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It's amazing how many don't realize the Cubs and Sox compete for market share. They absolutely are rivals.

Bob is literally hiding behind a hedge in Ohtani’s yard with a set of binoculars

I'm not gonna lie, when I saw the title of the thread I wondered if we'd take a flyer on him and then I opened it up and realized that we were the team that outrighted him. It is tough to keep this bucket of crap we have straight sometimes.

It's like this but it actually happens

White Sox anxiously wondering if he'll take a contract offer of 1 year/$25M along with Bulls season tickets and a Vienna hot dog.

Meh. If the Sox could consistently win their shitty division of small market teams, theyd get plenty of attention

Maybe the real Shohei Ohtani was the friends we made along the way.

Rosenthal said Royals were in on Fedde if you wanted a connection to our father franchise

Ohtani to the Blue Jays is the best scenario, provided he doesn't do the craziest thing ever and sign with the White Sox on a 10 year $100M deal with a plethora boosters and elevators making the deal worth as much as $101M. Puts pressure on Baltimore to make a deal for Cease. Possibly makes the Dodgers desperate to get Cease. Keeps the Dodgers from getting every damn thing they want. And it's just different...not the same handful of teams making big deals.

We have been reduced to hoping another team saves the White Sox from themselves ….

White Sox need desperately need starting pitching. White Sox desperately need Left Handed Power hitting. White Sox desperately need a superstar to attract interest and draw fans and make the team seem relevant. So of course, Reinsdorf has no interest in Ohtani. Reinsdorf sucks and so does his entire organization. And Sox fans are conditioned to just accept it.

The willingness to take on big money for bounce-back candidates, but never spend for stars in their prime. The deeper you go into this team’s lore, the less anything makes sense at all.

What’s funny is that we actually offered a higher AAA than SD, we just were afraid to guarantee years 9 & 10 because of all the talent we’d have lock up come 2027. Because as you know, when you have endless job security, it’s more important to long range plan than actually try to put the best team together in the now.

Give Jerry a break. Giving Machado 8 years would have really fucked up the 2026 seasaon.

Remember when Jerry balked at $300 million and just 5 years later, we're getting $600 million deals.

Today I feel Canadian.

I wonder if the deciding factor was their willingness to change their name to the Toronto Sho Jays

I bet it feels like signing Andrew Benintendi without that gross “what did I just fucking do” feeling the next day.

What kind of private jet does Whit Merrifield fly on?

You obviously haven't watched much of him the last two seasons. he has been ripping the organization a new one on a regular basis.

WHY DO YOU NOT LIKE MILITARY

Getz wanted to throw in a Portillo's chocolate cake, but JR shot the idea down.

Given the Yankees "success" over the decades and recently, I mean they've had a winning record in what 10 of the last 11 years for example, and seem to make the postseason on a regular basis, I'd say the rule isn't hurting them very much. Money speaks a lot louder than facial hair rules. And the Yankees spend it.

This is a thing on the board I’ve long championed though as people lament the risk in big deals. If you start to paper clip trade you can half life these deals. Saves 3 mill on life if white, then aim to chip away at fletcher. its not your life signed away if you aren’t lazy.

AA spins off Marco and White. Just runs circles around our FO

Man, imagine being a Jays fan watching this all unfold today, thinking it was happening. It's like us when Machado had that custom black mitt made, or when he was seen in the batting cages with what looked like a Sox hat in blurry photos, or when Hector said the deal was done, or Harper's name was on the banner in the United Center, or that photo of Harper wearing a Sox hat from years ago resurfaced, or

Dave Roberts is going to be under a lot of fire if they lose him...but not quite as bad as situation for UPenn president losing $100 million ongoing donation.

And yet, somehow, left in a cloud of controversy, dishonored in the eyes of the team who benefited from that production, as a warning to caution against doing it again.

Bob is EMPHATIC

What's worse is that Jerry could have effectively signed Machado to a 4 year $120 million deal since he was probably going to opt out anyhow. There's no way we would have given him that incredibly stupid 11 year extension, but getting an all-star caliber 3B for 4 years at $30 million a year is a pretty good deal.

It was quite exhilarating. And he remains perhaps the best FA signing of all time in Chicago. He put up 8.6 bWAR in two seasons, including one in which he led the league in OPS+ and hit a billion bombs with runners on. It would be similar to signing Judge today.

Lmao. This has been the best thread of the off season.

f*** yes…sad I’ll never no what signing a star in free agency feels like.

Nah

I can’t believe that Jerry knew all along that all Ohtani wanted was for his suitor to play hard to get!

The plane has landed. This is so dumb lol.

Maybe it's Geddy Lee.

For sure. I actually think they’re too smart to sign Snell at all. Just amusing myself at the idea of a reactionary rage signing if Ohtani goes to Toronto.

Lol'ing at the probable reality of them swaying some #4 guy to sign with them because they can promise him an opening day start.

Ohtani in Toronto sounds great! I love when it's not just the usual suspects signing the mega-stars. I can get down with this.

Toronto winning these sweepstakes would be amazing. Let’s hope it happens.

I'd love to hear why...

Garfein is also a Reinsdorf kiss-ass.

I see your point and raise you: Then, side-by-side of Cutch Left: One of the coolest players in baseball Right: Boring

Yeah, I think there is

It's 2024, not 1954. It is an incredibly stupid rule and always has been. Baseball is an international game that attracts players from all over the world. Requiring men from other nationalities and cultures to adhere to an antiquated "clean cut" standard is problematic to say the least.