ChiSox59

Guess he didn't accept his "reassignment" with the Sox.

A lot can change in four years, especially in a division where no team is in a particularly great position looking forward. You think Dbacks fans thought they'd be playing in the World series coming of 52 and 74 win seasons? As others have said, the control the Sox have on Robert is past the point of diminishing returns. You aren't getting full value back. In the event someone puts together a crazy offer that makes sense, then you pull the trigger. But just moving him to the highest bidder this offseason doesn't make a ton of sense.

Well, he is controlled for four (4) more seasons.

I tend to agree. If you're going to pay the man, may as well just let him play 3B. If the focus is improving the defense, paying Yoan to play somewhere else seems kinda silly.

The problem with moving Moncada around is he is a legitimately good 3B. I am all for moving him around occasionally this season because he is extremely unlikely to be here in 2025 so what the heck may as well glean whatever value you can, especially if Ramos pushes his way onto the roster in 2024. Bu short of that, I don't see that many scenerios where playing Moncada at 2B or RF makes the team better than just leaving him at 3B.

FWIW - Grifol also said "I don't like the team either" yesterday as well. But yes - generally, Grifol says nothing at all.

Nice to hear Getz says “I don’t like our team”. Those words would have never have been said by the previous regime.

TA is going to sign with whoever offers him the most money. If that is the Sox, that'll be where he signs.

I am curious to see what kind of deal Clevinger gets. With the baggage, wouldn't be totally shocked to see him go unsigned deep into the offseason and ultimately settle for a 1/$10M type deal. Kind of why I felt there was a decent chance he would just take option with the Sox to avoid the headache and give himself another year to distance himself from the DV allegations. His pitching certainly earned himself something more like 2-3 years at $12-14M AAV, but I think its safe to say there are at least some teams that will avoid him. Doubt he's at the top of anyone's wish list.

If someone pays Bellinger $250M, they're going to really, really regret that.

Per Jimmy on Twitter, sounds like Marcus Thames will be announced as the hitting coach. Definitely like the idea of the younger guys with recent MLB experience.

Right. And now the Sox need to sign both a 2B and SS. TA at 2B for a net cost of $13M and signing a glove first SS like Brandon Crawford is better than spending $10M on say Brandon Crawford and $8M on say Adam Frazier. You're saving like $5M and getting way less upside. TA was terrible in 2023, but he has a far better chance of putting together a 3 WAR season than any of the cheap 1 year stop gap middle infielders. I don't really get the decision unless TA is an absolute cancer in the clubhouse.

Fair. They're well on their way to doing that, so you just may get your wish.

Duval would be great signing and is a actually a natural platoon partner for Colas, if the org isn't completely done with him like some think.

I don't disagree that Hoskins is better than AV or Eloy, and I also know you're over Eloy (and I certainly get why), but I don't really see what the benefit of dumping Eloy for little return is. May as well just hope he stays healthy and produces, and if he does and the Sox still suck, you're getting more for him in July than now. If he gets hurt like he always does, you're in the same spot anyways. No one is giving up anything of note for Eloy this offseason. The upside of keeping him far outweighs whatever meh prospect they'd get for him and $13.8M more dollars in JR's coffer.

Just out of curiosity, who you trading between AV and Eloy to make room for Hoskins? I just feel like those are the 2 guys left with legitimate untapped potential that both are at or near all time lows in trade value. I feel like AV and Eloy need to stay as you're not getting much in return and they are the two guys who something could click and become the 125+ wRC+ player the Sox need them to be.

The path to the Sox is the same for any other player in 95% of circumstances. Offer the most money, get the player. There are very few circumstances where the most after tax money doesn't win out. Of course if all is the same or extremely close, a player may prefer destination A to destination B based on any number of things, but the "no FA wants to sign here" gets totally overplayed here. Most players will be happy to sign with the Sox if they are the high bidder. This post is NOT necessarily directed at you, Bob fwiw.

Purely for the sake of the exercise... Free Agents: Lourdes Gurriel 4/$70M Hyun Jin Ryu 1/$14M guaranteed with an $18.5M club option Lucas Giolito 1/$14M guaranteed with an $18.5M club option Brandon Crawford 1/$8M Luis Severino 1/$8M Tommy Pham 1/$6M Adam Frazier 1/$5M Victor Caratini 1/$5M Reynaldo Lopez 1/$5M (gotta keep Gio/ReyLo together!) Sign Brad Hand 1/$2.5M Sign Bryan Shaw 1/$1M Lineup: Benintendi LF ($17.1M), Gurriel RF ($17.5M), Robert CF ($12.5M), Eloy DH ($13.83M), Moncada 3B ($24.8M), Vaughn 1B ($3.7M), Adam Frazier 2B ($5M), Crawford SS ($8M), Lee/Caratini C ($740k / $5M) Rotation: Cease ($8.8M), Giolito ($14M), Ryu ($14M), Severino ($8M) and Kopech ($3.6M) with Scholtens, Touki, Eder, Nastrini, Mena, Burke, Martin as options Pen: Santos ($740k), Bummer($5.5M), Crochet ($900k), Lopez ($5M), Touki ($1.7M), Hand ($2M), Shaw ($1M), Lambert ($740k) (out of options) with Leisure, Patino (out of options), Deivi (out of options), Speas, Ramsey, Foster, Banks, Ramirez as options BN: Lee/Caratini ($740k/$5m), Pham ($6M) with 2 of Romy, Sosa, Colas, Sheets, Remillard and JRod filling the bench. Colson and Ramos options a couple months in potentially sending Crawford/Frazier to bench. Total 2024 payroll: ~$180M (~$186.5M with dead money to Leury, Liam and Abreu) This team probably still sucks, but its about the best you can make it staying under $190M using just free agents. Defense is much improved, but Sox again sticking someone in RF who has never played in Gurriel, so he's not exactly a perfect fit. Rotation is at least mildly interesting and not relying on any of the prospects right out of the gate. The ALC is still very bad, so maybe this team floats around .500 for the first few months. I don't see anyone in the division running away and hiding. Twins in best shape, but they're looking to replace a decent chunk of their pitching as well. Of course, trades will be made. I toyed with some trade ideas but that's when the plans get a little wild. One sort of off the wall idea I had if the Sox were actually trying to "compete" in the ALC in 2024 - probably not the best move for the future, but I felt it was kind of interesting: Cease to the Rays for Glasnow and Lowe. The Rays are cheap and they turn 1 year of Glasnow at $25M into 2 years of Cease for less than $25M total. Sox get an ace (with injury concerns) back for Cease, and get a really nice lineup fit at 2B in Lowe who has 3 years of control via options. Lowe is a huge improvement over trying to plug 2 MI holes via FA that has so few MI options of note. Its at least interesting, but of course blows the Sox best non-Robert trade bullet without getting a single prospect of note. With Glasnow's huge price tag and limited control, maybe you can get back 45 FV pitching prospect in the deal. If you were to make this deal, you absolutely have to try to figure out how to make the 24 roster competitive. And the finances got really difficult to work with trying to stay under $190M with Sox taking on $25M in additional 24 commitments in that deal. Not a deal I am actually campaigning for, just offseason rosterbating more than anything.

You are Chris Getz. You've been handed a job you probably didn't deserve. JR wants a winner, but he also wants the roster to have a new complexion. JR has given you a 2024 budget similar to that of the offseasons of 22-23; $190M max on opening day 2024. The current payroll projection filling the team with league min players is $112M. Clevinger just declined his side of the option, and you've bought out TA and Liam. Build me your squad that is at least afloat in the AL Central race in 2024.

Surprised

I’d go with Brandon Crawford myself. Bat sucks but glove is still great and if Colson pushes his way onto the roster, Crawford is easy enough to push aside. Also seems like the type of guy that the clubhouse could use. I am also assuming the Sox keep TA and put him at 2B.

You’re probably right in the pitching. And I am OK with that. I refuse to believe that Getz first move as a GM will be hamstringing his financial flexibility with Salvador Perez. I could see them trading for him as there is obviously smoke there, but only if KC eats at least half the deal prorating the AAV to $10M or so.

Sox gonna need to sign 3 SPs. Flaherty, Giolito, Montas, Lynn, Ryu, Severino, Cueto, Maeda is the pool of 1 year stop gaps I am guessing they’ll be shopping.

I really like Jake Burger. Easy dude to root for. The improvements he made with MIA make him a much more playable player IF he sustains it, let alone stays healthy. That said, I remain fine with this trade. Sox badly need SP prospects. While 2023 Burger is a useful player, this is a soon to be 28 year-old weak side platoon bat best suited to DH. While he certainly has pop in his bat, he doesn't walk much at all, though that did improve with MIA in SSS. Bottom line is Sox need SP more than they need a poor fielding RH corner slugger with questionable at best plate discipline. Its a gamble, and the early returns on Eder with the Sox obviously have been disappointing while Burger did quite well with the in Fish in small sample, but I think this is a trade that needs a few years before evaluating.

Even if it a character issue, trading him now makes little sense imo. He has two option years remaining. They don’t have to make a long term decision on him this winter. He does some things this org needs. Albeit he also has some tendencies this org badly needs to get away from. At least let him rake in AAA for a couple months next season to rebuild some value before trading him. I’d certainly rather give him MLB at bats than Gavin Sheets or Trayce Thompson.