Drake Is Our Leader

we put a few bids out there on Scherzer to appease LaRussa. Keep grandpa happy. Now we'll get to the real targets.

I'm sure Rodon's medical picture causes a red flag of some level, but also- the Sox wont tie up 18M in Rodon because there's the chance he would end up taking it, and take til April to decide on that. Even if the chance is small. The Mets financially are so set they can give the QO and Conforto can take as long as he wants to say yes or no. Even if they dont want him, they can do this and collect their draft pick. But the Sox have to set their budget and know their budget. We cant just get players and then see if Rodon does or doesnt add 18M onto our payroll. We just arent one of those teams.

For those that care, Bruce Levine on 670 today said that Keuchel being traded with Sox eating some of the money is one option. Then he talked about Jean Segura for some five minutes straight, but at the end called it a mostly media 'contrived' notion that he'd be coming here lol

honestly, a little raw pulling for him

thank you

Who was #99?

Did someone note this already? Hyun-Jong Yang

This is bad. But we know where we stand at least. The Sox love Cease. It's clear. Whatever Zoom work he's doing with Katz, they have to be pretty confident they figured something out. It's one thing to be cheap. But we allotted starting pitcher money to the closer, basically, so something about the way we allocated means they continue to love Cease's potential. Please get multiple starting guys, Sox, even if they are small $. We have nothin at AAA unless you count Stiever. I'd think Stiever goes thru all the levels though before he comes back to MLB.

The chance a 40 year old has a down year when he turns 41 is historically very high. it's probably high for every year played by a 38+ year old. If there's no NL DH then he's cheaper, but then you cant use him in half the World Series. Lets be happy to raise this price on the Twins so they cheap out on pitching (and we can thank Hector for facilitating)

Dan Hayes on the Twins' financial picture

But it dragging out is actually hurting Minnesota too. They dont know how much money they have to use on Cruz to keep him, so it stalls their ability to address other needs. Quintana would have been perfect for them. But he got tired of waiting.

win-win on the horizon. We either get him and Minnesota cant recover that lost WAR, or we push Minnesota to spend more to keep him and depress their ability to add pitching

I have great memories of visiting the inlaws in Belleville and at night going out to demand in Chicago bruiser fashion that they put on WGNA/White Sox at 313/Big Daddy's

Love Dunning but he was never going to be here. We are very win-now and he is coming back from injury. Was not going to be a 180 IP guy. You hire Tony LaRussa who might croak tomorrow..and you need a full starting staff that can go the whole year and then (most importantly) be there in the expanded playoffs

Is Wainwright actually going to pass up a Magical Farewell Tour in St Louis? (coming to take him away?) I remember Paulie really enjoying taking those pictures at every stadium

I may be a short sighted wet blanket, but Wainwright may be about right. Our owner has made it pretty clear through the years that he doesnt pay for starting pitching. Not the market rate. Trading a Jared Kelley is not to my liking because we are not a normal org. We can only get star power at that position if we get it on a first contract. We just dont engage labor on this point, and never will. It's even pulling teeth to extend our own best guys, and when we gave Danks his money then it burned us. We're only fine with it when it's like Buerhle who was willing to take team-friendly deals his whole way (but even then, we couldnt fend off the Marlins at the end when he decided to get paid) My one issue with Waino is what if LaRussa puts him into a playoff game because of EXPERIENCE instead of a SP who has had a better year to that point.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/23/sports/red-sox-nearing-deal-with-pitcher-garrett-richards/?event=event25

what did the reddit thread actually say was what we're offering?

Feels like they have a clear target in LaStella and they want to go cheaply as possible on SP so they can get him. I guess they like their SP depth. To me, that bullpen day in the playoffs doesnt seem like long enough ago........

Burnes is young and under control. Sounds like we are making a wild stab at a player we like, with an org that we know well. Does not sound like Brewers are shopping him actively, nor would that make sense. So we are taking our shot, but faced with paying up or not. Probably have two needs we want to fill with what ownership is giving us $-wise and wish we had more.

Beef right now is basically tweeting that the reddit is wrong. That no deal is done and it's just been ideas exchanged, but no deal right now. And that we are firm on holding Vaughn, Kopech, Crochet