Offseason Targets

[joejoesox]

the Sox aren't signing Bauer, you're just setting yourself up for a let down if you are entertaining that

[Jack Parkman]

I don't know where to put this, but a lot of the Sox contention window revolves around Moncada recovering from covid ok and being close to the player he was in 2019 again. I will be watching closely next year. After paying him what they did, they can't afford for him to be merely average or worse. 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[CWSpalehoseCWS]

41 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

I don't know where to put this, but a lot of the Sox contention window revolves around Moncada recovering from covid ok and being close to the player he was in 2019 again. I will be watching closely next year. After paying him what they did, they can't afford for him to be merely average or worse. 

Not sure I'd worry too much about Moncada. He even said he felt like he was better towards the end of the season. From everything I've read, it's just a waiting game. He's young enough he should be able to recover, and he has access to top notch medical personnel. I'd be far more worried about Kopech coming back and being able to contribute much of anything (assuming he even wants to come back).

[bmags]

10 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Not sure I'd worry too much about Moncada. He even said he felt like he was better towards the end of the season. From everything I've read, it's just a waiting game. He's young enough he should be able to recover, and he has access to top notch medical personnel. I'd be far more worried about Kopech coming back and being able to contribute much of anything (assuming he even wants to come back).

Yeahhh no Jack is definitely going to give us his diagnosis on how Moncada has recovered in every game thread next year plus a couple individual threads.

[Flash]

The Cubs might be open for business this off season. So much roster uncertainty and assets of diminishing value. I would inquire about Darvish. Affordable (3 more years at @ 20/per) and coming off of a strong (and healthy) campaign. Not sure what it would take but a package built around the return of Cease might hold interest.

[Dominikk85]

14 hours ago, bmags said:

The perfect DH in terms of improving our weaknesses may well be Tommy La Stella I’d we can convince him.

Just to add to this, he is a low K% guy with a 130+ WRC+ vs RHP

I think the perfect DH is Vaughn:). Sure he is right handed but really good right handers handle RHP. I think Vaughn can produce a 110 wrc+ against righties which is solid (and hopefully mash lefties at a 140 clip).

The Sox need a lefty bat but with Jose and Vaughn it needs to be in right field. 

When the Sox get a healthy moncada and bat X in right field they have two solid options against RHP and I think Vaughn and madrigal will be fine against RHP because they are just good hitters. 

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

3 hours ago, Flash said:

The Cubs might be open for business this off season. So much roster uncertainty and assets of diminishing value. I would inquire about Darvish. Affordable (3 more years at @ 20/per) and coming off of a strong (and healthy) campaign. Not sure what it would take but a package built around the return of Cease might hold interest.

Agreed.  He has been a top 5 pitcher in all of baseball since the second half of 2019

[EloyJenkins]

3 hours ago, Flash said:

The Cubs might be open for business this off season. So much roster uncertainty and assets of diminishing value. I would inquire about Darvish. Affordable (3 more years at @ 20/per) and coming off of a strong (and healthy) campaign. Not sure what it would take but a package built around the return of Cease might hold interest.

Really interesting idea here. IF truly available, he would be a great second choice to Bauer if he signs elsewhere. This would definitely be a salary relief deal, but I bet 100% the Cubs will do everything they can to dump Bryant and Heyward over Darvish. So it would be an overpay. Cease, Stiever +

[Chicago White Sox]

1 hour ago, Dominikk85 said:

I think the perfect DH is Vaughn:). Sure he is right handed but really good right handers handle RHP. I think Vaughn can produce a 110 wrc+ against righties which is solid (and hopefully mash lefties at a 140 clip).

The Sox need a lefty bat but with Jose and Vaughn it needs to be in right field. 

When the Sox get a healthy moncada and bat X in right field they have two solid options against RHP and I think Vaughn and madrigal will be fine against RHP because they are just good hitters. 

Abreu & Eloy were both awesome against RHP, while Grandal was above league average.  If you add a guy who can hit righties in RF and Yoan returns to form we should be fine.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

20 hours ago, GreatScott82 said:

Yes. This happened to every organization in baseball in 2020. My point was that during the previous 3 years (2017-19), the Sox netted amazing profits due to a very low payroll. Although they took a hit in 2020, you would think they would still have a pool of $$ to allocate toward the roster in 2021. I’m aware this team isn’t the Cubs, Red Sox, Yankees or Dodgers, but they should have money to spend on at least one more premium player. Not to mention the Encarnacion and Gio Gonzalez team options will likely be declined, saving them another $20 million. 
 

Ive read reports that some teams will be desperately trying to shed payroll this winter because of the economic hit COVID had on their budget. The White Sox should take advantage of this as they should still have cushion from the low payroll rebuild years. 

It all just depends on the talent pool available. If teams including the Sox end up non-tendering a lot of players there will be a large pool of semi talented players to sign for cheap. There will always be a certain amount that end up being well worth signing. The question always is can you find the right ones , that maybe 10 % of all supposedly underachieving, too expensive to tender contracts who resurrect their careers.

Then it's about who is owed raises vs. how much salary if off loaded vs who you really intend to spend money on. Top guys like Bauer seem highly unlikely just based on how high the payroll went this year vs. how high we all thought it should or could go. Like you ,I wouldn't bet on the Sox taking advantage of teams dumping salary. More than likely the Sox could be the team to lead the dumping brigade.

[chetkincaid]

6 hours ago, Flash said:

The Cubs might be open for business this off season. So much roster uncertainty and assets of diminishing value. I would inquire about Darvish. Affordable (3 more years at @ 20/per) and coming off of a strong (and healthy) campaign. Not sure what it would take but a package built around the return of Cease might hold interest.

I was thinking Hendricks because I thought Darvish was owed a lot more money than that. I'd be good with Yu.

[bmags]

this is not happening because they won't just shed him, but if he didn't cost much, shooting for a Bryant bounce back year in Right Field wouldn't be terrible (was it his throwing shoulder injured?)

["The Kids Can Play"]

23 hours ago, EloyJenkins said:

No payroll excuses. The Bulls fired their manager and completely rebuilt an expensive front office after losing a ton of revenue as well. Put up or shut up before you die Jerry.

Great point and totally agree! 

[bmags]

I can't wait to get the arb estimates and get this offseason going.

[Quin]

On 10/3/2020 at 6:40 PM, GreatScott82 said:

https://twitter.com/phillies/status/1312482866849181696?s=21

 

On 10/3/2020 at 8:07 PM, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

Doesn’t Harper have a no trade clause anyway?

Assuming the Phillies are ready to tear down and rebuild, I'd assume Harper would leap at joining the Sox.

I'd see if they'd bite on something like Cease/Stiever/Rutherford/Sheets. Maybe you throw in one or more low level sweetner, but his contract isn't friendly at this point.

• Sign Bauer
• Re-sign Colome
• Get Kopech back
• Bring up Vaughn
• Unconventional idea: If healthy, Crochet so he and Kopech pitch on the same days, stretching them both out

 

[ron883]

Imagine this lineup with Bryce Harper and Andrew Vaughn in it... Good lord that would be insane. 

[MeanJoeCrede]

21 minutes ago, Yearnin' for Yermin said:

Imagine this lineup with Bryce Harper and Andrew Vaughn in it... Good lord that would be insane. 

Imagine how badly Ricky would butcher the lineup construction with Harper and Vaughn added.

[ron883]

1 minute ago, MeanJoeCrede said:

Imagine how badly Ricky would butcher the lineup construction with Harper and Vaughn added.

Is that even possible? Lol. It's tough to butcher a lineup that good.

TA

Bryce Harper

Abreu

Eloy

Yoan

Vaughn

Grandal

Robert

Madrigal

 

Assuming Yoan bounces back. Honestly, it's hard to make a bad lineup with that group. 

 

[Quin]

5 minutes ago, MeanJoeCrede said:

Imagine how badly Ricky would butcher the lineup construction with Harper and Vaughn added.

Man, I'm struggling to see how. 

Everyone in the lineup has protection, no matter the placement.

[fathom]

2 minutes ago, Quin said:

Man, I'm struggling to see how. 

Everyone in the lineup has protection, no matter the placement.

Grandal still batting 3rd

[ChiSox59]

Lol Harper? Cmon guys...at least discuss marginally realistic targets. Didn’t take long for the dreaming to occur. 

[SCCWS]

I would think Boston will reload now that they are considerably below the the tax line.  Sounds like Bauer and Odorizzi could be on their radar. 

[he gone.]

I don't think it's necessarily "dreaming" about Harper in a realistic way. It's more of a "there's not really many viable RF options available, damn Harper at $25mm a year would have fixed that problem for a decade" type thinking. 

I went around every single depth chart in the MLB in terms of CF that could move to RF & all RF's ... really there aren't that many good options out there. A) the ones you'd want the most are on team that aren't looking to trade, B) you have guys like Marcell Ozuna, which sure he'd be a nice fit, but is also not necessarily a true RF, and do yes Robert is damn good/rangey, but do you really want Eloy and Ozuna flanking him? You could start thinking about guys like Kris Bryant ... but again, same deal, and what is his cost for that one year? Do you trust him long term? That's why after all the names & teams I went through I really think the Brewers match up the best. That's a team that is going to be looking to cut some costs. I think a Cain is the type of veteran guy who can come in, do his job, fill a role, and contribute on a championship caliber team. Avi Garcia ... well, we've all been through that, and now the Brewers have too. Do you get good or bad Avi? But on a one year deal, maybe it's worth it. 

 

Outside of that, you're really looking at Springer, Marte, Ozuna - and all of those guys will likely need to be paid at a decent clip on the wrong side of 30 and for more years than you'd likely want to do ...

[Whisox05]

 

[Quin]

1 hour ago, ChiSox59 said:

Lol Harper? Cmon guys...at least discuss marginally realistic targets. Didn’t take long for the dreaming to occur. 

Philly just fired their GM and if they enter a rebuild, Harper may want to bail.