FT35

But the players who they would sign will likely be signed elsewhere.

The longer he waits to sign, the more he limits the team he’s signing with to add more pieces this winter. He’s effectively hurting his team’s chances to get better before he even goes there! If he could sign now, we could go to work on the next guy.

Jarrod Dyson has had a nice career as a role player on contending teams. Billy could follow a similar path.

So maybe the next tweet we read will be: While the Phillies were serious about Harper and Machado, they spend stupid money on Yasmani Grandal. ? Maybe another team can be the idiot left behind?

I also think that with this year's FA class being so strong and right at the conclusion of several expiring contracts for us and right at the beginning of a potential competitive window, many people factored in big spending Winter 2018 as being a big part of the overall rebuild. It was all part of the perfect storm that was aligning for us to pull all this off.

I agree that we need pitching...we have some talent but our SPs are a huge question mark. I guess there's a part of me that would like them to show more dedication to the current model of successful teams right now. When you don't have Boston/LA/NYY/Cubs money, the formula had been to try to stack your bullpen. I get you won't make it to a lot of late inning situations where your bullpen can win games for you if you don't have good starting pitching, but today's game has placed LESS emphasis on the starting pitcher and MORE on stacking your pen with guys who will give you dream match-ups in innings 6, 7, 8 and 9--lights-out work 90% of the time. There are SPs out there who could fit this model for MUCH less than Corbin. Guys who will keep you in the game for 4-5 innings most times out. Those guys are more affordable and tend to be more team-oriented. If they have a shot at a young, slam dunk ace for 5-6 years, sure, you take it and then start assembling your pen. I'm just not sure Corbin is that guy..I think he's more "best available" rather than "best for what we (should be) trying to do." You could make a case for SP, bullpen or SUPER STAR position players...just goes to show you how many holes we really have and how little identity we have. But you know...it's kind of exciting...it's a blank slate that could go any direction--just seems like I'd want to see the resemblance of one of the recent successful teams' blueprints taking shape...like Milwaukee's. Corbin suggests more Cubs' model and I'm not sure that's a good, sustainable plan for us.

Yeah, it seems strange that the more toolsy the player is, the longer it takes for him to achieve his full potential. It's not like with a slugger, who needs to work on cutting down k's and hitting more HRs, the 5-tool players need to work on everything and develop more parts of their game. It's like Moncada's talent has him stuck in a rut...trying to become the best contact hitter, power hitter, base stealer AND line drive hitter on the team EACH NIGHT. My advice to him would be to not try to showcase and be the 5-tool player he is each and every night, but to learn how to recognize and use each of his 5 tools in the most relevant situations to beat the opponent. Some nights he might beat you with his speed, others he might drive in 6, others a clutch hit...just not try to be everything at once--that result is usually an 0-4 with 2 k's. I think if he can do that, you can see him start to round into form.

Oh I absolutely agree there are better ways to improve a team for Harper/Machado money. But I think we are way ahead of ourselves if we think we're ready to address on-field needs of this team. Honestly, we lost 100 games last year...I think we still have a foot on ground zero on this thing. We're not looking to necessarily improve our team for a solid "run at it", we're looking to define it and shape the next decade of White Sox baseball "The Franchise." We're looking for long-term pieces--building blocks--identity. I think you go big and go out and get a face. As much as I don't like him, I think of all the available pieces of the caliber we need to shape our franchise around, Harper is the guy. I think there are better baseball players and better contracts to chase, but we need a cornerstone to build on instead of putting all the eggs into a prospect basket (Moncada/Eloy). I think we are all in on one of the big 2 and I honestly believe they we get one. Not to jump-start the rebuild or to contend as early as 2019, but to start to put a face to this thing.

Yes...agree that it's stupid and financially irresponsible, but the key to get Jerry to "OK" a multi-year rebuild might have been to dangle a couple LARGE pieces of candy at the end of the wait. Jerry doesn't like losing and convincing him to lose for several years was not easy--it's why it took them so long to commit to it. I'm sure watching the last couple years has made him grow uneasy about his product/franchise value. The fact that their payroll is down to almost zero yet in-line with one of the most lucrative FA classes we've seen in years might not be much of a coincidence. Even if it's not Machado AND Harper, it could be 1 of them, plus a couple other big names.

It also allowed Jerry to kind of let Michael explore his (odd) baseball dream, while he still was under his control--laying the groundwork for his return to the Bulls. In other words...he didn't let Michael go play/develop professional relations with another franchise and risk losing him to another NBA team if he choose to come back to basketball. In Jordan's view...who WOULDN'T want to be a part of that 1994 Sox team!!?

Not to downplay a player like Harper...but switching leagues is always tough on even the best players. Although he's a career .281 hitter in about 100 inter-league games, he hit .167 in inter-league games last year, so there's some hit or miss potential. He also has 1 career 100 RBI season to his resume...his 2018 contract year. Even throwing out his down year this year...his stats and defensive ability suggest he's a little over-rated.

Re-signing Michael Jordan probably wasn't the most difficult decision he's ever made...

HA! Wait, we have to pay them?!

Yeah but as profound as it might sound, it could very well be that signing 1 is what it would take to sign the other. Circular thinking...but I doubt either would sign with us because of our prospects alone. They would need to see how their signing could at least create a faint "win now" scenario. Machado, might sign to play with a team starring Harper already. Harper might join forces with a team already featuring Machado...so it puts that team into contention. Think Cleveland Cavaliers...they would have never traded for Kevin Love without signing LeBron first--but for a time, their fan base likely never imagined signing either--ended up with both in short time.

Jack...you are ALREADY more qualified than Robin Ventura was when they hired him as manager. I'd say apply.

Yeah, there was that "likely done for the season" narrative, but then the last day or so, it made it seem like he wanted to play--then Ricky sounded open to it. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. However...if he plays at some point, I'll be sure to catch that game!

Any inside info on whether he's going to try to give it a go at some point? Health first in this case absolutely...but I'd love to see him able to suit up for us this week--especially if we part ways with him this off-season. Sucks thinking he's played his last game for us.

Shields for Sonny Gray? We flip Shields and bring Sonny in to see if we can Coop him. If not, we're really only out a wild card prospect from an August Shields waiver deal. If it works though...hmmm...

This has been the year of the bullpen. Everyone seems to be trying different things...starting closers, mix and matching back end arms in earlier innings, teaching the mindset of "preparing for a lineup--not an inning." Lots of "experimenting" going on. Has anyone noticed a playoff-caliber team doing these kinds of things on a regular basis? It seems to me like all of these experiments are coming from teams who are desperate for bullpen outs. The liberal use of bullpens seems to strongly correlate to the bad teams! Personally, I think the mindset is just another illustration of why a team is bad in the first place--bad decision making bleeds over into all areas of the game. If bad decision making happens with the bullpen usage, it's probably happening in several other areas of team management and costing the team wins. But look at the playoff-caliber teams this year and you will see nearly all traditionally opperate their bullpen and have a dedicated lights-out closer. LA, Boston, NYY, Seattle, Oakland, Cubs (although injuries), Washington, Arizona, Atlanta, Cleveland. The exceptions are the Phillies (who have had a revolving door for closers) but it's been more performance-based and due to the lack of consistency with any one player over time...and Houston--who went through a time of uncertainty because Ken Giles decided this was the year he would lose his mind. Both those teams are reported to be in talks on all the trade tumors concerning closers. Just think the correlation is too strong to not pair some logic with.

It makes sense why the Twins wouldn't want to sell everything becase of their mediocre year--I think they have a promising core that will be competitive for a nice chunk of years. However, it would make too much sense to them to move Fernando Rodney--who's 41 and on a 1-year deal. I know Boston has shown interest in Rodney, but I think a potential deal involving Rodney could compete with a deal involving Soria (to Boston). Just don't know if I were the Red Sox if I'd want Fernando Rodney or Joakim Soria in there for a 2018 playoff run, but both seem to be pitching well and have a strong recovery time from nights in which they get bombed--which in fairness...hasn't been too often this year.

I was at this game. Mind you, I live in Fort Wayne, IN--that's in Northeast IN. That would be a 4 hour 1-way trip (using the trains). I make it to a game every couple years or so...that was the one.

Welp...he did it last year with MiGo amongst several similar posts as yours! Maybe he can pull it off again? Obviously he won’t get much for either of them if he’s able to get something done. I’m thinking if he IS able to move them, it would not be to a contender, but to a team who DOES move a SP to a contender.

Rodon, Lopez, Covey, maybe Kopech in the 2nd half. Looking at possible minor deals for Miguel Gonzalez and Shields I’m sure. Giolito might need some AAA time to get right again—although I’m not sure he will ever live up to the hype as a TOR starter. Sometimes guys like that ultimately land and find success in the bullpen though so I’m not writing him off. I think he has the stuff to be successful but I’m not sure it will be as a starter.

This is true. You're right reps would help, but so would some lineup help. RIght now he's at the tail end of the Engel/Tilson, Narvaez, Trayce trio. Yoan hitting in front of Sanchez really only benefits Yolmer (actually think Yolmer has the best possible position for success in our lineup). You think Moncada would be producing better numbers in Benitendi's position in that Boston linup? Uh yeah. Might see a pitch or 2 with Betts and JD Martinez waiting. Right now, he's very exposed and pitchers really don't need to show him anything. Except for maybe 1-2 times per game that he's leading off an inning, he's up with 2 outs and nobody on. So does that make him less talented? Are Moncada's skills lacking or are they just not fully applicable yet? Does that mean that Yoan Moncada is the one with issues? He's far from perfect, but I think you will see eye-popping numbers put up when we start packing our lineup with MLB-caliber hitters. My dad always said the famous line while playing Eucher..."when you learn to play with the cards you're dealt, you'll get better ones." Kind of think that's where Moncada is right now...Learning how to play with nothing around him. If he can learn and continue to push through and develop, I think this will only benefit him down the road. Great guys can have good years in bad lineups. However, a great lineup can take someone good and make them great.

Absolutely. Eloy will soon join that group. These are the guys that are a cut above the rest no matter what the numbers suggest at the current moment. If they suddenly lose their ability to play baseball, then we can talk about lowering the expectation. That is simply not happening with Moncada or anyone else from that group. This group (and some not mentioned here may join this group) has the best chance to become full-blown super stars. Will they? Who knows...but people have to start looking at these players for what they are and not that they are striking out a lot in some split matchups. Benintendi is hitting .211 vs. lefties while in the midst of an MVP caliber stretch of baseball. He had 1 HR and 9 RBI against lefties last year for the SEASON--PROSPECT BUST. Albies is hitting .228 vs RHP with 43k's--TOTAL PROSPECT BUST. No one is good.