WestEddy

Okay, I have a call into the front office about this. A lady said they're in meetings and she might not get back to me today. I do this from time to time, just call the front office with a question, sometimes somebody just gets on the phone and shoots the s%*#. I once talked to Dan Evans about the White Flag trade for about 10 minutes.

It's very easy to say that obtaining Vargas, Perez and Albertus have moved the White Sox closer to playoff contention than keeping Fedde, Kopech and Pham. Because there's probably not a sentence that is more slam dunk true than that.

He'll probably clear waivers. Curious if the Cardinals outright or just release him. He's been pretty bad in his last 5 starts. Colorado just touched him up for 6 earned runs in 3 innings.

I guess they're not trading him for a better package than Getz received.

Here's one of the clearer allusions to this practice. I'm unsure if it's a rule, or agents just ask for it. I can't find anything that refers to it directly, even reading MLB's site on the MLBPA. White Sox Sign Chris Flexen To One-Year Deal - MLB Trade Rumors

There's a rule that players over 25 who have played in foreign professional leagues for a certain amount of time aren't subject to the 6 years of control. I can't find a specific paragraph that spells out the rule, just references to it in other stories.

I don't think that holding onto Robert for a spring trade expands his value much. He's still fragile and subject to season long slumps. Robert looked good this last spring training, then went into a months-long slump that he may still not be out of. I just think the Sox have been burned by him too many times and are ready to move on.

I believe Tauchman will be a free agent after the season, just as Flexen was last year. Returning from a yearlong stint in a foreign league grants a waiver of some sort. Civale will be a free agent.

There is the roster spot and playing time. Losing a DH from the 26-man does free up space for a 3rd catcher to get Teel and Quero in the lineup every day.

I think he's just expressing distaste for the urgency of a guy who has to be rostered this offseason. I think that focusing on R5 or out-if-options guys is a way to get added value.

I think Davis is a guy who would be more valuable in the off-season than the TDL.

I know this is all just posturing, but this is the first I've seen this tactic floated in this particular instance - keep Robert and pick up the option White Sox’s surprising new Luis Robert Jr. trade plans revealed | Sporting News

Uh-oh, a 36-65 team celebrating victories: White Sox partying like it's 2005 ... but celebration is top secret I like how they snuck this in...

Boy, could the Phils use a CF, and maybe an IF bat who could cover 3B for a couple of weeks, then slide over to 2B. Also, Tanner Banks has been a great pickup for them.

Which is why they're a good pickup. Trading for top 10 guys who have a year or two before Rule 5 is the classic definition of buying high.

The Blue Jays had a pitching prospect (Huck Flener) get hit in the eye back in the 90's. Exploded his eye.

Sosa tanking his own trade value.

Why so down on Altavilla?

"Miguel Vargas is who we thought he was".

If that was the offer (4/40), I could see Boras taking it with player opt-outs after every year. That does nothing for the team. If he's opting in after the first year, something has gone horribly wrong.

I see Robert's value as one year at somewhere between $5 and $10 because his career has fallen off the table, and he has to rebuild his value. Were he to hit the market after a healthy 3+ bWAR 2026 season, he could certainly get Anthony Santander's 5/92.5 (Santander had a QO penalty attached).

I thought there have been multiple reports that the Sox would be willing to eat money on Robert and Benny.

It actually does. Credibility is a commodity. If you walked into a new car dealership and offered $10k for that $55k list price pickup truck, you'd have a hard time getting a salesperson's attention after that.