Dam8610

If the question is essentially about who is the make or break piece, I think the answer is Kopech. I think we all know that if Giolito doesn't repeat or we don't get at least a 3 starter out of Keuchel, this team isn't going to make the playoffs. So the question is who is the guy who could push the team into serious playoff or even division title contention? To me, that's Michael Kopech. If Kopech can come back and become what he showed flashes of pre-TJ, that's gives the team 2 aces to ride into and through the postseason along with this offense.

The Patriots weren't villainized like the Astros because Goodell is even more of a spineless coward than Manfred and buried the evidence. Both teams stole signals using technology to relay them to their players to give them a competitive advantage.

Bullshit. New England Patriots fans still claim their team has won 6 championships despite the rampant cheating that has been proven by the NFL again and again. Astros fans won't care unless you take it away and ban people, if history is any indication.

The Houston Astros are the New England Patriots of MLB, using technology to gain an unfair competitive advantage over their opponents that resulted in unprecedented and unearned success for their respective franchises. Both of those franchises' championships should be removed from the record books (just don't have a champion for those years), the trophies should be taken from the respective organizations, and the individuals involved in the cheating should be banned for life. It appears, however, that both Roger Goodell and Rob Manfred lack the courage to do what is right for the integrity of their sport. What both the Astros and Patriots did in their respective sports is worse, in my opinion, than what the 1919 White Sox did, and there are people still banned from baseball over 100 years later for what that team did. At least they only fixed an outcome so that they lost. The Astros and Patriots fixed outcomes so that they won.

SIX TEAMS PER LEAGUE WITH A 3 GAME WILD CARD ROUND! WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT?!

Their best hitters are Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson, both major regression risks due to their age and injury history. The Sox best hitter will likely be 25 or under, whether it be Moncada, Jimenez, or (though it's highly unlikely) Robert.

They're off to a great start already.

Trading Robert and Moncada for Arenado would make the Shields trade look smart. Same thing goes just for Robert.

2015

Soto and Bieber

Why does no one like Julio Teheran? Seems like he could be a 2 WAR pitcher who can inexplicably be had for cheap because he's not being hyped for some reason. He's also 28 so it's not like you'd expect him to fall off a cliff in the next couple of years. What am I missing here?

This is a stopgap that doesn't prevent a run at Betts next year, gives the team a decent 4th OF in the long run, and only cost Steele Walker. I don't love it, but I don't hate it.

Why don't more teams play this deferred money game? The White Sox should do it with Cole, blow everyone else's offer out of the water with deferred money.

Why is plan B not Strasburg? 5/$150 should get it done and isn't much more than the 5/$125 they offered Wheeler. Get the ace.

https://www.mlb.com/news/stephen-strasburg-rumors Morosi says White Sox are a dark horse to land Strasburg.