ChiSox59

If being a former royal is a prerequisite, they should spent 60% of this total and brought Josh Staumont in.

I am with you. I kind of wonder if the Sox feel Stassi might be more of a gamble than even we thought. For league min, its a worthy gamble, but maybe they aren't even sure they're going to keep him. I had no problem with a Lee/Stassi catching situation in 2023, so it does feel a bit superfluous.

I mean, the option is vesting. Its probably only $4M thrown to the wind. Which is like $1-2M too much, but a couple million probably not terribly important with a team that's sitting at $116.5M in commitments and appears unlikely to surpass $130M at this point.

Hah - ya thats def who it is.

Gimme Brad Hand. Played against him a bunch growing up thru HS.

Not terribly promising, but even if the Sox don't get a pitching heavy return for Cease the rotation will include probably 50-75+ starts from Schuster, Nastrini, Eder, Mena, Martin, Burke, Thompson. Those guys could theoretically benefit from a guy like Maldonado too. Even if Cease doesn't go to ATL, the Sox will likely add at least one guy to that group via the Cease deal. I am fine with Maldonado. I feel like $4M is probably $1-1.5M rich, but on a team that has a $116M payroll INCLUDING him, its hard to get too up in arms about it.

I think the Sox have made it pretty obvious that Carlos Perez isn't a long term option.

I don't understand how these things are tied together.

Let’s hope it’s like $2-3M guaranteed. I don’t mind making Lee earn his reps rather than them being handed to him. But he should still get the most PA from the C position in 2024.

Fwiw, that number includes the buyouts to TA ($1M) and Clevinger ($4M) that have already been paid. Actual 2024 payroll including filling out the roster with league min players is around $112.5M as things sit before Maldonado.

Weird move. Hope it’s real cheap.

I have no problem with signing relievers to 1 year deals.

Then he can enjoy more first round exits in the playoffs, or even the WC game the next couple seasons. The O's might not even win the East consistently the next couple years.

This. There is legitimate upside in holding Cease until July. Of course there is always risk any pitcher goes down with elbow or shoulder injury, but if he bounces back to a Cy candidate, you're getting better offers in July than you're getting now, even with 15-20 less starts of control.

Isn't BAL going to have a serious 40/26 man crunch in the next 18 months? They can't just hoard all these guys forever.

Again, doesn't really matter but Bradish career ERA+ is 110, and Grayson's is 97. So if that's the measure, not sure there is much support for that claim. Cease's ERA+ past three seasons is 131. That seems like a better measuring stick, which includes both a Cy Young runner-up season in 22, and season where most went wrong in 23.

Nice post. I think most here would agree that Kjerstad/Cowser + Ortiz is a good baseline package. I think the supporting pieces will need to be better than bottom end top 30 types. Like half the league will be in the bidding for Cease, so its gonna hurt. Not that it really matters, I don't think there are too many non-O's people that would take Bradish or Rodriguez in the 2024 season over Cease (putting aside contract, control, etc.). Rodriquez is obviously a wonderful young SP any team would love to have and Bradish had a huge 2023, but that is a major leap to expect those guys to be better than Cease in 2024 (especially with the same defense behind them).

Just give the job to Jirschele in that scenario. It’d be Montoyo tho

I kinda like “More work to do”

Says the biggest meatball of them all. Amazing. Who gives a s%*# if he had options? The Sox literally have like 3 big league relievers at this point. If he sucks, DFA him in May. It’s the same exact situation with Dievi Garcia. Post hype SP prospects with tons of cheap control are the exact type of guys the Sox should be trying in the pen in what appears to be a lost season. 75% of the time they turn into nothing, but that is how you find legit controllable pen pieces on the cheap. I dont pretend to know more about Pitino than the Sox, so I am sure they had their reasons but there are at least 3 other guys in the 40 man with clearly less talent that you’d think would have come first. That said, it’s not like this is a big loss. Were talking about the very back of the 40 man divisions on one of the worst rosters in the game. it’s just a curious move.

I am not saying he's the answer to anything. But he was a curious choice to DFA (I mean, Sammy Peralta is on the 40 man - that man was batting practice). Patino just seemed like a great guy to give an extended try out to in the pen in 2024.

Patino claimed by the Padres. Dumb move.

I mean, don't get me wrong, there is a fair share of trash. But a lot of it has been recently acquired. I think we're pretty much down to Deivi Garcia, Sammy Peralta, Lane Ramsey, Carlos Perez, and Zach Remillard as legitimate DFA candidates. I just listed of 5 guys - but its not very hard to squint and see each of those guys playing a role on the 2024 club - especially the relivers, and even Perez as the third catcher. Guessing Peralta and Remillard are next on the chopping block.

Then they can pay $175 for a mid rotation starter in Jordan Montgomery , or continue to lack the pitching necessary to advance in the playoffs. The latter worked out great for them in 2023!