Potential Crochet Trade discussion Thread

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Wanting the Sox to target a very ordinary player with two years of control while coming off 106 loss season is quite the take.

I mean, they did exactly this last year.  Why would it be surprising if they did it again.  Honestly, my only hope is that Chris Getz purposefully Major Leagued last year to try to get Jerry to agree to the changes he wanted all along, because any other scenario is worse for Sox fans.

[Chicago White Sox]

28 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I mean, they did exactly this last year.  Why would it be surprising if they did it again.  Honestly, my only hope is that Chris Getz purposefully Major Leagued last year to try to get Jerry to agree to the changes he wanted all along, because any other scenario is worse for Sox fans.

Who are you referring to?

[southsider2k5]

8 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Who are you referring to?

Nicky Lopez and Mike Soroka for starters.

[Balta1701]

You know, the Dodgers today announced they expect Betts to go back to the infield. Thats despite them having Edman, Lux, Freeman, Muncy, and their other SS whose name I’ve forgotten in the If and two of their OFs, Teoscar and k***, are free agents. They seem to need OFs more than IFs for now, so Betts moving to the IF again is odd.

The immediate reaction was “Soto”, but golly doesn’t it seem like Soto will be at DH before this contract is up? And that spot, Dodgers DH, might be the most blocked spot in all of baseball.

This Betts announcement makes a lot more sense if the Dodgers move an IF and return an OF in a trade.

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

You know, the Dodgers today announced they expect Betts to go back to the infield. Thats despite them having Edman, Lux, Freeman, Muncy, and their other SS whose name I’ve forgotten in the If and two of their OFs, Teoscar and k***, are free agents. They seem to need OFs more than IFs for now, so Betts moving to the IF again is odd.

The immediate reaction was “Soto”, but golly doesn’t it seem like Soto will be at DH before this contract is up? And that spot, Dodgers DH, might be the most blocked spot in all of baseball.

This Betts announcement makes a lot more sense if the Dodgers move an IF and return an OF in a trade.

Rojas probably...rotates into a utility role.  Then you have Edman that can play almost anywhere.

Adames and HaSeong Kim are your only two legit FA's.

 

If Teoscar's getting 3 years and $69 million, the Dodgers will likely let him go.

(Probably too late for Chris Taylor to go back to second.   Maybe his contract finally expires.)

Edited November 8 by caulfield12

[Chisoxfn]

Lux for Robert is non sensical but I could very well see Dodgers interested in Robert’s. I think it comes down to what sort of value could Sox get - if it isn’t there I’m not trading him….lets see what a new manager can do for him and just a reset after a tough season. 
 

 

[michelangelosmonkey]

It's easy to be a broken fan after the last two years and I think Sox fans tend to lean pessimistic to begin with.  Still this idea that we are lost in the wilderness for thirty years is crazy.  Didn't KC go from 106 loses to the playoffs LAST year?   Did they do it with a lineup of stars? No it was Bobby WItt and pitching (and a lot of games against the Sox).  So what is the case for White Sox optimism?  Well I'll start with the two "trade" pieces.   Crochet never pitched 60 innings in a season in his life and then last year pitched 150 innings and was magnificent.  2.69 FIP, 13 strikeouts per inning, 6.5 Strikeouts per walk?   And he's 25.   Chris Sale just had a Cy Young season at 35.  Why can't we sign this guy for 10 years?  He has very few innings on his arm and is a true ace.  Build with him.  And Roberts?   He is only ONE year removed from a 5.5 WAR, 38 homer, 130 OPS+ season and many of us thought he had room to grow.   He was terrible this year but players have career bad years as well as career good years.  He's only 27 next year.  Let's say he stays healthy next year (he played 145 games just one year ago) and is reinvigorated by new manager.  He hits 45 homers with gold glove defense. 

Now look at the payroll.   As I have frequently fought on this site...Sox have been in top 5 payroll when the team is good.  2025 top 5 payroll is $150 million and Sox are at $38.   They have a ton of money they can spend. How about making a statement with someone like Pete Alonzo.  

As for the lack of talent...Hagen Smith, Noah Shultz and Grant Taylor all have ace stuff.  Drew Thorpe seems like the perfect complement to those guys.  OK that's not your starting rotation for 2024...but it's not ridiculous to think that at the All Star game your rotation could be Crochet, Smith, Shultz and Thorpe.

The bullpen was historically bad, but you have more than half of the top 30 prospects as pitchers.  Plus about half a dozen 25 year olds that were rookies last year.  Seems you could cobble together a solid pen from that group.     

But zero hitters?   Colson Montgomery had a bad season...but last 22 games he put up a .900 in AAA while 4 years younger than league average.   At AFL he put up over 1.100 OPS.  He's a lefty shortstop, that takes walks and hits for power.    

Quero hit .820 OPS at AA Birmingham at 21!  He was even better at AAA Charlotte.  How about up the middle you have Quero, Montgomery and Roberts???   

The rest is a bit rag-tag...but again KC was ragtag outside of about two guys.   Sosa had a .900 OPS the last month of the season and has a history of taking time to figure out a league and then burning it up.  Learning curves aren't linear and you have a collection of guys that once looked like they would be good...Vaughn, Ramos, Colas, Vargas, Deloach, Baldwin.  At some point we HAVE to get positive prospect luck.  If one of those breaks out...and you make a signing like Pete Alonzo, Roberts has a career year, Montgomery and Quero come up and hold their own...now you have a competitive team.    

I like the new manager.  I like the management stuff Getz has been doing (not player acquisition although I do like the Smith draft). I hate the idea of trading an existing Ace for hot prospects who often fail.  And trading your CF at his lowest value.   I don't think the future is hopeless.   We just need things to break right and it seems the baseball gods owe us.  

[Falstaff]

I am all for keeping Crochet and extending him.

[Squirmin' for Yermin]

10 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

You know, the Dodgers today announced they expect Betts to go back to the infield. Thats despite them having Edman, Lux, Freeman, Muncy, and their other SS whose name I’ve forgotten in the If and two of their OFs, Teoscar and k***, are free agents. They seem to need OFs more than IFs for now, so Betts moving to the IF again is odd.

The immediate reaction was “Soto”, but golly doesn’t it seem like Soto will be at DH before this contract is up? And that spot, Dodgers DH, might be the most blocked spot in all of baseball.

This Betts announcement makes a lot more sense if the Dodgers move an IF and return an OF in a trade.

Lux sucks

[Balta1701]

4 minutes ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

Lux sucks

Since when has that stopped Chris Getz?

[bmags]

6 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

It's easy to be a broken fan after the last two years and I think Sox fans tend to lean pessimistic to begin with.  Still this idea that we are lost in the wilderness for thirty years is crazy.  Didn't KC go from 106 loses to the playoffs LAST year?   Did they do it with a lineup of stars? No it was Bobby WItt and pitching (and a lot of games against the Sox).  So what is the case for White Sox optimism?  Well I'll start with the two "trade" pieces.   Crochet never pitched 60 innings in a season in his life and then last year pitched 150 innings and was magnificent.  2.69 FIP, 13 strikeouts per inning, 6.5 Strikeouts per walk?   And he's 25.   Chris Sale just had a Cy Young season at 35.  Why can't we sign this guy for 10 years?  He has very few innings on his arm and is a true ace.  Build with him.  And Roberts?   He is only ONE year removed from a 5.5 WAR, 38 homer, 130 OPS+ season and many of us thought he had room to grow.   He was terrible this year but players have career bad years as well as career good years.  He's only 27 next year.  Let's say he stays healthy next year (he played 145 games just one year ago) and is reinvigorated by new manager.  He hits 45 homers with gold glove defense. 

Now look at the payroll.   As I have frequently fought on this site...Sox have been in top 5 payroll when the team is good.  2025 top 5 payroll is $150 million and Sox are at $38.   They have a ton of money they can spend. How about making a statement with someone like Pete Alonzo.  

As for the lack of talent...Hagen Smith, Noah Shultz and Grant Taylor all have ace stuff.  Drew Thorpe seems like the perfect complement to those guys.  OK that's not your starting rotation for 2024...but it's not ridiculous to think that at the All Star game your rotation could be Crochet, Smith, Shultz and Thorpe.

The bullpen was historically bad, but you have more than half of the top 30 prospects as pitchers.  Plus about half a dozen 25 year olds that were rookies last year.  Seems you could cobble together a solid pen from that group.     

But zero hitters?   Colson Montgomery had a bad season...but last 22 games he put up a .900 in AAA while 4 years younger than league average.   At AFL he put up over 1.100 OPS.  He's a lefty shortstop, that takes walks and hits for power.    

Quero hit .820 OPS at AA Birmingham at 21!  He was even better at AAA Charlotte.  How about up the middle you have Quero, Montgomery and Roberts???   

The rest is a bit rag-tag...but again KC was ragtag outside of about two guys.   Sosa had a .900 OPS the last month of the season and has a history of taking time to figure out a league and then burning it up.  Learning curves aren't linear and you have a collection of guys that once looked like they would be good...Vaughn, Ramos, Colas, Vargas, Deloach, Baldwin.  At some point we HAVE to get positive prospect luck.  If one of those breaks out...and you make a signing like Pete Alonzo, Roberts has a career year, Montgomery and Quero come up and hold their own...now you have a competitive team.    

I like the new manager.  I like the management stuff Getz has been doing (not player acquisition although I do like the Smith draft). I hate the idea of trading an existing Ace for hot prospects who often fail.  And trading your CF at his lowest value.   I don't think the future is hopeless.   We just need things to break right and it seems the baseball gods owe us.  

Kansas City got new owners.

[fathom]

42 minutes ago, Squirmin' for Yermin said:

Lux sucks

He’s such a White Sox player

[southsider2k5]

6 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

It's easy to be a broken fan after the last two years and I think Sox fans tend to lean pessimistic to begin with.  Still this idea that we are lost in the wilderness for thirty years is crazy.  Didn't KC go from 106 loses to the playoffs LAST year?   Did they do it with a lineup of stars? No it was Bobby WItt and pitching (and a lot of games against the Sox).  So what is the case for White Sox optimism?  Well I'll start with the two "trade" pieces.   Crochet never pitched 60 innings in a season in his life and then last year pitched 150 innings and was magnificent.  2.69 FIP, 13 strikeouts per inning, 6.5 Strikeouts per walk?   And he's 25.   Chris Sale just had a Cy Young season at 35.  Why can't we sign this guy for 10 years?  He has very few innings on his arm and is a true ace.  Build with him.  And Roberts?   He is only ONE year removed from a 5.5 WAR, 38 homer, 130 OPS+ season and many of us thought he had room to grow.   He was terrible this year but players have career bad years as well as career good years.  He's only 27 next year.  Let's say he stays healthy next year (he played 145 games just one year ago) and is reinvigorated by new manager.  He hits 45 homers with gold glove defense. 

Now look at the payroll.   As I have frequently fought on this site...Sox have been in top 5 payroll when the team is good.  2025 top 5 payroll is $150 million and Sox are at $38.   They have a ton of money they can spend. How about making a statement with someone like Pete Alonzo.  

As for the lack of talent...Hagen Smith, Noah Shultz and Grant Taylor all have ace stuff.  Drew Thorpe seems like the perfect complement to those guys.  OK that's not your starting rotation for 2024...but it's not ridiculous to think that at the All Star game your rotation could be Crochet, Smith, Shultz and Thorpe.

The bullpen was historically bad, but you have more than half of the top 30 prospects as pitchers.  Plus about half a dozen 25 year olds that were rookies last year.  Seems you could cobble together a solid pen from that group.     

But zero hitters?   Colson Montgomery had a bad season...but last 22 games he put up a .900 in AAA while 4 years younger than league average.   At AFL he put up over 1.100 OPS.  He's a lefty shortstop, that takes walks and hits for power.    

Quero hit .820 OPS at AA Birmingham at 21!  He was even better at AAA Charlotte.  How about up the middle you have Quero, Montgomery and Roberts???   

The rest is a bit rag-tag...but again KC was ragtag outside of about two guys.   Sosa had a .900 OPS the last month of the season and has a history of taking time to figure out a league and then burning it up.  Learning curves aren't linear and you have a collection of guys that once looked like they would be good...Vaughn, Ramos, Colas, Vargas, Deloach, Baldwin.  At some point we HAVE to get positive prospect luck.  If one of those breaks out...and you make a signing like Pete Alonzo, Roberts has a career year, Montgomery and Quero come up and hold their own...now you have a competitive team.    

I like the new manager.  I like the management stuff Getz has been doing (not player acquisition although I do like the Smith draft). I hate the idea of trading an existing Ace for hot prospects who often fail.  And trading your CF at his lowest value.   I don't think the future is hopeless.   We just need things to break right and it seems the baseball gods owe us.  

Look, if you are trying to change people's mind that the hitting prospects are fine, you should probably be able to name more than two decent ones.

[caulfield12]

6 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

It's easy to be a broken fan after the last two years and I think Sox fans tend to lean pessimistic to begin with.  Still this idea that we are lost in the wilderness for thirty years is crazy.  Didn't KC go from 106 loses to the playoffs LAST year?   Did they do it with a lineup of stars? No it was Bobby WItt and pitching (and a lot of games against the Sox).  So what is the case for White Sox optimism?  Well I'll start with the two "trade" pieces.   Crochet never pitched 60 innings in a season in his life and then last year pitched 150 innings and was magnificent.  2.69 FIP, 13 strikeouts per inning, 6.5 Strikeouts per walk?   And he's 25.   Chris Sale just had a Cy Young season at 35.  Why can't we sign this guy for 10 years?  He has very few innings on his arm and is a true ace.  Build with him.  And Roberts?   He is only ONE year removed from a 5.5 WAR, 38 homer, 130 OPS+ season and many of us thought he had room to grow.   He was terrible this year but players have career bad years as well as career good years.  He's only 27 next year.  Let's say he stays healthy next year (he played 145 games just one year ago) and is reinvigorated by new manager.  He hits 45 homers with gold glove defense. 

Now look at the payroll.   As I have frequently fought on this site...Sox have been in top 5 payroll when the team is good.  2025 top 5 payroll is $150 million and Sox are at $38.   They have a ton of money they can spend. How about making a statement with someone like Pete Alonzo.  

As for the lack of talent...Hagen Smith, Noah Shultz and Grant Taylor all have ace stuff.  Drew Thorpe seems like the perfect complement to those guys.  OK that's not your starting rotation for 2024...but it's not ridiculous to think that at the All Star game your rotation could be Crochet, Smith, Shultz and Thorpe.

The bullpen was historically bad, but you have more than half of the top 30 prospects as pitchers.  Plus about half a dozen 25 year olds that were rookies last year.  Seems you could cobble together a solid pen from that group.     

But zero hitters?   Colson Montgomery had a bad season...but last 22 games he put up a .900 in AAA while 4 years younger than league average.   At AFL he put up over 1.100 OPS.  He's a lefty shortstop, that takes walks and hits for power.    

Quero hit .820 OPS at AA Birmingham at 21!  He was even better at AAA Charlotte.  How about up the middle you have Quero, Montgomery and Roberts???   

The rest is a bit rag-tag...but again KC was ragtag outside of about two guys.   Sosa had a .900 OPS the last month of the season and has a history of taking time to figure out a league and then burning it up.  Learning curves aren't linear and you have a collection of guys that once looked like they would be good...Vaughn, Ramos, Colas, Vargas, Deloach, Baldwin.  At some point we HAVE to get positive prospect luck.  If one of those breaks out...and you make a signing like Pete Alonzo, Roberts has a career year, Montgomery and Quero come up and hold their own...now you have a competitive team.    

I like the new manager.  I like the management stuff Getz has been doing (not player acquisition although I do like the Smith draft). I hate the idea of trading an existing Ace for hot prospects who often fail.  And trading your CF at his lowest value.   I don't think the future is hopeless.   We just need things to break right and it seems the baseball gods owe us.  

Who exactly is replicating the numbers of Pasquantino and Sal Perez on the White Sox?

Most importantly...the co AL MVP extended in his early 20s?

Is Montgomery actually still a SS?

 

And we have been over one million times why they won't extend Crochet...

Just like KC will be very careful with Ragans having either two TJ surgeries depending on your revision outlook...for the second right on top of the first surgery.

And KC already had to go out and spend even more on Wacha...which is an iffy proposition if you look carefully at his last five seasons.  He could be the pitching version of Benintendi.

[PaleAleSox]

6 hours ago, Falstaff said:

I am all for keeping Crochet and extending him.

The idea just doesn't work outside of a vacuum. They desperately need to infuse some position players into this system/team. 

[michelangelosmonkey]

7 minutes ago, bmags said:

Kansas City got new owners.

At the risk of being stoned to death...the horror of JR is overstated.  In 2022 White Sox had a $200 mill payroll.  I think he (And we) were all sort of blinded at how bad the organization structure was in 2022 because they had some real quality high-cost veterans, and a core of very exciting young players.  When the veterans got old and the core of youngsters fell apart there was nothing backing it up.    JR wants to win. He was over loyal to his baseball people KW, TLR and RH and in retrospect those guys had built up an organizational rot that seemed to have spread everywhere.   JR is embarrassed by the team.     Whatever Getz said in his interview, it seems like they get it...JR backed off as Getz has fired everyone in the organization.  Bannister, Fuller and Venable seem like really good hires.   Pouring money into analytics seems overdo...but they are doing it.  Minors seem way better than they've been.  Payroll has been cleared of deadwood.  Listening to Future Sox podcasts I feel excited about the last three drafts.  There is no defense of 2024 but I feel like they've been working on the fix for two years now and we aren't doomed to a lifetime of awful.        

[southsider2k5]

 

[bmags]

3 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

At the risk of being stoned to death...the horror of JR is overstated.  In 2022 White Sox had a $200 mill payroll.  I think he (And we) were all sort of blinded at how bad the organization structure was in 2022 because they had some real quality high-cost veterans, and a core of very exciting young players.  When the veterans got old and the core of youngsters fell apart there was nothing backing it up.    JR wants to win. He was over loyal to his baseball people KW, TLR and RH and in retrospect those guys had built up an organizational rot that seemed to have spread everywhere.   JR is embarrassed by the team.     Whatever Getz said in his interview, it seems like they get it...JR backed off as Getz has fired everyone in the organization.  Bannister, Fuller and Venable seem like really good hires.   Pouring money into analytics seems overdo...but they are doing it.  Minors seem way better than they've been.  Payroll has been cleared of deadwood.  Listening to Future Sox podcasts I feel excited about the last three drafts.  There is no defense of 2024 but I feel like they've been working on the fix for two years now and we aren't doomed to a lifetime of awful.        

They had a $200 mill budget, but the restrictions he put on how to spend it means the team wastes on 1b/DH that are available for 4 year deals, and a s%*# ton of bullpen signings.

He let's sycophants run things for decades. His employees get charged for felonies for defrauding their own team, not trying to steal secrets of others.

The sox can only seem on the right path if you put on blinders to what other teams already have in place. Oh we started hiring from the outside? That's amazing, but 28 other teams do that routinely. It doesn't alone guarantee you can be one of the best teams in baseball by just doing normal s%*#.

[michelangelosmonkey]

8 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Look, if you are trying to change people's mind that the hitting prospects are fine, you should probably be able to name more than two decent ones.

That's not my point...my point is KC did it with ONE guy having an OPS above .800.   But Witt was MVP level.  Robert could be that.   You sign one big contract, Montgomery and Quero come on as above average players, Sosa figures it out and that group of 6 former prospects turns out to be one good prospect....that's five.  The rest you get guys that play good defense.  Pair that with a top 5 starting pitching and good relief staff.  There's hope.  

[Quin]

14 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

At the risk of being stoned to death...the horror of JR is overstated.  In 2022 White Sox had a $200 mill payroll.  I think he (And we) were all sort of blinded at how bad the organization structure was in 2022 because they had some real quality high-cost veterans, and a core of very exciting young players.  When the veterans got old and the core of youngsters fell apart there was nothing backing it up.    JR wants to win. He was over loyal to his baseball people KW, TLR and RH and in retrospect those guys had built up an organizational rot that seemed to have spread everywhere.   JR is embarrassed by the team.     Whatever Getz said in his interview, it seems like they get it...JR backed off as Getz has fired everyone in the organization.  Bannister, Fuller and Venable seem like really good hires.   Pouring money into analytics seems overdo...but they are doing it.  Minors seem way better than they've been.  Payroll has been cleared of deadwood.  Listening to Future Sox podcasts I feel excited about the last three drafts.  There is no defense of 2024 but I feel like they've been working on the fix for two years now and we aren't doomed to a lifetime of awful.        

It's not. 

For example, he would never, ever sign Pete Alonso, as you've suggested. We know this based on everything he's done. JR would rather keep maintaining a shitty car than just buying a new one.

[Boopa1219]

14 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

 

Roman Anthony has to be in any deal with the Red Sox. Remember, the Sox were heavily linked with him during his draft year. 

[southsider2k5]

11 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

That's not my point...my point is KC did it with ONE guy having an OPS above .800.   But Witt was MVP level.  Robert could be that.   You sign one big contract, Montgomery and Quero come on as above average players, Sosa figures it out and that group of 6 former prospects turns out to be one good prospect....that's five.  The rest you get guys that play good defense.  Pair that with a top 5 starting pitching and good relief staff.  There's hope.  

This is not going to happen for YEARS at least.  They are still in cut mode.

[Tony]

14 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

At the risk of being stoned to death...the horror of JR is overstated.  In 2022 White Sox had a $200 mill payroll.  I think he (And we) were all sort of blinded at how bad the organization structure was in 2022 because they had some real quality high-cost veterans, and a core of very exciting young players.  When the veterans got old and the core of youngsters fell apart there was nothing backing it up.    JR wants to win. He was over loyal to his baseball people KW, TLR and RH and in retrospect those guys had built up an organizational rot that seemed to have spread everywhere.   JR is embarrassed by the team.     Whatever Getz said in his interview, it seems like they get it...JR backed off as Getz has fired everyone in the organization.  Bannister, Fuller and Venable seem like really good hires.   Pouring money into analytics seems overdo...but they are doing it.  Minors seem way better than they've been.  Payroll has been cleared of deadwood.  Listening to Future Sox podcasts I feel excited about the last three drafts.  There is no defense of 2024 but I feel like they've been working on the fix for two years now and we aren't doomed to a lifetime of awful.        

 

6 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

That's not my point...my point is KC did it with ONE guy having an OPS above .800.   But Witt was MVP level.  Robert could be that.   You sign one big contract, Montgomery and Quero come on as above average players, Sosa figures it out and that group of 6 former prospects turns out to be one good prospect....that's five.  The rest you get guys that play good defense.  Pair that with a top 5 starting pitching and good relief staff.  There's hope.  

You're leaving out key details to help paint the picture you want to paint. 

The Sox and the "Wherever" A's are the only two franchises not to hand out a $100 million dollar deal to a player. They've dipped their toe in the water on big name FA's, only to be left shocked when a player doesn't sign with them because someone else offered more money. 

JR may "want to win" but he wants to win his way. 2020 and 2021 was the first time in franchise history the organization went to back to back post seasons, and 2020 was a 60 game season. 

That same Oakland team I mentioned, have gone to the playoffs 11 times since 2000. The Sox have gone 5. And since 1917, there has only been one year in which the Sox have won a playoff series. Once. 

In your second post, you say "You sign one big contract" like history is on the Sox side to just sign this big name, franchise altering player. What historical evidence or data are using to come to the conclusion that is what the Sox will do? 

[Y2Jimmy0]

22 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

 

I like the idea of Wilyer Abreu. He's 25-years-old and really good. I could get behind that depending on the rest of the package. I could see Braden Montgomery potentially being involved as well. 

9 minutes ago, Boopa1219 said:

Roman Anthony has to be in any deal with the Red Sox. Remember, the Sox were heavily linked with him during his draft year. 

Roman Anthony is the #1 prospect in baseball. He will not be involved. 

[michelangelosmonkey]

16 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Who exactly is replicating the numbers of Pasquantino and Sal Perez on the White Sox?

Most importantly...the co AL MVP extended in his early 20s?

Is Montgomery actually still a SS?

 

And we have been over one million times why they won't extend Crochet...

Just like KC will be very careful with Ragans having either two TJ surgeries depending on your revision outlook...for the second right on top of the first surgery.

And KC already had to go out and spend even more on Wacha...which is an iffy proposition if you look carefully at his last five seasons.  He could be the pitching version of Benintendi.

Pasquantino is not much better than Vaughn.  Vaughn had .750 OPS the previous two years P had .760...and I'm not really counting on Vaughn as more than a failed prospect.  I said they should sign a big contract on a hitter. So Alonso + Vaughn is as good as Salvy + P and I think Montgomery, Quero and Soso could be better than the Royals 4-5-6 bats.

As for "we will never do this"...it's a new era.  There is a ton of payroll available.   Getz seems in charge.  He drafted Smith...the idea of three amazing left handed starters is fun.