A Realistic Offseason

[Balta1701]

38 minutes ago, steveno89 said:

Sox are in an interesting position with regards to trades in that they do have a few potentially expendable high ends prospects should they choose to go down that road. 

Robert is not going anywhere, but Madrigal/Vaughn/Dunning/Stiever could be dealt in the right deal. 

The best pitching is likely to be snapped up quickly in free agency, so they better have a sound plan if they want to fish at the top of the market.

 

Madrigal and Vaughn should not be going anywhere either. We're already getting annoyed at how hard it seems to fill the positions we want to fill with the potentially limited money available. Trade either of those guys and the end result is you have to commit another $10-$20 million to fill the position they should have filled. Trade Madrigal, fine, who is your 2b? Scooter Gennett might be an option but he's going to cost money (and struggled last year), so that means you have less money to spend on a pitcher or on your RF spot. Vaughn and Madrigal should be off limits with this roster. We need guys to fill more positions cheaply.

I don't think you're trading Dunning for anything close to full value if you trade him, but there's also a solid chance his career is over since he's barely pitched in 2 years so you might move him for that reason. The other guys...I don't like trading from the low minors as that's a strategy that is ok until it isn't (Tatis), but I get why you'd do it.

IMO - the White Sox are in a terrible place for trades right now. They need the 2 high level guys they have remaining, and their minors are so littered with busts and scrap that they don't have a lot other teams would give anything useful for. This is where the flops and injuries have taken their toll. 

 

[caulfield12]

59 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

Madrigal and Vaughn should not be going anywhere either. We're already getting annoyed at how hard it seems to fill the positions we want to fill with the potentially limited money available. Trade either of those guys and the end result is you have to commit another $10-$20 million to fill the position they should have filled. Trade Madrigal, fine, who is your 2b? Scooter Gennett might be an option but he's going to cost money (and struggled last year), so that means you have less money to spend on a pitcher or on your RF spot. Vaughn and Madrigal should be off limits with this roster. We need guys to fill more positions cheaply.

I don't think you're trading Dunning for anything close to full value if you trade him, but there's also a solid chance his career is over since he's barely pitched in 2 years so you might move him for that reason. The other guys...I don't like trading from the low minors as that's a strategy that is ok until it isn't (Tatis), but I get why you'd do it.

IMO - the White Sox are in a terrible place for trades right now. They need the 2 high level guys they have remaining, and their minors are so littered with busts and scrap that they don't have a lot other teams would give anything useful for. This is where the flops and injuries have taken their toll. 

 

Moustakas because he can cover three infield positions, DH and potentially even a corner OF spot in an emergency.

And left-handed...another need.

Edited October 22, 2019 by caulfield12

[steveno89]

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

Madrigal and Vaughn should not be going anywhere either. We're already getting annoyed at how hard it seems to fill the positions we want to fill with the potentially limited money available. Trade either of those guys and the end result is you have to commit another $10-$20 million to fill the position they should have filled. Trade Madrigal, fine, who is your 2b? Scooter Gennett might be an option but he's going to cost money (and struggled last year), so that means you have less money to spend on a pitcher or on your RF spot. Vaughn and Madrigal should be off limits with this roster. We need guys to fill more positions cheaply.

I don't think you're trading Dunning for anything close to full value if you trade him, but there's also a solid chance his career is over since he's barely pitched in 2 years so you might move him for that reason. The other guys...I don't like trading from the low minors as that's a strategy that is ok until it isn't (Tatis), but I get why you'd do it.

IMO - the White Sox are in a terrible place for trades right now. They need the 2 high level guys they have remaining, and their minors are so littered with busts and scrap that they don't have a lot other teams would give anything useful for. This is where the flops and injuries have taken their toll. 

 

I doubt we deal Vaughn or Madrigal, but you never know

[wsox05]

They’d have to be getting somebody really legit to add those guys in. Like Mookie if he had more years attached. But I (like most I think) wouldn’t trade either for Mookie with 1 year left unless you’re getting an extension in the deal. 

[steveno89]

9 minutes ago, wsox05 said:

They’d have to be getting somebody really legit to add those guys in. Like Mookie if he had more years attached. But I (like most I think) wouldn’t trade either for Mookie with 1 year left unless you’re getting an extension in the deal. 

Will be an interesting offseason. Sox fans should temper expectations I feel though. 

Martinez may not opt out, the top pitching might be cost prohibitive (as much as it stings to say that), and the FA bats are fairly slim. 

[Chicago White Sox]

2 hours ago, bmags said:

mid-level, expiring trades are always a bit difficult to guess price on. Bigger guess is hoping we are right that there is acceptable motivation from those teams to trade. They both are definitely in compete mode.

I still think something like Fry for Joc might be enticing to the Dodgers.

[Thad Bosley]

24 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I still think something like Fry for Joc might be enticing to the Dodgers.

Don’t you think the Dodgers could get more for their outfielder who just put up an .876 OPS than a relief pitcher fresh off of a 1.58 WHIP?

[greg775]

33 minutes ago, steveno89 said:

Will be an interesting offseason. Sox fans should temper expectations I feel though. 

Martinez may not opt out, the top pitching might be cost prohibitive (as much as it stings to say that), and the FA bats are fairly slim. 

I have a sneaky feeling the Sox are not going to hit .500 this season. Mr. Hahn has some work to do. I sure hope he's devised a realistic plan for the offseason. I mean he's had plenty of time, since mid August to assess this team and what it needs. He and his staff should also be able to reasonably assess which free agents will even possibly consider the White Sox. Now execute the plan. Unless Jerry has fallen in love with saving the money, start signing some guys.

[chetkincaid]

The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe that their might actually be a "Rebuild 2.0" where some major young pieces get traded. The right field situation looks bleak an I just can't see JR paying for JD Martinez or Yasmani Grandal. 

[BamaDoc]

Check Pederson's splits.  His OPS vs LHP was .505 so you will need a platoon partner.

[Dick Allen]

I think there will be some money spent. I don’t think it will be as much as many think. But I think we will be at the point next year where if everything goes right, the team should be better. Whether that happens, probably unlikely. 

I read an article where the Sox had the 3rd worst local TV ratings in 2019 in baseball. Only Miami and some other godawful team were worse. They better start winning soon.

[Jerksticks]

I’m starting to think the Sox are going huge.  
 

Cole, JDM, Moose, Grandal plus bullpen.  
 

the time is now while all the rooks are cheap.  

[hi8is]

11 minutes ago, Tony said:

I’m just curious why you are “starting to think” that, like what made you form that opinion?

Answer is obvious.

[poppysox]

1 hour ago, greg775 said:

I have a sneaky feeling the Sox are not going to hit .500 this season. Mr. Hahn has some work to do. I sure hope he's devised a realistic plan for the offseason. I mean he's had plenty of time, since mid August to assess this team and what it needs. He and his staff should also be able to reasonably assess which free agents will even possibly consider the White Sox. Now execute the plan. Unless Jerry has fallen in love with saving the money, start signing some guys.

The appearance of Robert and Madrigal plus the return of Abreu, Kopech, Rodon and Dunning, Hamilton & Burr get us to the .500 level IMO.  The RF, Dh, 2 quality starters and a reliever or 2 gets us to the playoffs.  The quality of those two starters and DH & RF additions will determine how far we go in the playoffs.

[TheFutureIsNear]

The sad part is going to be when there will be a decent amount of people who won’t be satisfied with a solid and reasonable off season. Expectations are outrageously high

[ron883]

4 minutes ago, TheFutureIsNear said:

The sad part is going to be when there will be a decent amount of people who won’t be satisfied with a solid and reasonable off season. Expectations are outrageously high

The White Sox FO has made it clear that they have been cutting costs the past few years so they can spend big. They set the expectations. 

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, Thad Bosley said:

Don’t you think the Dodgers could get more for their outfielder who just put up an .876 OPS than a relief pitcher fresh off of a 1.58 WHIP?

With a good salary coming this year in his final arb year, and only 1 year of control remaining - he's not worth a whole ton.

[Balta1701]

16 minutes ago, poppysox said:

The appearance of Robert and Madrigal plus the return of Abreu, Kopech, Rodon and Dunning, Hamilton & Burr get us to the .500 level IMO.  The RF, Dh, 2 quality starters and a reliever or 2 gets us to the playoffs.  The quality of those two starters and DH & RF additions will determine how far we go in the playoffs.

Dane Dunning is not going to be in the big leagues this year. Hamilton was straight up bad this year and may never be a useful piece again. Rodon will miss half the season. So, basically in your eyes, 1 month of Rodon, Kopech, Robert, and Madrigal, is the difference between a 70 win team and an 80 win team? This is a joke.

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, BamaDoc said:

Check Pederson's splits.  His OPS vs LHP was .505 so you will need a platoon partner.

Ironically we may already have this on our roster in Leury Garcia, who put up a .786 OPS against lefties and a .642 OPS against righties. 

[TheFutureIsNear]

7 minutes ago, ron883 said:

The White Sox FO has made it clear that they have been cutting costs the past few years so they can spend big. They set the expectations. 

Sure, but they can spend $ and improve the team without hitting on any of the big names as well...that is within the realm of possibility and I feel like most will b**** if it happens. This is the “Realistic Offseason“ thread and there’s stuff you couldn’t pull off in a video game within 

[Jerksticks]

1 hour ago, Tony said:

I’m just curious why you are “starting to think” that, like what made you form that opinion?

I listened to the first half of the Sox podcast and I think it was Kamka’s prediction.  I loved every second of it.  Happy to go down with the ship.  Full steam ahead to idiot bliss!

[fathom]

Just now, Jerksticks said:

I listened to the first half of the Sox podcast and I think it was Kamka’s prediction.  I loved every second of it.  Happy to go down with the ship.  Full steam ahead to idiot bliss!

Kamka’s predictions were not very realistic

[Jerksticks]

3 minutes ago, fathom said:

Kamka’s predictions were not very realistic

Oh wait he had dozier at 2nd and bench to keep it warm for Madrigal- not moose.  I like that idea even better.  More realistic too!

[ChiSox59]

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

Dane Dunning is not going to be in the big leagues this year. Hamilton was straight up bad this year and may never be a useful piece again. Rodon will miss half the season. So, basically in your eyes, 1 month of Rodon, Kopech, Robert, and Madrigal, is the difference between a 70 win team and an 80 win team? This is a joke.

It is not completely insane to think that Kopech, Robert, Madrigal along with a year of development from our young core players could be the difference between and a 70 and 80 win team. Poppy is definitely on the overly optimistic side, but if you’re replacing our turnstile in RF and 5th SP with Robert and Kopech, that is an enormous upgrade alone. Madrigal over Yolmer should be a slight upgrade at worst, and a significant one if Madrigal thrives right away. Plus we dealt with all the injuries with season to our core players in Eloy, Tim and Yoan. If the Sox can stay healthier in 2020, they could have the makings of a .500 ball club with no FA additions besides resigning Abreu. 

Also I would guess that Dunning does appear in the big leagues at some point in 2020, and it’s not very fair to completely write off Hamilton. His 2019 was completely cursed with a car accident and getting hit in the face with an errant foul liner. Very little had to do with structural damage or pain from pitching. I would guess he’s definitely in the Sox short term plans. 

It all just comes down to how they decide to fill out the roster and deploy the dollars. Thankfully, we are finally starting to get close to the beginning of the answers. Should be a fun offseason - fingers crossed the Sox do the right thing! 

[SkokieSox]

JD Martinez DH

Shogo Akiyama RF