TomPickle

The Machado offer was a joke so I'd probably just try to keep focus on this off-season if you're trying to heap praise on the White Sox front office.

Who is the third target?

. His ISO was better than Abreu's last year.

I don't think this is likely, but Happ and Frazier for Basabe/Rutherford/Walker/Collins/Whoever yes please, sign me up.

Well, I would have been fine with Hamels on a one year deal too. I think the Yankees would need to pick up a few million or throw in a low level prospect to sweeten the deal.

Happ is probably not going to cost much prospect wise. I wouldn't hate him as a #5.

The problem I have with signing either Keuchel or Bumgarner has more to do with the White Sox than either of those two pitchers. In either case I see the White Sox patting themselves on the back for a job well done and consider the rotation fixed. Either of these guys would be a fine 3 or 4 starter, but the White Sox need a #2 (or a true #1 but lol at signing Cole) and neither of these guys fit the bill.

The White Sox should 100% no doubt be signing at least two free agent pitchers. Ryu, a steady 4/5 type and a third possibly from the scrapheap pile that is being discussed in another thread would be my preference.

He is my preferred free agent pitcher as well. Injury prone certainly, but he's only had one mediocre season in his career. If you're going to be paying $20+ million a year I like his upside more than Bumgarner and Kuechel. He also seems like a guy you could sign for 3 or 4 years instead of 5.

Jimmy Nelson, but he did not look good last year coming back from a shoulder injury. I guess his spin rates were actually better than prior to the injury, but otherwise not good.

This is an older article that cites it.

The White Sox have a four year window to contend as far as I see it right now. The rebuild was only jump started because the same front office that is in charge now was totally incapable of putting together a winning team around a core of cost controlled, extremely good players. Right now it looks like that is going to be the same exact issue facing the White Sox coming up soon as they have done very little to lengthen that window or boost the core from within. Robert was dropped in their lap and kudos to them they didn't blow that opportunity. I am not asking the White Sox to be intelligent and responsible (especially in free agency) I am asking them to win. This is an organization that doesn't even have the ability to scout and find enough international free agents to the point where they are routinely trading their surplus theoretical money away for basically nothing or to save real money. They are not a smart front office in all facets and I don't see how you could ever expect this particular group to be as they have never shown that they are currently. I really liked the Grandal signing, but he's also a 32 year old catcher whose value is heavily propped up by framing numbers. 32 years old is also the point in which most catchers start to decline in framing ability. He's still a fit on a team that severely lacked for on base guys and was among the worst at hitting right handed pitchers. Signing a free agent isn't going to "destroy the future of the team" and certainly not the third best one on the market. Every pitcher is a risk. Gerrit Cole could just as easily require Tommy John as Stephen Strasburg. The entire point of having a young cheap core is so that when the time is right you can go out and make a splash signing to supplement your team and put you over the top. If the White Sox are not to that point this year they sure as hell better be next year. By not signing good players the White Sox are not proving to be smart or future winners, they're just wasting time until the core gets too expensive to be able to sign anyone to a major deal.

Agreed, cannot wait to watch our fiscally responsible 77 win ball club next year.

That's a spicy meatball

Good news for the White Sox, who can now focus solely on Cole!

Nice to hear a little bit more info on Bailey and Guzman down in the DSL. Not unexpected, but kind of a downer to hear that the White Sox facilities are among the worst in the Dominican.

Trading a #4/5 starter and two B level prospects for the second best player in baseball is a pipe dream in any scenario other than when you just get one year of control of that player. If the White Sox were to make this trade they would then need to go out and still acquire more players to really compete to win the World Series. They would not need to mortgage their future to do so, however. They could do this novel thing called "spending money" that other teams have used to varying degrees of success.

Right, but when complaining about someone like Ivan Nova filling Reynaldo Lopez spot in the rotation try to remember that Mookie Betts would be manning RF instead of a wet sack of nerf balls.

A lot of people discounting that the White Sox have Mookie Betts in this scenario. Who I remind you all, is Mookie Betts.

Agreed! I wonder how I got here. I was sure I was at http://prudentfinancialbaseballdiscussion.biz/white-sox/

How will the White Sox ever win the coveted dollars per WAR title then?

C : Grandal 1B: Abreu 2B: Madrigal 3B: Moncada SS: Anderson LF: Eloy CF: Robert RF: Betts DH: McCann/Collins (or hopefully Encarnacion or Thames or someone along those lines) I wouldn't be cheering the loss of Reynaldo Lopez, but damn. That lineup seems like fun. I mean Ivan Nova would surely be happy to come back and he could cover 85% of what Lopez would give you.

Okay, call it 30 starts between the two of them. That is essentially one full season's worth of starts. I have not seen what you're referring to, but I guess I do believe it because the White Sox exist to make me miserable.

If Kopech is healthy for the entire 2020 season there is a 0% chance he only makes 15 starts for the White Sox. You are also going to get some starts from Rodon. I'd be okay with calling that 15 starts. It is true that the White Sox have yet to sign a free agent pitcher, but that does not mean they won't or can't if they were to add a player making ~$28MM or whatever Betts will make.

This is a very minor signing, but I used to play travel ball with him and I'm glad to see him get another shot.