2020 RF options

[chetkincaid]

48 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

I'd rather they sign a Cole or Strasburg (assuming opt-out) than give overpay Ozuna who isn't a RF (yes, I realize they can afford to sign 2 huge deals...but come on).

I just have a hard time believing that Steven Strasburg would come to the White Sox. Gerrit Cole is a pipe dream.

I think the White Sox would have to outbid potential suitors by a country mile to get them to come here and I just don't see JR approving that.

[Bob Sacamano]

Just now, chetkincaid said:

I just have a hard time believing that Steven Strasburg would come to the White Sox. Gerrit Cole is a pipe dream.

I think the White Sox would have to outbid potential suitors by a country mile to get them to come here and I just don't see JR approving that.

I know people say this about just about every star, but by how much do they need to outbid a team? It is tough for guys to turn down the highest offer. A lot of it is an ego thing too. Like "I got paid more than this guy."

[mqr]

3 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

I know people say this about just about every star, but by how much do they need to outbid a team? It is tough for guys to turn down the highest offer. A lot of it is an ego thing too. Like "I got paid more than this guy."

It's a total bullshit excuse. Give the most money, get the star 95% of the time. 

[TheFutureIsNear]

6 minutes ago, mqr said:

It's a total bullshit excuse. Give the most money, get the star 95% of the time. 

Wait, you don’t think players don’t want to play for the Sox? The most $ has to be by a significant margin to get us a great player imo...it’s not a matter of bidding a couple million more. 

 

Or we could really just sum it up by saying we are never signing a top free agent like Cole. Just like we were never serious contenders for Harper or Machado 

[mqr]

3 minutes ago, TheFutureIsNear said:

Wait, you don’t think players don’t want to play for the Sox? The most $ has to be by a significant margin to get us a great player imo...it’s not a matter of bidding a couple million more. 

 

Or we could really just sum it up by saying we are never signing a top free agent like Cole. Just like we were never serious contenders for Harper or Machado 

I think the overwhelming majority of players want to play where they get the best deal. Full stop. Everything else is posturing.

Edited September 23, 2019 by mqr

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

36 minutes ago, mqr said:

It's a total bullshit excuse. Give the most money, get the star 99.9% of the time. 

FTFW

[Superstar Lamar]

I am going to continue to beat the drum for Zobrist on a one year deal with a team option as our RF next year:  switch hits, high obp, low K, may be rejuvenated after most of the year off, veteran leadership and movable should a minor league OF develop.  He can bat leadoff and played 100+ games as a corner OF last year.

Get Wheeler as a front end starter as your big(ish) signing.  Sign Cole Hammels for the back end on a one year.

[TheFutureIsNear]

2 hours ago, mqr said:

I think the overwhelming majority of players want to play where they get the best deal. Full stop. Everything else is posturing.

But again. Best deal...by a large margin. All things close to equal and the Sox are not signing star players that have several other suitors 

[greg775]

1 hour ago, Superstar Lamar said:

I am going to continue to beat the drum for Zobrist on a one year deal with a team option as our RF next year:  switch hits, high obp, low K, may be rejuvenated after most of the year off, veteran leadership and movable should a minor league OF develop.  He can bat leadoff and played 100+ games as a corner OF last year.

Get Wheeler as a front end starter as your big(ish) signing.  Sign Cole Hammels for the back end on a one year.

Zobrist turns 39 next May and gets about 10 mill a year. I'd think our posters concerned about Jose would have a major problem over this one.

[Bob Sacamano]

2 hours ago, Superstar Lamar said:

I am going to continue to beat the drum for Zobrist on a one year deal with a team option as our RF next year:  switch hits, high obp, low K, may be rejuvenated after most of the year off, veteran leadership and movable should a minor league OF develop.  He can bat leadoff and played 100+ games as a corner OF last year.

Get Wheeler as a front end starter as your big(ish) signing.  Sign Cole Hammels for the back end on a one year.

He may not even want to play next season.

[poppysox]

5 hours ago, SmashROT said:

When are we winning? Can we win in 2020 please? That'd be great...

Not to worry...Rick is working on it as we speak.

[Superstar Lamar]

2 hours ago, soxfan2014 said:

He may not even want to play next season.

Maybe.

He sounded like he would in the right situation in the quotes from him in today's Tribune.  He said he feels great and thinks he has more baseball in him.  I would imagine being able to stay in Chicago would be attractive to him. 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

I see Nimmo mentioned a lot and as far as LH batters go I'm not sure he has the hit tool yet to to be effective. I know his OBP is very good considering how little he hits and he is a free agent in 2023.

But just for arguments sake I've been doing a little research on Jeff McNeil. He's kind of an under the radar star if it's possible to make the All Star team and play in NY and still be under the radar.

He also is kind of the LH version of Madrigal only with more pop in that he hates to strikeout. He's going to finish with 5+ WAR and isn't a free agent til 2025 but he is a year older than Nimmo . He was a 12th round pick  and had a long journey through the minors for anyone who might be growing impatient with our OF prospects.

I know the Mets aren't likely to trade him but I'd love him on the same team with Madrigal. Plus he''s versatile. He's played the majority of his games in LF and RF but also plays 2nd base and 3rd base. If there's one guy in baseball I'd want to trade for who seems like a realistical choice it's him.

Edit:

I still think the Nimmo idea is a good one since he was obviously affected by a bulging disc in his neck for much of the season and can be a good player going forward. Guess I'd be talking to the Mets a lot this off season. He'd be a very good lead off hitter .

Edited September 24, 2019 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[caulfield12]

The problem is McNeil's a lot like Whit Merrifield or Zobrist when he was on the Rays, more valuable to the Mets than almost anyone else.

I think the second factor is that without his high profile pedigree, not unlike Reynolds on the Pirates, it's going to take another season (or at least 3-4 months) of repeated success before other teams are willing to buy into his success and pay a premium prospect price in terms of any acquisition.

With Nimmo, exactly which version are you paying for?  Was his one strong MLB season an anomaly?   How much of his non-performance in other seasons can be blamed on injuries?

 

[whitesoxbrad]

7 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I see Nimmo mentioned a lot and as far as LH batters go I'm not sure he has the hit tool yet to to be effective. I know his OBP is very good considering how little he hits and he is a free agent in 2023.

But just for arguments sake I've been doing a little research on Jeff McNeil. He's kind of an under the radar star if it's possible to make the All Star team and play in NY and still be under the radar.

He also is kind of the LH version of Madrigal only with more pop in that he hates to strikeout. He's going to finish with 5+ WAR and isn't a free agent til 2025 but he is a year older than Nimmo . He was a 12th round pick  and had a long journey through the minors for anyone who might be growing impatient with our OF prospects.

I know the Mets aren't likely to trade him but I'd love him on the same team with Madrigal. Plus he''s versatile. He's played the majority of his games in LF and RF but also plays 2nd base and 3rd base. If there's one guy in baseball I'd want to trade for who seems like a realistical choice it's him.

You are correct , but the met' s will never trade him.

[Chicago White Sox]

7 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I see Nimmo mentioned a lot and as far as LH batters go I'm not sure he has the hit tool yet to to be effective. I know his OBP is very good considering how little he hits and he is a free agent in 2023.

But just for arguments sake I've been doing a little research on Jeff McNeil. He's kind of an under the radar star if it's possible to make the All Star team and play in NY and still be under the radar.

He also is kind of the LH version of Madrigal only with more pop in that he hates to strikeout. He's going to finish with 5+ WAR and isn't a free agent til 2025 but he is a year older than Nimmo . He was a 12th round pick  and had a long journey through the minors for anyone who might be growing impatient with our OF prospects.

I know the Mets aren't likely to trade him but I'd love him on the same team with Madrigal. Plus he''s versatile. He's played the majority of his games in LF and RF but also plays 2nd base and 3rd base. If there's one guy in baseball I'd want to trade for who seems like a realistical choice it's him.

What would you propose trading for him?  4+ win players with five years of control don’t come cheap.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

8 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

The problem is McNeil's a lot like Whit Merrifield or Zobrist when he was on the Rays, more valuable to the Mets than almost anyone else.

I think the second factor is that without his high profile pedigree, not unlike Reynolds on the Pirates, it's going to take another season (or at least 3-4 months) of repeated success before other teams are willing to buy into his success and pay a premium prospect price in terms of any acquisition.

With Nimmo, exactly which version are you paying for?  Was his one strong MLB season an anomaly?   How much of his non-performance in other seasons can be blamed on injuries?

 

That's the whole point of trying to acquire him now. Being a 12th rounder and having a long journey through the minors might discourage a few teams but it shouldn't the Sox . He''ll be cheap for more years than Nimmo. He's going to be 28 in April yet won't be  FA til 2025. Nimmo while an on base machine doesn't even hit as well as Engel. It's great having OBP guys but on a championship caliber team not likely a starter. Would you want him pinch hitting when you need a hit ? I wouldn't .

Acquiring talented versatile guys like McNeil, Gennett ( IF, OF), Holt (2nd, 3rd, OF ) . Moustakas 2nd, 3rd ,1st ) or even Howie Kendrick (LF 2nd, 1st) gives you so many options in case of injuries and upgrades  RF, 2nd, 3rd and 1st base depth.

If the Sox can hit on a few FA targets like a quality starting pitcher and a few of the pieces i mentioned or Grandal I'd make some serious inquiries into McNeil because at that point you could trade someone like Vaughn. Call the Mets and ask what they want for him , then tell the Mets to call you back or you'll get back to them should they decide to move him, go after your free agent targets but not RF yet, let that market develop , hit on the important free agent targets , then get back to the Mets about McNeil.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

3 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

What would you propose trading for him?  4+ win players with five years of control don’t come cheap.

That's not really my job to try to figure out but I outlined a plan in the post above this one. They might not come cheap but he's not exactly a youngster so his years of control mean less and as a 12th round pick maybe the Mets undervalue him. If everything went according to my plan above . Hey I'd like any one of Nimmo FA 2023 Conforto FA 2022 or McNeil FA 2025.

Edited September 24, 2019 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[35thstreetswarm]

21 hours ago, mqr said:

It's a total bullshit excuse. Give the most money, get the star 95% of the time. 

Indeed.  One of the most persistent false narratives among baseball fans.  

[Flash]

Would check out the assets on those teams likely to dump salary (i.e. Red Sox, Rockies, Cubs) and see if there are any fits. Might also see which teams have contracts they would like to offload in a package with a quality player. 

[poppysox]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:18 AM, mqr said:

I think the overwhelming majority of players want to play where they get the best deal. Full stop. Everything else is posturing.

I think you are on to something here.  Make the best offer...get the player.  Yes...I like it.

Edited September 25, 2019 by poppysox

[Justinsettle]

On 9/23/2019 at 10:07 AM, mqr said:

It's a total bullshit excuse. Give the most money, get the star 95% of the time. 

I would say 99%...history proves this too.  No one is giving up money to play on a good team- this isn't the NBA

[TheFutureIsNear]

7 minutes ago, Justinsettle said:

I would say 99%...history proves this too.  No one is giving up money to play on a good team- this isn't the NBA

Again, we would have to offer a significant amount more...no one is coming to the Sox over good teams because we offered $1M more. Like it or not we will have to overpay to attract big names. 

-shitty weather for 1/3 of the year

-coaching staff that is in the stone ages

-haven’t won crap in a decade +

-2nd most popular team in the city

-horrible attendance 

 

And I’m sure I could go on...there’s no need to be delusional about the situation. The Sox are a bad team run by bad ownership with a bad front office. No one (besides Jose Abreu) is clamoring to join this team if the $ is similar in other places. With that said, the team has so much $ to spend that there’s no reason NOT to do what’s necessary to bring in big free agents. We’ll see if it actually happens or not 

 

[SCCWS]

19 minutes ago, TheFutureIsNear said:

Again, we would have to offer a significant amount more...no one is coming to the Sox over good teams because we offered $1M more. Like it or not we will have to overpay to attract big names. 

-shitty weather for 1/3 of the year

-coaching staff that is in the stone ages

-haven’t won crap in a decade +

-2nd most popular team in the city

-horrible attendance 

 

And I’m sure I could go on...there’s no need to be delusional about the situation. The Sox are a bad team run by bad ownership with a bad front office. No one (besides Jose Abreu) is clamoring to join this team if the $ is similar in other places. With that said, the team has so much $ to spend that there’s no reason NOT to do what’s necessary to bring in big free agents. We’ll see if it actually happens or not 

 

Last year we could have had Machado if the price was right since it was us and Padres.  Maybe the Sox will not attract the top tier FA but they should be able to open their wallets to the 2nd level and get quality players.  

[Orlando]

On 9/23/2019 at 11:19 AM, Superstar Lamar said:

I am going to continue to beat the drum for Zobrist on a one year deal with a team option as our RF next year:  switch hits, high obp, low K, may be rejuvenated after most of the year off, veteran leadership and movable should a minor league OF develop.  He can bat leadoff and played 100+ games as a corner OF last year.

Get Wheeler as a front end starter as your big(ish) signing.  Sign Cole Hammels for the back end on a one year.

Jeff Keppinger 2.0