Dam8610

If it's Springer, I'm not really keen on that idea. I may be in the minority, but the cheating and the other options available makes it a bad idea. Too much uncertainty for a $25+ million AAV long term deal IMO.

Name that RF, please.

I don't know about everyone, but depending on the closer and the payout for Musgrove, that would be fine by me.

How do you not factor MLB readiness into your evaluation? To me, a SP with a 3 starter ceiling performing well at AAA or MLB is WAY more valuable than a SP with an ace ceiling in A ball. The only exception would be if you're actively in a rebuild. As recently as 2.5 years ago, talent evaluators would've said Shane Bieber's ceiling was a 3 starter, despite him doing nothing but perform at every level. If in the beginning of 2018, someone had suggested Bieber for Kopech 1 for 1, most of this board would've lost their minds. In retrospect, however, it would've been one of the shrewdest moves the team could've made. The point being closeness to MLB ready must be and is a factor in any team's valuation of a player. It takes a lot less ceiling at AAA to get a MLB player than it does if the player is at A or A+.

A 3 WAR starter would be a good enough plug to allow the young guns to develop, especially if he's not too costly. It's not Bauer, which is the ideal solution, but it's at least plugging the hole.

That would be MUCH better than any of the insanity I've seen thrown around as potential Lynn trades.

No it wouldn't, especially not that last part. Trading that much young pitching for 34 year old Lance Lynn sounds terrible to me.

I don't understand why the strategy isn't Bauer and Pederson. The organization made a clear indication of a move to analytics, at least in the pitching department, with the hiring of Ethan Katz. I think Bauer would not only provide a TOR starter, but also accelerate this process and possibly help young pitchers like Cease, Dunning, Lopez, Kopech, Crochet, etc. make the adjustments they need to make to get the most out of their talent. Several of these young arms are going to be important to the White Sox putting together an elite pitching staff to go with their elite lineup. This is to say nothing of adding a true #1 starter to the rotation. As for Pederson, am I the only one who sees signing him as getting at worst 75-80% of what Springer would provide with 0% of the cheating concerns and at about 25-40% of the cost? Both are players who have played CF and displayed good power and ability to hit. Both are considered to be players that will need to move to a corner OF position going forward. Pederson is younger, left handed (which fits the lineup better), and had an atrocious 2020 line that was heavily influenced by a .200 BABIP. A more normal BABIP even for Pederson's standard would bring him right back in to the same offensive production range as Springer. With the group the White Sox have, the RF they sign just needs to be a quality starter who can hit 7th or 8th in the lineup, be a legitimate offensive threat, and not be a butcher in the field. Pederson fits that bill. So why does this not seem to be the strategy the White Sox are pursuing? I thought the whole point of this whole process was to save money and accumulate talent so that when the time was right, the final key piece or two of the puzzle could be put into place. The time is right. This team has two holes, a TOR starter and a RF, and the market has aligned perfectly to provide those two things. Now is the time to execute the plan and not let Steve Cohen stand in the way.

If this team gets Bauer and a couple of the high end relief arms available in free agency (as well as something in RF, I suggest Joc Pederson), then I agree with your assessment that this team would be ready to compete for a title, especially if the White Sox get positive development from their stable of pitching prospects. But that all goes away if they trade the third best hitter (at worst) on their team for starting pitching, especially because he's displayed the potential to become an even better hitter going forward and could become the engine that drives the offense as early as 2021. You don't trade that player, especially not for a "starting pitcher" who has never pitched more than 120 innings in a season at the MLB level.

That's disappointing. The FO has rarely pursued my desired course of action, though, so it's not surprising. Sometimes that has worked out well, sometimes it hasn't.

Trading anything of value for a 34 year old SP sounds awful. I consider Steiver "of value".

My plan would still be Bauer, 2nd tier starter, 2 top tier relievers, and Joc Pederson. Ray was my original choice on second tier starter, now...Quintana? Kluber? I'd prefer a backend LHSP that can be moved to the pen if the young talent shows out.

Why even bother with this? Owners can't be fired. They leave when they die, decide they don't want to own the team anymore, or in exceptionally rare circumstances are forced to sell by the other owners. So, unlike a manager or GM where the ire of the fanbase might cause ownership to notice and take action, this accomplishes literally nothing other than to say "I'm mad about it!" Bad news, friends, Reinsdorf probably made a lot of people mad on his way to becoming a billionaire, and my guess is he probably doesn't care about any of it to this day.

That's disappointing. I would've liked to see the Sox take this kind of chance on a young LHSP who had one bad season.

No need, I'd boycott, screw that cheater, he should be banned.

One bad season preceded by several years of ~3 WAR pitching, and he's 28. Seems like a good gamble.

I think it would also put them in the running for the championship, but I didn't want to say it would make them the favorites for that. Maybe favorites for the AL Pennant?

RHSP Trevor Bauer LHSP Robbie Ray RHRP Liam Hendriks LHRP Brad Hand RF Joc Pederson I think that would make the White Sox the favorites for at least the AL Central.

Probably. Doesn't mean I'm any less upset about it as a Colts fan. I'd've loved BOB to run the Texans into the ground for another decade plus. That said, he actually wasn't a terrible coach, just the worst GM I've ever seen. Regarding the topic, managers, much like coaches and QBs in the NFL, get way too much credit for winning and way too much blame for losing. Talent will carry either way, unless the manager is just incredibly bad. The White Sox are going to need to build a superteam to compete with the top tier of MLB teams, which is basically the Dodgers and maybe the Rays and Yankees. The talent exists for it to happen, but development will have to go their way or they'll have to go buy a Trevor Bauer or some player(s) of that caliber. I don't think LaRussa swings the pendulum much in either direction.

BOB was unfortunately fired 2 or 3 weeks ago.

All cheaters should be banned from their sport, especially if they won a championship while cheating. I would hate Hinch and love the team.

I don't think any team would commit to pitching him every fourth day. Because of that, I'd imagine the White Sox would be among his top choices based on his other criteria. Plus, if he's salty with the Indians, there's the added bonus of sticking it to them.

There was a lot of talk at the time of the draft that said almost everyone might be saying this in short order.

The White Sox have the best record in the AL, why are we counting down an 8 seed clinch?

That itchiness is probably your allergies manifesting differently.