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Offensive: Engel Defensive: Engel Overall: Engel

Moncada saying he doesn't like batting leadoff and feels most comfortable in the #2 spot would be enough for me to lock him in at 2.

Did you notice the 3 , 4 and 5 hitters were Abreu, Grandal and Encarnacion ? Take the 1st letter of their last names in order of spot in the batting order and what does it spell ? A- G -E

I keep thinking that McCann will outperform Grandal......

Yeah but SouthWallace is Spring Training MVP with the play by play. Really helpful when I miss a game and want to catch up quickly on everything I missed

Gotta love Yoan having a great (spring training) game after getting called out by @Jack Parkman and @Lillian over struggling (in spring training games).

I didn't say he belongs on the team because of his bat. I repeat...he belongs on the team for his GG defense and speed. Additionally...his bat has improved since second half last year which is factual.

You've actually have on here before. I'll speak on myself towards that regard. Even @DirtySox called you out on it and the mods had to clean it up. You have a real tendency to do so quite a bit here and not recall. Lets not go on the "holier than thou" route Ray. Some posters might pull out receipts.

Hey, it is Spring training for them too...I'm sure he will be a big dick by the time the regular season rolls around!!

In my opinion, our winning years will have Tim Anderson batting 7th or lower. Do whatever to start the season, but nothing really matters lineup-wise right now.

Moncada leading off.....knock it off already Ricky.

McCann's success last year may not have been the aberration, that some assert. He did make significant changes to his approach at the plate, and they seemed to have paid huge dividends. He probably isn't as good as his first half of last season suggests, but he's still pretty decent. Watching him hit, on a daily basis, demonstrates to me that he has a very sound approach. I like the fact that he chokes up on the bat, with 2 strikes and that he is willing to hit the ball to right field, which is a very desirable practice. It has certainly turned around Anderson's career.

We absolutely SHOULD trade McCann if we get some reasonable piece(s) back. This is a guy that prior to last year was terrible. Last year was a clear career year for him and will forever be marked as such. If we can trade his value based on that career year, especially with him only having one year left on his contract, we should 100%. It's a matter of whether any other team is desperate at catcher enough to give us a worthy prospect or piece back. I'm all for it tho. We can't sit here and assume Grandal is going to get injured. We can play that all day. What if Moncada gets injured. what if Eloy goes down. Why don't we have back ups to the back ups? Just trade him and get a good piece back that'll be here 5+ years.

I don't see a McCann trade at this point. If the rumor is true the FO has had all winter to find him a new home and it hasn't happened. With Grandal banged up this spring, I think McCann sticks around and soldiers on. The team is better with him on the roster and I dont see the FO weakening a position of strength halfway through Spring Training.

I’m not sure if it was actually reported or listed in here, but Fangraphs has an excellent payroll tool and it shows the amounts for this extension as follows: 2020: $2M 2021: $7M 2022: $14M 2023: $18M 2024: $24M 2025: $25M* So the total arbitration commitment is ~$40M if you include the small increase he got this year. For some comps, Machado got ~$32M over his three arbitration years while Arenado got ~$34M. Also, Bergman’s extension was worth ~$44M in his first four years, which is ~$3M higher than Moncada’s deal. His two options years were worth $57M vs. Moncada’s $49M or ~$8M less. Obviously there is some inflation built into this deal, which is also reflected in the Bregman contract. That being said (and despite Balta’s ridiculous injury theory), we are paying him star 3B money for his three arbitration years. The real value is those two free agent years we’re buying. In all honestly, those are probably worth somewhere in the $80M to $100M range and we’re getting them for a reasonable $49M. Yes, we need Moncada to be a star, but if he is this deal should provide quite a bit of surplus value right when our core guys are starting to get expensive. Just an amazing deal all things considered. https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/payroll/white-sox

62IP in BHam, hasn't pitched in a game since late June 2018. I think AA is a safe starting point. If AA is no challenge he won't be there long.

Liner to Mendick ends it. Cubs go 123 in the 9th. Sox Win 6-3!!

Fuck cancer

Engel really has great value as a 26th man.

Me Likey

Yo squares to bunt again, Engel steals 2nd easily.

I'm really encouraged by Robert taking his walks. If he can get a decent OBP he can be the 1. 1 Robert 2 Moncada 3 Vaughn 4 Jimenez 5 Grandal 6 Anderson 7 who cares 8 who cares 9 Madrigal

I actually think the best hitter of them all will be Vaughn, but I don't think that's because I feel Robert isn't going to be amazing. I think Vaughn is looking at 1000 ops over and over again. Defensively - Robert (I think he has the potential to be an all-time great level defensive CF'er) Overall - Robert/Yoan (this one is really hard) Striking fear in opponents - Eloy (there's something to be said about dropping 50 bombs)

I absolutely love the 3-0 green light for Robert. ALthough he shoulda taken that pitch.

I am in the Pro-Eloy camp

Robert looks so damn good. Wander Franco must be the best prospect ever to be ranked consistently higher than him.

TODOS LOS CUBANOS. They already have an agreement with Norge Vera and I'd put a large chance on them getting one of Yokelis Cespedes or Oscar Colas.

i forgot how much i hate cubs broadcasts but then i remember i love luis robert

Schwarber lol What power hitter gets nicked on the jersey in spring and wants to make sure the ump knows right away. Get some ABs in you pantload!

People getting mad about spring training lineups. Timmy doesn't walk enough.

Hopefully the team makes the playoffs a few times in there. If so, revenue should grow at a rate sufficient to keep up with the current contracts.

This all depends on what changes in the next CBA. This is why I think the FO is smart to get ahead of all of these contracts. If the players get anthing changed in those years, the deal could be a real bargain.

I predict that if we keep McCann, people will be wishing we traded him by the end of the season because he will revert back to mediocrity.

I think people forgot how BAD McCann has been in his career (apart from last year). If you get a decent piece back, you 100% trade him. None of us are advocating trading him for a scrub, but if you get something interesting back you do it. It's far far far more likely he returns to being a scrub than he is being who he was last year.

RIP.

Keep him. Grandal wears down seemingly every year.

As previously stated, because catching is a position which uniquely requires shared playing time, adequate depth really includes a third option. If Grandal were to get injured, who would be Collin's tandem partner? Mercedes can certainly hit, but can he catch well enough to be a viable option? I don't consider Zavala a good enough offensive, or defensive catcher, to be a possibility. If Mercedes could catch well enough, the Sox could get by without McCann, in the event that Grandal were to lose significant playing time. Catching is such a critical defensive position, that the return for McCann would have to be someone with some real potential. Otherwise, I'd prefer the extra insurance that the current depth provides. It is likely that James will elect to sign elsewhere, next year, but by then the Sox may know more about their catching depth.

If Hahn was truly brilliant, he would reversed the contract. 25 million this year decreasing to 2 million by 2026. Think of the financial flexibility.

Thank you Jose Abreu.

McCann was the AS catcher last year so I think it's fair to say he is a capable backup at this point. Catchers tend to develop later so Collins catching everyday at AAA would be my preference. If someone wants to overpay for McCann I am open to Collins being the backup for sure. I'm one of those people that thinks the catcher position is super important and depth at catcher is a wonderful luxury to have.

Yeah, I don't think all that many people get it. Mike Trout isn't just "the best player in baseball". He's pacing to enter himself squarely into the GOAT conversation when this is all said and done. I doubt anyone will ever pass Babe's 182.4 career WAR record. Trout would need to average a 10 WAR over 11 more seasons to do that. That's not happening. However, I think when you account for the difference in eras. There will be an argument. Of course, he needs to stay healthy. For whatever reason - "GOAT" conversations don't happen that much in baseball relative to NBA or NFL. Probably stems from how baseball has created such a "mythical" aura around their legends. Trout will enter into that. He just needs to stay healthy. I hope he does. He's unreal to watch.

Engel, Garcia and McCann are all excellent for how we plan to use them. I'm not clamoring to extend them...but I'm certainly not clamoring to trade them either.

If I was a Cub fan I would be concerned that this will be typical of the Cub/Sox games for the next 6 or 7 years.😁

My god a billion dollar entity being managed by a 10 cent brain.

I was just going to say that. Robert has stupid power too, don't get me wrong and I've heard stories about his minor league HRs rivaling Eloy. The Sox might have the most raw power in their OF in baseball, between Eloy, Robert and Mazara. If they can tap into Mazara's raw power....oh boy.

The Cubs are lucky that we even agree to play them.

It’s just incredible. He still may be UNDERRATED. (At least by the average fan)

Not sure about potential trade partners, but I’m all for it if we can get a controllable reliever / bench piece or a lower level prospect with some ceiling in return. I love what McCann brings to the table as a backup catcher, but his value is wasted in a 40 game role. Again, if a solid return can be realized, then I’m all for Collins being the primary backup and seeing what we have in him. For those saying we’re doomed if we trade James and Grandal goes down, let me reiterate that McCann is gone after the season anyways. This is a one year luxury at best and I’d rather think long-term here by acquiring an asset with more control while also seeing what we have in a flawed, but highly interesting young player.

WHAT IF... and hear me out...... Not Steve Ciscek is acutally a Y2Jimmy burner account that he will use to praise himself so that Y2Jimmy will then become a larger writer/reporter. IT'S THE INCEPTION OF MLB RUMORS!