Black_Jack29

Not sure I agree with that, but the Sox could've very well made that offer after the Padres made their offer with more guaranteed money, knowing that Machado wouldn't have accepted it. This is why I tend to believe that the Sox actually made the initially reported $175M offer or whatever it was. Because it was a lowball offer that Machado likely laughed at.

I'm saying that the Sox front office has every incentive to mislead its fan base by pretending to pursue marquee free agents. The Alonso/Jay signings show how low they'll stoop to achieve this, so I don't see how leaking a fake offer is that much of a stretch. There's no way to confirm any of this stuff because none of it's written down or recorded in any other way. It's not like making an offer to buy a house, where there's a dollar amount and signatures on a legal document.

If the fake offer improves the client's negotiating position, the agent will happily keep quiet and let another team out-bid it.

Do you have evidence that they actually offered that contract? Or are you relying on a "source" for that information? What makes you think that the Sox front office wouldn't leak a lie about a contract offer to improve their standing with their fan base, or that Machado's agent wouldn't leak a lie about an offer to improve his client's negotiating position?

My understanding is that insurance covers injuries, but not degraded performance. That's as big a worry as a major injury (and often follows one). I don't see JR committing more than $150M to any single player, and even then it's going to have to have opt-outs that are favorable to the Sox (e.g., Albert Belle's contract). So I would be pretty shocked to see the Sox land Cole. I wish that weren't the case, but this is an organization that's never eclipsed a $69M deal. I'll believe it when I see it.

You're both right.

Yes, which is completely different than "not all that good."

Reinsdorf and Einhorn were awful with fans from the get-go. And most of the organization's struggles with fans are self-inflicted. That said, the Sox are what they are and, as you mentioned, the Sox higher-ups need to stop punching down and fans would do themselves a service if they decided to either accept the organization for what they are or walk away. That's pretty much what I've done. I'm competitive, I want to win, and I get frustrated when the Sox fail to make the playoffs or fail to spend what they need to spend to remain competitive. But I also understand the reality of the way that JR runs the team and that the Sox are not going to spend their way into perennial contention in the way that the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox do. There are going to be down years and I'm OK with that... provided that they do what they need to do to get back into contention. And a certain baseline level of frustration with and b****ing about any sports franchise is fine... but I think that too many Sox fans take it to a level that's psychologically unhealthy. If you wouldn't let your wife or significant other lie to and betray you the way that JR does, why would you choose to stay with JR and his team? One thing I've noticed over the years about Cubs and Cardinals fans – fans of organizations that have greatly differing levels of baseball competence, historically speaking – is that there's a culture of being a Cubs or Cardinals fan that they enjoy. That's what I try to do with the Sox. The Sox get my attention and emotional investment at times like this when I'm excited about them. When things go south, I stop paying attention, but I don't hold grudges. The powers-that-be on 35th and Shields need to try to create that type of culture. I'm not sure if it'll ever be possible with the current ownership, but that's their only way to long-term viability.

Yeah, when the mouthpieces for the organization call out the fans, it's either an explicit order from the top or implicitly understood as what the top wants. Given its thin skin, I think that it would be best for this organization to significantly cut back on its verbal interaction with fans. I haven't listened to the postgame shows in a few years, but remember the absolute idiocy that Chris Rongy had to deal with when they went to the phones. And he would eventually (and understandably) get frustrated and push back. It wasn't a good look for either the fans or the organization.

He's doing the front office PR stuff that Hawk used to do. "I love Robin Ventura LIKE A SON. But he's not an $8 million per year player." Sad, but it seems necessary to keep one's job while working for JR.

I agree with you about Rodon's injury history, but he doesn't exactly suck when he's healthy. A career 101 ERA+ and 1.38 WHP is a reasonable #3 starter on most teams.

As our rotation is currently constructed, a healthy Rodon would be our #2 or #3. That will hopefully change with the Sox spending on non-mediocre-aging-veteran starters this winter. Whatever you want to call him, the Sox should definitely hold on to him because he's not going to cost much. He might be able to help this team as a back-of-the-rotation guy or a bullpen arm in 2021.

If Schwarber were a FA, he'd make for a nice DH. But the Sox will have to give up Madrigal or somebody else of value for him, so no thanks.

I absolutely expect the Sox to let Moncada walk as a FA in 2024, and I have no problem with that. We're getting him in the prime of his career for a relative bargain. Somebody else can pay him $45M per year when he's 37 and 38 years old.

Rodon is under team control through 2021 and his arb numbers are going to be pretty reasonable for a #2/#3 starter, which the Sox are desperate for right now. You don't let a guy like that walk until he's either a FA or he shows that he can't pitch anymore.

Then that's a big, fat "no." Even if Betts was willing to sign for like 10/375 or whatever the heck it'd be, I'm not a fan of the Sox allocating $30M+ per year for a decade to a single player. Teams like the Yankees and Dodgers can do this without hamstringing themselves because their ownership is willing/able to shell out $200M+ per year in payroll. Until the Sox are able to do that, I'm a hard pass on massive-contract guys like Betts, Harper, and Machado.

Stoney is doing way better at 72 than Hawk was at that age. He's the best color guy in the game and many teams would love to have him.

He’s the rich man’s Javy Vazquez.

I’m more of a realist. It’s really difficult to jump from 72 to 95 wins (despite them doing it in 2000), and I don’t really expect them to be competitive next year, even if they increase this season’s payroll by $100M. What I do expect is continued development from their young core, and them having a realistic chance of a division title in 2021. And I’m pretty optimistic about that.

I’ve been following this team too long to believe a word that Jerry says. If he spends like 1990s/2000s George Steinbrenner this winter, I’ll happily stand corrected.

I don't see it, but if the Sox sign either of those guys this winter, I'll be sure to give you props.

Based on what?

I'm not saying that they shouldn't talk to Boras. I'm saying that they generally don't do business with Boras, and that people shouldn't realistically expect the Sox to sign any of his clients.

Prepare for disappointment.

So the Sox are doing business with Scott Boras now? That would be quite a break from their past practices.