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But Boras is never good for your homegrown players, regardless of Jerry. He rarely considers contract extensions and almost always takes his clients to free agency.

By the time this might even become an issue for the Sox, they'll likely have a new owner. The old JR won't deal with Scott Boras clients concern isn't going to be a factor for anyone drafted in 2026.

I've always held out hope for Robert to regain that prowess he had in 2023. But if you take a sober look at his B-R page, he's been available roughly 100 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons. He's put up 1.4 bWAR and 85 OPS+ in the last 2. I mean, that's a league average production when he's in the lineup. But if you're banking on packing a lineup around the guy to make him better, maybe you could just go out and find somebody who gives you what Robert does for cheaper, or develop a better CF. Jose Abreu was always a good hitter. When playing on garbage teams, he still put in his work and hit like he was supposed to. Robert should be the guy who makes Colson and Teel better, not the other way around.

You trade Robert (and cash) right now if you can get real value. Otherwise, I’m holding until the deadline and hoping for a big rebound. Acquiring a bunch of relief prospects or utility guys doesn’t do it for me.

Hill has a split contract that will pays him $450k if in the minors and $900k if in the majors (which is basically the league minimum). I’m still not convinced he’s in the majors unless we trade Robert and then he’d be part of a CF platoon most likely with Baldwin. Bleday can’t play CF anymore, so it’s really apples & oranges here. Doesn’t mean we couldn’t have signed Bleday, but he’s more of a corner OF guy at this point.

I don’t even like Bleday that much but for only $1.5 million… well, that’s peanuts. I’d rather see the Sox get back a decent CF prospect for Robert but the talk is that they are targeting pitching.

Which is why this whole dance of picking up his option was weird anyway.

Interesting that both Syracuse and Rochester, NY had NBA teams way back in the day.

Rochester Royals moved to Cincy-KC-Omaha- Sacramento Kings.

This is who he is. He's been this way for his whole career. He isn't a young pup anymore.

I was wondering with actual money out there, if they finally dropped the charade.

You have a backup defensive CF right now in Derek Hill. I don't think Hamilton's a major league option anymore. I tooted the horn for Bleday, also, but he's really not a full-season plan B in CF. The more I read about this, the more I like that the Sox stayed away from Bleday, and the less I consider him an obstacle to a Reds trade. He is, in that the Reds could mumble something about liking their roster and back away from the White Sox, but Bleday is a clear step down from Hays. And they still need a RH bat.

This exactly.

Joe Burrow trade chatter, a few Titans coaching candidates and what sources are saying around the NFL This piece hypothesizes how the Bears could lose Declan Doyle, Eric Bieniemy, Press Taylor or J.T. Barrett for an offensive coordinator position or Al Harris to be a DC. Unless Dennis Allen is considered to be cooked as a HC, I would be more concerned about losing him. Matt Nagy also mentioned as a possibility for the Tennessee HC position since he has ties to someone there.

You can give Billy Hamilton or the like a ST invite if you want a backup defensive CF.

Well, if he becomes a star, he could always change to Boras. It’s what Robert did after his breakout 2023 season.

Derek Hill plays CF, tho. Bleday is a backup OF who does not specialize in CF. Bleday has negative defensive value.

Good.

I'm on the fence in all directions. I'd rather they trade Robert, as I'd like the roster churn and new hope for whatever they throw out into CF. While keeping Robert does keep a positional hole off the todo list, he adds pressure to have a backup who won't hurt you for 60 games. That's 2 solid months. Robert's value is most probably at its highest right now. There's an entire season of conditioning and usage a team could obtain. There are more teams in the demand chain. The Reds, Pirates and Giants most probably aren't kicking the tires on 2 months of CF if they're playing .500 ball on July 15.

Definitely. The Sox gave Derek Hill $900K. Bleday will be only $600K more plus possible incentives.

Yes, and Boras did his best to screw it up for Sox. He asked for money way above the slotted amount, so much so that if Sox had succumbed, they would have forfeited their first rounder the next year. Boras is no friend to the White Sox. I'm delighted Roch signed elsewhere.

Kinda wish we would have gambled on him at that price. Also would have taken an option off the board for Cincy. I can’t wait until Robert leaves via free agency and get nothing for him.

Obviously it works both ways but the poster stated that Robert provided lineup protection, not that he needed it himself.

They have Marte in RF who’s a lock to play every day and Friedl and Bleday in other spots so they might be fine there with someone to platoon with. Unless they do move Steer and move Marte back to the IF (1B)

The Cedric Mullins deal was trading crap for a body. It was 3 minor league bullpen arms, one of which was a converted shortstop. You're exchanging the prospect of getting a guy you would work with and have a useable #4 arm, or 4th OF now - for bulk garbage in July.