soxfan85

What ever happened to Jose Abreu trying to "broker" a deal between the White Sox & Cespedes per Phil Rogers?...

QUOTE (Jose Paniagua @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:21 PM) http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/yoenis-...osenthal-012116 reading this is just a 100% total face palm moment Wow, I never thought I would get to the point of possibly not caring anymore how this ends up. This is seriously screwed up. This is Yoenis Cespedes, not Mike Trout. This has gotten out of hand.

I just have a hard time believing 3 years is the maximum the White Sox will go. The FO would have to be completely out of their collective minds to think he would take a 3-year deal; and in the meantime put 100% of their time into Cespedes and not pursue any other FA's that could help the team. Additionally, it is hard for me to believe the FO is leaking information to the media about a 3-year stance. They usually seem to keep their business very close to their vest.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:48 PM) I sincerely hope that you're being sarcastic. 3/27 is horrid. I am, but it seems right up their alley. These big FA's should WANT to come play for US.

Bruce Levine reporting the White Sox have offered Cespedes a 3-year $27M contract. Probably won't get it done.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:35 PM) I think they have an obvious direction. They are improving the team without damaging the future by signing deals too long or trading away the most important prospects. 3 losing seasons in a row is hardly improving anything.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:32 PM) So now the Sox HAVE to sign Cespedes. The optics otherwise will be a public relations disaster for this team, and an abject organizational embarrassment. No team during the past five, six weeks has been tied into being "in" on not one, not two, but all three of the so-called "top tier" free agent outfielders more so than the White Sox. We were "interested" in Gordon. We were "in" on Upton. We were "considering" Cespedes. Then the leak. The leak that we were only interested in making an offer to any of the three of them for "three years or LESS". Enter the small market intra-divisional Royals, who move in and lock up Gordon on a four year contract. Tonight, another AL Central rival, the Tigers, sign Upton to a six year deal. And this on the heals of our intra-city rival Cubs signing Heyward to an eight year contract. Welcome to market economics! If another team swoops in now and snags Cespedes on something resembling more what the market is bearing vs. this three year offer business the Sox are operating under, then it will be a colossal failure of Hahn, Williams, and Reinsdorf. It will call into question their credibility when they claim over and over and over again their strong desire to return to the postseason as quickly as possible, and thereby maximize the window of opportunity with the current core. I trust they realize this, and will soon be announcing the signing of Yoenis Cespedes to be our left fielder and clean-up hitter for the foreseeable future. If not, well, it'll be quite the black eye on this management team's reputation, and will seriously call into question the capabilities of the team's ownership and management. EXCELLENT post.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:26 PM) Nope. Jokes are funny. And the White Sox would be defined as a "joke." A team without any direction.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:25 PM) So the White Sox are now idiots because the Tigers signed Upton? I think people are just getting frustrated with the White Sox being such a ridiculously managed organization. And watching all these free agent signings without the White Sox being involved, when they themselves talk about this 3-year window of competing, is gut wrenching. They have absolutely no direction.

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Jan 18, 2016 -> 09:22 PM) Of course they won't, that would make perfect sense. This front office better get going on the outfield or they won't make it out of the hotel during SoxFest. Our ownership is a joke...one of only 3 MLB teams NEVER to have given out a $70M or greater contract. Ridiculous. And if this 3-year thing is true given today's market, they are completely insane and should be ashamed of themselves. Sell the damn team to somebody who wants to win already.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:34 PM) Then tell JR he ought to consider bringing in Mr. Cespedes to help fulfill this desire of his to win again. BOOM! Exactly!

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:31 PM) Very good post. Absolutely, best post in regards to the White Sox FO and this whole situation. Hands down, sums it up perfectly.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:23 PM) So for our fan base to ever hope to acquire top tier talent via free agent, we have to hope the price of said talent has to fall below market value so as to "fall" to a price that the current ownership is willing to pay? The same ownership who has never given a contract for a higher value than the small market Royals have done not once but twice this winter? I mean, wow. What is going on here. Yep. Completely ridiculous and disheartening. This sums it up PERFECTLY. And I mean P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:13 PM) Today at CSN-Chicago the afternoon SportsNet Central show they had a story on the latest regarding Cesdepes. Dan Hayes reported that he is now "probably out of the Sox price range." When asked if the Sox could bring anybody else in he said "not unless the price dropped significantly." He said the Sox could possibly bring in a left handed hitting outfielder who could help more defensively but that's as far as he'd go. He said the Sox would like to see "what Avasil Garcia could do." Take it for whatever that's worth but it doesn't look promising at this point. Mark "See what Avasil Garcia can do?" But...But...I thought we were looking to compete and put ourselves in the best position possible to compete for a Championship? In all honesty...if they don't and couldn't add that final piece this year, it is and was time to just tear it down. The White Sox give me blue balls.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:10 PM) I think people forget it's 2016 now They will recoup all of that with the 2016 World Series Championship memorabilia they sell

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:07 PM) Why would they be way over? They are clearing $30 mil Absolutely, that is why I can't for the life of me understand why they can't and wouldn't get this done. $30M off of the books next year with a weak Outfield class next year to boot.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:04 PM) And for me, the starting pitching depth is terrible outside Sale/Q/Rodon. I agree with you there as well. However, pretty much all the SP's are gone now as well. In that case, you better score some runs. And to quote somebody else on this board: "Give me Cespedes or give me death!"

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:00 PM) I think Melky in RF would be so bad defensively (maybe even worse than Garcia) that we'd end up moving him to DH, putting Shuck/somebody else in RF, and benching LaRoche. I am fine with that. LaRoche is a sunk cost anyway.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 10:56 PM) No the Sox would then have to put Melky in RF. Tigers already set in CF and RF The benefits of having Cespedes in our line-up far outweighs having to put Melky in RF.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 10:53 PM) Cespedes is a perfect fit for Tigers in LF Ok. So, what is your suggestion for the White Sox? Let the Tigers grab Cespedes and let us have a pile of garbage in RF?

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 10:47 PM) But none of the big three outfielders are/were perfect fits. They need a RF, and Upton is only one that plays that. Given everyone's concern about his energy on the field and the chance he wants nothing to do with Chicago, he was the least likely of the three. Cespedes has no ties to the Sox outside of Abreu while having way more ties to the Tigers and Mets Valid points...however, he is not a perfect fit for any of the other interested teams. However, they will find a way to make it work, and they will spend the money. It looks as if we are not willing to do either. And it is just disappointing. The same old song and dance every offseason, unfortunately.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 10:37 PM) I completely agree it would be a disappointment, but Hahn and company have never once mentioned an interest in Cespedes or Upton. But, they really shouldn't have too. It was the next logical step, and everyone seems to agree or else it wouldn't have been talked about so much in the media or even here at Soxtalk. And when a team says "we are still searching all avenues to improve this offense and do all we can do to reach our ultimate goal of winning a championship", one would think getting one of the big 3 (especially when there is such a big need) would have been the thing to do. And not to do it, especially when some of the BIG, BIG spenders were completely out of the market, and as 2nd tier free agents like Span, etc. go elsewhere, it is very disheartening. Long story short, is that they don't want to spend the money. They really never do. And how they can pass up the opportunity to surround our fantastic cost controlled pitching with a STRONG offense...I will never know. Honestly, there is no excuse.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 10:37 PM) You guys sure like to freak out about Twitter rumors. I know...but it is like the inevitable being rubbed in your face. This half-assed yearly dynamic is just getting exhausting and frustrating.

And the Tigers are going to get him too. It is coming. Must be nice...but of course, it is all our fault because we don't attend the games. My only hope is that the White Sox silence lately actually may mean something positive. I really, really don't understand the direction of this team. I look around the league, and other teams, even the Marlins for goodness sake, are willing to sign big name free agents. Why not us? Why not ever us? Especially when we are soooo darn close in such a wide open winnable division? Seriously, what is the with our FO? I really can't wait until Reinsdorf and our ownership group are out the door. I really can't wait.

Just sign the guy already and let's look forward to a playoff run. The White Sox couldn't have a better opportunity than now.