dpd9189

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 10:46 AM) So realistically, what teams are left that could be in the market for Cespedes' services? I can think of the Sox, Tigers, Orioles, Royals, Angels, and possibly the Mets. Are there any others? Giants. They have $$$ and need another OF bat.

Would De Aza start for the Mets or is that a 4th OF signing?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2015 -> 01:55 AM) I wouldn't count the Cardinals out just yet, especially if they were to add Gordon/Cespedes/Upton or possibly Chris Davis (that would require a rearrangement of their roster with Adams). That said, the Brewers and definitely the Reds are way off in terms of competing with the top of the division. Milwaukee's probably closer to a rebuild/teardown than a competitive team. Agree, I wouldn't count out a lot of teams yet. Just cause a team says they're "out" on a player or because baseball insiders aren't connecting a certain team to a player doesn't mean anything. Grienke to AZ came out of nowhere and the Cubs did the same with Zobrist.

Gordon is a good ball player but I'd pass on him. The Sox can probably get Upton for a little more money who's 5 years younger.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 18, 2015 -> 12:34 PM) I agree. But, I think it'll be 7 years with an opt out after 3-4. Disagree, the OF market is just so slow right now. Literally barely hearing anything on players. They can backload a deal, much like what the Giants did with Samardzija. Side not, Cardinals are working Holliday out at 1B now. I bet they get back in the Gordon sweepstakes. If they sign Upton to a long term deal with an opt out after 3-4 years, expect the deal to be front loaded like the Heyward deal. Also back loading the deal in an opt out can hurt the team as well if the player declines and decides not to opt out and then you're stuck paying him mega bucks through his declining years which will also affect future moves as well. This is why I think they still need to move a contract or two.

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Dec 18, 2015 -> 12:39 PM) Why can't they just backload a contract for one of the top FA's? Buck up this year, cover it with the Danks/Laroche money that comes off the books next year. I don't know that I agree that a trade/payer movement from the existing roster is the only way we can bring in one of the big 3... If they back load a deal for one of the UFA's, then odds are that contract won't have an opt out in it. If you look at Heyward's deal for the Cubs he's getting a major chunk of his $$$ in the first 3-4 years of the deal so if the Sox signed Upton let's say at 6/$120 mil with an opt out after 3 years, there's are real good chance he'd be getting over 50% of the contract in the first few years before the opt out which makes back loading a deal like that difficult.

QUOTE (flavum @ Dec 18, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) Gut feeling at some point between now and next Thursday, Upton signs with the Sox for five years, with an opt-out after two or three. BTW, these opt-outs are kinda bugging some people...and I get it. I think if they could have done this already, they would have. I still think they need to move some money first.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 17, 2015 -> 04:25 PM) i will play the devil's advocate here. if the sox need to get that final piece, and the salary is at its limits, the sox, imo will not make that move, b/c a dead weight contract is on the books, that contract belongs to laroche. 13 mil is alot when the owners wants to justify ever penny . They probably need to dump LaRoche and one of Melky/Robertson because an Upton or Cespedes will cost over $20 mil AAV if they want to go that route.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Dec 18, 2015 -> 09:12 AM) Ken Rosenthal just said on MLBN that an O's beat writer said that the O's aren't spending 100 million+ on a player other than Chris Davis. So now, that is the Angels, Giants, Cardinals, and O's now out on the big OFs. That leaves the Sox, Nationals, Tigers, and Royals that have reported interest in the big 3 OFs. Don't ever believe teams are truly out on a player even when they say they're "out". A lot of bluffing going on. That being said it's been reported that the Sox need to clear some space to sign one of these guys. Personally I'd trade LaRoche to Pittsburgh and pick up whatever part of the salary the Sox have to pick up just to get him out of here, at this point he adds nothing to the team. Then I'd try to deal Robertson. There might be some teams that would be interested in him and I'm of the belief that you can always find a closer either in house or sign a few guys on 1 year deals to compete for it. Robertson's deal is probably holding up a signing right now.

If given the choice Cespedes. Something bugs me about Upton. With his age and all, you'd think teams would be knocking down his door to get him signed and that doesn't seem to be the case. I wonder if there are some red flags we don't know about that many baseball people do. Cespedes can be a dynamic bat for the Sox. If the Sox can find a taker for Melky, Cespedes is your everyday LF.

QUOTE (daggins @ Dec 17, 2015 -> 10:23 AM) They're close, though. They already project to be around the middle of the pack in the AL. Need more from the OF corners. They've improved but I don't think they're that close just yet. Need to see how the rest of the offseason plays out. Remember other AL teams will get better as well.

QUOTE (Baron @ Dec 16, 2015 -> 12:42 PM) I dont believe that Hahn is going to let Garcia sit in the OF uncontested atleast for his job. Atleast it didnt sound that way from his comments about Garcia. I would prefer if Hahn shot Garcia out of a cannon and out of town.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Dec 16, 2015 -> 12:29 PM) This takes the CarGo deal away which is fine. It's Upton or Cespedes now. Really love the deal from our side. I'm ok (don't love it, don't hate it) with the deal but I still think the Sox need more. Right now I still don't think this is a playoff team.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 16, 2015 -> 12:15 PM) Even if you assume he repeats those numbers, and doesn't benefit at all from not playing in Oakland again, his OPS is over 100 points greater than Carlos Sanchez who finished the season at 2B, and 130 points better than Micah Johson who started there. I get that but I don't consider him a "big" addition or a major move that will impact the team. The A's basically gave him to the Sox.

QUOTE (mmmmmbeeer @ Dec 16, 2015 -> 12:07 PM) I think there's too much weight being given to Todd's interleague splits by those down on this deal. You're looking at roughly half a season of at-bats over the last 4 years and trying to translate that to what we should expect...that's not fair. While he still struggled during interleague last season, he hit much better than he had the previous two which tells me that he may have become more familiar with the pitching...but again, sample size, so who knows. He's a talented player and is filling a position that has been a black hole on this team for nearly a decade. Even slashing .250/.310/.450 with ~25hr per season with decent D will serve as a HUGE upgrade for the Sox. This also allows us to fill another perpetual black hole at 2b with another solid bat in Lawrie. Fantastic moves that didn't cost us much in the way of talent. Lawrie had an OBP of .299 and was a 0.6 WAR player last year. You can always hope for the best but it's not like we picked up the 2nd coming of Joe Morgan.

I'm not sure the Sox sold high on Thompson, it's just the cost of doing business. Frazier at least gives them someone else besides Abreu that other teams have to worry about. The rest of the offense still sucks but the Sox will at least have a solid 3-4 in the lineup.

Any deal for a middle of the line up impact bat is going to the cost the Sox either their top prospects or most likely one of their young SP's in the big leagues. Personally I would deal Robertson because I believe you can replace a closer more easily than a SP and aside from Abreu, the Sox really don't have the position players that teams would be beating down their door for. So I think their best option is to trade Robertson, replace him either in house or a cheaper option and use that money to sign an impact bat.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Dec 15, 2015 -> 04:31 PM) Anyone think the cub clubhouse may get a little tense.....heyward is getting $26m a year and Bryant had to lose two years of service time in the name of the process.....at some point in some regard I think him missing two years of service time comes back to roost. No.

Wouldn't count out the Mets now that Cuddyer retired.

I don't think the Sox can make any big/decent sized signings without getting money off the books. Even if Fowler was an option I don't think they can afford him right now. That being said, Fowler is a nice player but I wouldn't sign him for more than 2 years. People tend to forget he had a pretty lousy first half with the Cubs last year.

Oh Jesus Christ, is this a real thread?

The Sox need to do the following. 1. Stop trying to compete with or be obsessed over the Cubs. They're not in our division or league. Look at them no different then you look at the Padres or Braves. what the Cubs do or don't do shouldn't influence the Sox. 2. Draft better and build/develop from within and create a sustainable winner. If they do these things, fans will come. Everyone loves being a fan of a winner.

Cubs still need another SP. That being said, they're going to be a powerhouse for a while.

As for Heyward. He's going to get paid and I'll think he'll be really good into his 30's but I don't think I'd sign him if there wasn't an opt out clause after 5 years. It would benefit him as well as he can cash in again at age 31. However an 8-10 year deal with no opt out clause usually look pretty bad at the end.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Dec 10, 2015 -> 02:15 PM) For the cubs offseason moves and how the Chicago media can not praise them enough, at this point in time have they gotten that much better Would you trade Castro, Fowler and $10M for Lackey and Zobrist..... Castro has been bad 2 of the last 3 seasons. I'm surprised they got what they got for him.