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Fuck Tom Ricketts…what a tone deaf douchebag.

The owners believing they’ve made significant concessions is hilarious.

I would quite literally pay money to go out and drink with Hawk and listen to his not for TV stories.

I know all about the Reinsdorf block, his friends and his history. I get the skepticism. I don’t need to fucking clarify my sources for you or anyone else but it’s definitely not a White Sox employee in this instance. Your mind is made up any way though so I don’t really care.

So much has already been written about what the Sox should do to fill out their roster before a season starts, whenever that occurs. 2B, RF, and SP are usually the top 3, with backup catcher and further BP depth also listed. For my money, I believe that re-signing Carlos Rodon should be the Sox #1 priority, and if that was all they could do, I'd be okay with that. Here are the reasons. 1. Rodon finished 34th in baseball with 5 WAR last year. https://www.espn.com/mlb/war/leaders That was the second highest total on the team, behind Lance Lynn's 5.4 WAR. Tim Anderson was the only other Sox player ranked in the top 50, coming in tied for 47th at 4.6 WAR. (NOTE: I'm drawing WAR numbers from different lists that don't seem consistent, but I don't think if you plug in Baseball Reference or FanGraphs numbers that it changes any of these points.) 2. The Sox without Rodon have only 1 lefty starter - Dallas Keuchel - and he had the worst season of any Sox starter last year. He was so bad down the stretch that he was left off the playoff roster. The Sox badly need a lefty for some balance. 3. Even with the lockout, the Sox need to keep their starters fresh into October if they want to advance in the playoffs. The meltdown of their starters against Houston doomed the Sox chances. By adding a 6th starter, and one who can slot at the top of the rotation, the Sox should be able to ease the workload on all so they are pitching strong late. The last Sox team to win the WS in 2005 was led by a dominant starting staff. It may be old-school now, but that's partly because no team has a dominant starting staff. By bringing Rodon back and easing in Kopech, the Sox could have the best starting staff in baseball. 4. A corollary of #3 is that the Sox have at least 2 starters who need innings limits -- Michael Kopech, because he's not fully up to speed yet, and Dallas Keuchel, to keep him from vesting his option. If the Sox don't add a starter like Rodon, they'll be forced to dip into far inferior starting options to cover for those limitations. And this doesn't even factor in potential injuries that inevitably occur. 5. The Sox are not going to come close to signing a similarly impactful player for 2B or RF. Here's a list of free agents by position, with WAR listed, and including those signed. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2021-22-free-agents-by-position At 2B, the White Sox actually already signed the 3rd highest FA by WAR in Leury Garcia, at 2.4. To get a higher WAR FA 2B, the Sox would have to sign Trevor Story and move him to 2B. That's just not going to happen. For RF, everyone's favorite is Michael Conforto, listed on that chart with a 2.9 WAR. (Not sure where that WAR number comes from, as Baseball Reference and Fangraphs both have him at 0.8 WAR in 2021 and only 2.1 WAR in 2020). That's not much of an upgrade from the trio of Sox players eligible to fill out DH/RF this year -- Sheets/Vaughn/Engel. 6. Rodon is going to be way more valuable as a TOR ACE than the 9th player in the batting order at 2B, or another bottom of the batting order hitter in RF. The Sox have Anderson, Moncada, Robert, Abreu, Grandal, and Jimenez penciled in from 1-6. They aren't going to add anyone who will supplant those top-6 batters. Meanwhile Rodon was the best pitcher in the AL in the first half last season. 7. Rodon doesn't hurt or slow the development of anyone on the Sox -- he essentially just hastens the elimination of Dallas Keuchel, who needs to be phased out anyway, and when gone his salary will cover most of the cost of Rodon's contract. But if the Sox add a new RF like Conforto, not only will that stunt the playing time of Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets, and Adam Engel, but if he's signed for multiple years, it may slow the arrival of Oscar Colas and/or Yoenis Cespedes, at least one of whom should be the Sox RF within a couple years. Meanwhile, at 2B, the Sox also have multiple guys who are in development, including Romy Gonzalez, who hit 24 HRs between AA-AAA last year, and Yolbert Sanchez. Granted, they may not be ready to contribute in 2022, but the Sox still have Leury and should be able to add a cheap stop-gap player. For the Sox to pry away a better 2B, they will have to make a trade, which means weakening another position (or 2) to strengthen 2B. 8. Even though my argument is to sign Rodon #1, that wouldn't by itself preclude the Sox from improving at 2B or RF if they found the right fit. Will the Sox re-sign Rodon? I still think it's possible. I think they didn't offer to tender him because I think if they sign him, they hope to get him for somewhat less than that number, given his late-season arm fatigue and prior injury history. I believe the Sox are hoping no one gives him a big multi-year contract, and the Sox will be able to match whatever offer Rodon can get on the open market. I also believe that if the Sox are ready to match what any other team offers, that Rodon would choose to return to the Sox, because he likes the team and his pitching coach in Ethan Katz, who began to unlock his potential. As for the money, the Sox could cover most of the cost by trading Kimbrel. But I actually think the Sox are going to keep Kimbrel and go for it in 2022, hoping that he bounces back and gives the Sox a killer bullpen to go with dominant starters. Pitching, if you have it, should win in the postseason, and the Sox pitching has the potential to be even better than their dangerous offense. Carlos Rodon would be a key part of that.

Maybe your best post ever

It’s a bit much but it’s all critical so I think we can let you off with a chiding? Anyway, if this is true - then make a proposal doing this that you would accept.

If this continues for even just a few more weeks with no obvious path to a deal being made soon, I'll check out. I'm as die hard as any baseball fan, but if this is the kind of game they want to play, I want no part of it. There is plenty else I can spend my time and energy on. The DNR and lure making companies will get my money and I'll go fishing all summer. And the West Michigan White Caps are around if I need a baseball fix (single A club for the Tigers).

So 45 gets his defense ideas from Scooby-Doo.

It’s almost too bad there’s so much press coverage around the lockout. After every session we’re hearing each side say how disappointed they are with the other side, and that negotiations are going no where. Lock yourselves in a room, figure it out, and stop whining to the press. Cone back to us when there’s a deal.

I simply can’t echo your first two paragraphs enough. Engel is a 4th OF with less than dependable health and Vaughn & Sheets simply are not Major League RF. Putting that combo out in the field every day in the middle of the Sox contention window is a complete failure to address a longtime hole at a position of need.

Adam Engel is a 4th OF and should be treated as such. Game-planning that he can be more than that despite injuring himself every season is the definition of insanity. Sheets & Vaughn are NOT major league RFs. When playing RF, they both averaged -1 DRS per 40 innings played (SSS but the eye test and basic logic confirm them being horrible out there). For perspective, that is roughly the same level of defense Jermaine Dye provided in 2007 and he was literally the worst defensive OF in baseball per DRS. And despite posting a wRC+ of 104, Dye ended up having a -1.2 fWAR season. Point is that any offensive value these guys can provide in RF will be greatly offset by their poor defense. Who are these SP & 2B we are going to spend “big money” on? You can make this claim but point me to some names that fit the billing. More realistically, we will need address these spots via trade (with Sheets a potential trade chip). As such, the one spot that we can fill in free agency and help shore our weakness against tough RHP is in RF. We are in our World Series window RIGHT NOW. We only have Lucas Giolito & Yasmani Grandal for two more years. We only have Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn, & Liam Hendriks for three more years. Yoelqui Cespedes & Oscar Colas should have ZERO bearing on our near-term decision making. The only thing that matters is winning a World Series in 2022, 2023, & 2024. If Cespedes & Colas eventually develop into usable pieces that’s great, but for now they should be strictly minor league depth and potential trade chips. Not signing Conforto because you are worried about blocking these two guys would be a fireable offense IMO.

Dirty your guy Brody Brecht was at it again yesterday.

I liked Hawk's stories over the inane banter we so frequently get. It seems you love him or hate him dad-gum it.

We had him for 4 years or so. He signed a $60 million, 5 yr deal with Toronto, and they immediately wanted out of it, so they called Kenny, and he took Rios off their hands. Rios and Dunn made a helluva pair to draw to.

I can’t get on board with a plan that values Castellanos over Vaughn. But if Vaughn gets you a real prospect, ehh ok

This this this. Just move him for Ketel Marte already. All of the SP options are rentals or FA.

Man I think people will be pissed if we trade sign Castellanos to turn around and trade Vaughn. Unless you’re using Andrew to get a legit ace (who I’d ask) or Ketel Marte, there isn’t really anything out there that makes sense. And even then, you’re quickly shrinking this window to about three years. And maybe that makes sense; but losing Vaughn’s pre arb salary will make that even more challenging.

You’re probably right on how La Russa would use them if both were on the roster, which means Sheets needs to go via trade to address the rotation or 2B.

I thought this when you said it the first time so I'm going to say it - that is an awfully self-serving message for the team to leak. That sounds like exactly how they work with the rest of the Chicago Media - give them some leaks or stories sometimes, so that when they want good press or when they want to make sure that people don't ask any extra questions, the Chicago Media go along with what the team wants and print it to keep their access and stay on their good sides. Didn't two other reporters get the exact same message that day so that it got onto the radio? That has all the characteristics of the team putting out talking points. Oh...and regarding him "having influence" - want to see something interesting? The "Reinsdorf block" of teams that voted against Manfred included Arizona, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles Angels - 3 of the 4 teams who voted against the last deal on Tuesday (and the 4th team, Detroit, has had an ownership inheritance since then).

I dunno if I want Vaughn to be here or in Charlotte. I DO know that he doesn't do a lot of the things this team needs right now. [Corner OF defense, hit v RHP, or play a cromulent 2B] I also know that what he can do now is done already better than he by others in this roster. [Crush LHP, play 1B] So, absent a sea change in his performance, and/OR an injury, I don't think it would be a travesty for him to start in Charlotte.

Not a lot of people want to hear this, but I think Vaughn could use a season in Charlotte.

I think we need to acknowledge that Jerry doesn’t have a ton of time left on this planet and right now an increased CBT is helpful to him. Back in 1994 he had 30 years of ownership ahead of him and breaking the union made much more long-term sense. His focus right now should be winning a championship and hopefully that’s the reason he’s not actively fighting for reduced spending limits.

By next offseason Kopech could be our ace with Giolito, Lynn, & Cease behind him. At that point you just need a #5 starter and that should be easy enough to add via free agency. I can’t stress this enough, but our rotation is the one thing that could prevent us from making the playoffs. If we suffer any injury to one of the big three starters and Keuchel doesn’t improve substantially from his 2021 form we could be in legit trouble. Serious contenders don’t enter a season with two question marks and limited depth. A starter needs to be added even if it weakens the farm.

I love how we’re supposed to be celebrating that JR is not being a jackass this time like Moreno….

It kind of surprises me that US technology is so normalized in Russia. I just assumed it would be one of Putins autocrats who would have a contract for most everything.

Feels more like Russia is trying to force Ukraine into a revolution and the world I saying "hold up" ?

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