ChiSox59

About time. Corresponding move tomorrow.

I love when people say we should release players with options. Learn the rules.

Pretty much all FA SP you sign in their early 30s are coinflips to be good a couple seasons down the road. Building rotations primarily out free agency is very difficult. Which is why it is huge that (hopefully) we have four rotation spots covered with Kopech, Cease, Lopez and Giolito. I do suspect at least 1 of those guys will make under 10 starts for the Sox in 2021, which is another reason why I suspect the Sox will try to work something out to keep Rodon around. Other impending FA that could be of interest (some have been mentioned, some haven't) are Wood, Wacha, Odorizzi, Pineda, Ryu, Gibson, and Roark. I would love to shoot for the moon and get Cole, but I realize those odds are long. I'd be fine with something in the middle like a combo of Wheeler/Wacha/Pineda/Gibson from the rightside paired with Wood, Ryu or Bumgarner from the leftside. Those guys shouldn't command huge pay days and long term contracts that could cripple the Sox if they fall apart. I personally prefer the younger guys of that group in Wood, Wacha and Wheeler. I am curious to see what kind of deal Bumgarner ends up with next year. He hasn't been the Bumgarner he was in his early and mid 20s, but obviously had big name recognition and the casual fan probably still thinks he is quite good. I personally think he'll stay in the NL though because he loves to hit.

I have a far greater than basic knowledge of baseball's free agent market. I said I would prefer to wait and sign someone better than Keuchel. I think there are several pitchers who are better options for the White Sox than Keuchel who are free agents next season. Apparently you think Keuchel is the clear cut #2 option. This has nothing to do with knowledge of the markets and everything to do with how we value a particular player. It is a matter of opinion. Get over yourself.

I would prefer Porcello, Bumgarner and Wheeler to Keuchel personally. I would also prefer spending less and going after guys like Wood or Gibson over signing a decling Keuchel (depending on dollars). It all comes down to years of commitment and dollars when dealing with SP in their 30s. I think we all can agree that the Sox are going to need to supplement their rotation via FA this offseason. Keuchel is an option, just not my favorite option.

JFC. Sorry I didn't run my post on a message board through my copy editor first.

MMMMMHHHHMMMMM

I suppose. Kuechel just scares me. He'll be 32 next season and wasn't that great in 2018. I'm not completely opposed to it if you can get him a 3 year deal for $15M AAV or less. I just don't think he's going to be anything more than a solid mid rotation guy moving forward, and I think the chances of him being a below average SP by the time 2021 rolls around is better than a coin flip.

Meh. I'd rather wait for the offseason and sign someone better. Say the Sox somehow are .500 come June 4th, the day after the draft. They offer Keuchel 3 years and $45M and he takes it. He's still not going to be ready to pitch until probably early July. He also isn't that good. And there are probably at least a handful of other teams that will be after him as well. I just don't see everything that will need to align aligning for him to sign with the Sox.

Enforcing his leverage would be offering him something like a 3-4 year deal where he makes peanuts in 2020 while he rehabs, a similar sum to what he would have made in 2020 in 2021 ($5-6M, maybe give him some incentives), and a team option or two for 22 and 23. Not too similar from the deal the Twins gave Pineda before 2018 when they knew he was going to be out the whole seasons. 2 years $10M - 2M in 18 and $8M in 19. I am not proposing something quite that high, but similar idea. Its not like this has never been done before. Rodon and Boras can shake their dick at the offer if they want, but Rodon isn't getting some golden goose offer in FA and I assume he would prefer to rehab with the team he knows than go to some new org and go through that process. Again...we'll see what happens.

In your eyes this org will never finish over .500 again in its history, so its all relative. Hopefully the injury is a minor set back and he's back in a month or so. Until the full extent of the injury is known, I will reserve final judgement. But like I said, if he is in fact getting TJS, there is an argument to be made that letting him walk is the right play. But I see Hahn trying to enforce his leverage in this situation before just throwing his hands up and letting Carlos hit the FA market. Maybe that's where it ends up when Boras tell Hahn to GFY, but IMO, that would only be costing his client a fair deal of cash.

$4.5M isn't really alot of money in baseball sense. Its very rare for guys to take salary cuts once they're in arb, but the Sox will hold all the leverage. Maybe they can get him to sign a 2 or 3 year deal where he makes a $1M or so in 2020, and then $5M in 21 and $10M option or something in 2022. We'll see. I really don't think the Sox are going to just let him walk. 48 hours ago he was either our #1 trade asset or our ace for the next 3 seasons. I don't think they're just going to give up all hope, but I am not discounting the fact that there may be some merit to what you're proposing. I just don't see it happening.

Except if he doesn't pitch in 2020, they're in pretty much the same spot they'll be in this offseason. Just offer him another 1 year deal in the $4.5-5M. If he does come back in 2020 and pitches well for 10 starts or so, maybe he won't accept that and prefers to go to arb and his 2021 salary is more like $7M. But I don't think Rodon's tab is going to be upwards of $14M for 2 seasons as you suggested. More like $9-10M (if he misses the rest of 19 and most/all of 2020), and $11-12M if he comes back in 2020 and pitches well. A somewhat hefty sum for 30-35 starts at best, but likely worth it. I guess we'll see. I could see it going either way, but I personally would be shocked if the Sox cut bait with Rodon this offseason. I also think we should also see the extent of the injury before we make any real judgement. All this assumes he is going down with TJS and is out until like August 2020. It is still possible this injury is something far less serious than that, though I am not holding my breath.

I am sorry, but the people banging the Cease drum super hard right now are clueless. Plus, as you said, he's going to be up soon. He's not wasting away in the minors.

Why would he take this over signing a 1 year deal with the Sox in 2020 with a slight raise on his $4.2M 2019 salary?

Rodon has zero leverage though. He's making $4.2M this season. Sox offer him a 1 year deal $4.5M for 2020. I'd be shocked if he rejected it. No one is going to pay him more than that on the FA market as a SP coming off TJS and a should surgery a year prior. And I personally don't want Keuchel.

They could cut bait. But they won’t and shouldn’t.

No, no weren’t not. At least try to pay attention dude.

No thanks. I'd much rather take my chances with the SP on the market next offseason.

No. Mid 2020 at best.

Yah at this point, seems like the Sox been given an initial opinion and they are just waiting for the swelling to subside before getting a 2nd / confirming opinion. Sucks, but when you see stuff like this, 9/10 times its going to end in surgery.

Per Hahn via the Twitterverse. Rejoice, Soxtalk. Rejoice.

Good news. Definitely going to be inside of 4 weeks.

Ultimately I am fine wiht them being aggressive with Cease. There is no way in hell the Sox are waiting until May 2020 to call him up, so whether they call him up in 2 weeks or in September, its the same result. So in that case, I'd rather use those innings towards the big league club. That being said, I'd like to see him get a couple more starts in AAA with a little higher pitch count and try to work through 6 innings a few times, and then give him the call.

Much deserved. Now don't fall off a cliff, Timmy.