shakes

I think it's entirely possible. He has less question marks than all of them. People are worried about Dunning's ability to throw innings. Please look at the # of innings Kopech and Crochet have thrown the last two years. This board was a lot higher on Dunning than Cease before this trade. I hope Katz is a difference maker and is better at evaluating talent than the Sox have been recently, but also a complete unknown.

That is part of what concerns me. This looks a lot like like past mistakes and behavior that has not worked out well in the past. For people who don't understand why some don't like this. For me, it's as simple as you spend on FA pitchers and offset them at the backend with guys like Dunning. If you can't extend Lynn, you are in the same boat next year with one less cost controlled option for the rotation, and one less trade chip to fill it. Historically, other orgs have evaluated Sox talent better than the Sox, so this is putting a lot on Katz in a short time. People are saying Dunning isn't ready to throw more than 120+ innings, but the same can be said for Kopech and Cease hasn't thrown more than 73 at the MLB level. Will anyone go a full normal workload next year? Teams will need depth next year. The benefit of TLR and not spending during the rebuild is supposed to be that the Sox will spend differently. Extend Lynn and I feel differently. Spend on impactful free agents, like a real contender and I'll feel different. If it's Lynn with no extension and a couple of Joc and Q types, this is same old White Sox. And I know people are saying that Dunning is a back end,control type guy. There certainly was a different feel on this board about him last year. No he's not a Bieber in waiting, but others are also excusing him rather quickly and conveniently.

We'll, I'm glad that's settled.

He did that because Q had years of control left. The one year rental is part of the problem people are having here. And Cub fans didn't like that deal and we're right.

Yeah, I don't like this. Refusal to pay for free agent pitching will shorten the window. If there's no extension, I really don't like this.

I would hope so, but it's a big unknown - the game has changed a lot since he last managed.

Every player is just a future former Sox player. For those concerned, I think Brantley is so different than the past failed Sox signings. As you say, he is more than power and is the type of profile that ages well. It's also fine if the Sox actually have depth. Signing an aging player and not having him play everyday sounds like a way to keep him healthy and productive. Good teams don't have 9 guys fixed to a position anymore. Not everyone will be healthy all year and Vaughn shouldn't be counted on for anything.

I'd do it without blinking. He's the type of pitcher that puts the Sox at the top of the heap in the AL, and allows them time to develop other pitchers and see what they have. I was in for Wheeler last year and think Bauer is better. I still think he should easily be their #1 FA target. There's ways to solve the other holes on the team, but I just don't like any of the other options for a TOR starter. And just to add, it's why I thought it was so important to get Wheeler last year. 4-5 year contracts for these type of pitchers is ideal. I think people haven't paid attention to what it takes to get FA pitching. Ascending pitchers, who can throw innings, and make adjustments like these guys aren't easy to come by and may not be around and gettable again. We are never dipping into the Garret Cole type market, so this needs to be where the Sox make a move.

I'll never stop arguing about either and you can't make me.

Sorry, this is nonsense. He played a very good 1B through college. He'll be a plus defender at 1B in time. You seeing a couple of bad spring training plays doesn't mean anything. And please produce the reports of him maxing out as a 20 homerun guy. It seems you have an irrational hate for Vaughn.

Guessing the same. The Sox love to tell everyone they are spending and stay in all the off-season rumors. It's the same most years. Not sure why people think going after Springer is a slight of hand to get Bauer. Two things the Sox have zero history of doing.....spending big AAV on a starting pitcher, and winning a bidding war on the top free agents. What they have a history of is coming in a close second and talking about how hard they tried and then going after less costly players.

Or he's prioritized profits over winning, which is why he is a billionaire and hasn't produced regularly winning teams. Winning is a positive side effect, but not a necessary one.

Although, they could technically be from cattle, I would say similar to hot dogs, baloney is in the "lips and assholes" category

Palermo's wins all pizza battles.

Can we please stop with the misinformation. These are beef based accounts, not pizza. Someone please tag me when Beggars starts fighting with Palermo's. Thanks

Agree with these posts. You need to use some game theory to select and sell higher demand games and be prepared to dump off some tickets early/late in the season or during less than ideal weather - at a loss. When the team is bad or out of it, you're going to get stuck, no way around it. I've been part of groups who have done each of the different options, and it's really tough in down seasons. I think if you can share them with some flexible people it's best to spread around. It's a shame they are raising prices, but not a surprise. I have already cancelled my package, and frankly they haven't really tried to get me back. It seems they think the teams success will more than make up for ticket sales than the PR hit and price increase.

It also telling when people work so hard to ignore what is right in front of them. It's not hard to see what kind of a person LaRussa is, he's laid it out there since he started his managing career here. I'm not surprised people have come around on the hire, I am surprised people are coming out to defend him as a person, although I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Why do you say that? This kind of makes me think Cairo is being groomed as the manager in waiting. I was thinking Jirschele would've been put on the major league staff if that was the plan.

I think you could see teams paying a premium for 1 year contracts, instead of getting into a multi-year bidding war. I like that model....there's still a lot of unknowns about how next year shakes out, how last season was so different in prep and usage, if there is going to be a full spring training, and does all of this carry a different type of injury risk.

This is great.

I'm sorry to hear about your work situation, I really am. I assure you I'm weighing real people into the equation. I've been fighting with my management for three weeks so I don't have to let two people go, and I've had to let people go before, it sucks and weighs on you. It's tough out there. But I still think it's short sighted to pick Tony over potential others down the chain - and Jerry can also choose not to fire other employees(this isn't a clear binary choice). Advertisers may choose to leave on their own because of the situation, and ticket sales are just as likely to increase as soon as he would be let go. I've never heard Sox fans this angry. I think Tony staying is bad for everyone.

In the end you are probably right, but I'm not going to tell others to accept that reality if they want to push back - and I'm not going to do it under the guise that it's to save the mid and lower level employees. What happens to them, as unfair as it is, is on Jerry and the Sox leadership, it's not on the fans who are upset. And as you said, the dwindling fanbase is a direct result of these types of decisions, and that has a much much larger impact on those employees than a handful of calls and emails to advertisers.

I explained that in the next sentence. He's banking on people doing nothing about it and it disappearing into the next news cycle.

She is breaking barriers and I think that is worth acknowledging. Congrats to her, it's an exciting day for baseball.

A ton of people's livelihoods? How many people do you think will be laid off because the fans reaction to this? I don't think it can even compare to the amount of jobs that don't exist because Jerry runs this so poorly. And what happens to those people if this shortens the window for the Sox? What happens if they aren't as successful as they think they are going to be this year? Do you think this helps the Sox national exposure - which leads to merchandise sales, advertisers, more casual fans, pass through business? Why aren't we worried about those employees that aren't reaping benefits from that? Stop with the self owns, Improve your product, image, and show your fans some appreciation and the situation gets better for everyone. Keep spitting in the face of your customers and the employees will pay for it.