Two-Gun Pete

On Puig, he only played 125 games in 2018, and split time between 2 teams in 2019. He's not an "ideal solution" for RF. But, trading away scant resources for Nimmo, or hoping/praying for anything from the farm, or signing lesser options as a bridge to God knows what for 2021 don't seem to be good options. At least to my view. The dollar amount is definitely too high for what he likely is at this point. But, given that he's probably the best option for this and next offseasons, you (over)pay for what's available now. Or you squint and hope that lesser players surprise you. Or re-sign Avi. On Bumgarner, he's a "signability" choice, IMO. Cole and Strasburg aren't coming here, full stop. I believe Wheeler's market will price him out of the Reinsdorfs comfort zone. Bumgarner's team is tapped out, and about to go into a rebuild. And yes, he's likely in decline at this point. But, IMO, he's the best option/most signable of what's left after Cole, Strasburg, and Wheeler.

OK, How about this for a “realistic offseason:” 1. Madison Bumgarner 5/$110MM. He’s a LHP with championship experience. The SFG are salary-fucked, what with their Samardzia/Cueto/Longoria/Posey contracts. Their team is getting old, bad, and won’t sniff the top of that division for years. Their local media are assuming he’d be OK with 3/$60MM or 4/$80MM; Spotrac has his market value at 5/$105MM. 2. Yasiel Puig 4/$72MM. Yes, he’s RH. Yes, he’s had his differences with Bumgarner and Abreu. Yes, he’s had his effort questioned at times. He’s also 28, and an actual RFer. Spotrac has his market value at 3/$53MM, but there simply aren't any other RFers available in FA this year. 3. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo 2/$4MM. Here, the Chicago Reinsdorfs get to exercise their “thrifty” side, and bring in a LH DH on the cheap. I would have preferred Yanagita, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be posted. 4. Jose Abreu 2/$30MM. He’s going to be here anyway, whether Ron likes it or not. 5. Shelby Miller or some other veteran bum 1/$2MM + an option. [Shrugs.] Eat them innings until Kopech shows up, I guess. I’m guessing the salaries add up to: $70MM existing + $22MM + $18MM + $2MM + $15MM + $2MM = $129MM-ish on OD. My working hypothesis is that no Boras client will come here. I also think that Wheeler's market will be too rich for the Reinsdorfs. I also think that with a top-heavy/shallow system, any trades to spruce up the roster, and/or close any holes, and/or repair any underperformances by the five so mentioned above will have to come AFTER the injured/underperforming pieces in MiLB get healthy and re-establish their prospect value. [Edit] Carry on...

3. His bat looks like it's in an age-related decline.

Yeah, we may not see another 26 year old FA stud available in a year where the big spenders are out of the bidding for decades. Every FA option currently available is either an inferior player to Machado or Harper or aging out of their prime, or unlikely to sign here. So yes, "the money's still there," but none of the goods available at market are quite as good as a year ago.

I think that's a fair thought. However, JDM's wrc+ in 2017 was similar to 2018. (Recall that he didn't have a spring training in 17.) So, I don't think it was simply an artificially good 2018, I think it's more about a natural aging curve. I feel like we've seen this movie before with Dunn and other aging DH types being brought in via FA. And this is the other angle. Who does he block as he ages?

Except that, after another ~11.5% drop, the .557 slg% JDM enjoyed in the juiced ball season of 2019 plummets to a less-thrilling .493. (For reference, Abreu slugged .503 in 2019.) What if the ball is less lively in 2020? What if JDM's back problems persist? How much further will his slugging and wrc+ drop? Given the kind of contract he's rumored to want, and his asshole of an agent, are we sure we want to sign a 32 year old statue? I'm not too sure.

This is probably true. It also doesn't give me a good feeling about JDM being able to stave off Father Time as he ages. We'll have to wait and see.

I thought then, and I still think now that it was necessary to land one of Machado/Harper a year ago. (I would still take either one of them now, even after their predictable mixed results in 2019.) I think it's absolutely ESSENTIAL to land a top SP. I think its essential for the rebuild. I think its essential to restore credibility with the fans, the media, and with future prospective FA. Having said that, I'm mentally prepared for this front office to shit their pants again. As usual. I hope I'm wrong.

I think there's a chance that JDM's decline in slugging % in a live ball 2019 may be problematic. After all, Father Time is undefeated, and he is a 32 year old statue who experienced an ~11.5% drop in slugging [.557 from .629] in a year where the league-average slugging % went up. I don't disagree that he had been a great hitter, in the past. Will he still be in 2021 as a 34 year old statue, when this club may be ready to compete? Who knows. Regardless, I don't see this club signing him, given his age/cost/agent and this org's thriftiness. But, this may be a situation where he may be in decline as this team is hoping to be climbing into contention.

Well, wikipedia says you're wrong. Two 3rd rounders > 1 5th rounder.

First, thanks for agreeing that Trubisky, while definitely an NFL-caliber QB, has shown nothing since the draft to have proved to be worth trading away 2 3rd rounders and a 4th, to move up 1 spot. Second, where are you getting the idea of "overpaid by a 5th round pick" from? Here are the facts, from wikipedia: "The Bears moved up from the third overall pick by trading the San Francisco 49ers two third-round picks and a fourth-round pick.[29][30]" Trubisky on wikipedia

Ok, I'll bite: 1. Did you think on draft day that there was any valid reason to trade up for Mitch Trubisky? 2. Have you seen anything in the intervening years to convince you that it was a good idea since then? 3. The bears traded away two 3rd round picks, & a 4th round pick, NOT a 5th rounder. Before you say, "that's not much," I'll tell you that a 4th rounder probably could have secured Robbie Gould in trade last season. (And thus, he could have been kicking in the playoff game last season. )

I've hated the way they handled the QB spot since BEFORE Trubisky got here: 1. Cutting Cutler/stupidly signing an incompetent glennon made for a poor choice as a bridge QB; I preferred Cutler for that role. (Cutler as a cromlulent "bridge qb" likely would have given Mitch more time to watch/learn than Mike glennon.) 2. Stupidly trading half the fucking draft to move up 1 spot when it was unneccessary increased the expectations for an inexperienced Trubisky. (I thought, "this guy better be Dan Marino" if you're going to trade away that much for him.) 3. Just drafting Trubisky, regardless of draft spot, appears to be a massive scouting failure when compared to other QBs. 4. Running a Club Med preseason, when TOM FUCKING BRADY took preseason snaps appears to have stunted Trubiskys development. He looked like a 1 read QB who's unsure of where to throw the ball. Club Med. Fucking backwards baseball caps on the sideline, instead of preseason snaps. Total lack of accountability. How does the special teams coach NOT call a return instead of a block on 4th & 5-1/2? How does the HEAD coach not ensure that on a 4th & 5-1/2 that the return team stay the hell away from the punter? Here's hoping Ricky Nagy can unfuck himself & this underachieving, undisciplined team. I have my doubts.

So many stupid penalties. I'm starting to think this coaching staff isn't very good.

(Snicker) So, you actually want the geniuses who gave away Marcus Semien and Tatis to give Bunting Ricky "parameters?" Sounds like you want the blind leading the blind. For my part, if your problem with Maddon is his "ego," I say get over it. This org hasn't had a competent field manager since the 2008 iteration of Ozzie Guillen. I'd take Maddon any day over the three stooges of RH/KW/RR, and twice on game day.

They also crapped their pants in free agency just one offseason ago. They also could have/should have gone for a MONSTER international signing class 3 years ago, but crapped their pants on that one, too. But, if you're falling all over yourself to credit this front office, by all means: Their dogged pursuit of Jay and Alonzo truly added to this roster.

To be fair to Lillian, of the Japanese players she mentioned, Yanagita would be the one to try to acquire; He looks the most MLB-ready of the three, and would play a cromulent RF. Dickerson has a -6 DRS as a LFer, and hasn't played RF since 2016. Since LF is currently occupied, I don't know that he'd be a fit here. What's more, what would be his motivation to leave philly, especially if they can make it into the postseason this year? Not saying that there's even a snowball's chance in hell of signing Yanagita, given the potential of a posting fee, and this org's "thriftiness." But, there would be worse ideas than at least exploring him as an option, IMO. As a "bridge signing" to a more permanent solution, that is.

So when you state "0 results," it means that this org is not linked to any of the top prospects, and that we should assume that they'll [once again] try to trade away international bonus pool space for players, yes? After all, they're free, since the Reinsdorfs won't have to actually send money to another team, just the ability for another team to spend money on prospects in exchange for the Thyago Vieiras and the like...

Sure, every once in awhile a bad team can beat a good one. But over 162, the cream rises to the top.

Greg, do you really believe this? I mean, do you actually believe that this team could sniff the jocks of actual WS contenders? I certainly don't. Go watch the yankmees, dodgers, or Astros for a couple series, then tell us how many of the SOX everyday players would even be on the GOOD TEAMS' rosters.

Agreed on this. Leury would/should be a nice utility player on a good-to-great team, were he given the correct amount of exposures to favorable matchups. [i.e. Vs LHP, his WRC+ is 109, vs RHP, it's 70.] He also was a very good SS in MiLB, and I think that he could be that again, if given the opportunity. Of course, a stupid org like the SOX have him [and his shitty .309 OBP] leading off, because those morons hate having players, you know, ON BASE for some insane reason. This same stupid org hates making the most of a player's potential utility, so I attribute much of Leury's up-and-down defensive performance to him not being managed well. [Neither here, nor in MiLB.] All in all, I think I'd bring him back to start until Robert arrives, and then as a utility player thereafter.

No, I get what you mean. But it's a little weird for a grown man to "worship" a ballplayer, IMHO. When you're a teen/tween/grammar school kid, I can perfectly see someone of that age/experience "worshipping" a ballplayer. But as a grown man? "Worship?" I mean, all of us on these boards are SOX fans, and all on the more hardcore side of things. But "worshipping" another grown man comes off as creepy, dude. EDIT: I post this as someone who wouldn't mind Abreu being extended, and someone who finds ron's hatred of Abreu a bit bizarre.

Not picking on you, but how old are you, Greg?

Yeah, I'd pretty much leave Charlotte more or less intact until they bounce out of their playoffs. But, I'd disagree that "now" would be the time to give the fringey guys shots. The time was, well, May, once Machado wasn't signed, and Rodon went down. In any case, none of the players on the 40 man in Charlotte are all that interesting, IMO; I really don't want to squander the service time of Robert/Madrigal, unless they sign extensions first.

Meh, I'd rather just leave the majority of those names in Charlotte until they finish their playoffs. Better for most of those players to get competitive AB in Charlotte, than to repeat the awesome Zach Collins Experience of riding pine. I guess I also don't see the purpose of bringing anyone up while Ricky writes Jay's name into the lineup everyday.