he gone.

he's out of options so i believe another team will have to keep him up too or he'll be exposed to waivers, no? have a feeling he's likely to bounce around 2-3 teams this year and wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the Sox organization in a year or two.

Looking for scout seat hookups. Just don't feel like paying those fees on StubHub. Just too big of a chunk leaving both parties hands, would like to find someone willing to sell direct.

He was training with ReyLo in the off-season. I'm guessing the Sox have a good idea of how ready he is. Plus a vet. Plus a guy we really just don't give a shit about since it's pro-rated contract. I'd guess by the week of April 18 he's up and pitching. Gives him 2 weeks. He probably reports right away, gets his bearings, does 1-2 starts in Charlotte and reports up. He's a warm body.

Positives: In terms of guys you can acquire 2 days before the season starts & for relatively free money? I'll take it. He's got a rested arm - since 2017 he's topped out at 147ip. He barely threw in 2018, 2019, 2020 before pitching 22 games last year. If you want to be positive you're getting a former Ace/All-Star who, if healthy, can probably give you $7-10mm production as a #5. In a perfect world he's worth every cent of the deal. He's not a guy who walks people. Stays out of trouble in that sense. no free passes. should be a guy who can slot right in and fit in with this team and bring experience. His fastball and changeup are still relatively strong, particularly his fastball. Negatives: He's not the guy he used to be. His FIP has been over 4-5 since 2018. He hasn't been healthy in half a decade. He ranks near the bottom quadrant in CSW, xwOBA, etc. His slider is absolute trash. He threw it 22% of the time in 2021. His CSW on slider was almost dead last out of all pitchers ... like ... it's TRASH. hang a slider on the southside during the summer and the people in LF bleachers will be shagging opposing homers all day. The chances of him lasting more than 100ip are minimal. At least with Keuchel we know we can get 160ip of this type of ball. He absolutely does not fill the absolutely pressing need of a TOR type of arm for playoffs. Overall: Based on timing + sudden need after Lynn? B-. Based on the whole off-season? D-. I'd say maybe Katz can fix that slider or sees something ... but like ... he was cueto's pitching coach in SF already in 2020 and that was among Cueto's worst year ever. He shouldn't be throwing that slider, but unfortunately then what does he throw? The Sox don't have the farm system to compete on top arms that are needed. aka, playoff impact arms. I don't care how you look at Kimbrel, but he had the pedigree to be an imposing playoff arm (i mean, the dodgers, the best team in baseball said why not? and slotted him right in as closer). You also lost Crochet. You lost Rodon. So far we've replaced with Vince + Cueto + Graveman + Kelly. Doesn't add up. Off-season is when you could address the need via the pocketbook. Now you're going to be forced to overpay in season for guys like Castillo bidding against other teams with your already thin farm system. Absolute disaster. There's no chance Cueto is an impact arm to where he makes a playoff roster. The sox had the perfect setup with cheaper contracts during Covid/their open window to sign impactful guys and didn't do it. They had the opportunity this offseason with more clarity on season tickets, covid clarity, etc. and still didn't spend. It will ultimately come back to haunt them when in game 3 or 4 of an ALDS or ALCS you have a tired Kopech going and questionable arms coming in after to replace him. Welcome to the SS Johnny. Be better than Ervin Santana and Mat Latos please.

damnit.

Well, Paddack is going on year 3 of struggling and not adding a pitch all while the Padres continue to move on without him ... maybe he didn't get the memo that he should try to develop a pitch as a pitcher ... or like ... it's not that easy to perfect. Paddack is a bullpen arm. He's Lamet. He's Pomeranz. He's Reynaldo Lopez. You can live out of the bullpen off of two pitches, you cannot as a starter. zero interest in paddack.

Oh that's cool. didn't know they had that in the contracts ... glad the MLB got that right.

Unfortunately he's just a case of a roster crunch. That's a good thing. In 2018 he'd get his chance, but for now he'll have to do it on another team and I wish him luck. With all the injuries he's had he needs consistent bats and he's not getting those, nor does he deserve those on the White Sox. Not something that's realistic, but its too bad baseball doesn't have a rule like NCAA where maybe you could apply for a medical year and push back, would seem to help. but i digress. Either way, at most he's maybe worked his way into some sort of value alongside a Sheets or Burger to grab a rotation arm. At the least he's worked his way into a waiver claim by teams like Pirates, Texas, Washington, Miami, etc. As someone said we're just delaying the inevitable if he's rostered in the first month. He won't get the AB's here, the month ends and you end up with the same result and realistically his best outcome is a Daniel Palka type existence which wouldn't (and shouldn't) put him above guys like Engel or even Sheets. wish him well, hope he has a great career.

$6mm available now - soo... knowing the sox and our need they'll use it on Johnny Cueto

The statement "the money will be spent" is very open to interpretation and likely those who have picked their side will remain on said side. From my perspective the Sox have mostly not held up their end of the bargain. Which is to say when you make that comment it's not a 1 for 1 that the $250mm allocated for Machado is going to be spent. Nor is it realistic to say if we had Machado that it would be the only signing. The Sox would still have to supplement with pitching contracts, OF, utility guys, etc. Based on that, I am not accounting below for signings like Eaton, Leury, Harrison, etc. I also adamantly disagree with Hahn's (biased) interpretation of including contracts to Robert, Eloy, etc. All he is doing is locking in arbitration years. It's a calculated decision to possibly overpay v injury risk v underpay. The extra year or whatever at the end technically is spending - but again, it's risk mitigation tactics. It's hedging. It's business, not "the money will be spent". It's naive to think Machado would be a one person signing. You still would need to supplement RF, SP, etc. Like if you have Machado it's not like we aren't in the market for Keuchel types to solidify a rotation ... so more money than $250mm would've been spent. I am also not counting guys like Abreu ... that's a guy who was on your team and would remain on your team. He wasn't going anywhere regardless of a Machado signing. You're not signing Manny to be competitive and letting Abreu walk. Lastly, I am not comparing their payroll to other payrolls. I don't care if we're 7 or 20th. The way i look at it is season tickets are up 30%. I have my all-time high payroll for Sox tickets. The price to park, eat, etc is at all time highs. JR was still charging equal each year when he took payroll down and was uncompetitive, so that's money pocketed. He should be spending at the very least 30% more than his all-time high & a bit over to account for years where he didn't. There are ways to do this where those contracts are shorter and at a higher AAV to correspond with the "core" contracts expiring and needing to be re-upped. 2022 Off-season: Kendall Graveman - 3/24 (Not including Kelly, Harrison, others - don't think they're more than your regular additions that would happen during course of business 2021 Off-season (plus in-season): Kimbrel - .5yr/8mm Liam Hendricks 3/54 Lance Lynn (eventual extension) 2/38mm 2020 Off-season: Yaz 4/73 Keuchel: 3/55 Edwin Encarncion: 1/12 Add those all up? You have $264mm of the $250mm allocated. Unfortunately as teams looking for the next step sometimes do, they had to spend in 2020 when their window wasn't open/opening. Arguably i think it was a poor move to push the pedal down a year early, but part of the job in a way. Much rather would've had that money spent 2022, 2023, 2024. So, is Hahn right? Kind of. At the same time, not really. Are the Sox spending? Kind of. Are they misallocating? Kind of. Are they doing a great job? Kind of. We tend to remember the bad stuff - Machado not signing, Eaton, Tatis trade, Keuchel, Kimbrel, Madrigal, etc. but don't remember the good stuff ... Lynn for Dunning during this window and a reasonable extension. the fact we have Eloy and Cease for Q. Abreu re-signing when he was mid 30's and looking like maybe falling off. Yaz. Overall I think Hahn has done an above average job. I think JR has not. I in no way think the money is being spent, but at the same time that was a dumb PR statement to make. End of the day this will be a fun team. We have depth now with the Pollock trade. 2b isn't ideal, but it's 2b at the end of the day. The thinnest position is SP. With a thin minors I think it was silly not to attack a high-end experienced arm since they'll be expensive to acquire mid-season and were multiple available. Scherzer contract was too heavy, so get it. But Verlander 2/50mm? That's a deal you have to beat - he's a difference maker. Going into a playoff series with Verlander, Giolito, Lynn, Cease and (limited innings) Kopech is heavy hitter stuff. Or Rodon. Or Stroman even. You needed an extra arm. They didn't get it. Ultimately i think that bites us and is the difference between a pennant, WS etc.

While it's not great news, at least it's from a position of depth.

Appears this is just for April. I'd go as far as to extend it to May as well. It's a smart move in so many ways. a) school - kids are in school. if you want to increase the chance of kids/families at the park this type of move helps. b) weather- the earlier you start, the more sunlight you get, and the more warmer innings you get c) kids - kind of under the first point, but if games are 3 hours+ this is perfect. now you can watch a game all the way through. build your fan base.

It was in crains this morning... Revolution = Vizzy View Bar now Kraft Kave = Leinie's Lounge (Lodge**) now Miller Lite Landing = RF seats Modelo is still around. They still have their deal with Constellation Brands as official imported beer partner. Also legally, Sox cant agree to an exclusive serving rights, so you'll still be able to find offerings around the park (likely) just not as easily.

no offense to any of you - but i've been going back and forth about this for a while. i'm going to be deleting my account. i used to have fun on this board, but lately its more anxiety than anything because of this stupid topic. i don't even go onto pale hose anymore ... just straight to this. and i waste entirely too much time trying to make points. im sure some of you are really good people. we all have our disagreements naturally about how we see the world which are driven by personal experiences that others on this board are not privvy to. take the response above ... I mean? This your moderator? i could say the sun is shining and he'd come back with "there's some clouds up there". what's the point of going back and forth with someone like that? it's not even a normal, reasoned response. how is that productive conversation? it's just attack. 33,551 posts. im gonna stop wasting my time... have fun on your next 33,551 posts tony.

you may want to look into the practices of factory farming and mono farming. it's a good topic to learn about. i subscribe to butcher box, some of the best free range and all natural meat you'll ever have. very good company if anybody is looking for alternatives. not sure why you'd be so serious about health and covid, but so flippant about obesity. obesity rates are growing at very high rates and is a very serious issue. Or are you just picking and choosing which health issues are important as it fits to your narrative?

nope, not living in fear. it's a cost benefit analysis. upside/downside risk. makes sense for me, it also makes sense for the large, large majority. doesn't mean it should be mandated. And ya i'd question my doctor. i question my mechanic. i question my contractors. i question everybody. being curious about life and not just following is a good thing. I had a surgery in july ... they sent me home with some very strong pain killers. I took zero. you want to know how many questions they asked before giving those to me? ZERO. what if addiction ran in my family? i happen to know two very close people who struggled with pain meds for years who are luckily clean now and raising beautiful families. they had addiction issues that run in their family ... maybe doctors should be asking more questions too. I take my health very seriously. i have very close family members who are obese and its not a life i choose or want to live.

if you could put your hand on a bible, or take a lie detector test ... etc. and I asked you that question. 60 years old, 5'9, 150lbs and 60 years old 5'9 and 300lbs you and i both know you're choosing the guy at 150lbs. it's a contributing factor and we all know it. being fit is hard. people are lazy. aka, the deflection is large. No, I am generally for less involvement. i don't want the government involved in my life. if you stuff yourself full of krispy kreme and applebee's more power to you. just be accountable for it. The one I'd be most in favor for would be health insurance changes. they're businesses and can do whatever they think betters their business. So providing different rates for different weights and lifestyles? I'd love a plan like that. I put in a lot of work between my diet and workout routines. i get bloodwork done each year. outside of that? i've been to the doctor once in the past 15 years. but in terms of government? god no, they don't need to be involved in taxing or restricting what people eat. the most, most, most, i'd want the government involved is a bigger focus on health in schools and then subsidies for gyms. we subsidize corn and wheat and oil and so much ... having a free gym in each community not only could drive community, but also health. even that's a reach to me, but if there was going to be any government, free gyms.

Mature. Unfortunate that you think this way, but is what it is. I spend a lot of time reading, researching, learning and bettering myself on a day to day basis and it's reflected in my overall success, friendships, relationships, and my overall health. It's fun to watch this board. It's like Modest Mouse album "good news for those who like bad news". Fear porn. fear drives people to do weird things. unfortunately a lot of you are caught up in fear.

Bingo.

Like I said, people will quote select one sentence & be like “I won” No obesity isn’t like covid. Yes obesity matters. Three people get covid, all 60 years old. 5’9. One weighs 150lb. One weighs 225lb one weighs 300lb. which do you want to be? if there was magic wand and I could turn everybody into a CrossFit athlete for the past 2 years since covid - do you think the hospitals would be full? ICU overrun? Obesity matters.

haha it worked. i knew this would be the response and didn't even have to think twice about it. no shit you catch being fat. my response is a response that is meant to have you take a step back and think .... covid response ... vs. obesity response ... one kills 2:1 .... the response is 100:1, or maybe 1,000:1. or maybe 10,000:1 (and thats not considering those who have died of covid with comorbidities like obesity). That's all. the world has lost their mind. if you don't think obesity has a factor in not only regular every day deaths, but also in covid? i dunno man. i can tell you i have family members that are obese and family members who are not obese ... you know who i worry about with covid? and you're lying to yourself if you aren't thinking the same. you know damn well you have fat friends and family v. those in shape ... who do you worry more about? That chart doesn't look pretty. and BMI is bullshit. BMI is the simplest, reduction test of obesity. michael jordan is obese by this standard.. but obese people do clog up the hospitals.. and they love it. they love the revenue and the money that comes from it. the insurance companies love it. they love making the money off it. why? because it's predictable. they can know through actuary and math the controlled rate of sickness coming in. With that they can model response and make money off of it. ultimately this board goes back and forth and back and forth and back and forth page after page. the bell curve on covid is the same as every single bell curve in the world. the standard deviation is the same. just try and be in the bell. if you're not in the bell you're just going to be an angry irrational human being fighting for whatever you're fighting for without seeing other sides. if you can't see that (and not you whoever im quote responding to, the board) there are other angles, sides, and incentives in a story this world wide? then you're not considering enough. I'll gladly be the person who takes shit on this board. you can bold and quote select anything you want. at least im driving discussion instead of just parroting stats. just cause i have a vaccine doesn't mean i have to fall in line with whatever the vaccine crowd wants to hear.

1 in 1000 die from obesity every year. How many of you want to stand up and take your shirt off and look in the mirror? Or talk about it ad nauseum consistently?

i'll agree with that. if a normal joe blow got covid we can't just go to our doctors and say/pay for those treatments. he also has a huge platform which, alhtough he may not like it, does kind of box him sometimes. he has a social responsibility because people are always going to pick and choose. and in this case, the population isn't very smart and some (very few) are running with ivermectin as a saving grace. in the end these shots cost about $40 and should be the go-to solution.

When Joe Rogan is considered controversial then color me puzzled. Honest question, have you listened to him? Have you heard him talk in long form? Or are you just going by snippets? Because he brings on everybody from both sides, he brings in authors and doctors and political people across the board. He's a very reasoned individual. You may not agree with him on everything, but if someone like him is controversial than help us all.