ChiliIrishHammock24

Actually, I believe he has said EXACTLY that, maybe save for the "multiple" part of the quote. But yes, I do recall a quote from him posted on this very site speaking about trading prospects for prospects to better balance out needs. The Sox and Cubs will also never make a big trade! Remember that trope that tried to limit Hahn's trading options?

Somehow you're treating all 4 prospects as equal, and ignoring that Hansen and Burger/Gonzalez/Rutherford/Walker all have HUGE bust likelihoods, while Senzel is just about the surest prospect in baseball to hit, behind Vlad Jr. Even a lot of people think Cease is destined for a bullpen job or an injury riddled future. But sure, ignore quality and take quantity.

And he will only be making $535K to do so. That's the difference.

They were willing to pay for the help in the 2018 season. That part of their value in the trade is now gone.

Rams barely escaped the Seahawks, yikes. I'm starting to get pretty worried about this defense.

I would argue upgrading prospects isn't "not hanging on" to them.

Is it just a running joke now to pretend that the Rockies are trying to give Jon Gray away for nothing? Is this just being meme'd to death by Soxtalk?

The pick that the Nats receive and the signing team gives up are not the same.

The Reds. I had a Senzel trade in my Offseason Plan, and it was Cease, Burger, and Hansen. Although as someone pointed out, Burger doesn't make a ton of sense for the Reds, because they would still have India blocking Burger. So swap out Burger for Gonzalez, or Rutherford, or Adolfo, or Walker. Either way, I can't see the Reds giving up a top 5 hitting prospect in Senzel without getting a blue chip pitching prospect like Kopech or Cease in return.

You sure? I found these rules.... Signing team receives revenue sharing money: Forfeits their third highest draft pick. Signing team paid luxury tax during most recent season: Forfeits second and fifth highest draft picks, plus $1M in international bonus money. All other teams: Forfeit second highest draft pick plus $500,000 in international bonus money. Based on that, the Sox would give up their 2nd highest draft pick, plus $500K in INT'L money.

Speaking of my Cali trip....went to Paramount Ranch to see where they shoot Westworld, and dozens of other shows/movies in the 91 years that the old West town has existed.....and then it burns down less than a week later. Go on a Malibu Wine Safari on Saddle Rock to see the hills and drink wine and feed exotic animals.....and it too burns down. It's weird that I have all these pictures on my phone on places that don't even exist anymore less than a week later.

Which is #43 overall right now I believe. Last year that was P Griffin Roberts.

Too bad. Could have saved us a draft pick.

What bad contracts has Hahn handed out? How does that compare to all the great contracts he's gotten players to agree to sign?

You realize that Chase Field is more of a hitter's park than G-spot, right?

Damn I just drove past Pepperdine a few days ago. My girlfriend had asked me if it was a good school.

Not if they are going after Machado, because they would already be a healthy amount over the tax threshold.

I forgot to include my reasoning that Burger sets back their timeline for a 3B prospect. Senzel is going to be ready by 2019. Burger is looking at what, sometime in 2021? Maybe even 2022? Saurez will still be under contract, and India will likely be ready by then, so now you're looking at Burger taking over at 1B if they were to trade Votto in his late 30s. It's a fair point that they may have no use for Burger, but the main cog of that deal is certainly Cease, so you could swap Burger for someone like Adolfo or Luis Gonzalez and make it work as well.

I copied the template below from SouthSideSox's Offseason plan. Offseason Plan Introduction My plan, because it's more fun, is to vastly accelerate the rebuild for 2019, in hopes that Kopech steps back in to a situation in 2020 where the team is ready to take the division. I'm going to be spending a ton of money. A ton. So the chances of this happening are slim, I grant you that. But without further adieu....here we gooooo. Arbitration-eligible (with projected salaries from MLBTR? José Abreu – $16 million - TENDER Avisaíl García – $8 million - NONTENDER Yolmer Sánchez – $4.7 million - TENDER Carlos Rodón – $3.7 million - TENDER Matt Davidson – $2.4 million - TENDER Leury García – $1.9 million - TENDER Impending Free Agents Miguel González (2018 salary: $4.75 million) - Cut loose Hector Santiago (2018 salary: $2 million) - Cut loose CURRENT PAYROLL GOING IN TO FREE AGENCY - $52M Free agents Using the list of free agents, tell us who you’d sign, keeping in mind our salary cap, and good, old-fashioned logic. Include your maximum offer (total years, total salary). Explain your choice at least briefly, even in the case of the most obvious, superstar signs. There is no minimum or maximum number of free agent deals. For illustrative purposes, here’s an idea that by no means you should implement: Bryce Harper (11 yrs, $424 million, $38.5M AAV, Opt outs after years 5, 6, 7) I don't really feel the need to explain this one. Sox need an absolute thumper in their line-up to pair with Eloy. Imagine the nightmare of these guys batting lefty and righty next to each other in the line-up. I would also welcome Machado, or certainly Arenado next year, but the idea of this bat coming from a lefty makes me tight in my White Sox male romper. Opt outs are a trend. Everyone wants opt outs. Fine, Bryce, take your stinkin opt-outs. But you aren't getting one until we get 5 years out of you, sir. The Sox may not even be a playoff team for the first 2 years of that deal. Can't give an opt out any sooner than 5 years in my world with the possibility that this rebuild fails and we blew unbelievable amounts of cash to go no where and see him walk. LHP Patrick Corbin (5 yrs, $115 million, $23M AAV) I honestly did not have him originally in my plans until I saw a rumor suggesting that a White Sox source said he was #1 on their offseason target list. I'm choosing to bite completely on that rumor. A 29-year-old lefty than can be the Sox veteran anchor of the competitive window. The Sox have recently been extremely left-handed, with Sale, Q, Rodon, and Santiago all in the rotation at one point. But now, Rodon is the only lefty in the system for.....a while. Giolito, Lopez, Kopech, Cease, Dunning, Stephens, Hansen; all RHP. The next lefties anywhere on the future radar are Pilkington and Medeiros, but they are both likely ranked after all of those guys in the pecking order. Corbin has completely blossomed as a starter and Arizona is a tough, TOUGH place to pitch. Nearly every single metric has trended positively for him over the last 3 years (GB% has gone backwards 3 years in a row, interestingly enough). I know the Yankees are suppose to have big interest in him, and he's publicly said it would be great to pitch for his childhood team, but I am going to assume the Yankees play in to that leverage and offer him a little less than his asking price, hoping they can get a discount for his childhood fantasies. RHP Garrett Richards (3 yrs, $27 million, $9M AAV, with a team option for $17M for 4th year with $3M buyout) This would be a relatively low risk-high reward situation. Garrett Richards is can be a stud. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery (sup Kopech), but as we know, that's nothing to be afraid of anymore. For this reason, he will miss the entire 2019 season. So this signing would really be more like 2 yrs/$27M, with a team option. Drew Smyly got 2 yrs/$10M last season in the same situation, and he's not even close to the level that Richards is on. Richards gets $30M promised with this deal, with a chance at $44M over 4 years if he proves healthy and successful. RHP Trevor Cahill (2 yrs, $20 million, $10 AAV) Cahill had one of his best seasons ever in 2018. But more importantly, he actually saw his velo tick back up, to the 2nd highest it has ever been. That's encouraging for an oft-injured 30 year old. He also uses his slider a lot more now, and gets a lot of groundballs leading to a very good HR rate last year. He is basically just a guy we would sign to give us some innings and then hopefully flip either next offseason or July of 2020. He is keeping the seat warm for Kopech and Richards return, or Dunning. RP Adam Ottavino (3 yrs, $27 million, $9M AAV) Ottavino found a couple years of decent success out of the Rockies bullpen in his late 20s. But it wasn't until he dove completely head first in to analytics and advanced technology that he saw a breakout year in 2018 at age 32. He turns 33 in a couple of weeks, so there is certainly some risk here, but the guy seems smart enough to adjust to what his arm is allowing him to do. His strikeout rate soared, and his HR rate plummeted. Get him out of Coors and let him set up Zack Burdi in the future. CURRENT PAYROLL AFTER FREE AGENCY (using AAV) - $141.5M Trades White Sox acquire RP Shawn Armstrong from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for 1B Gavin Sheets and RF Ryan Cordell The Mariners are tearing shit down. Unfortunately, the guys they likely to want to move don't fit my contention window for the Sox, or cost too much money. Shawn Armstrong, fits that window and doesn't cost much. Would the Mariners have any motivation to move Armstrong? Maybe not, but oh well I'm offering them prospects for a RP, just take it, Jerry. Why would the Mariners want Gavin Sheets when they have Evan White in AAA who plays 1B? I dunno guys, maybe they need a DH? Stop asking the tough questions. Swap out Sheets for Alex Call or Steele Walker or AJ Puckett or any other back-end top 25 guy. The point is that Shawn Armstrong has seen a slight tick up in velo since his short stint with the Mariners. He's throwing his plus curveball more, and his cutter more. He struck out 97 batters across 70 innings between AAA and Seattle (12.47 K/9) to go along with a 3.6 BB/9 and 1.67 ERA with only 4 HR allowed. He is still pre-arb, so the Sox would have him under control through 2022. He's 28 years old. White Sox acquire 3B Nick Senzel from the Cincinnati Reds for SP Dylan Cease, SP Alec Hansen, and 3B Jake Burger Oh boy is this one juicy! You like how I buried it after the Armstrong trade? I'm a sneaky b****. Nick Senzel is a fucking stud. He's an easy top 10 prospect in baseball, maybe top 5. This trade would be an effort to even out prospect needs. The Sox need someone who can play 3B in their org. The Reds desperately need pitching. We give them a stud pitching prospect in Dylan Cease who is exploding up the charts. But given that Cease is likely a top 25-40 pitcher on most lists, the Sox will have to sweeten the pot a bit more for Senzel who has never stopped hitting since he was a small child. What the Reds will get are 2 guys who could easily be mid to back-end top 100 guys, if not for injuries. They are rather risky prospects, for that reason, and ones the Sox should be willing to gamble away if a deal presents itself. Senzel is only on the table because the Reds currently have the revelation of Eugenio Suarez at 3B, and even Senzel's 2nd position, at 2B, is blocked by Scooter Gennett who has also bloomed. Senzel was then tried out at SS to help find him an unblocked path to the Reds, but even there they have Jose Peraza who had a very good 2018 season as well and is only 24 years old. This is all to just add to the fact that the Reds 2018 1st RD draft pick was 3B Jonathan India at #5 overall and is an advanced college bat. They also happen to take a SS with their 1st RD pick in 2017 in Jeter Downs. AND THEN they also have a prospect named Shed Long who is a top 100 prospect who plays 2B. The Reds are LOADED in the infield. The Sox could honestly make a trade for Jonathan India and do it without losing Cease, but Senzel is lined up perfectly with this wave of prospects, whereas India might be more of a late 2020 debut guy if everything goes great for him. White Sox acquire C Keibert Ruiz and SS Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers for SP Carlos Rodon I love Rodon. I really do. But he only has 3 years left with the Sox, and his shoulder issues scare me. This may be the right time to move him, before he has another injury and tanks all of his value. I would say even this trade may be a little lobsided in the Sox favor, if not for the fact that, like Senzel, Ruiz is so totally blocked in the Dodgers system. Yes he is their #2 prospect according to Fangraphs....but their #1 prospect is ALSO a catcher, Will Smith. And Smith is just about ready for the majors. But they also have Austin Barnes in the majors. So Ruiz is a 20-year old switch hitting catcher with amazing plate discipline at his age, and spending half of his 2018 season as a 19-year-old in AA. He struck out only 8% of the time in AA, and walked almost as much, to go along with 12 HR. Also considered an above average defender. Gavin Lux is a guy who myself and many others really really wanted in the 2016 draft with our 2nd pick at #26. The Dodgers ended up popping him at #20 instead. Lux spent his age 20 season in A+ and AA where he hit .324 with 15 HR, 13 SB, a walk rate of about 11% and a K% just under 17%. Another kid with great plate discipline, a bit of pop, but plays a premium position with 60 grade speed. Oh, and he bats lefty. Still love me some Gavin Lux. He is rated the Dodgers #8 prospect. Summary A lot of my moves are more for the year 2020 and beyond. Not too much for the 2019 season, as I would expect most of these plans to be laid out. But I also continued to stockpile high end prospects by adding Senzel and Ruiz to the mix. Senzel is an easy top 10 prospect. Ruiz could be a top 25-30 guy. I also spent a ton of money. I doubt the Sox add $90M in AAV, but I'm not the Sox, and I want to win. 2019 projected team Line-up: 1) SS Tim Anderson 2) 3B Nick Senzel 3) RF Bryce Harper 4) 1B Jose Abreu 5) LF Eloy Jimenez 6) 2B Yoan Moncada 7) DH Daniel Palka/Matt Davidson 8.) C Wellington Castillo 9) CF Adam Engel Bench: Omar Narvaez, Luery Garcia, Yolmer Sanchez Rotation: 1) LHP Patrick Corbin 2) RHP Reynaldo Lopez 3) RHP Lucas Giolito 4) RHP Trevor Cahill 5) RHP Dylan Covey Bullpen: Nate Jones, Jace Fry, Ian Hamilton, Caleb Frare, Aaron Bummer, Shawn Armstrong, Adam Ottavino Payroll - $137.8M The next year, Covey gets kicked out or bumped to the 'pen, and Cahill gets traded as Richards and Kopech take their spots. Dunning possibly takes over for Giolito if he continues to struggle. Burdi takes over for Nate Jones if he can't stay healthy. Ruiz will hopefully be ready to take over the catching duties by then as well.

6 out of 10 are OF. 3 are SP, 1 is an IF.

Seriously. This is a non-story for those who don't like Renteria. He can still be fired at any moment. It's only good news for those who support Ricky.

Fuck, that's blueprint.

President O'Rourke will have to do, then.

Don't forget that we've already heard that Manny and Beef Wellington are supposedly really close friends.

For what, a sign a flip in July? 2 yrs/$25M seem about right?