he gone.

Nope is my strong guess. I think they'll move Spring Training to everybody's respective homes - aka basically intrasquad games and that Spring Training will start when the season was set to start. My guess is a mid-May start and 100-120 game season. I do think you'll see attendance for all games (if allowable by each state/city). So i think you'll see 10k or so at Sox games for the first month maybe, and then move into 50% and possibly 75% dependent on the roll out of the vaccine. I think mostly by playoffs time that everything will be back to "normal"

This. I'll have to follow more of your posts. I like posts like this that reference FIP and spin rates and usage. my hope is he can have that Giolito "aha!" moment and turn into a #2 type starter, otherwise I think we're likley to see him flounder like a Reynaldo Lopez in #5 category/bullpen/ultimately let go and picked up by a bad team type player. Aka Carlos Rodon. Ultimately we will need that #3 guy soon, who can step into Keuchel's #2 spot in the next year or two while Keuchel maybe takes a step back. Right now I feel like Kopech has the best chance followed by Cease.

Does everybody have an opinion on everything? I haven't listened actively ever to Len Kasper. I'm sure i've had him in the background, but never really listened. This will come into play for like 5 innings, of 10 games total while I drive somewhere ... so however it works out, it works out.

My list of preference: Joc Pederson - I think he really gives you what you're looking for - short term option for the time being, power, can bounce around positions, affordable Avi Garcia - You have to at least consider it. Brewers are looking to dump salary, he's somewhat expensive by 2021 standards and coming off a bad year. That being said he solves the issue, 1 year fix, very capable, and I'd assume it literally takes nothign to get it done -- aka just take him, and maybe even get a nice swap/upgrade on a minor leaguer to take that salary. Wait and see: aka - just sit and wait for the deadline. Get yourself a Haniger or whoever develops on the market. See what Engel does. See what your offense is lacking in 2021 and then acquire. Acquisition cost for a RF is generally pretty low. Nick Markakis - I don't see him leaving ATL, but he's just a guy who consistently gets it done. Nice bat, nice profile, nice price, short duration, vet. Springer - I don't feel like paying $25mm a year to a RF who will be past his prime soon. Having that contract on the books in 2024 won't be ideal. Add to that there are a number of decent options via trade, non-tender, etc. I'd explore those first. Edit: this is under Reinsdorf thinking ... if he was like Illitch or any other owner pushing the pedal down and absorbing payroll, I'm more than fine with him at the top of this list. I just dont want a situation in 2023-25 where we're like the Cubs, in the middle of a run, but crying poor and not adding the necessary final pieces to get it done Puig - I mean, i think he has as much upside as anybody on this list. I absolutely have no problem signing him - i even considered putting him above springer and markakis on my list. Adam Eaton - listen I don't love the guys personality. I'm not sure he fits on this team or with TLR, however I can somewhat see a match with TLR plus the guy has delivered in the past and is affordable enough. Do i think it happens? no. Would i be okay with it? Yes. D. Dahl - Mazara 2.0 -- i mean it's taking a guy who isn't that bad, or really that good either. it's another flyer hoping he can be something with a change of scenery. however as most can attest to, usually going from Coors to elsewhere doesn't work out great. Plus he's not really a RF JBJ - to me he's just Engel right? it'd be nice to have those two bouncing around as 3/4 options around the OF, but doesn't move the needle for me. Josh Reddick - kind of Markakis light.

Reasons to consider: Gives Vaughn an unpressurized timeline to play in AAA, allows depth in LF, gives a decent bat and an okay price. Reasons to pass: He can't play RF, he's really not that good (aka I think you can find poor defense, .230BA and 25-35 HR in a lot of places), he doesn't have a home here, he doesn't make the team better.

Signing Colas (or Cespedes) basically to me means they aren't seriously pursuing Springer. And frankly I don't want them to pursue Springer heavily. $25mm/yr can be spent better elsewhere on the diamond. Just look at a guy like Rosario who just cleared waivers ... the value of a RF is less than elsewhere on the diamond. Spend $6-12mm and get yourself a 1-2 year guy in Rosario or Pederson and then reassess where you stand with Colas or Cespedes after that time. That saves you $10-20mm annually by signing one of those guys, lowers your long term risk, and also gives you .... 60-75%? of the production at 20-50% of the cost. offense isn't our problem. Arms are needed to get us over the hump

i get the Q love a bit - i mean he was rock solid with us. However my argument more stems from, yes, he's a 3.90 - 4.10 FIP guy at this stage in his career. It's exactly what people are saying ... he's a #3 in this rotation, and likely is getting undervalued in this FA market compared to some of the other guys. I agree with all of that. We certainly could do a lot worse. My point was more really let's assume we're a playoff team again - I think then you're talking who puts you in the best position to win a world series. That's where my head goes at least. To me, Quintana, Odorizzi, Walker, Archer, etc. are all in the same tier. Meaning I don't think any of them move the needle, or have the chance to move the needle to where they WIN you a championship. they certainly improve your case for regular season wins and playoff positioning, but they don't put you in that drivers seat like a Giolito does to win a big game. To me that's what you want to acquire - someone who has that nasty stuff to where it can shut down a team completely. So to me, although the innings may be limited, and hell, they might even be hurt during a playoff run, I'd want to get a guy with that upside. Aka I'd choose Paxton over Q. I'd choose Rich Hill over Q. I'd choose Kluber over Q. I'm not anti Q, but with the plethora of younger pitchers who could use some MLB innings during the regular season, I'd like to see either a top Ace that clearly displaces those guys (Bauer) or a higher upside, more injury prone guy (Paxton, Kluber, Hill ... and wait for it Rodon (i'm like the only one left on the bandwagon and I get that) that allow some of those younger guys to log starts while having a pitcher that might be able to shut down a Yanks/Rays lineup.

True, I kind of meant in the sense of innings like a Paxton, Q, Hill etc. They're all similar type guys - I'm being a little tough on Quintana Getting 100IP out of Rodon may be what the doctored ordered though - Assuming we're giving Cease a full year to figure this out and then with Keuchel and Giolito .... So you have two spots for partial IP limitations of Kopech, Dunning, Crochet (if healthy), etc. If you don't go all-in on a Bauer then a 75-100ip guy is maybe all you need. Personally I'd sign Rodon and let him do 2-4ip as an opener and really let loose. Pair him up with Dunning. Then on other days I'd go Kopech/Crochet in 3-4IP roles. That way you keep innings limited, guys fresh, etc. for playoffs. Then come playoff time run with the hot hand.

If that's true, then wouldn't we want to bring back Rodon? I'm still in camp Rodon. Him at $5-6mm or whatever the number is vs. $9mm for Minor, $11mm for Smyly, etc. seems like a decent value. He's an arm for innings during the regular season - to me its worth it, but can understand how others disagree with some of these young guys next in line. If we're not signing Rodon, then does it really make sense to go get a pitcher like Quintana, Rich Hill, Paxton, etc. arent they all just varying degrees of concerns? Just thinking out loud. Like whats the difference of Rodon at $6mm or Quintana at say $10mm? Both don't move the needle, just a different body in a Sxo jersey.

I have nothing really to add about any of those coaches. They can be great or awful, and likely I won't know the difference. My issue, and to be fair, I was going to nitpick because I dislike TLR is everybody else's angle too - nepotism. Duncan may be great at this role & yet I don't really care. This is just a reflection of TLR's personality - which is Reinsdorf's attitude as well. Which is an old school and outdated way to build a team. Just because you're someone's friend or son doesn't make you more qualified to do a job, yet that's the Sox and has been for decades. TLR seems like the kind of guy that is going to do something like bench Eloy for 3-4 games in a row if he clowns around in the OF like he did last year a few times. Like take him out of the game and bench him for a series to prove a point and to show his power. I just don't think that way of managing is effective in 2021 & sadly i think we're going to see it.

It's all conjecture ... these reporters and agents and everybody involved have a job to do. Agents want to float rumors so they can build demand and a hopefully a higher price tag. they use reporters who run on clicks & are more than happy to try and start a conversation & keep their own jobs. It's all meh. I can make these rumors up as good as a cheesy beef ... oh look, these teams need an OF and are willing to spend this year. Rumor Mill! Sox, Mets, Jays, etc. are going after Springer, and if they don't get him JBJ and Pederson are good shots. That's not a rumor... its connecting dots. I've been wrong before, but we're not getting Springer or Bauer. I actually think both have a decent shot of going to the Mets. That would be my bet. Sox will end up with Joc Pederson. We all know it, we just don't want to admit it. He's your platoon guy, who will play mostly RF but will bounce around the OF, he has a chance to hit 40 dingers, etc. we'll all convince ourselves after the signing its a good one. We'll add a James Paxton or the likes -- someone who once was really good, and if you squint, maybe can be good again on a 1-2 year deal and we'll call it an offseason. There's a chance we do some big trade ... but theres little to no chance we sign Bauer, Springer or anybody actually good. Someone can quote me on that

Also to add to that - I personally think you'll see another shortened season where an abbreviated ST starts when Opening Day does. Then you will see a 100-120 game season IMO. the point of that in my mind is to delay the start of the season to where any vaccine can be mostly rolled out & therefore fans (in some capacity) will be allowed back in the park. So in this scenario you start the season on April 1 for ST, and then something like Mid-May or Memorial Day for the regular season. Take the details out of it, but this allows teams to have plans of how they will execute and allow fans in a vaccine world. I think under this assumption the Sox have every reason to spend (not saying they will). But spending that extra $75mm or so to payroll for a Bauer, Bryant and bullpen would be paid back in full with 33,000+ at each game rather than 28,000+. In the above scenario, the Sox come in at about $175mm payroll which would put them around Top 8 status for the next few years. I think that's reasonable based on where the Sox have spent in other perspective runs. I personally believe the Mets will take on most of our targets (McCann, Springer, Bauer, maybe even Bryant)

The answer is yes. The Sox are at the point where they don't NEED another player to put them over the top offensively, but certainly it would be good to have. We could definitely get away with a Joc Pederson or JBJ and be fine. Hell we could be fine with Engel starting 120 games. The offense is more than solid enough to win a championship if you believe in Vaughn to come in and produce right away. That being said Bryant is the perfect type of match. You get him for one year, you're not committing too much in terms of a contract, in terms of talent given back, etc. It's a no-brainer. If you come out of this offseason and somehow the deals are Kris Bryant for Stiever, 1yr, 20mm & Bauer, 3-4 years at $40mm AAV you've won the offseason. You've got yourself your two biggest needs and your long term risk is very, very reasonable. It wouldn't rob your minor leagues like some trades would do, and it doesn't rob your future payroll flexibility either since you'd have so many guys coming off in 2023, 2024, 2025, etc. 2022- Abreu and his $18mm roll off, Keuchel $18mm 2023 - Yasmani and his $18mm roll off 2024 - theoretically Bauer would roll off at $40mm Leaves you a lot of $$ to play with in the heart of a hunt for a world series all while those guys just named above are still producing since they're not that old/still in their prime. I think a lot of people are caught up in Bryant's 2020, but you're talking about a 24 WAR player in 5 seasons. 5 WAR players should cost what? Isn't it like $6-8mm per WAR? If you can get a 3-5 WAR player, and you're paying $20mm and nothing too significant going back? That's a win. The biggest hurdle is the Cubs possibly giving another piece (Eloy, Cease, Bryant) to a possible championship run - but they don't strike me as someone who cares ... i think if they like Steiver more than whatever the Nats or whoever offer? They'll take it.

Yes, one was a Covid season, still a lot of guys that weren't protected. It's interesting to see. Burger is a throw away, which is whatever. Maybe he does something. Upside to me is Dan Voglebach -- which is to say he may have half a good season possibly at his peak. EVerybody loves a good comeback story and I'll cheer for him, but my expectations are below zero at this point. mIght as well keep him for a full season in the minors and see what he does, but i think the overwhelming outcome is that he never suits up for the white sox.

I don't understand why our window needs to be open for only a certain amount of time. I'd like to have a beachfront villa with the window open continuously for decades. Sure there will be times when storms roll in and you need to close the window for a day or two (year or two), but in general, we should have that window open forever. With how a lot of our contracts are structured we should be able to add a few FA to supplement this current run while adding more minor league talent over the next 3-5 years that should be able to take the reigns from a Moncada, Anderson, Grandal, Giolito, etc, etc. We can now focus our attention to adding higher upside high school guys rather than always focusing on the college ready seniors. We can use that time to develop young signings from Cuba or Latin America. There's no reason we cant be the Rays but with financial flexibility to be in the top 1/4th in regards to payroll when we need to be aggressive and strike when the iron is hot . This team is set up for success & i personally don't see any reason why we already need to begin mortgaging any minor league system to supplement this current team when there are plenty readily available pieces in FA at reasonable demands. In a perfect world you make smart business decisions like trading McCann midseason for a prospect knowing that 2020 wasn't the year. You make a decision when a Moncada or Eloy contract ends that you can let them walk because you have another young talented guy ... Just don't think the Cubs model is the one to follow here. The Cubs in my opinion weren't all that successful in their handling of the situation. They gave up a lot of good, young talent in Eloy, Torres, etc. - overpaid for Kimbrel, Chatwood as supplemental pieces, and now are in a position where they have to do another tear down rather than a retool. The Sox can avoid that with how this is all setting up and that shoudl be the goal. In order to do so? I would say someone like a Bauer fits very well asuming he goes for the AAV over the duration of contract. It would allow for his contract to expire as some of our other bigger FA contracts expire and allow us to foster a new round of supplemental pieces for the next turnover of talent. Just my two cents.

Hot take - nobody cares what you think. Also hot take, i bet you wouldn't say that to his or her faces. Also hot take, then don't follow or listen to what she says. Also hot take, the loudest people in the room are usually the people the most full of shit. i.e. -- you. And mute ....

To be fair, we don't know what the clauses of the contract read like this go round. It's likely those contracts have significant clauses in them in regards to Covid, restricted attendance, etc. that may limit those numbers. That being said, the Smyly number still seems very high regardless of what happens. Also on another note - that's actually a pretty decent pitching staff. In a perfect world Duffy, Minor & Keller + Bubic, Singer, Junis isn't half bad especially if the later young guys continue to grow. A healthy Salvy Perez + possibly adding someone along the lines of a Puig or replacement level player in LF/RF + another bat or two at 1B/3B? The team is a lot closer to a 75-80 win team than they'll get credit for.

I'd pass on any of these type of deals. I'm not big on a Marquez or Snell trade to be completely honest. It'd be a very Sox move ... we have no holes to fill outside of SP and RF. We have enforcements on the way for the holes we have with Vaughn, Kopech, a full year of Dunning, possibly Crochet, etc. Why trade depth when you see what happens in a long season to teams? Keep your depth and actually open that wallet and sign Bauer or a top SP for once and be done with it. If you don't spend now, then never spend. To me if you're going to acquire a guy via trade you don't go after a Snell, you go after a Musgrove - less cost both in terms of money and prospects. Snell is good, not great.

Braves are really bolstering that team. That's going to be a top 3-4 team without injuries. Offense is dang good, now Fried, Soroka, Anderson, Morton, Smyly .. not too shabby

Bump. Trust me this isn't a victory lap, it's to say don't measure life in 2-3 week periods. It's a slow play, a slow burn. Everything is over time. Just as gold went down in the beginning of 08/09 crisis, so do all assets. Everything generally sells off and then decouples over time. This isn't even the decoupling yet as most businesses are holding on via zombie status. That can be propped up over the next half decade to decade if the Fed truly wants to. Hell, it can be propped up for decades if you look to Japan's model. It doesn't change the fact that it's propped up and pumping liquidity into a market doesn't fix the market, just prolongs the eventual outcome. The dollar is down a ton lately, but I'm not even a dollar bear, I think it will have it's day soon (Dollar Milkshake Theory) to an extent because in general, the rest of the world is in an even worse situation. This is just to say, take a step back and assess the big picture. In regards to BTC, i think you'll see a pullback soon to the $13-15k range - but this run is driven by institutional investors & that's only getting started. I think you'll see Bitcoin hit north of $150,000 in the next 3-5 years. I also think you'll see the stock market hit 40-45,000+ in the next 3-5 years. I also think you'll see dollar domination in the next 3-5 years. I also think you'll see gold hit $4k+ in the next 3-5 years. These don't have to be mutually exclusive in the short term (my short term is 3-5 years). I think the decoupling happens in the next 10-30 years.

Anybody who says good hire or bad hire is talking out of their ass. But i guess that's what message boards are for.

I'm glad the response thus far is positive ... maybe my friends are just idiots haha. I wasn't necessarily shocked by the conversation, but it wasn't just "casual" probably not answers, it was more like "hell no" "no chance" answers... which surprised me a lot. And these aren't people who are like "covid is fake" or don't where masks.. i knew it was a hot button issue a bit, but thought it was more tepid -- like 7 out of 10 people would take it.

Also to add to this - i feel like this a good topic/thread in general since our focus as a country may be headed in this direction over the next 6 months rather than just on Covid cases, deaths, hospitals, etc. If a mod disagrees feel free to take this down or lock it.

Sorry to create a thread specific for this, but was in a group thread with friends and this was pretty hotly contested. I'm sure answers and opinions can and will change over time, but assuming all that is out there now keeps developing positively, would you take a vaccine? How about for your kids? What would change your mind either way?

I see the prediction part of this thread is going well ??