Robbie Ray to the Mariners, 5 years $115 million

[ChiSoxFanMike]

4 minutes ago, fathom said:

FWIW, I saw there’s mutual interest with the Cardinals and Max 

He is from Missouri so that would make sense. I hope the Sox can get him though, I’m of the belief he’s the most impactful free agent on the market.

[Bob Sacamano]

38 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

What second baseman "like Marcus Semien" is out there? Free agent market is weak at 2B, especially when you realize Escobar isn't good against righties.

[fathom]

Just now, Bob Sacamano said:

What second baseman "like Marcus Semien" is out there? Free agent market is weak at 2B, especially when you realize Escobar isn't good against righties.

Ryne Sandberg and Jeff Kent

[Jack Parkman]

1 minute ago, fathom said:

Ryne Sandberg and Jeff Kent

Also prime Robinson Cano on the juice. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Jack Parkman

[Tony]

It makes me very pleased they seem to realize adding a front line SP is vital…

[Chicago White Sox]

28 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

If the name is out there, it probably won't happen.  Seems like if it is going to happen, we find out about it when it is done.

Those names probably aren’t target.  I’ll maintain Conforto & Gausman are the two guys they are pursuing.

[poppysox]

26 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

If the name is out there, it probably won't happen.  Seems like if it is going to happen, we find out about it when it is done.

That's the way RH operates and I like it.

[caulfield12]

Rodon and Escobar, haha...RF still a massive mystery if Conforto slips from their fingers.  Might be a repeat of 2021.

Gausman over Ray despite LHedness.

Edited November 24, 2021 by caulfield12

[ChiSox59]

Probably wouldn’t be the route I would go, but not going to out much stock into a Boob tweet.

[Sarava]

Ray scares me with the sky-high walk rates before this past season. Probably a bluff as others have said though.

[Chisoxfn]

1 hour ago, maxjusttyped said:

Having genuine interest in Ray but not offering Rodon the QO would lead me to believe they really think Carlos is cooked

Ray has a much longer track record of pitching high quality innings vs. Rodon. He also has had injuries, etc. But Ray is pretty good - although I do agree durability concerns.  Still he has been a 150-175 inning pitcher for most of his career and obviously had a stellar 21 campaign.  He also is absurd at striking guys out.  

He has 3 straight pretty good years of durability - with 175 innings in 2019, 50 innings in 20 (COVID) and than 190+ this past year.  His COVID year was obviously not that great though - production wise, but 2018, 2019, & 2021 were all pretty damn good years.  If I recall Sox have always liked Ray as well and made a push for him previously (or am I misremembering that)?  

[Jack Parkman]

17 minutes ago, Sarava said:

Ray scares me with the sky-high walk rates before this past season. Probably a bluff as others have said though.

Ray is a huge gamble, but if they hit the jackpot and his walk issues have been fixed......it's probably the best chance since Wheeler for them to get an affordable ace quality pitcher. There is more risk with Ray than there was with Wheeler though. 

That being said, Ray had an absurd 90.1% strand rate this year as well as a FIP~ 0.8 runs higher than his ERA. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Jack Parkman

[Chisoxfn]

1 minute ago, Jack Parkman said:

Ray is a huge gamble, but if they hit the jackpot and his walk issues have been fixed......it's probably the best chance since Wheeler for them to get an affordable ace quality pitcher. There is more risk with Ray than there was with Wheeler though. 

Very true - it was why I love the Rodon QO or Rodon 3 to 4 year deal at reasonable price (that got Rodon the security he desired but had a fair risk / reward for the franchise). Either options for Rodon seemed great. 1 year deal - if he pitches like he previously did great and he moves on a year from now. If he doesn't, you took a shot at someone you know can be an ace but you move on next year / have flexibility to take on a longer term deal at the deadline because all you risked was 1 year.  

If you went multi-year, you feel like if Rodon really is healthy - you got something cause a healthy Rodon may not replicate last year's numbers but more often than not he's going to be pretty good. Hard not to be with that sort of stuff.  

[iWiN4PreP]

I don’t want to use our ever so limited money on friggen robbie ray and semien. Theyll both probably suck.

 

give me seager or scherzer or a couple mid level sp or correa or something of actual quality and not a fluke 

[35thstreetswarm]

1 hour ago, maloney.adam said:

Notice the word he uses, “like.” 

Yes.! They’re also interested in adding an outfielder.  You know, like Willie Mays.  Also a reliever, like Mariano Rivera

[maxjusttyped]

11 minutes ago, iWiN4PreP said:

I don’t want to use our ever so limited money on friggen robbie ray and semien. Theyll both probably suck.

 

give me seager or scherzer or a couple mid level sp or correa or something of actual quality and not a fluke 

Semien leads all position players in fWAR over the last 3 seasons. He's been nearly 6 wins better than Correa and Seager over that same time span. I'd rather have those guys too, but how can you say someone who's been an MVP caliber player 2 of the last 3 years is a fluke? He's 1.4 fWAR ahead of the #2 position player in all of baseball over the last 3 years. Guys who are flukes aren't capable of being arguably the most productive player in baseball over a *3* season span.

[michelangelosmonkey]

13 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

Very true - it was why I love the Rodon QO or Rodon 3 to 4 year deal at reasonable price (that got Rodon the security he desired but had a fair risk / reward for the franchise). Either options for Rodon seemed great. 1 year deal - if he pitches like he previously did great and he moves on a year from now. If he doesn't, you took a shot at someone you know can be an ace but you move on next year / have flexibility to take on a longer term deal at the deadline because all you risked was 1 year.  

If you went multi-year, you feel like if Rodon really is healthy - you got something cause a healthy Rodon may not replicate last year's numbers but more often than not he's going to be pretty good. Hard not to be with that sort of stuff.  

Following the tea leaves on this it seems like a multi-year offer to Rodon is my bet.  His market is depressed...no one knows his arm strength more than the White Sox...they were kind to him and his agent by not attaching the QO...and man when he was good last year he was Corbin Burnes good...and what do we need more than a TOR lefty?  Sure he wore out at the end but it seems like CaliSoxfan was predicting that all year.   You just don't ramp up from 0 to 190 innings in a year.   He got up to 120 last year and could be 180 this year.  3 years $50 million with injury clauses?  That's Kimbrell's money...so you trade him and still have money for Semien...Vaughn in RF. Let's go get a World Series.   

[Jerksticks]

17 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

Very true - it was why I love the Rodon QO or Rodon 3 to 4 year deal at reasonable price (that got Rodon the security he desired but had a fair risk / reward for the franchise). Either options for Rodon seemed great. 1 year deal - if he pitches like he previously did great and he moves on a year from now. If he doesn't, you took a shot at someone you know can be an ace but you move on next year / have flexibility to take on a longer term deal at the deadline because all you risked was 1 year.  

If you went multi-year, you feel like if Rodon really is healthy - you got something cause a healthy Rodon may not replicate last year's numbers but more often than not he's going to be pretty good. Hard not to be with that sort of stuff.  

What if you want to push hard for a championship though?  Rodon is a HUGE risk from my armchair.   Lot of money for non-guaranteed innings

[BigHurt3515]

Doesn't Ray grunt when he pitches? I can't listen to that every 5th day

[Tony]

53 minutes ago, maxjusttyped said:

Semien leads all position players in fWAR over the last 3 seasons. He's been nearly 6 wins better than Correa and Seager over that same time span. I'd rather have those guys too, but how can you say someone who's been an MVP caliber player 2 of the last 3 years is a fluke? He's 1.4 fWAR ahead of the #2 position player in all of baseball over the last 3 years. Guys who are flukes aren't capable of being arguably the most productive player in baseball over a *3* season span.

Don't let real stats get in the way of @iWiN4PreP not liking Semien because his ratings are low in MLB The Show....

[bmags]

I feel like the pop up pitchers like Ray, Wheeler, Corbin, Lynn’s have been much more reliable money the last five years than the established Keuchel, Bumgarners.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, Chisoxfn said:

Ray has a much longer track record of pitching high quality innings vs. Rodon. He also has had injuries, etc. But Ray is pretty good - although I do agree durability concerns.  Still he has been a 150-175 inning pitcher for most of his career and obviously had a stellar 21 campaign.  He also is absurd at striking guys out.  

He has 3 straight pretty good years of durability - with 175 innings in 2019, 50 innings in 20 (COVID) and than 190+ this past year.  His COVID year was obviously not that great though - production wise, but 2018, 2019, & 2021 were all pretty damn good years.  If I recall Sox have always liked Ray as well and made a push for him previously (or am I misremembering that)?  

To be fair, pretty much anyone has a better health history vs Cralos Rodon.

[Polar Bear]

3 hours ago, YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! said:

This makes me think their real target is Scherzer 

Its who they should definitely be going after.  Higher yearly salary but much shorter contract and better investment and return imo.  

[Eminor3rd]

I’m asking this question legitimately, because, as we all know, the social media space has turned into an animate cloud of malignant, cancerous unreality and contradiction: 

When was the last time Bob Nightingale rumored something that actually occurred for the White Sox? It seems like it might be never, but I really can’t keep track. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Eminor3rd

[maxjusttyped]

Just now, Eminor3rd said:

I’m asking this question legitimately, because,  as we all know, the social media space has turned into an animate cloud of malignant, cancerous unreality and contradiction: 

When was the last time Bob Nightingale rumored something that actually occurred for the White Sox? It seems like it might be never, but I really can’t keep track. 

Tony La Russa