WBWSF

Positive: After another losing season. Hahn is finally no longer the White Sox GM. 6 Seasons of being "Mired in Mediocrity" is even too much for JR. Hahns contract won't be renewed after the 2018 season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 26, 2018 -> 10:12 PM) Someone was talking about fans would get really upset if they "wasted" the money on a one year deal...but I said that nobody cared much at all about Holland's $6 million year deal last year, with no return on investment.If fans complained about the $6 million paid to Holland, I wonder how people are going to feel about paying $9 million to Joakim Soria.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Feb 26, 2018 -> 01:17 PM) I mentioned this several weeks ago, but I question whether Machado would really be worth what he is likely to get paid. The argument is that his OBP is not, nor has it ever been, so far in his career, at a level that justifies $35 Million per year, on a 10 year contract. He is very young, so he may improve his OBP this season, which could change the equation. Guys like Miguel Cabrera, Bryce Harper, Joey Votto and Mike Trout have had OBP's of .400 plus, since their early 20's. Machado has yet to demonstrate the ability to do that. Something else, which no one ever mentions is that a player who gets paid that much money could have an adverse effect upon the rest of the team. It's only natural for players to compare themselves to other players, in terms of their own production and what they get paid. That becomes most important, when it comes time to negotiate a new contract. If a team is going to pay one player that much more than any of the rest of its roster, he better demonstrate that he deserves it. We are all entitled to our opinion, and if you disagree, please consider these thoughts just things to think about. I could be persuaded to change my opinion, but that's just my perspective. Hey, when a team is considering spending that kind of money, it behooves them to think about everything. Don't worry about Machado coming to the White Sox. He will sign elsewhere.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 25, 2018 -> 12:17 PM) FWIW there is no discussion about banning anyone right now. Being an Eeyore and saying the same untrue thing over and over isn’t a personal attack on anyone at Soxtalk. And I doubt Reinsdorfs feelings are hurt Rick Morrissey has a rather interesting column in todays Sun Times. He thinks this so called rebuild is just another word for tanking. He doesn't buy into this tanking. He thinks its bad for sports in general. I happen to agree with him. I think this White Sox rebuild/tanking is wrong.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Feb 24, 2018 -> 04:31 PM) Cheap rebuild? Could you list all the "expensive" rebuilds? I despise JR as much as anyone but they're absolutely not going to have a 50m payroll with a (hopefully) bunch of young stars. It would be stupid to spend money right now when you don't know what your holes are going to be. The goal should be a young core with a couple spots to fill and a ton of money to spend, aka - the exact spot the Sox are currently in. The bad guys spent some serious money on their rebuild when they signed Lester, Heyward and Zobrist. That is not going to happen with the White Sox.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 24, 2018 -> 04:05 PM) Their payroll in 2019 counting even Abreu, Garcia, and Arbitration guys is about $40-$45 million. If they don't spend anything next offseason, there was little point to this rebuild.Hate to be negative about this but I still think the White Sox will have a much lower payroll in 2019. Low payroll =more moola for JR and his investors. This so called rebuild is going to be a very cheap rebuild. And I don't think Shields or Avi Garcia will be on the team in 2019.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 24, 2018 -> 02:38 PM) I stole this idea from JustBelieveIt, but why not pick up Logan Morrison to DH for us? Dude is only 30 years old & would provide us with a cheap left-handed power bat for the middle of our lineup. His last season and half has been incredibly productive as shown by the stats below: PA: 730 BB %: 12.5% K %: 24.5% ISO: .267 HR: 44 Slash: .246/.348/.513/.861 wRC+: 129 MLBtraderumors also had a nice piece on him not too long go that provides additional reasons for optimism: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/02/some...n-morrison.html I don’t know, seems like if he could repeat the level of production I noted above he might actually net us something of value at the deadline. Plus he’s young enough to theoretically be a cheap placeholder until someone like Sheets is ready. I really think it’s a move worth considering. Because the White Sox are not going to spend the money this year nor next year.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Feb 22, 2018 -> 09:09 PM) I agree with Caulfield. If this rebuild goes right, the Sox will have a lot of really good players, at most of the key positions. They need a respectable left handed bat, more than they need a top 5 player. No team has All Stars at every position. Not that Moustakas couldn't be an All Star again. You add his bat and Eloy's, in 2019 and this team could be very competitive, if the pitching is ready. Then you have that future outfield of Eloy, Robert, Adolfo and Rutherford or Basabe, all ready to take over, in 2020 or 2021, if you trade Avi. Again, I don't see the need to spend $350 Million, or more, on Machado. There is now way JR is going to spend $350 million on a player. I'm hoping Moustakas signs with the White Sox, but then again I don't think JR is going to spend the money. This so called rebuild is going to done as cheaply as possible.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Feb 20, 2018 -> 03:29 PM) Projected line up, vs RHP, for 2019: 2B Moncada LH LF Avi 1B Abreu 3B Moustakas LH RF Eloy C Castillo SS Anderson DH Delmonico LH CF Engel, Leury, Tilson?????? That line up could score a lot of runs and provide decent defense. I like your lineup. Hopefully the White Sox will sign him.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 18, 2018 -> 09:22 PM) No thread is dumb. Nobody should be banned. As far as the topic, no big deal. Moncada is the 2Bman and like somebody said, interviews that use translators aren't very good to begin with. One of the reasons I like SoxTalk over the other White Sox sites is because fans can be very open expressing their opinions. White Sox Interactive has banned a number of people I know for making comments that their administrators considered offensive. I was banned their recently for a week because they they didn't like my comments about Hahn and the White Sox organization. Even tho they lifted my ban I don't think I will post there anymore.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 08:36 PM) This is total and complete nonsense. That's the polite way of putting it. JR WILL NOT SELL, he's said that repeatedly, publicly. He is keeping this team until he is dead then his family will put it up for sale, period. End of discussion. Tax purposes basically prohibit him from selling the club while he is alive. JR is a tax expert, he knows the rules and the loopholes. Why is that so hard for you to understand, honest question...not trying to be snarky. I don't care much for JR myself, but he's bought in on the rebuild and the money WILL BE THERE starting next year. No guarantees they get anybody to sign with them but the offers will be out on the table and they will be aggressive. What will be your opinion come Opening Day 2019 and the White Sox payroll is next to nothing?

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 07:38 PM) Hmmm, interesting that the Tribune Company executed the exact opposite strategy when they sold the Cubs. And why does having no money on the books increase the team’s overall value? 90% of potential owners are buying a team because they want to actually win a championship. Therefore, I’d think most of these guys would prefer having a quality team in place rather than having limited payroll commitments. And do you know what would really improve the team’s value? How about a new TV deal that provides this new owner with significant fixed income. That’s going to be nearly impossible if their plan is to cut payroll even further next season. The good news is your theory makes zero sense and I’m 99.9% it will never happen. What makes you think this team is going to get a big TV deal? They can't even get a radio deal now.

In case some people don't understand what I think about the future of this team, this is how I see this playing out. JR is not going to spend any money on this team the next 2 seasons. The White Sox will have one of the lowest if not the lowest payrolls in MLB. He will put the team up for sale sometime in 2019 and the new owner will takeover in 2020. The new owner will be buying a White Sox team with a low payroll and no big long term contracts on the books. The value of the team increases with no big money on the books. JR bought the White Sox in 1981 with those same circumstances. In the meantime the next 2 seasons the team is going to be "Mired In Mediocrity" again.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 03:48 PM) You were also saying ad naseum that JR was going to be selling the team. How's that worked out for you? We'll see how your latest "prediction" turns out. My guess...you come out wrong again. I said he's going to sell the team and we will have a new owner in 2020. We'll see. In the meantime the White Sox payroll will continue to go down the next 2 seasons.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 10:28 AM) Some concerns that haven't been addressed. If the Sox do spend next off season because of the amount of quality free agents on the market shouldn't they be taking advantage of the market now while it's cold and prices are down? I don't know who might benefit the Sox the most at this time but free agents next year will want 2 things, money and to be on a winning team. Should n't the Sox do something to make the team more competitive to next years crop of free agents ? Shields should be off the books next year so might another starting pitcher benefit them ? Relying only on young starting pitching even if the target date is 2020 is risky business, Also if the target date is truly 2020 isn't it also risky business to expect next years good crop of FA's to wait a year or even possibly longer to be on a winning team? The Phillies might be thinking along those lines with the signing of Santana and still are rumored to have interest in a starting pitcher. The Sox might end up with too many holes to fill when they actually do decide to spend and the competition for the top free agents will be fierce so being a competitive team would surely work in their favor just as being a few years away will work against them. Other concerns for the rebuild is what happens if JR dies suddenly or the players strike after the 2021 season which would be right in the middle of the supposed window of competitiveness if all goes right ? Obviously the 1st concern is the most pressing but these other 2 things could easily happen and in the event of JR's sudden death how does the rebuild survive ? We should all remember 1994 when Frank Thomas was having a career year and the players strike possibly robbed the Sox of competing for a World title. I think your post is wonderful. Problem is, I don't expect the White Sox to spend any money this 2018 season nor in 2019.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Feb 13, 2018 -> 09:59 AM) I always get a kick out the posts a new owner will spend, spend, spend. What did Ricketts do right away? What did Jeter's group do right away? What happened to the Padres when an ex agent bought them? Your contacts are wrong. He isn't selling. When JR bought the team the first thing he did to stimulate interest was sign 2 big free agents, Fisk and Luzinski. The White Sox took over the city during the early part of 1981. They were having walkup crowds of 20,000. The franchise was going to draw over 2 million people for the first time. Then there was a players strike and that killed all the momentum that was built up by the new owners.

QUOTE (Tony @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 09:58 PM) So going into the 2016 offseason, the offseason where the Sox traded Eaton and Sale, and eventually Quintana...what would you have done differently? Because up until that point, “JR” has financed competitive payrolls that haven’t worked out (Williams and Hahn being bad at their jobs is a totally different subject). So what would you have wanted “JR” to do that offseason and beyond? Lay out some details. . I was hoping JR would sell the team. The sooner the team is sold the better the franchise is going to be. New owners will spend money on quality free agents not Adam LaRoche. Secondly new owners will show Rick Hahn the door. He has been the GM for over 5 years and the team is still "Mired In Mediocrity". If Hahn had been the GM in Boston, New York or the Cubs he would have been gone by now. I'm told by my contacts that JR is going to put the team up for sale sometime in 2019 which means the new owners will be running the team in 2020. I hope this is true.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 08:23 PM) If they have a lower payroll in 2019 than in 2018 you may brag and consider yourself vindicated because I'm going to be seriously pissed off too. I do not believe that will happen at all. I will not brag or feel vindicated if I'm right. Frankly this whole situation stinks as far as I'm concerned.

QUOTE (Tony @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 09:42 PM) It’s fine to have a different opinion, but at least back it up with SOME substance. It’s not asking a lot.JR has said numerous times in public and privately that his baseball teams are more profitable when they have the low payrolls. That's what I see here. I don't really think at his stage in life he is going to change now. I'm expecting low payrolls for as long as he owns the team.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 08:18 PM) What should they be spending on right now? They're not going to spend anything now, so there really is no point in saying what they should spend now. Keep in mind this ownership took Sanchez to arbitration over a small amount of money. They're doing the same thing to Ave Garcia.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Feb 12, 2018 -> 07:37 PM) What does this even mean? LolIt means the White Sox are going to have a very low team payroll in 2018. And it also means the 2019 team payroll will be even lower.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 10, 2018 -> 02:44 PM) 1) they are rebuilding 2) they are rebuilding 3) they are rebuilding, and nobody cares about David Robertson’s feelings when he is a reliever making 10+ million a year 1) They are rebuilding as cheaply as possible. 2) They are rebuilding as cheaply as possible. 3) They are rebuilding as cheaply as possible.

Looking at this list of bullpen pitchers has to frighten the most optimistic White Sox fan.

I hate the Cubs but I must admit that it must be nice being one one of their fans now. It has to feel good to have a ownership that wants to win now.

QUOTE (Jack Parkman @ Feb 9, 2018 -> 03:25 PM) That trade was more about clearing Frazier/Robertson off the books, Whether we'd like to believe it or not, I think that the return was affected by it being a combination of Robertson/Frazier/Kahnle rather than Kahnle alone. Truly believe that because of the money with the other two guys, they got less. I think we could have finagled Sheffield or Andujar without them having to take on Frazier and Robertson's money. For some reason clearing them from the books was more important to Hahn than the extra prospect. 1) Trading Robertson was simply a salary dump. 2) The White Sox now have one of the worse bullpens in MLB. 3) Not only was it a bad trade for the White Sox but Dave Robertson is not happy about being traded to the Yankees. He's in his last year of his contract and he wants to be a closer. That is not going to happen in New York as long as Chapman is there. I wouldn't be surprised to see Robertson traded soon.