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Honestly, there is no path to compete next year. And as such, I’m going to outline my “do the right thing” plan which is entirely focused on being good again by 2027. High-level, this means punting the 2024 season (despite the lack of draft pick upside) and then using 2025 as a transition year for development. At a conceptual level, I will avoid calling up my big three positional prospects (Montgomery, Ramos, & Quero) until 2025. It just doesn’t make sense to burn any service time this year and I’d rather have them all hit in a more condensed window. The SP & RP pitching prospects in the upper minors are a completely different story though. Pitching is simply too volatile and injuries can happen at any time, so whenever those guys are ready for a shot they should get one. So beyond that one guiding principle, here are the rest of my strategic priorities for the off-season: Trade Dylan Cease if a quality offer is there, otherwise hold to deadline Only sign free agents to one year deals unless they are young and/or are greatly underrated by the market (team options are obviously ok) With rental free agents, prioritize ceiling over floor and hope those who actually work out can be flipped at the deadline for something of value Explore trades for Moncada & Eloy, but only deal them if it makes sense Leverage our open 40 man roster and acquire players with upside who may fall victim of being in stronger orgs with no space (Rule 5 as well) Once they are ready, prioritize playing time for our B / C tier prospects over any low ceiling vets (such as Sosa, Rodriguez, Colas, Lee, etc.) I still need to work through the specific names, but ultimately it’s all going to look very ugly for the 2024 season. The most important thing is to admit defeat and acknowledge there is no hope for next year. Only by doing that, can you identify the moves needed to right the ship by 2026.

According to Bob, the Sox tried to trade TA but could find no takers, and they have told teams they will listen on Cease. I think they finally realize how bad they really are.

The first player Getz should sign is Tommy Pham. The Sox haven't had a red ass player since AJ and Pham is an all-time red ass. He'll turn that clubhouse around on day one.

Which is what the white sox should have done. But no, Reinsdorf didn't want someone new because it would "take too long." Such a joke.

Dont disagree with you regarding TAs price but this team needs to be flushed down the toilet. No sense letting any more turds stick onto the side of the toilet, all it does it stink up the joint.

So continuing forward with this, I’m going to first focus on the rotation and the broader plan there. My hope is that Cease is moved this off-season (ideally for positional prospects) and that would essentially leave us with one starter in Kopech. Looking inward first, we do have a lot of pitching prospects that are going to begin their 2024 seasons in the upper minors. Nastrani is probably the closest to the majors, but Mena, Eder, Cannon, Bush, and several others have a shot at being ready at some point. That being said, we should build up enough pitching depth so we don’t have to rush any of these young arms. Let them come up when they prove they are ready for an extended shot. Based on the above, that means we need to add three legit starters that we can pencil into the rotation. Given we are punting the 2024 season, I’m actually ok with a hodge-podge of lesser candidates competing for the #5 spot. Touki wasn’t great last year, but he did put up solid back-end numbers over his last six outings and at a minimum he can be a solid swing-man on the cheap. He’d enter camp as my favorite for the #5 job, although I’d have him compete against whatever lottery ticket arms we end up taking fliers on (and we should pick up several more guys like him, Patiño, García, Honeywell, etc.). Doesn’t sound like Davis Martin will be ready right away, but he’d be the guy I’d plan on giving this role to in the second half if Touki doesn’t appear to be the guy. So with two spots technically filled, it’s time to get to the meat of the rotation. To start, I’d be looking at one year deals for two guys who were unproductive or hurt for the Yankees this past season: Luis Severino & Frankie Montas. The former made 18 starts for the Yankees this year and was absolutely terrible, but may have had some bad HR luck and could be a change of scenery guy. What’s promising is he was very good in 2022 and his pure stuff last year doesn’t appear to be radically different. I’d offer him a 1/$12M deal and try to tack on a team option for 2025 at $20M in exchange for a buyout of $3M. That would give him a $15M guarantee, but I’d ultimately settle for a one & done. As for Montas, he basically didn’t pitch last year (1.1 innings in Sep) after having shoulder surgery early in May and enters the off-season as a massive wild card. He was obviously very good with the A’s but struggled after getting traded to the Yankees in 2022. It’s really tough to project how much he’ll get on the open market, but my guess is he will also be limited to one a year prove it deal. I’d offer a very similar contract to one I proposed to Severino. The main difference would be a slightly lower base salary at $10M but with $2M in incentives based on starts made. I’d offer the same exact team option / buyout structure, but again would be perfectly fine with a one and done deal since a productive Montas has real flip value at the deadline. To fill out the rotation, I’m going to test my strategic priorities and sign 26 year Cuban RHP Yariel Rodriguez to a sizable multi-year deal. He was a dominant reliever in the Nippon League back prior to shifting to a starting role for Cuba in the WBC. Now, my view on him is entirely based on very limited second hand reports, but he sounds like he has a starter’s repertoire along with the stuff to be a back-end reliever as a fall-back. Not sure what that costs you nowadays, but I’m willing to gamble on a say 5/$40M contract. Again, that may be a bit too high or low, but as long as my scouts feel he has the upside of a #3 type starter with the floor of a quality setup man, I’m willing to take a gamble in a range around that amount. In summary, these moves would result in the following rotation: Luis Severino ($12M) Frankie Montas ($12M) Yariel Rodriguez ($8M) Michael Kopech ($4M) Touki Toussaint ($1.5M) To me, that’s a great use of rotation innings in a lost season and all at a very reasonable cost. And as hinted at above, Nastrini (and possibly others) would be a real threat to take one of these roles as soon as his performance and/or injuries/trades permit. Even if the veterans don’t perform well, they buy us some time with the young arms. If they do perform, they provide legit trade value at the deadline or possibly some 2025 stability if the team options were to come to fruition. Regardless, I like how these moves fit the broader strategic roadmap I outlined in my previous post and I’d give Getz huge kudos for pulling something like this off vs. grabbing a bunch of safe innings-eaters.

M&M guy would probably be there somehow.

Wow! Anyone figure we would be in this situation so soon after our "Championship Window"? They really screwed this thing up!

He doesn’t deserve the respect, but my god - that replay showed the defender holding him for 5+ seconds. The second Jones attempted to push off, a flag was thrown.

You spend money this year on minor leaguers and on players who are “flip” candidates at the deadline for more minor leaguers. The big league club is here to stock the farm for a 2027 run.

I mean, that would be rushing those guys, which is what happened what Vaughn.

Let's see, no TA, Liam, Grandal, Elvis, Clevinger and I probably missed someone. At least it's nice to get some house cleaning in

Seattle was on the cusp of the playoffs this past season, they aren't shipping off guys like Gilbert yet.

Your 2024 White Sox....Short lines & sit wherever you want.....White Sox, White Sox, Go Go White Sox!!!

Tim who?

I plan to attempt this at some point today, but $78M to address all our holes seems impossible. Hahn really fucked this org so badly.

I don't like picking the low hanging fruit here, But you think the baby mama drama and flipping off fans means nothing and apparently by the response in "likes" you got others agree. But it couldn't be farther from the truth. If isolated, those things mean nothing IF he continued to play well. However all the drama, the fight, all coincided with terrible baseball. Tim's whole world has fallen apart and we're supposed to think all the drama didn't affect his play ? Everything has been a disaster with him. I said I'd decline his option a couple of weeks ago. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Let's pay a player falling apart at the seams $14M just to see if he can get a new head, a new body and suddenly there's a happily ever after ? Poor Tim is just misunderstood. You scolded Lipman for being in a Soxtalk world but you're in some fantasy world where TA is somehow marketable and worth $14M. It's preposterous. Like I said when I said to decline his option. Let's see what the rest of baseball is willing to pay him now. You'll get your answer then about how good and marketable he is. I think he'll be lucky to get 2 years $20M. I expect less than that. Feel free to save this for when he signs with someone else.

would've been really nice to see him traded at the deadline, but i guess their asking price was a bit high

Scoreless 2K frame for Leasure, stranded a leadoff double.

105mph, 409 feet on a 97mph heater

Remember how good he looked on opening day against Houston? I think that was the one time I enjoyed watching a Sox game this year.

This was more just an exercise for me to see what I could assemble based on what’s out there in free agency. The assumptions I had was based upon not really competing hard in 2024, which feels far remote despite what Jerry will say. I stayed away from the top free agents at the positions since I highly doubt they would want to come to the southside and also I doubt the Sox are looking to lock up players now. So as a result, trying to find guys with maybe some upside that would be agreeable to 1 or 2 year contracts, maybe with options. Overall, without really analyzing the bullpen free agents or the bench… this roster would come out a little over $160 million. Room to maybe pick up another fringe starting arm or two since the AAA farm is dry these days. Definitely could add some cheap vet bullpen arms on cheap 1 yr contracts. The bench should be cheap organizational prospects with upside (Sosa, Korey Lee, etc). This lineup is nowhere near Central ready to compete, but offers some potential players that may be able to be moved if they break out. The best part is they can be traded, kept on their short contracts or even DFA’d if needed at some point. As other stated, I do try to move Cease and Eloy in trades if possible at some point. I am definitely free of Moncada, Eloy and Bummer at the end of 2024 (unless Eloy rebounds somehow). c Victor Caratini, FA 1+1 option yr $8 million OR Tom Murphy (same deal) 1b Vaughn $1.2 million arb. 2b Adam Frazier FA 2 yrs $16 million or Whit Merrifield, 1yr $6 million SS Amed Rosario FA 2 yrs $14 million or maybe that 2nd is an option 3b Yoan Moncada $24.8 million LF Benintendi $17.1 million CF Robert $12.5 million RF Colas $780k DH Jimenez $13,833,333 SP Cease $8 mill arb SP J. Flaherty, FA 3yr $34 million SP Kopech $5 mill arb SP L. Severino, FA 1 yr $9 million SP Montas, FA 1 yr $8 million Now I want to go throw up…

If the Dodgers don't get him, I'll be legitimately shocked.

They may not steal half the fan base but half the fan base may be permanently disinterested and they are not going to grow any new, young Sox fans. What kid in his right mind would root for the Sox?

First- obviously Getz will fail. However - hiring bannister/katz as a duo should indicate a team that can unlock free agent pitchers like the Giants do. This year should be them figuring out if that is true. That’s like the one thing they can accomplish. The offense next year may be worse than the As this year. Possibly worst ever.

I just….don’t get it confounding

I’ll be 78 soon, I don’t want to wait that long either.

I don't want to have to wait that long.

I wish they called this many out of the pocket plays when Fields plays.

To me, 2024 is the year to put Sosa and Colas out there and find out whether or not they're for real. Struggle through a .150 April? So what, keep playing them. Start Montgomery in AAA and bring him up midseason if he's crushing it. Trade Eloy if you can get anything for him. Put all your free agent dollars this offseason into pitching. Figure out what positions you need to upgrade next offseason.

Thinking about this more, I feel like they didn’t want to gamble on both TA and Moncada being productive players and took the opportunity to get out of some potential bad money. Still hoping Moncada gets moved though.

Not even in this weak AL Central as they like to constantly claim they are apart of. Brooks Boyer motto for the White Sox 2024 season should be: 2024…Flush it

Robinson?

Not possible.

If the Sox lose in the woods and no one is there to see it, did they lose?

Elvis was better at SS than TA. If they were to bring Elvis back to play SS, it would just show how gutless this entire organization was not to make the change during the season.

I think a 20 game losing streak is possible.

I like Sosa better at second base, if he works out that will be his position going forward anyway as Montgomery should be ready in 2025.

He was great for a while. Heart of the team. Face of the franchise. It was time. I wish TA nothing but the best.

Eventually the White Sox need to play that market but 2024 is not the year. There are guys who can help you win now, but they are damned far from winning now. There aren’t generational guys like Harper available, where it makes sense to pay for them so you have them in a couple years. Save money this year, go for guys on 1 year deals who you have a good chance to trade at the deadline. Restocking is the goal this year, see where we are next offseason.

Someone amend the history books, Hahn got some serious premature credit for TA's extension. It ended up a draw at best. If a good organization grabs Tim, sticks him in LF, mixes in 25 starts at 2B, protects him a bit in a platoon that allows him to miss some tough matchups, I could see TA getting paid again, ultimately by a terrible franchise. But if said crappy club signs him this offseason to play SS, he is about 200 ABs, an injury, one final suspension, a handful of media misunderstandings and dude will be enjoying the fashion scene in Japan by 2025.

guy puts up 18fWAR for $40m over his sox career and they cut bait after 1 bad season with holes at SS/2B. oh well, at least JR gets more money for his parking lots.

When his off the field antics cause him problems ON the field, when his antics with umpires and fans lead to suspensions, which means he isn't playing... I can assure you fans DO give a damn. Plus it's an embarrassment to an organization that does plenty on their own to embarrass themselves. They don't need any help. Bottom line, the guy appears to be part of the clubhouse cancer issue and like I was told by a source for my story on the state of the Sox last November: "Anderson needs to go because the organization gave him the keys to the car and he drove it off the cliff. And he’s getting up in years." I don't care if he hits .335 with 25 home runs next year with the Braves or Marlins or Brewers, he wasn't going to impact the disaster that is going to be the 2024 season. He needed to go.

Northbrook Bob said the same.

I don’t want them to rush Montgomery so since we are probably going to be shitty again in 2024 I’d bring back Elvis for one more year.

Nobody gives a f*** about athletes baby mama drama. I can assure you of that. Flipping off opponent fans is still legitimately hilarious no matter how many times this website tries to make it a thing. Get out of the soxtalk bubble.

The man was a two time All-Star and former batting champion on a cheap deal. How is that paid on potential??? Edit: I'm talking about his previous seasons, not his upcoming season.

I just don't understand why we didn't pick it up and trade him? Or trade him last year? We get $0 of value from this we end up in the same place. Just, why. What are we doing.

For the 1st time in my life I just don't care anymore. This owner ruined baseball and basketball for me.