Sarava

Where it might not be vested is if he's really bad, and the Sox basically stop using him or release him before he hits 160 innings in the 2nd year of the deal.

Do you want to elaborate, or are you just trolling?

I'd like that clarified. Is it 160 innings total for the last 2 years or 160 inings each year? 160 innings for 2 seasons could be an injury riddled pitcher that still vests.

Well now that they broke the silence with Boras, let's do one more with him and sign Castellanos. If Nick is fine being a primary DH, but can play RF when the Sox face lefties (then Grandal can DH and McCann catch on those days).

While I would have preferred Ryu, I'm just relived they did something. We have a chance going in to next year. it's been a good while since we could honestly say that.

Even if they splurge and sign Castellanos, they will of tremendously improved the team, and while not signing a QO free agent.

If they sign Castellanos, this team can win the division. Though it would be heavily dependent on Cease taking a big jump this year (which he very well might do).

Wow, the Sox signed a Boras guy

The Sox have the potential to go through the roof this coming season. I think that's why many of us are frustrated with the *so far* poor off-season. It didn't feel going in to the winter that it would be that hard to patch these obvious holes - given how open the payroll was compared to all other teams in MLB. But there's still time. I mean, if the Sox signed Castellanos and Ryu, then traded Collins for a bullpen arm - the sky would be the limit this season. You could have a loaded lineup and loaded pitching staff if a few things come together.

I'm all for competing now and I feel it's overdue. However, IMO Dylan Cease has ace potential and compromising his development to compete now would be a horrible decision. Lopez is a totally different story. He's been given chance after chance the last few years. It's put up or shut up time for him. If he struggles once again in the first month or two, I wouldn't hesitate to put Lopez in the pen.

Nooooo trading Madigral. Especially within the division.

Wow, short leash you're giving Cease.

I like this move. He is our #5 until Kopech comes up. And if he is still healthy and performing well at that point, he can either become a long reliever for us, or take Lopez's spotin the rotation if he is outpitching him. Now go sign Ryu and Castellanos and they can give the Indians and Twinkies a run for their money in the division.

This off-season has become a debacle. We're debating over which of the bad choices is the better choice to make.

Why would anyone do that deal, unless they are a Red Sox fan? Betts would leave after 1 year. Hell he'd probably go back to Boston to win some World Series' with Vaughn and Madigral. I swear. Some of you want this rebuild to collapse in front of our eyes, before it's even gotten going.

Are they on drugs? They want two high-end prospects in exchange for a horribly overpaid and over the hill pitcher?

Arenado has an opt out after 2 seasons. That's a risk that you send off those kinds of prospects and then he bolts after 2 seasons. And there's the home/away splits. And there's the whole 'who's going to start for the Sox' question, since they didn't sign any free agent SP's, and this proposes we trade off Cease. I think I would say no. We're already in a pickle with the future of our rotation. Trading any of Giolito, Kopech or Cease is off the table IMO. Change it to Vaughn, Basabe and Collins and then I'd do it.

The important thing is that hopefully the Sox had a seat at the table.

I thought he would get about that for 4 years. Interesting.

That they had 6 more wins, while not having 1/3 of their schedule against the Tigers, Royals and White Sox shows there's a gigantic difference at play here.

But how similar are those other organizations? Is Reinsdorf allowing Hahn or Williams to spend on scouting, international free agents, analytics, etc...like some of these successful smaller market teams? To me that is questionable. I'm not defending Hahn, because I agree with all your grades. I just wonder if everyone's hands are tied by Reinsdorf's cheapskate ways?

I'm not even sure what to think about some of this stuff. Is Hahn having a hard time selling the White Sox to players around the league? If so, isn't that his own fault, along with Kenny Williams and Jerry Reinsdorf? I mean, they are the ones that have led this franchise in to black hole that it's been stuck in for so long. I 100% get people being pissed off. You can only take so much. After all these years of horrible teams, I think a lot of us let our guard down and thought we were going to kill it this winter. And they started with a bang in signing Grandal - but it's been a giant fizzle since then. Same ole White Sox. In the end, it's probably Reinsdorf's fault more than anyone else. If he was willing to pay Gerrit Cole's, or Manny Machado's or Patrick Corban's, we'd probably have one or more of them. Unfortunately he chooses to run the White Sox like they are the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But they passed on the impact pitching...what am I missing here?

I didn't say great. I didn't say he's a future hall of famer. But he did have the 10th most doubles of all time last year. There's something there. That would have a serious impact on our lineup. The guy has improved quite a bit over the last few years. Now as for his time with the Cubs. I don't go by that. I rarely watch Cub games. But I have watched him lash Sox pitching the last many years. Cubs fans tell me his defense is nowhere near as bad as advertised. That's all I have to go on. Supposedly his defense has improved tremendously. And that would make sense, given that he has only played RF two seasons.

Interesting that you bring up defense, while the guy we are talking about is a poor defender himself.