ChiSox59

That's fair and I get all that. No argument from me - a bit different than the post I quoted. And the $250M reference was from Tony's post. I agree there is no reason the Sox shouldn't be operating right below the luxury tax. But they're going to be right around $195M_$200M - just like I said all offseason - after everyone was convinced it'd be cut back into the $175M range. I do think Rick still has a trade or two in him to improve the club. He went on and on about trades in the early offseason and hasn't made one. I suspect he's just waiting for something closer to his ask as opposed to forcing things, and I am OK with that.

Grandal has said he's healthy right now. People can recover from back injuries. They just need him to be like 60% of his 2019-2021 self to be useful in a platoon. If he simply can't do it, they have Zavala who is already at least an average MLB catcher - 1.9 fWAR in 2022 was good for 7th in the AL, and 13th in the game. His fWAR per game played ranked 7th in the game in 2022. Now is that sustainable for Seby? Probably not. But he's at least a league averagish catcher by measure of fWAR. If Seby had options, I'd be all for brining in another catcher. But let's not act like the FA market was flush with good options for what they needed. It just is what it is with Grandal. Hope he's healthy and can produce in a part time role. If not, you cut bait in May or June and Seby and Perez duke it out. Sox also signed that Rivero kid from KC who Grifol loves and at least you have a guy who can excel defensively back there in the event he is needed. I also think Grifol's influence on Seby behind the plate shouldn't be downplayed.

I guess I don't really follow. Be mad, gnash your teeth and light your pitchforks if you wish. There is good reason to be fed up - the Sox were awful in 2022, and have mostly botched every decision of note since losing to Oakland in October 2020. But you cannot possibly be suggesting the Chicago White Sox were going to operate with a $250M payroll in 2023. Its just not reality. You can carry 2 MLB catchers on the roster. One of them is getting paid $18.25M and is going nowhere because of that. He has also been the 2nd or 3rd best catcher in the game over the past half decade +, and if he can get healthy, its reasonable to expect a better 2023. Seby Zavala by measure of fWAR was the 6th most valuable catcher in the AL last season. He is also out of options. Again, there is no room to add another catcher to the roster. Clevinger was a perfectly acceptable backend SP add with upside. I see no reason to be upset about that move. Yes, the lack of any move at 2B is frustrating. I agree. But again they weren't going to blow by $200M payroll, and its reasonable to expect that Sosa/Romy/JRod can give you close to what Harrison did for 15% of the cost. It was pretty obvious that the Sox were going to move on from Tony, add around the edges with a focus on getting more left handed and better defensively, and run it back in 2023. And that is what they've done to date. I struggle to see why anyone would be surprised by this.

They were an 81 win team last year, almost no one was healthy, nearly everything went wrong and were managed by a guy that appeared to intentionally put them in a terrible position to win each night. We basically played the entire 2nd half of the season without TA or Robert. Robert had 0 HRs and 2 RBI after July 14th. Sure, we lost an aging Abreu. That hurts. But our defense has improved drastically getting AV out out the OF, and our lineup is going to perform better against RHP with Benintendi and Colas in the lineup. IMO, "a couple injuries away from a 79 team" seems wildly pessimistic considering what we saw in 2022.

Sox needed an LH OF. They signed the 2nd best one available. They were never going to acquire 2 starting caliber OFs this offseason and effectively block Colas. The Sox catcher position is full. There is no room to add another MLB catcher to the roster. The Sox are still in better shape at the catcher position than most teams. I would prefer they acquire a real LH 2B, but most expected they'd go with the kids with perhaps a stopgappy cheap vet, and that looks to be the case. I am not impressed with the Sox offseason, to be honest. But its about how I expected it to go. Sign a backend SP, sign a LH OF, and hope the rest of the team gets healthier and performs better. My names were Nimmo and Heaney per the OP in the Offseason Plan - they didn't do that good due to how the FA market unfolded, but the Sox signings were not awful by any means. The bottom line is this roster was mostly cemented in coming off 2022 due to contractual status, or inability to move due to coming off underperforming seasons. It is what it is. I would love for them to add another player than could factor into both the 2B and RF mix, but there really are not any FAs left that fit that bill unless you want to try to get Profar to play 2B for the first time in a few seasons. Just not exactly sure what you expected.

I am pretty comfortable stating that Benintendi wouldn't have signed here had Pollock not declined his option. Obviously, Sox haven't been super aggressive. But they don't really have much else to do. The roster is pretty locked in. 2B and a 4th OF is really the only needs, besides perhaps some SP depth for AAA.

Pollock? I'd take Duvall over Pollock purely due to the defense ability and flexibility.

Benintendi has never played RF. I don't think he is going to start with the Sox.

I don't, but it will be close. He's a wealthy enough man that losing $1M or so in potential earnings probably doesn't impact his life in any way.

I'd take Biggio for a song.

He turned down $13M in exchange for $5M buyout. So he has to get $8M guaranteed to breakeven. He’s almost certain to take a pay cut. Thanks to AJ Pollock.

Cheap 1 year deal in March if nothing else materializes? Sure. Any sort of real guarantee right now? Nah. Try to do better; he’s not very good and has never play 2B. But I’ve been on record and remain convinced that just handing Romy/Sosa the job and relying on Leury to play a few days a week there is silly. You need to bring in some level of competition for the kids and make them earn that job, while also hoping they do.

They definitely should do that.

As of now, Sheets is your OD RF until Colas arrives. Cespedes is probably the 4th OF, or perhaps Reyes but he’s a bad 4th OF. Leury is super sub. I think they’ll sign an Of tho.

Move on from Madrigal man. He's not a fit on this roster.

I don't agree with GreenSox on much, but I do agree here. Kelly could be quite useful in 23. Would I trade him in a salary swap for a useful position player? Yah, probably. But I'd rather keep him that give him away, or eat money to do so. The arm is very good. The FIP was much better than the ERA. He know what he is doing. I think he could be a very effective middle reliever next season.

If the Sox we’re trying to acquire him, it’d require Montgomery++. But since it’s the Sox, best we can do is a blocked guy outside the top 100 headlining the deal.

Hendricks definitely isn’t, but Hendriks might.

He was awful last season. And hurt for most of it. Not suggesting we hand him the 2B job, but wouldn’t be a bad guy to bring in and compete for the job if they’re not going to acquire anyone of note.

LaStella DFAd. Sox should definitely try to get him on an milb deal.

Cue Balta telling us why that doesn’t matter for us, but does for Cleveland.

Except the AL East is going to be significantly harder to win than the AL Central. Winning your division is pretty damn important in these expanded playoff days.

Conveniently leaving out our best pitcher in Cease. The Sox are not signing a SP that is better than Cease, Lynn, Giolito, Kopech or Clevinger. In fact, there aren't even any left that are better. We also don't really have any room in the bullpen because most of our relievers are on MLB deals or out of options. So that leaves milb deal guys, which certainly should be a focus.

Why would another legit SP sign with the Sox? The rotation is full. They’d be looking at bullpen duty, most likely. Now, the Sox should be bringing in several milb type guys for insurance in Charlotte; I do not understand why Hahn hasn’t started that project because they need basically an entire rotation. But that’s different.

Yep. Very good post. It’s very hard to understand, but is no doubt this is coming from JR. He loves hindering his organization.