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Yea. They should have signed the left handed version instead.

This is a pretty damning indictment. Trading the funds made no sense at the time.

Wow, if the Sox figure out a way to put both of those kids into the system in 13 months, that replaces a lot of graduating talent and gives them some future waves to add on with, or even deal from if needed. Much respect to Paddy if he was able to rebalance both Colas and Cespedes with the changes that just happened to the signing periods.

Better or worse than Avery weems?

We were short one player whose first name begins with Y after letting Yolmer walk. Good to see they filled this need in the off season

We're not allowed to use that nickname. It didn't work great last time.

Yeah, you'd think the Colas would be a given with the Portillos Burger.... Eh... I tried

Big day. Him and Vera will be top 10 in our system. Would be wild if they got Colas to sit until next year.

Per his agreement, they'll make him bat lefty bc of Org need.

Take him back to the store, see if he can be exchanged.

Landing Cespedes is a big move in and of itself. If Hamburger is right, than Marco Paddy is making big time moves.

https://www.futuresox.com/2020/12/22/white-sox-to-sign-cuban-outfielder-yoelki-cespedes/

Sox signed Matt Reynolds to a MiLB deal. He got some brief playing time last year with the Royals. Depth for Charlotte.

It's the only way we can be greedy with JR running the show, and I'm ok with it. We've been a second-class team for so long prior to last year, that we finally can be in the drivers seat for something.

Man, for a so-called Sox fan, you sure do like to talk about people bolting from this team.

This. It's like pulling a 9.5 as a 6, and then complaining about how she isn't a 10.

It’s certainly possible, but based on how things ended up with Colas and the Hawks, I would be absolutely shocked if we ever plays in Japan again. From what I’ve gathered, the controversy boiled down to Colas misunderstanding the terms of his developmental contract: he thought he was becoming a free agent, but the contracted stipulated substantially more control left for the team. Whether or not it was an honest mistake depends which side of the fence you fall on — it’s possible the hawks were intentionally deceptive, or at least negligent in properly translating the contract (they have a history of service time manipulation with their domestic stars and are a ruthlessly competitive organization), and it’s also possible that Colas and his reps dropped the ball, or even that they just “played dumb” when they realized how hard it was going to be for him to break into the top team roster and he could get a bigger payday and opportunity in the US. Regardless, the Hawks were publicly adamant that he owed them service, that they had invested in his development and it was a breach for him to take his services elsewhere before his obligation ended. It seems that the matter was settled behind closed doors, so it isn’t clear if they lost a suit or merely cut bait because it was going to be hard to have a productive relationship with the player after the ordeal. Both sides publicly cried foul play. The NPB is way, way more conservative and old-school in how it operates when compared the to MLB, which is already very conservative in how it operates. This is my opinion, but for a player to have run afoul of a high-powered franchise like this (justified or not) and end up with another team would be scandalous, and the Hawks would likely have leverage to complain anyway. Also, if it really is true that Colas was unfairly manipulated, I wouldn’t be shocked if he never wants to set foot in Japan again. KBO is a different story, of course, perhaps. But my guess is he’s gonna hang out in Latin America somewhere and work out at an academy until the right time to sign.

At what point are we just getting greedy?

HELL YEA! I was one of the few who preferred Cespedes over Colas. Very happy with this news. If Colas does sign with us as well, even better.

It would be foolish to think they didn't all talk when we know how much recruiting work has happened in the past. Heck we have seen Colas thanking Moncada for sending him bats and wearing Sox shirts in his vids.

From high school?

Did Madrigal die?

I just saw this on Twitter, but we’re potentially getting Cespedes cheaper than Yogurt Sanchez. That’s pretty fucking nuts when you think about the difference in hype and talent.

Jose Abreu. Good thing the Sox have them all.

Badler sheds some light on the Colas situation now, saying that it is possible he waits for the next signing period.

Thats a strong top ten...especially with Vera orbiting around the top as well.

I don't think this is true. MLB changed the rules to 25 years old now

Pretty much no one is.

Yeah...that's why I went with Sale. They didn't ask who had the best career with the White Sox. They asked who was the 2nd best player. It's Chris Sale and it's not even close.

Wonder if they pull a 2020 draft strategy and just pay the top two guys all of the allotted cash and punt the rest. I like that strategy.

Really hope he signs with us so we can try to make some tortured attempt at naming him RC Colas

This. We always talk about building the next generation of fans and how the team's performance competes with the cubs for the next generation of fans Imagine if we can sustain this pipeline of talent and build the next generation of Cuban fans that grow up watching their favorite players on the Sox, and then they too want to play for the Sox. Success begets success.

Hope Bball in general and minor league/affiliates get sorted so we can enjoy watching these guys develop. I'm very high on Crochet and Stiever and anxious to see what Kopech can do if he can stay healthy and avoid distractions.

Vaughn/Kopech/Crochet/Cespedes/Kelley/Dalquist/Thompson. Is this still a top 10 farm? We’d be one of the few teams with a playoff caliber roster and a Top 10 farm.

Moves like this show they are committed to winning NOW, but also keeping the window open for more than just 2-3 years. Good organizations keep adding top talent. The White Sox just did. Let's go Yolki-C!

Forgot realize Ohtani signed after Robert (i.e. the cap put in place, Robert was the last big fish before the new system). I thought the posting system is what kept Ohtani's price tag low, not the prospect status. Ohtani was definitely the last mega-hype international prospect in that case. Before him it was Robert, before him, Moncada. Side note: Anyone remember Rusney Castillo? He's finally free from Boston's AAA team.

Here is the snippet regarding Colas.

Obviously not directed at me, but I’d have him ranked 5th right between Madrigal & Kelley. Andrew Vaughn Micheal Kopech Garrett Crochet Nick Madrigal Yoelki Cespedes Jared Kelley Jonathan Stiever Matthew Thompson Andre Dalquist Zack Burdi

Why would Paddy stay with this organization? I'm surprised he hasn't bolted to somewhere that would provide him with additional resources and spending.

I am so perplexed on my feelings about the sox international strategy. I think James articulates most of it well: they are doing a better job, they are finding impact talent, but they also seem to be not maximizing it that from the outside looks so bizarre each year. However, I do wonder if a lot of this is just Paddy having good sources on the cuban pipeline and always having uncertainty when guys are going to be there. And so maybe the "they didn't think there was guys worth signing", an objectively silly line from Hahn, actually was "we'd prefer to keep some space just in case X guy comes open. But that doesn't make sense when they trade it away, so I'm at a loss. They are doing something right, who couldn't like the last 3 years, after a pretty pisspoor start. But it just seems so weird when you have an allotted budget to say "well that's good enough, why don't we just try to save some cash on nate jones.

The White Sox have to be the most popular MLB team in Cuba.

Love this move. A much needed shot in the arm on the position player side of things for the minors.

I think my idea might piss off less people no disrespect

I must not be most people. Sure it can happen but not because of TLR. There would have to be a boatload of injuries so technically ,yes, that could happen any year. Do you believe so little in the talent of the players that TLR can cause a 30 game shift from last year ? It must be nice casting stones from your ivory tower while no one can cast stones at the mistakes you have made in your life as an unknown non public figure. You are way over the top.

And how exactly could he have convinced himself of that when the rest of his front office disagreed? If Hahn and Williams both didn’t believe he was so obviously the best candidate for the job that they wanted to interview others, who could Reinsdorf have talked to that would support that idea? The only person I can think of who would tell JR that LaRussa was so clearly the best possible person for the job that no one else should be considered ever is...LaRussa. No one else on Earth would have thought that.

Dude, come up with a better line of reasoning than this. You feign outrage at a ~$10k or so bit of relief, while yawn at millions of free cash to Kanye. I mean, reconcile that, or accept being a hypocrite.

It isn't his fault that he never played with anything on the line. You just can't help yourself with him.

Depends on what you mean, I guess. Most talented had got to be Chris Sale. He obviously doesn't have the longevity of a Buehrle or Konerko, but he was the best and most dominant player we've had since Frank. A legitimate MVP/Cy Young choice every year should be the criteria. That's Sale.

OK, I know this wasn't your intention in posting this, and I really don't mean to pick on you. But, whenever I read shit like the bolded, I think, "OK, Boomer." Fucking working full-time in the summer and part-time the rest of the year MIGHT, just MIGHT get you through a year or so of Moraine Valley or College of DuPage. The world has changed, and not for the better for today's generation. When you post shit like the bolded, it makes you sound as out of touch as geezing geezers who complain about how candy or The Tribune used to be a nickel.

Most people realize the White Sox can finish 20 games under .500 from here on out, and there isn't a goddamn thing Kenny Williams or Rick Hahn can do to LaRussa, as long as Jerry maintains control of the team. The White Sox finished four times in four decades under Reinsdorf with a winning record above Rick Renteria's .583 2020 mark. Time will tell if a 2021 and beyond Tony LaRussa is competent enough to even match Rick Renteria's accomplishment. The last time Tony managed 10 years ago, he cost his team a World Series game for his inability to use a phone. Nobody believes this carbon dated alcoholic misanthrope has improved in the decade since.