extend Madrigal before the season starts so he makes the opening day roster. Many posters have disagreed with you reasoning that he is not a sure-fire prospect like Luis Robert that a team would be wise to throw a bunch of money at until they can see how his game plays in the majors. This could definitely be the case and it is more than likely that Hahn and the Sox are being self-serving like I said.

Nope, I see what you mean but I worded it in a weird way. For the trade to work and keep the Cubs out of luxury tax hell, the Rockies would have to eat a lot of Arenado’s money. Which makes the trade even less likely or logical.

Why not? This decision shows that the Sox can indeed hold Madrigal down and manipulate his service time this year. And Madrigal is no where near the player that Bryant was in the minors so it would be even easier to defend. The new CBA, that hasn’t happened yet, isn’t going to retroactively change or penalize for past service time manipulation. That is ludicrous.

It makes zero sense for a two reasons... The Rockies would have to take on a lot of money. How does trading Bryant’s $18.6 million salary and taking on Arenado’s $35 million dollar salary keep the Cubs out of luxury tax hell? Also, Arenado has an opt-out clause after the 2021 season so both Bryant and Arenado could only be under control for 2 more seasons. Arenado would have to waive this clause for a trade to begin to make some sense.

This. Start the countdown...

Which makes sense that the Red Sox would trade him now, right? He has more value now. If they wait until the trade deadline to deal him, no supplemental pick is attached to Betts going into free agency?

Holt plays SS too. I don’t know how well though.