Austin Slater Signed to MLB Deal

[SoxBlanco]

18 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

But on the flip side, if the Sox lose out on signing Austin Slater, does it really matter at all?

The only moves that truly matter for this team are the trades of Crochet and Robert and their young players producing.  32-year old Slater will have little to no impact to the Sox next season.

I don’t disagree. There’s no need to celebrate this move, and there’s no need to complain about it. 

[Bob Sacamano]

Yeah, if they want to open space on the 40-man right before the Rule 5 draft, it really won’t be that hard. Just look at the roster. No one will be upset if they DFA and lose Justin Anderson, or Gus Varland, or Pen Murfee.

Edited November 19 by Bob Sacamano

[fathom]

13 minutes ago, Bob Sacamano said:

Yeah, if they want to open space on the 40-man right before the Rule 5 draft, it really won’t be that hard. Just look at the roster. No one will be upset if they DFA and lose Justin Anderson, or Gus Varland, or Pen Murfee.

I like all three of those arms over some of the others 

[nrockway]

19 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

That’s about 40% of the starting pitching market, for players notable enough to be listed on ESPNs FA tracker. I say about because I’m not sure if Ohtani counts.

out of that list, I'd call Fedde the 'steal' of it. it's too bad it turned into Vargas (jury's still out on him I guess), but you gotta give the front office credit for seeing something there though, that evidently only 'wunderkind' Stearns also saw.

I suppose the discussion is about something different, but I don't know what Fedde's deal has to do with anything. He was probably in discussion with teams well before he eventually signed with the Sox...but the market was dry for him. Had to think he was expecting a bigger payday. Do we think the Reds would've rather paid Nick Martinez $21mil for 4.0 bWAR or Erick Fedde $7.5mil for 5.6 WAR? Easy to say in hindsight.

I guess this is to say, glass half full perspective, it's probably a good thing that the Sox were able to identify Fedde as a useful player when other teams didn't. There was no point in signing Martinez, Gibson, Maeda, re-treading Lance, etc. I tend to think there's reason to be optimistic that the organization is at least competent on the pitching side of things. My hope going into next season is that some of these new hires can help out on the other side of the ball. Jury's out on Getz.

[caulfield12]

23 minutes ago, nrockway said:

out of that list, I'd call Fedde the 'steal' of it. it's too bad it turned into Vargas (jury's still out on him I guess), but you gotta give the front office credit for seeing something there though, that evidently only 'wunderkind' Stearns also saw.

I suppose the discussion is about something different, but I don't know what Fedde's deal has to do with anything. He was probably in discussion with teams well before he eventually signed with the Sox...but the market was dry for him. Had to think he was expecting a bigger payday. Do we think the Reds would've rather paid Nick Martinez $21mil for 4.0 bWAR or Erick Fedde $7.5mil for 5.6 WAR? Easy to say in hindsight.

I guess this is to say, glass half full perspective, it's probably a good thing that the Sox were able to identify Fedde as a useful player when other teams didn't. There was no point in signing Martinez, Gibson, Maeda, re-treading Lance, etc. I tend to think there's reason to be optimistic that the organization is at least competent on the pitching side of things. My hope going into next season is that some of these new hires can help out on the other side of the ball. Jury's out on Getz.

To be fair, Martinez was coming off a 1.4 fWAR season in SD, but was given $26 million for TWO years by Cincy, so $13 million per year based on 16 GS in the majors or $7.5 and the KBO.

Martinez was worth less than Fedde in 2023, but getting 3.5-4.0 fWAR/bWAR for $13 million would still be considered a very good FA signing, all things considered.

Not a steal exactly had Martinez actually signed with the Sox, you'd have the third best signing overall after Fedde and DeJong...and you'd even have the trend of the Sox taking pitchers out of Korea and having success with them as something to hang your hat on.

 

[Chicago White Sox]

1 hour ago, SoxBlanco said:

I don’t disagree. There’s no need to celebrate this move, and there’s no need to complain about it. 

Yup, we need to see the price tag before complaining.

[caulfield12]

Zaidi said Tuesday the team’s decisions to cut Nick Ahmed and trade away Austin Slater were about giving younger players more opportunities. He specifically mentioned Fitzgerald and outfielder Luis Matos, another 22-year-old. The Giants have already seen that pay off this year with 24-year-old outfielder Heliot Ramos, who didn’t get his first MLB game this season until May 8 but was just named to the All-Star team.

https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/sf-giants-casting-aside-longtime-top-prospect-19565620.php

Of course, Zaidi got fired, so what does he know, lol?

Slater, fwiw, was their longest-tenured player after Brandon Belt left for TOR.

 

So essentially that spot could theoretically have gone to Elko instead...who will be 26 on Opening Day.

 

Edited November 19 by caulfield12

[greg775]

This is identical to acquiring Tommy Pham. Frankly after looking hitterish in the playoffs, I'd rather get Pham back than Slater. Slater is a typical Sox acquisition. He's a guy. But so is Pham and we already like Pham a bit so bring him back and dump Slater please.

[nrockway]

4 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

To be fair, Martinez was coming off a 1.4 fWAR season in SD, but was given $26 million for TWO years by Cincy, so $13 million per year based on 16 GS in the majors or $7.5 and the KBO.

Martinez was worth less than Fedde in 2023, but getting 3.5-4.0 fWAR/bWAR for $13 million would still be considered a very good FA signing, all things considered.

Not a steal exactly had Martinez actually signed with the Sox, you'd have the third best signing overall after Fedde and DeJong...and you'd even have the trend of the Sox taking pitchers out of Korea and having success with them as something to hang your hat on.

 

Sure, Martinez had a very nice season and was paid a fair contract. You could say the same thing about Wacha, a very good pitcher paid a fair amount (perhaps underpaid). Fedde was objectively a steal though. Somebody within the organization thought it was a good idea to pay him. If the Mets were in on him, they definitely could've used him and have an unlimited budget, they could've paid him. As I say, glass half full, that feels like a good sign. Now just figure it out with every other department, not just 30+ pitchers.

[Kyyle23]

5 hours ago, greg775 said:

This is identical to acquiring Tommy Pham. Frankly after looking hitterish in the playoffs, I'd rather get Pham back than Slater. Slater is a typical Sox acquisition. He's a guy. But so is Pham and we already like Pham a bit so bring him back and dump Slater please.

Slater had two at bats in the post season. 

[caulfield12]

1 hour ago, nrockway said:

Sure, Martinez had a very nice season and was paid a fair contract. You could say the same thing about Wacha, a very good pitcher paid a fair amount (perhaps underpaid). Fedde was objectively a steal though. Somebody within the organization thought it was a good idea to pay him. If the Mets were in on him, they definitely could've used him and have an unlimited budget, they could've paid him. As I say, glass half full, that feels like a good sign. Now just figure it out with every other department, not just 30+ pitchers.

Probably the Mets were unwilling to guarantee Fedde a spot in the starting rotation...and Fedde simply bet on himself if given an opportunity that he could put together a solid season.

[Dick Allen]

6 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Yup, we need to see the price tag before complaining.

The pri ce tag is low. I just don't see the need of adding 32 year old bench pieces to this disaster. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kyyle23]

43 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

The pri ce tag is low. I just don't see the need of adding 32 year old bench pieces to this disaster. 

 

 

 

 

 

Right now it’s just bodies imo.  Riff raff

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, caulfield12 said:

Probably the Mets were unwilling to guarantee Fedde a spot in the starting rotation...and Fedde simply bet on himself if given an opportunity that he could put together a solid season.

Naw, the White Sox actually stepped in and paid Fedde more than NY was offering.

[WhiteSox2023]

1 hour ago, Dick Allen said:

The pri ce tag is low. I just don't see the need of adding 32 year old bench pieces to this disaster. 

 

 

 

 

 

Just wait until you see what a Sheets/Slater platoon can do!

[Balta1701]

If there a narrative here it’s not that this guy is a big mistake, it’s that domestic violence enthusiast Chris Getz panics. You give him a recommendation on a player or a guy who he likes for some reason and he will ignore all other possibilities to get that player, because he’s scared of losing him. And this isn’t for elite players like Ohtani, it’s for the 28th man on his roster.

-The Bummer trade to the Braves. I get the concept of acquiring depth,  but the Braves GM literally told Getz he was going to nontender two of those players. Getz was too scared of losing them to try to negotiate lower prices on the FA market, despite the fact that there were tons of other similar options.

-The Cease trade. Getz panics, he’s too scared to hold Cease into the season so he accepts a mediocre deal.

-The Fedde trade - Getz gets a recommendation on Vargas, becomes scared he’ll lose him, and overpays to get him. Meanwhile, other teams (Florida) get better value for worse pitchers.

-the Slater signing. Could be a decent player but the odds of a RH platoon OF being available somewhere 2 months from now are 100%. Getz panics that someone else will step in, and gives him a major league deal when his profile suggests he’d sign a minor league deal with an option in a month or two.

This is an actual pattern, Getz isn’t willing to wait on any market and instead panics that he will lose a guy he thinks he must have, no matter how replaceable that guy is.

[WhiteSox2023]

9 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

If there a narrative here it’s not that this guy is a big mistake, it’s that domestic violence enthusiast Chris Getz panics. You give him a recommendation on a player or a guy who he likes for some reason and he will ignore all other possibilities to get that player, because he’s scared of losing him. And this isn’t for elite players like Ohtani, it’s for the 28th man on his roster.

-The Bummer trade to the Braves. I get the concept of acquiring depth,  but the Braves GM literally told Getz he was going to nontender two of those players. Getz was too scared of losing them to try to negotiate lower prices on the FA market, despite the fact that there were tons of other similar options.

-The Cease trade. Getz panics, he’s too scared to hold Cease into the season so he accepts a mediocre deal.

-The Fedde trade - Getz gets a recommendation on Vargas, becomes scared he’ll lose him, and overpays to get him. Meanwhile, other teams (Florida) get better value for worse pitchers.

-the Slater signing. Could be a decent player but the odds of a RH platoon OF being available somewhere 2 months from now are 100%. Getz panics that someone else will step in, and gives him a major league deal when his profile suggests he’d sign a minor league deal with an option in a month or two.

This is an actual pattern, Getz isn’t willing to wait on any market and instead panics that he will lose a guy he thinks he must have, no matter how replaceable that guy is.

The scariest thing about all of this is that he started an assistant to player development with the Royals in 2014, then had three roles with the Sox as director of player development, assistant GM, and now the GM but he doesn’t seem to be very good at assessing talent, specifically position players.

Like you said, he’s always relying on the recommendations of others on which players to acquire, even coaches he ends up firing a week later as in the Vargas trade.

[Chicago White Sox]

13 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The scariest thing about all of this is that he started an assistant to player development with the Royals in 2014, then had three roles with the Sox as director of player development, assistant GM, and now the GM but he doesn’t seem to be very good at assessing talent, specifically position players.

Like you said, he’s always relying on the recommendations of others on which players to acquire, even coaches he ends up firing a week later as in the Vargas trade.

People keep saying this but I really doubt it’s true.

[Balta1701]

14 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The scariest thing about all of this is that he started an assistant to player development with the Royals in 2014, then had three roles with the Sox as director of player development, assistant GM, and now the GM but he doesn’t seem to be very good at assessing talent, specifically position players.

Like you said, he’s always relying on the recommendations of others on which players to acquire, even coaches he ends up firing a week later as in the Vargas trade.

And as soon as he has any sort of hint or recommendation, it becomes “oh God what do I do if I lose this player here take Fedde and Kopech I can’t afford to lose this guy”. 

Slater could absolutely be fine, but there is zero reason to think that a RH platoon OF is a must have player in mid November. When Hahn would go after a guy in November, it would be Wheeler or Grandal, a guy who genuinely wouldn’t have a replacement in two weeks if he waited. Getz does that for guys who might make a big league roster.

[WhiteSox2023]

37 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

People keep saying this but I really doubt it’s true.

Trying to find the Tweet from a valid source.

Edited November 19 by WhiteSox2023

[Snopek]

When the book on the 2024 White Sox is being written, I hope they interview some posters here because evidently they have a lot of inside info on how things went down.

[PaleAleSox]

8 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Trying to find the Tweet from a valid source.

Pretty sure that tweet just said he had worked with Vargas in the offseason, which really doesn't tell you that much. 

[Balta1701]

1 hour ago, Snopek said:

When the book on the 2024 White Sox is being written, I hope they interview some posters here because evidently they have a lot of inside info on how things went down.

We didn't have every specific detail like "Wow somehow they hate Liam Hendriks of all people", but a lot of the ones written in the postmortem articles this season - "Reinsdorf is obsessed with loyalty and prefers sycophants to quality staff, Reinsdorf is obsessed with playing the game the way they did in the 1990s, the analytics office has been a mess and they have no idea how to use any of the information from it, the players on this team do not get along well together at all" - we've had those figured out for years.

[TaylorStSox]

When a post starts with "domestic violence enthusiast," you can be sure you're getting a fair assessment. 

[fathom]

1 hour ago, PaleAleSox said:

Pretty sure that tweet just said he had worked with Vargas in the offseason, which really doesn't tell you that much. 

Thought it said he recommended him also