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Merk sorta confirming. Looks like Mune back tomorrow!

Win this fucking game.

This I would also do. I am not giving up Schultz for him though.

Related Development partners,LLC (Auchi, Mansueto) are seeking $425 Million TIF financing to make infrastructure improvements which mainly consists of a 1,200 space underground parking garage (similar in capacity to the Grant Park South underground garage) Related's proposal is that the City of Chicago own and operate the garage and that the City can have some share of parking revenue on days when there is no soccer match. Mayor Brandon has been a vocal supporter of the proposed TIF financing. However, the proposed funding has drawn criticism from some members of the City Council including Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez who stated that the use of public money contradicts earlier assurances about private financing. "If the owner of the Chicago Fire states that they will use only private money, then do so. But you cannot have it both ways, and now say, well, it's going to be about $425 million," Sigcho-Lopez said. This bait and switch reminds me of the ballroom deal. Edited to add - in a hopefully unrelated matter: https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-crime-police-investigating-explosion-outside-25th-ward-ald-sigcho-lopezs-home-west-21st-street-south-damen-avenue/19291456/

I think it’s a mix of regression and tiring out. I think Martin is likely a solid #3 starter or a high-end #4 on a championship caliber team. I think Burke has a higher ceiling than Davis for sure as we’ve seen lately. Just comes down to consistency for him, but I believe in the talent.

I would trade Billy Carlson/Bergolla + for Detmers in a heartbeat. Mix and match some Boughton, De Pino as well if needed.

From Passan today. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49306462/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-addition-top-contender-moves-dodgers-brewers-braves-yankees-phillies

Ditto. Most threads that last this long and cover this many pages can get a bit tedious. But this thread has been great.

He’s also closing the gap at the top of the board, getting closer to Cholowsky. The most logical comparison to make here is between Emerson and Cholowsky, as they play the same position. The consensus in the industry seems to be that Emerson is a better player at the same stage than Cholowsky (who was ranked 35th on our board as a high schooler ahead of the 2023 draft). If you’re the White Sox, do you take a risk on Emerson’s upside, or go with the greater certainty Cholowsky offers? It’s notable that both the White Sox and Twins had interest in drafting Cholowsky out of high school. It’s also worth considering how the Rays factor in at the top of the first round. The Rays took prep players with four of their first five selections in 2025, and three of their first four selections in 2024. In general, they seem to favor left-handed-hitting high school bats (Theo Gillen, Nathan Flewelling, Cooper Flemming, to name a few) and have a strong track record of developing them. Given industry speculation around the White Sox' consideration of Emerson and the Rays' recent track record, it feels less likely Emerson will be on the board at three than it was a month ago. The Twins have done (and will continue to do) extensive work on a number of players under consideration at three. In our final installment of this series, we’ll consider some dark horse candidates. For what it’s worth, I remain confident it’ll be one of Cholowsky, Emerson, or Lackey. twinsdaily.com Emerson's also picking up a number of 55 and increasingly 60 run grades over the last couple of months.

The Rays have released 5 new renderings for their proposed new ballpark. Looks pretty cool. but lets see if they can secure funding for it. They're saying that capacity will be just over 30,000 seats. That's similar to the A's new stadium in Vegas and that sounds very low to me. https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-reveal-interior-renderings-of-proposed-tampa-ballpark

Round 1: Vahn Lackey, C, Georgia TechEvery draft cycle seems to produce 2-3 first-round catchers, most of whom have warts offensively, defensively, or both. Georgia Tech's Vahn Lackey may be the most complete college catcher in recent seasons and has a case to make as college baseball’s most improved player in 2026. Lackey entered 2026 viewed as an excellent defensive catcher, with athleticism uncommon for the position, in addition to having strong bat-to-ball skills. He’s continued to look excellent behind the plate, with good receiving and blocking skills, an excellent arm and strong pop and transfer times. He has all the ingredients to be a plus defensive catcher. Offensively, his power has taken a step forward. After hitting 6 home runs in 60 games in 2025, he managed 20 in 61 games in 2026, with more walks than strikeouts, adding a high on-base floor to his profile. Lackey ended 2026 hitting .397/.519/.772, with 39 extra-base hits, a 17.7 BB%, a 13.4 K%, and 15 steals (94%). Simply put, he’s one of the most complete profiles in this draft class. twinsdaily.com

Sandoval, another lefty for the Red Sox gets his first start of the year. Kay is going for the good Sox, hopefully he can be as good as he was his last start before the rain. Get the win today and go into the last series before the break with the AL Central lead

Yes - I really feel like Cholowsky is getting penalized for (in addition to prospect fatigue) all the "high floor" talk swirling around him. To state the obvious: a high floor is not an inherently bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. "High floor" has acquired a negative connotation because they're often associated with a low ceiling -- a trade-off. But they don't have to be, and I haven't seen a lot of convincing evidence that Cholowsky has a low ceiling - most of the analysis I've read suggests a really high, Tulo-type ceiling. (Having a sophomore season that's slightly less awesome than freshman is not convincing to me in this respect.) And the "higher ceiling" analysis I've read on Emerson mostly seems to boil down to a generic preference for the almost unlimited unknowns associated with prep prospects with basically no high-level track record. This line of analysis favors the top prep prospect over the top college prospect essentially every time. Roch seems like a high-ceiling prospect who also happens to have a high floor, i.e. the kind of sure-thing prospect you can only get at the very top of the draft.

Boston has been hot the last few weeks. In both White Sox games, the Red sox got off to early leads and then expanded their leads. Boston got 2 straight games of good starting pitching on top of it so the White Sox took it on the nose. But Chicago has been able to to bounce back and the All-Star break after this weekend will give the team a chance to right the ship after the break.

"and proven wooden-bat" stop right there!

"and proven wooden-bat" stop right there!

Bedard is a very good hockey player, is about to turn 21, and has played with a lot of garbage during his NHL career. However, the shoulders are now a concern as he's had major issues with both of them. He's going to miss a chunk of the season now, and the Hawks already didn't have a great offseason. They're going to be bad again, and will most likely miss the playoffs for the 7th year in a row. They haven't won a playoff series since 2014-2015. The franchise is not in a good place right now

Run differential indicates a little market correction could be in the cards. Patience is smart

Unfortunately Gemini lied about avoiding the standard punditry analysis, and gave the standard punditry analysis. However, if any franchise could avoid the need for the quickest callup prospect, it would be the White Sox, with a young all star-ish SS already, and a couple guys loaded in the pipeline

Jack Slightom.

Gemini has Emerson - To give you the most direct answer: I don't have "intuition" in the human sense—no gut feelings or sudden flashes of insight. What I can do, however, is look past the surface level of mock drafts and perform an independent analysis by synthesizing conflicting data points, historical team tendencies, and organizational context. Instead of regurgitating the standard pundit consensus, let’s break down the actual strategic tension the Chicago White Sox face with the No. 1 overall pick this weekend, analyzing the choice based on draft economics and player profiles. The Core Dilemma: Floor vs. Ceiling The industry consensus has narrowed the top choice down to two distinct archetypes: Roch Cholowsky (the polished college shortstop from UCLA) and Grady Emerson (the high-ceiling Texas prep shortstop). Another name looming as a tactical wild card is catcher Vahn Lackey. When analyzing how a front office approaches this, it usually comes down to risk philosophy and bonus pool management: 1. The Historical & Analytical Pivot (The Case for Roch Cholowsky) The Profile: College shortstops with elite defensive traits and proven wooden-bat or high-level NCAA production are the safest currency in the MLB Draft. The Analytical Play: If the White Sox prioritize reducing risk and accelerating their rebuild timeline, Cholowsky is the mechanical choice. College hitters offer a shorter runway to the majors and a much higher baseline "floor." The Verdict: Taking Cholowsky signals an organizational desire for a predictable, foundational piece who could realistically anchor their infield before the decade finishes. 2. The Pure Talent Maximization (The Case for Grady Emerson) The Profile: High school shortstops with Emerson’s offensive upside represent the ultimate "lottery ticket." He offers a dynamic ceiling that college products rarely match because of his age and physical projection. The Risk Factor: High school prospects have a notoriously high attrition rate and a much longer developmental timeline (typically 4–5 years minimum before seeing the big leagues). The Verdict: If the front office believes they are far enough away from competing that timeline doesn't matter, Emerson is the choice. It's a bet on drafting a potential superstar rather than a stable regular. 3. The Financial Wild Card (The Under-Slot Strategy) Major League Baseball uses a strict bonus pool system. The No. 1 pick carries a massive slot value. Teams occasionally cut a deal with a player ranked slightly lower (like Lackey or a top tier prep arm) to sign them for less than the slot value. Why do this? It allows the team to save millions of dollars from their overall pool to "overpay" and steal elite high school talent that slips into the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Given the depth of this class, this is a highly viable strategic route for a rebuilding franchise. The Analytical Prediction If forced to weigh these strategies against a franchise in a deep rebuild, the smartest play for the White Sox is to target maximum ceiling, which points toward Grady Emerson—unless they pivot entirely to an under-slot strategy to maximize their total pool across the first three rounds.