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If the White Sox are AL Central contenders, they’re also World Series contenders. It’s the nature of the sport. Win the division, get into the tournament and see what happens.

The window closed the moment JR decided to drag his bestie off the barstool, slap a uniform on his reanimated corpse, and force a woefully incapable washed up hack on this team. Can they surprise and make a World Series run? Sure. Improbable isn’t impossible, but I’m not holding my breath.

Cease-Kopech-Lynn-Giolito/Clevinger is strong rotation and can win you playoff series if they're all on at the same time.

To answer the OP's question, they don't want to impress you, they want to do enough to make it look like they tried.

Trade Hendriks Trade for Sale Make Sale closer The circle is complete

Lol, just stop.

Absolutely I believe they are WS contenders. Oops, wrong holiday, I thought it was April Fool's Day. Currently they could win as many as 85 games. They might even win the division. Then they get swept away like old beer cups.

What window?

Trade the farm for Sale so he can be a part of two White Sox rebuilding fire sale trades when they inevitably pull the plug. I like it.

And the Sox from 00-08 finished worse than 2nd twice( once in a season they won 90 games btw) and won 3 division titles in that span. Also from 1990-2008 the Sox had the 5th highest winning percentage in baseball, despite only winning 4 divisions and one title. So was it really a fluke, or for one year did all of the right buttons get pushed?

So the White Sox are taking on $50 million and paying the Luxury Tax? Jerry Reinsdorf.

Sale.

I’d rather have Clevinger.

Yes and no. Sort of my point. They are not the Astro or the Dodgers. But I think, with the improvement as I stated I expect to happen, I think they are the Phillies.

I just want to put my vote that I really like listening to both Jason and Steve. I think they do a great job together. Jason just seems completely the professional, and I think you have to be impressed with Stone's insights, especially how he can predict, from time to time, what is going to happen in an at bat. A player is up and whatever the count and Stone will say something like, "The pitcher will waste this pitch and then come back with a fastball high and inside and strike him out." and damn if not two pitches later that's what happens. Or the other way, Stone will say something like, "If that pitcher throws that pitch again, it's gonna be hit hard into left field, and that happens one or two pitches later. I know some will say that's what Stone does is obvious, but I haven't seen other announcers doing that. On the topic of the "Nationwide" song. I can't believe others hate it so much; it's a commercial, like other commercials. I see the Nationwide song like sweet potatoes with marshmallows at the Thanksgiving meal. Not at all my thing, but it's part of the tradition, and I would be a little disappointed if they were not there.

Is it April yet?

Microsoft did a bunch of anti-competitive stuff back in the 90s. Most billionaires did scummy things to get where they are.

Unlike CWS, there are no bad Dickens books.

Take the stick out of your asshole

You complain about everything. You complain when the Sox don't make moves. You complain when the Sox do make moves. You complain when the Sox don't play kids. You complain when the Sox don't churn the back of the 40 man. You complain when the Sox do churn the back of the 40 man. The Sox got a live arm with an option (which is quite important for their roster) for a soon to be 27 year old soft tossing RHP every team in baseball could have had for $100k like 2 weeks ago. While its nothing to write home about, there is certainly no discernible reason to complain about this deal.

(Sorry this is in bold. I didn't mean to do that or do it for emphasis. I was a couple paragraphs in when I got called to help with Christmas dinner and so saved it to google docs. When I pasted it in and continued typing, I could not get rid of the bold.) I put my vote with yes. I still think there is a real chance for this Sox team to win a World Series. First, I never saw the "window" as a guarantee that the Sox would be so powerful that they would be in a couple World Series, no doubt. I saw the idea of a window as something where the Sox would be a strong team, make the playoffs every year for five or so years and if things came together, they could win the World Series. Well, in my definition of "the window", it's still very much open, and I think the Sox, if things go right, can absolutely make the Series and win it. Were the Phillies one of the best teams in the NL this year? I would say no. Was Washington, the year they won it all, a top-eight team in baseball that year? No, both teams made the playoffs and just got hot at the right time, and I think this Sox team is very capable of that. The main reason for my optimism is one simple thing that everyone seems to have forgotten. For all the complaining about needing this or that move in the off-season, everyone seems to have forgotten one HUGE area where the Sox will be much improved: La Russa is gone. I absolutely believe 100% that La Russa being gone will make the Sox, at least, ten games better, at least. The depth of Jerry's mistake in hiring La Russa cannot be understated, how it wasted two years of Sox talent. I don't think you can overestimate the drag mentally and emotionally having La Russa as a manager must have been on this team. The players are professionals and were able to deal with poor leadership (I'm being nice here) for a while; I'd say well into the first year. But the mental and emotional anchor of every day going out and playing for a manager who was completely unaware and a total goofus has to have taken it toll to the point where it affected the mental approach of the players, and baseball, as much as any sport, is hugely mental. I think this mental anchor showed itself in lingering injuries (why rehab hard or hurry back from injury for an insano manager with his not knowing the rules, stupid/ clueless lineups and in-games moves, and obsession with playing a total non-offensive threat every chance he got), and players not being mentally into games, either offensively with horrible at-bats and lunkhead base running and terrible defensive plays. Posters on this board keep talking about how it is unrealistic to think that so many players who underachieved last year can bounce back with good years this year. Well, to that, yes and no. Of course not all of them will have good years this year, and some injuries will happen. But I am stating that I believe many, a large percentage, of the players (everyday and pitchers) will show clear improvement over last year. And I think a large part of that will be because La Russa is gone. Like I said before; this emotional and mental anchor is taken away. Again, I think the window, with its chance to get back to the Series and win it is still open. I think the talent is there to get back in the playoffs, and from then, anything can happen, again, think of the Senators. Also, I think it's hard to overestimate what a stupid move it was for Jerry to hire La Russa and completely waste two years of talent. I think this year (I hope) will make that very evident.

Clevinger 100%.

Sale for Moncada and Kopech Who says no? (for this exercise, assume Sale isn't the one saying no) (sarcasm intended)

If your window is open, you should probably close it. That cold front was serious it got all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. I’ve seen 4 people in this neighborhood here in Texas with busted pipes from freezing.

I’d actually like to know which team is this example of a team that is built to maybe win 89 games, sneaks into the playoffs, and then wins a title. The most recent example I have might be the 03 Marlins? 04 - Boston. Was a wild card team, improbable ALCS, but was also a perennial playoff team and will show up again soon. 05 - might be the team on here with the least sustained success. Might be the most out of nowhere title in 20 years. 06 - Cardinals - everyone makes a big deal of them winning 82 games, but the same team won 100 games the year before and was in the 04 World Series. That’s a sustained period of excellence. 07 - hey Boston again, maybe they weren’t a fluke. 08 - Phillies - was a surprise at the time but they made the playoffs 5 straight years. 09 - Yankees. Most recent example I have of a team getting a title in FA. 10. 12. 14. Giants. There were a couple wild card appearances in there but that’s seriously sustained success. 11 - Cardinals again. 13 - Red Sox again. 15 - Royals - complete rebuild, “best system in baseball history”, two straight World Series appearances. 16 - Cubs - made NLCS the year before, 5 straight playoff appearances. 17 - Astros. Bit of help from a trash can, but have made the playoffs every year since. 18 - Red Sox again. 19 - Nationals - was a wild card team, but had 5 playoff appearances and 4 division titles since 2012, never finished worse than second. 20 - Dodgers. Definition of sustained success. 21 - Braves - have now won the NL East 5 straight years. 22 - Astros again. This seems very non random to me. There are zero examples of the Rockies or Marlins or Diamondbacks or Pirates sneaking in with an 88 win season and winding up with a title. Teams like that have made the World Series a couple times but I don’t see a win. Every one of them is a multi-year contender who wins their division repeatedly, the shortest stint other than the 05 White Sox is probably the Royals who couldn’t afford to keep a team that made two straight World Series appearances together. Titles are going to franchises that are excellent for years.

However, who says no: Devers / Sale for Montgomery / Colas / Popeye

Broncos country let’s ride

Stop what? That’s exactly the nature of the MLB playoffs.

And one Lay's potato chip.

Earlier in the thread, someone said he was #7 in the Giants system so not a real stretch to believe he'd slot top 10 here.

I haven't really followed SpaceX but it seems as if they took a NASA contract, research, and technology and did something that NASA and then Russians have been doing for decades while being lauded as geniuses.

I’m pretty sure I agree with this. Yep. I read it again a few times, and I also don’t understand how these contracts are sustainable.

It's fine to wait for things to develop, but when you peddle that your cars are gonna be robo-taxis next year and that you'll be on Mars in 10 and none of that has come close to happening, you don't get the benefit of the doubt. Also, he got fired from PayPal before they got big. He got rich from it because he got to keep his equity, but PayPal flourished without him.

Rome wasn't built in a day bro. Give the man some time. Also, no credit for PayPal? Smh

Shouldn't you have said Bah Humbug ? Happy Holidays !

PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, Boring Company (+ flamethrower), Neuralink. GOAT!

Probably why they signed Hamilton if they knew that Payton to Seibu was a thing.

Not a great sign of where the OF depth is at when this feels like a notable loss

If I remember correctly, Gleybar was traded to the Yankees for a few months rental of a top reliever. Now our top reliever needs to be accompanied by a second piece to be attractive to the Yankees. Seems like some folks have a way of undervaluing our players while overlooking the flaws in players from the other organization.

Too bad there aren’t more guys who reaped billions through racketeering and insider trading to buy more baseball teams.

Philly drafted a center 51st overall last year(Cam Jurgens) and he's gotten the Kelce "Seal of approval." It's still possible they bring Kelce back and let Jurgens sit another year, but Philly has 15 key guys set to hit free agency. In other news, both Conklin and Elgton Jenkins came off the board yesterday as both were resigned. That's a bit of a bummer. I still very much want to believe that Braxton Jones can be a guy, whether it be at left or right tackle, but after seeing how bad Leatherwood was last week, the Bears absolutely need another good tackle....maybe 2. Also. Super bummed I volunteered to work today not knowing that the game is today. I have it set up to record though....I drive for a living and typically listen to sports talk radio all day. Today I'm actually gonna have to listen to music!

37.5% off sale, plus Kohl's Cash.

x4

I like Sosa better because I believe in the swing changes that have created power. Rodriguez could end up the better player for sure but he's more volatile due to the approach at the plate. I think both are big leaguers though.

I know many don't, but I tune in for Jason and Walton. It is spectacular once or twice a year.

Remember Ramos was 1 on this last year ahead of Colas and Montgomery. Always a contrarian. Saying Colas is a platoon player is just lazy.

You may find yourselves asking, "Quin, did you need to make this cursed image?" The answer is yes. You have only the Corlas people to blame for me creating this pneumonic device.

Felt like digging into this a bit more today. Robert gets 445 PAs and a .793 OPS. That's about exactly where his offense was before playing through the wrist injury dragged him down. So, this is projecting that he is healthy for a much larger portion of the season, although not the full year. Also, about 1/3 of his value comes from his defense, but his defense last year was a negative for him due to a big dropoff in his range after the hip injury, so this is projecting a return to positive defense from him. If that's not the case, then that puts a ceiling on his ability to perform of something like 3-4 WAR if fully healthy. He's got to get defensive value back if he is going to be a 5 WAR/All Star level player, or he's got to hit better than he did pre-injury last year. Grandal is projected for a .750 OPS and 435 PAs. That's really optimistic based on his .570 OPS and 376 PAs last year, he hasn't had 400+ PAs in a year since Milwaukee. Zavala gets a .630 OPS projection. So maybe the real catcher's spot is Grandal gets fewer PAs than that, but Zavala has a little bit better performance with the bat. Moncada .742 OPS, 540 plate appearances. Compared to the .626 OPS last year that's a big improvement, but only gets him up to 2 WAR. Eloy, 445 PAs with a .808 OPS. That's kinda splitting 2021 and 2022 on offense, but you definitely hope he can outhit that if he stays healthy. He only had 327 PAs last year, so they have projected better health but not a big boost on offense. Vaughn is projected as an average defender, Eloy shows up as far more negative on defense so presumably they have him spending time in LF. Vaughn comes in at a .818 OPS with the team leading 593 PAs. Average defense, a solid OPS, and plays the whole year only gets you 2 WAR out of 1b though. Sosa is a 1 WAR player with a .662 OPS. Slightly positive defense. Anderson 476 PAs, .756 OPS. 351 and .734 for him last year, so projecting better health and better offense. Colas with a .685 OPS. On the pitching side, Cease is a 3.6 WAR pitcher, he definitely can outdo that but the projection systems are always going to be conservative after breakout years. Lynn is throwing 131 innings with an ERA of 3.9. Both slightly better than last year. Joe Kelly has a 3.72 ERA. Crochet is listed with 48 innings. Lopez with a 4.16 ERA. So ZiPS likes Kelly better than Lopez, lol. Giolito throws 160 innings with a 3.9 ERA. Kopech throws 110 innings with a 4.24 ERA. Clevinger, 114 innings with a 4.58 ERA. Overall, this is a projection that says "In general the White Sox who are here will be mostly healthier than last year and will perform better overall, and that takes them to bein a .500 team again." You can see a path to them being better than this. Robert's defense is better, Moncada's offense is a little better, Colas hits better than that. Kopech, Clevinger, Cease, Lynn all have upside in the rotation if they stay healthy. Add in an extra 2-WAR outfielder for help somewhere. There's a path here to 90 wins, but it's very much an "Everything goes right" path. They've generally projected better health and better performance from almost the entire lineup already, so there's not a ton of room for guys to dramatically outperform that. There is room for the rotation to dramatically outperform that, but it requires exceptional health from the starters, you can't have Cease get hurt. Everyone stays healthier in the lineup, the rotation performs better than these projections - that's a path to nearly 40 WAR and about 90 wins, which should put them competitive for the playoffs. A path to below 80 wins? Almost everyone in the lineup is already projected to be healthier and better than last year. They just have to do what they did last year and they're well below .500. Looking at this, I'm not sure this team has a path to 100 wins. You need a ROY type season from Colas, an MVP type season from Vaughn, huge seasons from guys in the rotation, Moncada to find his 2019 form or something like that.