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A Cody Bellinger, Kolten Wong, Jose Quintana offseason seems both super White Sox and somehow unobtainable.

If the budget is $200M, go ahead. If it’s $180M, don’t waste the $10M. Go get a LH RF and a decent SP.

I keep feeling like this. The 2020 and 21 White Sox are still in there somewhere. I know last year poisoned the well, especially for any predictive formulas, but I really feel like the worst case scenario with TLR happened last year, and that this year will be much closer to 20/21 than 22.

In fact, I just did the math to prove how stupid this theory of yours is: Sox starting line up average age: 26.7 Twins starting line up average age: 27.40 Sox rotation average age: 28.66 Twins rotation average age: 29.94 Sox lineup + Rotation average age: 27.44 Twins lineup + rotation average age: 28.31 PLEASE STOP SAYING THE SOX ARE OLD.

Would be a terrible allocation of limited payroll… do it you cowards.

Agreed. I’ll keep screaming it, but get me the best OF and SP possible, and then go with youth and cheap depth options at 2B.

You finding this trade simulator was always to be a problem.

Just save the money and go with Sosa at 2B…

If the White Sox were thinking about a move for Wong, then they've probably at least considered it, because they wouldn't have much money left to add a LF regular and they can't possibly be certain that a trade for a cheap one will appear. But of course, that illustrates why taking on Wong's deal with only $25 million or less to play with would be a questionable call.

I wouldn’t hate acquiring Wong if they actually addressed OF and SP beforehand. The defense is a concern and he does feel like someone the Sox would pick up right as he fell off a cliff offensively. If they are actually cutting payroll it makes little sense not to roll with Romy/Sosa and address other more pressing needs.

I think the concern is with his defense, especially when rule changes will require more out of the position. He’s also at an age where he could come to the Sox and fall off a cliff offensively. Again, I’m not necessarily against it, but just think we have more obvious holes in the outfield & rotation and little money to add.

Never count out the man who signed Albert Belle.

I think I might prefer to keep Burger as Moncada injury insurance than acquire 1 year of Wong at market value.

For the low low price of $10M, the Sox could quite possibly have the worst INF defence to go along with the slowest corner OF’s in the game! That Rick Han sure knows how to light stacks of money on fire in new and creative ways.

If funds are so limited, spending $10M on a 2B seems pretty stupid. But it is Rick Hahn we are talking about.

Great 2020 move. What a joke now.

Not anything to do with this subject, but the highest OPS since 1947, 75 years, minimum 1000 PA, vs, LHP, is the Big Hurt. Saw it on MLBN.

For the White Sox? Naw, it looks rather normal. They have 3 people who should play there. Grandal, Zavala, and Perez. The veteran probably shouldn't be counted on for more than 1/2 the games, but if he's in decent physical shape coming into the year it shouldn't be difficult for him to be a 1 win catcher. Not what you're paying him for, but not that obscene around the league. Although Zavala was a 2 WAR catcher last year, let's assume he's not nearly that good offensively again, but he was pretty good defensively and with pitch framing last year, so between him and Perez it shouldn't be impossible to get another 1 WAR out of them. If Grandal struggles more than that, maybe you could more aggressively put him on the IL and keep Perez on the roster, and the downside isn't all that terrible. If Zavala is still performing surprisingly well with the bats, maybe he steals some more at bats. As of right now, position looks about average. One young guy, one veteran on his literal last legs, and one guy who has a bit of experience who is somewhere around tolerable. That's about what most teams are bringing to the table. The Median team last year got 1.35 WAR from their catchers spot, the White Sox got 1.7. Shouldn't be impossible to pull off something like that again. Cleveland and Houston? -0.2 and -0.6, respectively, and I'm not sure anyone cared that those were black holes.

Jorge Alfaro would be a solid get.

I would sell high on Seby. He's not a regular, and his defense to me is average at best. If he was hitting. 175 next June with a .525 OPS, I wouldn't be surprised. Get a guy who throws well , blocks balls in the dirt, and calls a good game.

Most of our "issues" with Wong here aren't the player, but rather the money allocation. If we truly only have ~15 million to spend.. Spending 10 million on a 2B, may not be the brightest idea

Or even Sheets at DH with Eloy in LF. f*** no.

Honestly, those don’t upset me too much. We have a bunch of guys coming off unpredictably bad seasons and a couple major holes not filled. More concerned that Hahn fill those holes with marginal talents and we end up a couple games over .500 and just short of the division.

This is where JR has to step up. Yes the payroll is high enough to contend, but he has a bunch of guys who need a reset. He can't realistically think they can knock 8 figures off the payroll and still upgrade the team. $10 million for 2.5 WAR in a trouble position should be child's play.

Wong has put up 2.5 fWAR each of the last 2 seasons and is projected for the same in 2023.Dependig on the price of prospects, I don't know how much better you can do than that at 2B and only a 1 year commitment . Who else can they realistically obtain that would fit into the budget and not drain them of at least one of their better prospects?

I've yet to see one of these off-season plans that does not look like a 3rd place team in the division. I'm depressed for next season already.

Not thrilled with a potential Wong addition with a limited payroll. Last thing I’d want to see if them giving up actual value to make the Brewers pay most of that contract.

I'm not sure I want to see Burger play 3B ever again.

And we know how good the Sox pro scouting is…

Wong led MLB in errors from 2b last year. It was a big surge in errors for him compared to the previous year, but it was a return to what he did early in his career. With him next to Anderson in the IF, and Vaughn’s lack of range (can’t say anything good or bad about him receiving throws yet), there would be a good chance of a super sloppy infield next year.

If we are only spending 15 million, I wouldn't love 10 million going to Wong.

This guy spews out about hundred rumors a day across all MLB franchises. I’m assuming he’s full of s%*#, but there is some logic to the rumor.

No. Easy to connect the Sox to Wong. Need for a 2B and left-handed bat.

Man, was I excited when that happened. Little did I think that would be the largest FA signing they’d make during this window.

6 years Robert >>>>>>>>>>>>> 1 year Ohtani.

friend of mine who watched a shitload of NLC games the last 10 years: "Dude he's not the same guy now that he was in STL, plus he's getting fat"

Like with Frank Thomas the situation the Sox are in really provides no option unless they move guys like Vaughn & Sheets. And because of the age factor that may not be a wise move.

I made sure to catch it, figured the question couldn't be ignored with that amount of interaction. I was pleasantly surprised with how much they didn't push back on it.

At catcher? Yes, absolutely, literally anything can be playoff caliber at that position. I gave the numbers for Houston and Cleveland in that post. Anything you get out of the catcher's spot is basically gravy, it isn't a method that carries most teams to the playoffs. Nobody cares that Houston's catchers gave them very little offensively or defensively because they handled their rotation expertly and those folks were at the top of the sport. Are the White Sox playoff caliber if they get 1.7 WAR out of their catchers spot? I dunno. They have to make that ground up elsewhere, and last year they couldn't come close.

He's just going to pencil a 35 year in that spot for his analysis, because #Soxareold #mustmakeeverythinglookasbadashumanlypossible.

Hopefully not for long, but he’s literally our fifth starter right now.

Me too. We’re talking about a team that was the HEAVY favorite to win the division last year. Now all of a sudden the Sox are the third best team? No way. Last year was literally a “whatever can go wrong will go wrong year”, with the worst manager alive on top of that. Now that manager is gone. Yes, so is Abreu, but other than that, it’s basically the same team. And hopefully the loss of Abreu isn’t as big, considering it could mean we have better outfield defense. If I had to bet right now, I’m taking the Sox to win the division.

Seby is absolutely a sell high guy for me as well IF you could get something. I doubt you could though.

I'd be fine with this if it costs the Sheets/Burger level, but I doubt it will. This team cannot afford to trade any prospects with good future value given their budget constraints. Also if its Wong or some mediocre reliever at $10 mil give me Wong 100%

I will suggest there that this wouldn't involve "extensive discussions" if the White Sox had sufficient confidence in Sosa at 2b this year.

He also had knee and calf injuries last year. And he's only owed 1 season. I've been watching a lot of MLBN lately and one of the themes recently is there is no such thing as a bad 1 year contract. Now, if you would have to give up something fairly valuable for the guy, I see why someone would say no. But if they need to cut some payroll and would take a lottery ticket, unless there is a better option out there, it makes too much sense. And with Tony gone, making too much sense shouldn't be a reason why it doesn't happen.

If anyone's looking to pile on a bit more misery, check out the early ZIPS projections for 2023 https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-absurdly-preliminary-2023-zips-projected-standings/ Just as close to the last place Tigers as the 1st place Guardians, according to these projections ?

The Sox haven't had a 2nd basemen surpass 2 fWAR in 17 years and Wong hasn't played below that pace (prorating 2020 out for him) in the last 6 years. I think people are sleeping on what a significant addition he would be even if it's not a huge splash.

@Sleepy Harold - You should listen to the White Sox Talk Podcast if you haven’t already.