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They can help . Maybe you get Harper or Machado and they come with opt outs in year 3 . We will sure have an idea who amongst the OF er in the minors who can play and who can't. If the opt out last longer then you trade some you keep some and if you know they (Harper/Machado) will opt out then you see who wants them at the deadline and refresh your minor league talent and keep the window open longer.

If you can get him I'm not going to quibble over his supposed diminished value playing 1st base I don't care if he gets the majority of his WAR from his bat. I prefer it. I think we get too hung up on value when all we should want is the best way to maximize how he hits. 1B/DH might not be all that difficult to find but 1.100 OPS sure is.

Probably but I'm dreaming big based on all the rumors remember ? I believe them all . since it's more fun that way. Besides even looking at it objectively if the Sox really are seriousl about Machado then that advances the timetable on the rebuild . It also lines up with the new TV deal and they have the payroll to do it. SO me dreaming is also based on the cold hard facts. I'm just speculating on all the pieces and how they can be moved around. Brantley is a very solid piece when he's healthy.

Why not ? He not so great in the OF and the main thing is his bat anyway. Saves his legs a lot of wear and tear. His bat OBP etc . I'd want to do everything I can to see another 1.100 OPS out of him.

I don't think Donaldson gets close to that. Depends on how hihg theyre willing to go on the payroll. If its an all in year maybe $150M payroll . How much room does that leave ? Another $90M ? That should be enough room for Machado , a starting pitcher like Happ ,another reliever . You can skip Donaldson if you like and have Machado at 3rd or keep Donaldson play Machado at SS and try Timmy in CF.

Not if you move Harper to 1st base.

Might excite you if it was only the beginning of who they sign.

Might not be that way . Last year guys kept waiting and waiting until they got scraps. I expect some early signings and the winter meetings to be very robust.

Sure then put Harper at 1st base, non tender Avi. ABreu traded. Eloy in LF Brantley in RF, easy peazy

I believe everything. It's more fun that way. So in that vein Brantley could be a fall back OF in the likely event Harper doesn't sign with us,

Exactly. Next we'll be hearing about the Sox interest in Donaldson. Book it .

Does anyone ? How can a catcher be a top framer one year and not near the top all the time ? Did he all of a sudden stop framing as good ? I'll always contend and be in the minority that framing is dependent on pitchers catchers and umpires not necessarily in that order. I have seen countless times in games thread what a bad frame job someone did on a pitch the catcher had to lunge across the zone to catch. A pitch no one can frame well. Good framing means your pitcher can hit or come close to pitching where his catcher sets up. If the cacvher has soft hands with minimal movement it still doesn't guarantee a called strike. That's up to the ump. Look at all the complaints on the Moncada called 3rd strikes out of the zone . Is that all good framing or is it umpiring on a young player ? Who can really say ? That's my problem with it.

Are you deliberately missing the point ? Brian Duensing was a minor FA signing yet they gave him a presentation that he loved and he accepted less money from the Cubs because of it. If you go all out to sign a minor FA imagine the presentation for a guy like Harper or Machado. Not saying Harper will sign for less just that you're ignoring how important the presentation is is just pitiful. Yes the money matters but the presentation , showing the player how he and his family will be treated and the direction the team is going matters too. EVERY SINGLE TEAM does it. NO ONE just says here's our offer take it or leave it.

Did you see the Brian Duensing quotes about the Cubs presentation to him in this thread. Dueising signed for less because of a superb presentation. It included how they take care and protect his wife and kids while he was playing and how they would be able to go to playoff games. This was for a pitcher that signed for 2 years and $7M. The pitch /presentation is a HUGE part of wooing a free agent even the minor ones, plus of course the monetary offer. Every post you make you just dig yourself a bigger hole of your ignorance on how you sign a free agent.

And that's a very fair plan if Keuchel and Brantley end up costing less or even only slightly more. Keuchel gave up the most hits of his career and had his highest WHIP in 5 years. He's crafty but how much longer that plays is in question.

Problem is we have no idea when Machado will sign or even if he will give us the time of day unless we prove to him that we are legit contenders. Yes that is putting the cart before the horse and that's a huge gamble but we might need more pitcher anyway since all our starters will be so young or hurt or not what we expect them to be in 2 years. Double the risk if Corbon's lack of a track record and past injuries reappear. I can't say I'm aboard if all this is the case but if it's the plan to speed up the rebuild it's worth considering.

Sale and Quintana are both free agents after the 2019 season . The Sox could go after one or both if they want to next off season. Keeping them would mean no rebuild no Moncada, Kopech, Eloy, Cease and Basabe.

If they have no shot at Machado or Harper does it make sense to go after Corbin now? If you can't get Machdo or Harper they might ad well stay the course get another high draft pick and wait for Kopech to heal, Cease and Dunning to arrive f they need pitching Happ, Poemeranz etc. will be cheaper and others available next year.

Maybe they wanted Zunino because he is a really good backstop. Top 1-7 in many defensive categories and pitchers do better with him back there, For a young staff Zunino is a great catcher, Can't hit a lick though.

I saw nothing too damaging. I don't really understand the last paragraph, It looks like more quotes by Showalter but then it has sections of it in brackets. Is that the writer inserting his own translation to gaps that Showalter didnt fill in ? Seems weird to me that if it's a direct quote why use the brackets ?

I don't mean to contradict you. It's just it highly debatable when exactly a baseball players prime is and how long it lasts. If age 27 is truly entering their primes what would you call all their fantastic seasons before ? Harper had his best season by far at age 22. If that turns out to be his best season of his career wouldn't you then say that was his prime ? It's hard to imagine him having an even better year than he did that year. He has had 2 1.000+ OPS seasons age 22 and 24. If he is entering his prime now at 27 do you expect better seasons or seasons in line with his age 22 and 24 seasons ? These thing vary from player to player. There's been a lot of studies trying to pin down a prime but its all still pretty debatable. Many time a players prime turns out to be when they were healthiest. That isn't the same thing as when a player reaches a physical peak combined with the knowledge gained from experiencing MLB for a few years. Things also change dramatically changing leagues or even changing divisions. When you play the majority of your games in one league or division. the pitching is different every year, teams are better or worse. . Some players need an adjustment period . Others do not. Go look at that age 22 season he had when he was named MVP. 198 OPS + . No other seasons above a 156 OPS+ . I'd sure be happy with a 160+ but don't go expecting him to put up 198 OPS+ just because he's turning 27 and 28.

Write Rick Hahn a letter and ask him when he's trying to sell Machado on playing for the White Sox if he's going to say " Gee whiz Manny we really really want you but only if you give us 5 extra minutes by hustling out every routine ground ball and fly out and pop up by sprinting as hard as you can." Thank you and goodnight.

They already have Encarnacion signed through 2019 and they probably want him gone if the downsizing they do is to be successful.

In my mind the most likely team to sign Harper also along with the Phillies.

Not against hustling just not be naive to the fact that a bunch of guys slow up on balls that appear to be outs which they probably are 98% of the time. Your point is still moot . Would you rather have a much less talented players who gives 100% or a guys like Machado who get 5/6 WAR a year his way ? If you don't like his lack of hustle when you see it boo him. But I think you will be cheering lot more than booing if we are fortunate enough to get him.