White Sox Sign RP Joe Kelly (2yrs with a club option; $17m)

[Two-Gun Pete]

2 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Just... exhausting. Hahn won't stop spending his assets on Relief pitchers. it's honestly amazing. 

Spotrac has the SOX as having the 2nd most payroll committed to relief pitchers. 25% of the payroll is committed to relievers.

So, when we get to drink in the goodness of Josh Harrison at 2B, or have to watch our 1B/DH types stumble about the OF, now you'll know why.

That said, I'm told I can't ever criticize RH, because he's just right about these things. So, be careful around these parts.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Two-Gun Pete

[Two-Gun Pete]

1 hour ago, reiks12 said:

How many relief arms are we going to nab?

Not enough, apparently.

This must mean that they believe in Keuchel/Lopez/Stiever/Lambert, and the durability of Kopech more than I do. See, Rodon was unreliable, but Kopech and the gang are reliable.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Two-Gun Pete

[Two-Gun Pete]

1 hour ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

This isn't how organizations build good bullpens. 

Jose Ruiz is younger and has been as good as Joe Kelly the past two years because bullpen arms are pretty up and down.

Nah, 25% of your payroll on a bullpen that pitches fewer IP than your peers is the way to go.

[ptatc]

1 minute ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

Spotrac has the SOXt has having the 2nd most payroll committed to relief pitchers. 25% of the payroll is committed to relievers.

So, when we get to drink in the goodness of Josh Harrison at 2B, or have to watch our 1B/DH types stumble about the OF, now you'll know why.

That said, I'm told I can't ever criticize RH, because he's just right about these things. So, be careful around these parts.

Exaggerate much? I didn't see anyone say you can't criticize. More like you're insisting all of his moves are wrong and he can't to anything right is absolutely wrong.

[ptatc]

2 minutes ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

Not enough, apparently.

This must mean that they believe in Keuchel/Lopez/Stiever/Lambert, and the durability of Kopech more than I do. See, Rodon was unreliable, but Kopech and the gang are.

Obviously,  you ignore injury history.

[Two-Gun Pete]

Just now, ptatc said:

Exaggerate much? I didn't see anyone say you can't criticize. More like you're insisting all of his moves are wrong and he can't to anything right is absolutely wrong.

I'm not criticizing. 25% on a bullpen is good.

Giving away 4.9 fWAR for free in your rotation is good. It's all good.

[ptatc]

Just now, Two-Gun Pete said:

I'm not criticizing. 25% on a bullpen is good.

Giving away 4.9 fWAR for free in your rotation is good. It's all good.

I rest my case.

[ChiSox59]

54 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Nah, I haven't said that. I can give a list of guys when I get home. 

That said, my strategy would never to be to buy old guys coming off career years. 

$17M guaranteed. 

[SkokieSox]

All the hate makes me love the move even more… dude’s a winner

[Two-Gun Pete]

1 minute ago, ptatc said:

I rest my case.

I salute your dedication to protecting this FO at all costs. I support you, sir.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

1 minute ago, ChiSox59 said:

$17M guaranteed. 

The Sox have spent at least 20 million, technically 36 million, per year on their bullpen acquisitions this off-season. As of now, that'll likely be more than 70% of their total yearly amount allocated this off-season, if they move Kimbrel we're probably talking about 50-60% of their total resource allocation. You just can't tell me that 2 of the past three off-seasons, spending more than 50-60% of your total resources on relievers is a good strategy. 

[ptatc]

Just now, Two-Gun Pete said:

I salute your dedication to protecting this FO at all costs. I support you, sir.

If you read you will see I did criticize some of FO moves. I just don't agree with you that everything they do is awful and they can't get anything right.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

5 minutes ago, SkokieSox said:

All the hate makes me love the move even more… dude’s a winner

Since 2019, Kelly has pitched 11.1 innings in the post-season and given up 10 runs.

edit: I will say, compared to the Josh Harrison move this is like signing Babe Ruth.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Two-Gun Pete]

1 minute ago, ptatc said:

If you read you will see I did criticize some of FO moves. I just don't agree with you that everything they do is awful and they can't get anything right.

I did not criticize them. I said it was good. RH is good at this GM'ing thing.

Thank God for getting more relievers.

[ptatc]

Just now, Two-Gun Pete said:

I did not criticize them. I said it was good. RH is good at this GM'ing thing.

Thank God for getting more relievers.

I agree with more relievers. With the way the game is going and the shortened spring training. A deep bullpen is a key especially early in the season.

[ChiSox59]

3 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

The Sox have spent at least 20 million, technically 36 million, per year on their bullpen acquisitions this off-season. As of now, that'll likely be more than 70% of their total yearly amount allocated this off-season, if they move Kimbrel we're probably talking about 50-60% of their total resource allocation. You just can't tell me that 2 of the past three off-seasons, spending more than 50-60% of your total resources on relievers is a good strategy. 

Shrug. I don’t love the strategy persay but unfortunately they’ve been needed. This pen would be hot garbage without Kimbrel, Graveman and Kelly. We’d have three good relievers and a bunch of trash. We all projected the Sox would spend $5-8M on Tepera. We did that but it’s Joe Kelly instead. Big deal. 

Just finish the job. I’d they don’t finish the job, I’m with you. But what’s the point of freaking out when we’re 3 days into the renewed offseason and the job isn’t done? It’s just silly. 

[wegner]

It seems to me that RH thinks that a great bullpen leads to success in the postseason....does this accomplish that?  I don't know.

Chuck and Ozzie praised this team for putting together probably the best bullpen in baseball last season....I hope they are right this year.

[Chicago White Sox]

37 minutes ago, VAfan said:

Let me be one of the only ones on this thread to say that even with this signing, I think the Sox will not trade Kimbrel for now. 

Why not? 

1.  His value is too low.  Any trade would be mostly a salary dump, not netting the Sox much of anything in return.

2.  The Sox signed their 2B, so Kimbrel isn't going in a package for a new 2B.

3.  Kimbrel wouldn't net a better RF than what we already have.

4.  Kimbrel also wouldn't net starting pitcher depth of any quality.  

Conclusion?  Kimbrel has the biggest upside of anything you could swap him for, so to trade him might save money, but it would make the team worse. 

He might not net us a RF, but offloading his $16M salary can go straight to Conforto.

[Two-Gun Pete]

Just now, ptatc said:

I agree with more relievers. With the way the game is going and the shortened spring training. A deep bullpen is a key especially early in the season.

I'm curious as to exactly what you criticized, BTW.

You rightly fear Rodon"s injury history, but does Kopech not also have an injury history? At least Rodon showed that he's a SP; Kopech has all of what, 8 starts to his name?

And again, this is great. A 35 year old 2B, and a couple of relievers so far.

[chw42]

1 minute ago, wegner said:

It seems to me that RH thinks that a great bullpen leads to success in the postseason....does this accomplish that?  I don't know.

Chuck and Ozzie praised this team for putting together probably the best bullpen in baseball last season....I hope they are right this year.

And the bullpen was pretty bad in the postseason. I can see why they thought it needed to be improved.  

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

1 minute ago, ChiSox59 said:

Shrug. I don’t love the strategy persay but unfortunately they’ve been needed. This pen would be hot garbage without Kimbrel, Graveman and Kelly. We’d have three good relievers and a bunch of trash. We all projected the Sox would spend $5-8M on Tepera. We did that but it’s Joe Kelly instead. Big deal. 

Just finish the job. I’d they don’t finish the job, I’m with you. But what’s the point of freaking out when we’re 3 days into the renewed offseason and the job isn’t done? It’s just silly. 

Running out of quality options fast; that's the problem here.

At this point it seems really unlikely they make any big splash in FA. Just gotta hope they don't screw the trade up too bad.

[wegner]

7 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Since 2019, Kelly has pitched 11.1 innings in the post-season and given up 10 runs.

edit: I will say, compared to the Josh Harrison move this is like signing Babe Ruth.

Babe the pitcher or Babe the hitter?

[ChiSox59]

Just now, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Running out of quality options fast; that's the problem here.

At this point it seems really unlikely they make any big splash in FA. Just gotta hope they don't screw the trade up too bad.

None of the good OFs have signed dude. They were never signing a big SP. 

[fathom]

1 minute ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Running out of quality options fast; that's the problem here.

At this point it seems really unlikely they make any big splash in FA. Just gotta hope they don't screw the trade up too bad.

No one has made a splash in FA yet, unless you count Rodon.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

Just now, wegner said:

Babe the pitcher or Babe the hitter?

Both.

I like Kelly's attitude, he's fun to root for and he'll fit in with the organization. Those are some positives, even if I think he's more likely to be a 3.75-4 ERA guy next year; which would be serviceable enough. 

Harrison just makes no sense. Same complaint I had about Cesar when they got him but even worse. It's more likely that Leury has a better year than Harrison which is really really bad.