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Development of the Sox own players will mean way more to the team than any of these additions. Everyone is excited over Murakami but the dude could be gone in two years before the Sox ever even make the postseason.

I most excited that its pretty much a team full of young players with something to prove and I don't have to watch a bunch of worthless veterans taking a lot of at bats.

I really like this move. Much moreso if it’s part of a larger strategy to use short term spending to get guys that you can flip for prospects at the deadline. If the Sox are just going to spend a bit more to get back up to where they were pre-Robert trade I’m less enthused but like it. This should be prime spending season on guys with a slow market. I’m hoping Getz is on the phone with Gallen, Suarez, and Frambers agents. Gallen is a great candidate for this especially if the Orioles give Framber what he wants. The Sox need innings and Gallen needs to repair his value. The Sox can give him a high(er)AAV 2-3year deal with a club option for after this year. If hes good you have a moveable asset, if not you cut ties after this season. No contending teams (except maybe my cubs for some reason) want to gamble that Gallens drop off last year was an aberration. They can’t afford the tax commitment or to have a 4.83 ERA pitcher pitching for them all season. Right now he’s projected for 4 years 76M (19M AAV) If you sign him for 3 years 66M (22M AAV) with a 5M opt out after this year you gamble 27M on the chance that a 2 year/44M deal for Gallen is attractive and can net you prospects. Gallen finished in the top 5 in the NL CY in 2022 and 2023. He had an ERA+ of 115 in 2024. He hasn’t had a huge Velo drop and is 30 years old. You need innings filled anyway so the actual risk is lowered. Peralta, Cabrera, and Gore are now off the market which should make this year a good year for sellers on SP at the deadline. To me it’s a no brainer but I’m sure Jerry feels differently. Now that the old core is gone the Sox won’t have much they can move at the deadline. If your contention window is still 3-4 years out you need to keep the system stocked for when it’s time to buy. The draft and IFA will help but you can only take so many slices out of that pie before it’s gone. Building through free agency is expensive and not realistic given the current environment where the Dodgers and Mets are willing to match anything. If you want to get potential impact players in trades you have to take risks and there is no better time for a risk than when you have nothing to lose

Exactly it's how you approach a rebuild. Its like evolution. Enviromental adaptation changes your DNA. There will be strengths along with weaknesses while the guy at the top loses his power. The environment will change again when ownership changes and then the approach will maintain its foundational base while having more money.

Ok.

Do you think younger people call him Mister Bader?

I kind of like the Master.

Once again, I said they were nice signings. But this isn’t some amazing big market team’s offseason.

Good move, clear need, tradeable if things go well. Bonkers that it needed to wait until Robert money was moved.

You need to read around a little bit. There's universal praise for the White Sox offseason. Look under the reddit thread for this signing.

Let’s be honest, they are nice signings for a frugal team but baseball fans are used to the Dodgers and Mets offseasons.

They want to build up Taylor’s innings in a multi-inning capacity and eventually turn him into a SP down the road. I’m skeptical it will work out just as I was with Crochet and I was wrong there. Regardless, Leasure was the likely closer before this move. And generally agree with your views on bullpen investment, but disagree on one key component. One of the advantages rebuilding teams have is the ability to give players extended runways. That could be for a young, unproven player or could be using a player at a new, more valuable spot or role. You and I have debated this topic before, as I am big fan of adding post hype prospects who haven’t been given extended opportunities. Pereira is an example of a guy I like going out and adding vs. say someone like Kelenic who has vast failures to believe can suddenly turn the ship around. I have been a huge proponent of taking advantage of our s%*# OF situation and letting Baldwin learn on the fly out there (and ideally play a lot CF). And finally, there is intrinsic value to pitching well in high leverage situations vs. low and medium ones (fWAR accounts for this for a reason). Proven closers routinely return some of the best value come the trade deadline. Even if your team isn’t trying to win, that closer should be utilized on a guy who has stuff and if successful can turn into a trade chip.

Teams only pay huge price for proven huge talent. Unproven or faded talent in the majors that never had much of a top prospect profile like Taylor is not in the huge category. Right now he's just in development to see if he can be effective in multiple innings to see if he can start one day ,like Crochet ,once his body gets stronger. If that development path doesnt work out he then becomes a single inning high leverage reliever or closer where he can build a proven resume.

This. All of the moves are to make improvements with placeholders until the prospects are ready. They know they aren't playoff ready and are approaching it that way.

I like the Murakami signing and am hopefully Seranthony Dominguez can do well enough to be flipped at the deadline but this tweet feels like the same crowd who was taking victory laps over how much better the team is when they lose 100 games instead of 120. Its still a bad baseball team... I also question how its the right direction when you consider if Murakami blows up, he's gone in 2 years and if Dominguez is really good, he's gone this year. Guys like Newcomb and Kay are the same veteran arms they have been signing the last few years anyways, not expecting a whole lot there and Luisangel Acuna is probably closer to being DFA than he is being a meaningful contributor to this team. Maybe it is in the right direction, but there is an extremely long way to go in that direction still.

Hahahaha sure (laughing at Pasan)

Newcomb will start until some of the UCL group is ready. You also forgot to add berroa will be ready at some point.

If he was worth a top 100 and more, he would have gotten paid much more than 10 million a year. I don't see a 31 year old changing their league perceived value by that much in 3 months. He's ALWAYS had elite stuff too, and command is volatile. I agree pitching value increases, but history shows that's typically greater for for elite level arms. It's just not a viable or reasonable strategy imo.

JustGottaBelieve is not even remotely objective when it comes to Robert

I’d have to take a look for specific examples, but usually the big name relievers get scooped by the teams trying to compete. Regardless, we know that legit closers command value at the deadline. If Dominguez be successful in that role, he will have real trade value come July.

While the names on the top might change, the friends and family plan never does.

The prices for pitching and relief pitching at the last couple of deadlines has been crazy. I think Getz tried to play that game last year by trading young prospects for old relievers so that he could get in on it, without actually spending any money, but obviously that failed. At worst you get innings filled. At best, baseball begs for pitching at the deadline. Obviously the best deals for for cheap controlled relievers, but the market is what it is. If this dude can even be a mid-tier closer, with an extra year of control, he's someone who should bring a top 100 and more. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-trade-deadline-2025-transaction-tracker

Yeah...at market value, I agree. I'm just thinking about a return in prospects if Dominguez is an effective closer and is dealt. I would think the return might be better (more interesting anyway) than Robert's.

Merrill Kelley just got 2/$40, Michael King got $25. Giolito's established. If his market tanks, I'd think a show me contract gets him that $15M himself, at least. He came back from injury and didn't embarrass himself.