My/Your Off Season Plan

[GGajewski18]

Extend Qualifying Offer to SP Jeff Samardzija- he declines, Sox get a comp pick

Pick up 10 option for SS Alexei Ramirez

 

Resign:

RP Matt Albers 1 year/2 million

 

Sign via Free Agency:

RF Jason Heyward 6 years/125 million (Regardless if 1st round pick is protected)

SP Doug Fister 1 year/8 million

 

Trades:

White Sox trade SP Jose Quintana, RF Avail Garcia, 2B Micah Johnson, SP Chris Beck and SP Tyler Danish to the Rockies for 3B Nolan Arenado and C Wilin Rosario

White Sox trade RP Zach Putnam to the Marlins for UTIL Derek Dietrich

 

Rotation/Bullpen:

 

SP Chris Sale

SP Doug Fister

SP Carlos Rodon

SP Erik Johnson

SP John Danks (Until Fulmer is ready)

 

RP Matt Albers

RP Dan Jennings (L)

RP Jake Petricka

RP Zach Duke (L)

RP Frankie Montas

RP Nate Jones

CP David Robertson

 

Lineup:

CF Adam Eaton (L)

1B Jose Abreu

3B Nolan Arenado

LF Melky Cabrera (S)

RF Jason Heyward (L)

DH Adam LaRoche (L)

SS Alexei Ramirez

C Tyler Flowers

2B Carlos Sanchez

 

Bench:

OF J.B Shuck

C Wilin Rosario

UTIL Tyler Saladino

UTIL Derek Dietrich

 

After this year the Sox would free up 46 million by letting Ramirez, Fister, LaRoche, and Danks go.

 

Thoughts and what would you do this off season?

Edited September 8, 2015 by SoxPride18

[he gone.]

I won't have as much detail, I'll probably have more of a plan as I digest who the FA are, possibilities, etc.

 

However:

I'd be more than okay trading pitching depth for a 3B. I too, love Arenado, and think for the right price the Rockies who are just as awful, would trade him for a nice return. I'd love to give up someone like a Fulmer more than a proven commodity in Quintana, but I'd do what it takes.

 

Other than that: Generally would like somehow to improve outfield speed/athleticism and improve DH. If there are open pocketbooks I think this has to be done by trading and eating LaRoches contract. I don't think we can survive with him filling the Paulie role of slow, trodding, old, bench player. Or even worse, as starting DH. He's a wasted space, and needs to be gone. With him gone --- maybe Micah DH, maybe someone new? Maybe a shiny new outfielder and Avi at DH. I just think it lends to more flexibility without LaRoche

 

I hate myself for saying it, but, sign Soto/Flowers -- but flip flop them. More time for Soto, less for Flowers.

 

Pitching, think will be fine. If you trade a Q or a Fulmer, etc. then I think you go out and sign a Kennedy, Buehrle, etc.

[cabiness42]

1) Look at who is available in free agency

 

2) Cry

[jdupps]

Like you I'm a huge fan of Nolan Arenado. But if I'm the Rockies the Sox will need to include Sale in any trade talks for Arenado. They probably still wouldn't trade him. Like Sale there are only a few players that young and elite at their position.

[Knackattack]

Extend QO to Shark - Comp pick

Decline option on Alexei Ramirez

DFA Tyler Flowers

 

Trade RF Avi Garcia, 2B Carlos Sanchez, SP Tyler Danish and DH Adam LaRoche for to Padres for Matt Kemp, minor league C Austin Hedges & 6 mil cash considerations each season.

 

Trade Jose Quintana to Dodgers for Yasiel Puig and C Yasmani Grandal W/ 5mil per year Salary Relief

 

Resign Geo Soto - 1yr/4mil & Albers - 1yr/3 mil

 

Sign Ben Zobrist - 2 yr/25 mil to play 3B.

 

Sign Mat Latos - 1yr/9mil

 

Sign Mike Aviles 1 yr/4mil

 

Line-Up

 

CF Adam Eaton (L)

3B Ben Zobrist (S)

1B Jose Abreu ®

RF Yasiel Puig ®

DH Melky Cabrera (S)

LF Matt Kemp ®

C Yasmani Grandal (S)

2B Micah Johnson (L)

SS Tyler Saladino ®

 

Starting 5

 

Chris Sale (L)

Mat Latos ®

Carlos Rodon (L)

Erik Johnson ®

John Danks (L)

 

Pen

L Dan Jennings

R Dan Webb

L Zach Duke

R Matt Albers

R Franklin Montas

R Nate Jones

R David Roberston (CL)

 

Bench

OF Trayce Thompson R

OF J.B. Shuck L

C Geo Soto R

IF Mike Aviles (S)

 

Payroll would sit around where it is this season, the LaRoche albatross is gone and the Sox pick up a top tier catching prospect, Saladino holds down SS until Anderson is ready, the outfield defense improces and Abreu finally gets some protection.

Edited September 8, 2015 by Knackattack

[Y2Jimmy0]

My plan would start with not giving away any draft picks period. I'm not signing a free agent with a QO. I'd rather sign Cespedes and a FA RHP. I think the 3B, C would have to be acquired via trade. I've mentioned before that I'd like to get Alex Guerrero somehow to play 3B. I wouldn't be dealing Quintana unless I got a Puiglike return. Roll with pitching and patch together enough offense.

[BlackSox13]

I can respect the time that went into the making of this thread and the ideas of what the SOX could do this off season, but...

 

Why would the Rockies be interested in trading a 24 year old stud power hitting 3B? And why would they do it for that horrible package? The Rockies already have better outfielders than Avi, Beck is nothing special and Danish will be repeating AA, and the Rockies have LeMahieu at 2B so why would they want a defensive hack like Micah? The Sox would be laughed at.

 

I can see something possibly being worked out for Rosario but not Arenado.

 

[GGajewski18]

Like you I'm a huge fan of Nolan Arenado. But if I'm the Rockies the Sox will need to include Sale in any trade talks for Arenado. They probably still wouldn't trade him. Like Sale there are only a few players that young and elite at their position.

 

Chris Sale >>>> Nolan Arenado. Sorry, that's not homerism, that's just fact.

 

My plan would start with not giving away any draft picks period. I'm not signing a free agent with a QO. I'd rather sign Cespedes and a FA RHP. I think the 3B, C would have to be acquired via trade. I've mentioned before that I'd like to get Alex Guerrero somehow to play 3B. I wouldn't be dealing Quintana unless I got a Puiglike return. Roll with pitching and patch together enough offense.

 

In my scenario, Quintana would net us Arenado who is a free agent in 2020. That is a Puig like return because he is a GG 3B, which are so rare to find. I trust the Sox with their pitching, that's why I could trade Q for this type of player.

[coco1997]

Evan Longoria.

[Dunt]

1.) Secure top 10 pick

2.) Extend QO to Samardzija

3.) Pick up Alexei's option

4.) Sign JHey

5.) Trade for Austin Barnes

 

CF Eaton

RF Heyward

DH Abreu

1B LaRoche

LF Cabrera

C Barnes

SS Alexei

2B Sanchez

3B Saladino

 

 

SP Sale

SP Quintana

SP Johnson

SP Rodon

SP Danks

 

CL Robertson

RP Jones

RP Montas

RP Putnam

RP Duke

RP Petricka

 

 

[southsider2k5]

I see no scenario which has us spending $100 million on a free agent.

 

I think our big move will be to send Quintana out for a young stud 3B. Past that, it is all roster filling.

[Buehrle>Wood]

- We don't trade Quintana, since Hahn/KW will realize it's dumb to trade someone under valued.

 

-Sign one of the big ticket OFers (Heyward/Cespedes/Upton). I'll say Cespedes.

 

-Offer shark the QO. He will reject.

 

-Pick up Alexeis option.

 

-DFS Flowers and acquire a catcher. I'm looking at Houston in particular for this.

 

1. Eaton, CF

2. Johnson, 2B

3. Abreu, 1B

4. Melky, LF

5. Cespedes, RF

6. Avisail, DH

7. Alexei, SS

8. Jason Castro (?), C

9. Saladino/Sanchez if he has the arm.

 

Bench including Saladino/Sanchez, LaRoche, Thompson should be good. Laroche still should find plenty abs if we properly rotate our 3 outfield spots, dh and 1b.

 

1. Sale

2. Q

3. Rodon

4. Johnson

5. Danks

 

Bullpen:

LHPs- Jennings, Duke

RHP- Jones, Petricka, Putnam, Albers/Webb/Montas

C- Robertson

 

Simple enough.

 

[GGajewski18]

I see no scenario which has us spending $100 million on a free agent.

 

I think our big move will be to send Quintana out for a young stud 3B. Past that, it is all roster filling.

 

What were they planning to do with Samardzija before his carousal of a season? They had all intentions of signing him to a huge contract, why not do it for a guy like Heyward who, theoretically, is entering his prime years. Remember, Joel Sherman had a tweet out earlier this year saying the Sox were 2nd in Heyward sweepstakes before the Cards got him, so there is definitely interest there from the front office.

 

Not to mention, they were in the Tanaka race and reportedly offered 5 years 125 million I believe. Also, Danks, LaRoche, and Alexei (if option is picked up) money is freed up next year, that is 38 million right there.

 

Signing Heyward and moving Q for a stud 3B like Arenado, or Rendon would make this lineup and team defense so much better.

 

A guy like Longoria and Seager in no way I see Q involved in any deal unless they send Cobb, Smyly, Archer back in the deal.

[Jose Abreu]

I don't get the appeal of Jason Heyward. He's going to be so overpaid, and he's not even that good.

[GGajewski18]

I don't get the appeal of Jason Heyward. He's going to be so overpaid, and he's not even that good.

 

25.2 career WAR according to baseball reference over a course of 6 years including this year. If you do the math, that is an average of 4.2 WAR per season.

 

He is worth the money.

[OmarComing25]

I don't get the appeal of Jason Heyward. He's going to be so overpaid, and he's not even that good.

Young, above-average left-handed hitter, pretty good on the basepaths, and a premier defender at a spot where we are horrific defensively. He's pretty much good at all things where we're lacking.

[fathom]

Young, above-average left-handed hitter, pretty good on the basepaths, and a premier defender at a spot where we are horrific defensively. He's pretty much good at all things where we're lacking.

 

If Sox are spending 100 million dollars on a hitter, I hope they're more of a guaranteed slugger than Heyward is.

[Jose Abreu]

If Sox are spending 100 million dollars on a hitter, I hope they're more of a guaranteed slugger than Heyward is.

I think he'll get $150-$175 million.

[southsider2k5]

I think he'll get $150-$175 million.

 

With the big lack of offense this winter on the free agent market, he is going to be getting a HUGE deal. With the season we just had, I don't see any reality that allows the team to spend like that on another player, nor do I see the franchise wanting to give out a 7 or 8 year deal.

[Balta1701]

I think he'll get $150-$175 million.

I think he'll get more than that. By a lot.

[BlackSox13]

Good grief. Some of these proposals are alot like the proposals us Sox fans see from Boston and cub fans regarding Sale. Looking to trade what they don't want for something that's good and then turn around and try to justify how the players they are looking trade are worthy, even though they don't want the players. It's an endless circle.

Edited September 8, 2015 by BlackSox13

[GGajewski18]

Good grief. Some of these proposals are alot like the proposals us Sox fans see from Boston and cub fans regarding Sale. Looking to trade what they don't want for something that's good and then turn around and try to justify how the players they are looking trade are worthy, even though they don't want the players. It's an endless circle.

 

Instead of ridiculing our ideas, come up with your own and contribute to the thread then.

[GreenSox]

Trade RF Avi Garcia, 2B Carlos Sanchez, SP Tyler Danish and DH Adam LaRoche for to Padres for Matt Kemp, minor league C Austin Hedges & 6 mil cash considerations each season.

I wouldn't trade Avi Garcia straight up for Matt Kemp. Kemp is mediocre these days and getting worse.

 

It's sort of like the CW around here that Melky has done his job, while Avi sucks. The reality is that Avi has hit just as well as Melky, and leads the league in OF assists.

 

Trades:

White Sox trade SP Jose Quintana, RF Avail Garcia, 2B Micah Johnson, SP Chris Beck and SP Tyler Danish to the Rockies for 3B Nolan Arenado and C Wilin Rosario

White Sox trade RP Zach Putnam to the Marlins for UTIL Derek Dietrich

 

I like the thinking behind the Arenado trade - try to get a young stud in here. I think it's too much and Rosario does nothing for us. What worries me about Arenado is that his OBP is pretty bad...and compared to his SLG, it's really bad. So I wonder if his gaudy numbers are sustainable. Might use Quintana on someone else or to fill 2 holes.

People undervalue A Garcia. Don't know why. he's had 1 full season, outplayed Melky, but somehow everyone wants to ship him out.

Edited September 9, 2015 by GreenSox

[daggins]

QO to Shark - Declined

Decline Alexei's option

 

Sign Matt Albers - 1 yr 2.5 mil

Sign Geo Soto - 1 yr 3 mil

 

Trade - Adam Laroche to Colorodo Rockies for Jose Reyes and 10 million dollars

Trade - Frankie Montas, Micah Johnson, Erik Johnson, Trey Michalczewski for Todd Frazier

 

Sign John Jaso, DH/1B for 1 yr 3.5M

Sign Hisashi Iwakuma for 1 yr 10M

 

CF Adam Eaton

SS Jose Reyes

1B/DH Jose Abreu

3B Todd Frazier

LF Melky Cabrera

RF Avi Garcia

1B/DH John Jaso

C Tyler Flowers

2B Carlos Sanchez

 

OF Trayce Thompson, IF Tyler Saladino, IF Mike Olt, C/DH Geo Soto

 

LHP Chris Sale

LHP Jose Quintana

RHP Hisashi Iwakuma

LHP Carlos Rodon

LHP John Danks

 

CL - David Robertson

SU - Zach Duke, Nate Jones

RP - Zach Putnam, Matt Albers, Jake Petricka, Dan Jennings

Edited September 8, 2015 by daggins

[Jose Abreu]

Trade - Adam Laroche to Colorodo Rockies for Jose Reyes and 10 million dollars

The Rockies have a solid up-and-coming first baseman. What would they do with Adam LaRoche?