WhiteSox2023

Looks like more of the same but at least there aren’t any high expectations prior to this season.

The Score was already joking about Reinsdorf’s quotes. It sounds like he partly blamed Sox fans once again for the current ballpark’s attendance woes, rather than his lack of desire to hire a good front office, scouting, and development, and build a winning team. Even though it is 2024, JR mentioned that the Sox have never had 3 million in attendance, even after the 2005 World Series. The Sox drew 2,957,414 in 2006. Someone should have asked JR about all the lack of competitive seasons since 2005. The more I hear JR open his trap, the more I hope he has to eat 100 percent of the costs of the new ballpark. Apparently, JR thinks he’s a great public speaker and advocate for himself. He should hire some better PR people and actually listen to them. He comes across as a completely tone deaf jagoff.

Fat Rolls Field FUPA Field Gunt Park

He was productive for 4 straight seasons prior to last year. That is exactly the type of guy a crappy team should be trying to acquire on the cheap to serve as a bounceback / flip candidate. What is the downside? That they might stink because of Anderson? They will stink with even worse options in DeJong and Lopez, and neither of these two bums will be wanted by any team at the deadline.

In an upcoming season and likely season(s) in which the Sox are going to be a bad team, we should want players that have a chance at rebounding and being worth something by the trade deadline. That is not guys like DeJong and Lopez. It was guys like Rosario and Anderson. Getz signed a bunch of veterans to one year deals that will be worth nill at the deadline. This defense and leadership strategy by Getz is all hype, considering most of the players that are providing it in 2024 are going to be free agents once the season ends — free agents that no GM will likely want to sign, except for maybe Getz.

I don’t believe that cost won’t be a factor for Moncada’s 2025 club option. Even in the rare occurrence that Moncada stays healthy and performs well this season, he could easily perform terribly in 2025 even if he stays healthy, as his up and down career has already proven. JR isn’t taking on the risk of paying Moncada $25 million to stay healthy but suck in 2025. Insurance won’t cover that scenario. If Moncada doesn’t stay healthy and perform well enough to be traded at the deadline, that $5 million dollar buyout will be pounced on after this season

Especially since Nicky only cost $700K less than Anderson. In hindsight, Anderson starting at 2B with Lopez anywhere else and Mendick/Sosa backing up would have definitely been much more ideal for having an additional piece of trade bait at the deadline.

Well, I’m referring to talent, and how it wasn’t really improved from last year. What you are referring to is hope.

Potter’s Field.

Exactly.

I’m not buying it. Even if Moncada has a good season he will still be a huge injury risk. JR isn’t going to eat $25 million to see if Moncada can both stay healthy and be productive two seasons in a row.

And Little Nicky Lopez at more than double the salary ($4.3 million) of each of them. It’s amazing how much money bad players can earn in the MLB.

It was per Bob Nightengale but I can’t find the exact article. Here’s one that references it. https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-white-sox/tim-anderson-receives-2-million-contract-offer-from-marlins/

The Marlins offer is only $2 million guaranteed to Tim Anderson, and he gets to start at SS. Getz definitely jumped the gun on the defensive guys he wanted. Rosario is a ridiculously better signing than DeJong for only $1.5 million, even though Rosario’s glove is in question. DeJong has been so bad over the years that he should have only been given a minor league deal and had to perform in ST to earn his spot.

JR is paying that $5 million dollar buyout as fast as he can.

And what has changed? Getz acquired a bunch of unproven pitchers or pitchers that came from the dumpster because they were old, bad, injured, or all of the above.

You’re going to have guaranteed back-to-back enjoyable seasons then.

At least if you are going to dumpster dive, go after guys like Rosario that can bounce back. Not guys like DeJong and Lopez who simply are what they are at this point.

And as down of a year that Rosario had last year, he was still better than DeJong. Yet Getz gave DeJong more money.

A 27 year old 1B/DH with a career OPS of .690 has no trade value, and even less to a team like the Orioles that has much better prospects that can play all over. And just because our dumb manager throws him in the outfield doesn’t mean he can play there.

Rosario was a 4 win player in 2022 with the Guardians. Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong must feel like they hit the Leury jackpot getting paid more than Rosario.

“Publicly Funded Field.” Make the address 1 Billion Boulevard.

Not bloody likely.

Back to the Pirates. Getz is weak.

In his press conference announcing the Getz promotion, JR said that the Sox could win in 2024 with a few tweaks to the roster, and they didn’t need to waste a year or more rebuilding. Meanwhile, every acquisition this offseason has been for a guy fished out of the dumpster.