WestEddy

All that development investment, only to lose him for nothing...

Curses!!

You started chasing me yesterday when you basically implied that we need to stop making non-negative comments. I'm not telling you to be quiet. I'm asking you to explain your criticisms. Other astute posters have just clocked in and expressed no real confusion about how the White Sox are conducting themselves here.

Yeah, SS2k5 was the one who actually convinced me to give up the ghost on 5 WAR Robert, and realize he's a 2 bWAR player over 162, which translates to a 1.5 WAR dude over the 100 games he'll be available for. But the Sox probably think there's a little more helium to that 85 OPS+, and he covers CF better than anybody they have for now.

They said they expect Robert to be their CF, but they'll listen on him. I'm still waiting for you show us the lie. I'm just trying to think along with how the off-season is progressing. I don't need to imagine everybody wearing sweat shirts labeled "Good" and "Evil" for the world to make sense to me. Again, I would love for you to question the GM you say is so great and powerful. Let us know when you're going to start doing that, instead of dogging conversations about Luis Robert's trade value and market and trying to force us to admit really bad things are happening to us.

I don't disagree. But there seems to be some frustration over Chris Getz not announcing a blow by blow commentary of any trade discussions, or to settle for a package that has less value than just plugging a very good defensive CF into a lineup with no better options in the system. I mean, every team in transience announces a core player or two who is untouchable, and they listen on any phone calls they get. I also don't get the notion that we all have to pretend the White Sox front office is regularly asking for Crochet-like packages in exchange for Robert and are befuddled when the line goes dead. It's kind of insulting to demand we all pretend that. Nobody walks into a car dealership and announces the highest price they're willing to pay. It's a game. So is the trade market. I suppose I'll be accused of writing pages of "WestEddy Getz" in my notebook because I only think he's acting the way the rest of the league does.

No wait. I recall you being in finance, or something. Do you announce what stocks you're going to be buying up in the next month, and which you won't be? I'm surprised that business-speak makes you angry. Everybody does that. The entire world blows smoke up each other's heinies. There's probably player agreement or tampering rules that govern how much they have to thread the needle about trades and such. Again, I know it's frustrating, but I don't understand why it's so hard to grasp that there's a line where it's worth more to plug Robert into CF than let him go for non-entities. Is Getz supposed to settle and just take what the market's offering, even while the free agency market hasn't really started to play out? If you know about these talks with the Reds and Mets (beyond what little's been reported), are they packages you wouldn't complain about once executed?

I'm going to get labeled as a Getz-lover, just because I'm trying to glean some sense from this. Can you tell me where the lie is here? “It’s very truthful that we are not shopping him, because we’re very comfortable having him in a White Sox uniform, knowing what he’s capable of doing. Now if it makes sense for both parties to work out a deal, then so be it. But we’re planning on him being in uniform for us next year,” Do teams generally announce that they intend to trade a player at all costs? I don't seem to remember that ever really happening. Should Chris Getz release his call logs to the press? What level of factual information do you think you're due? And are you saying that the White Sox shouldn't then trade Robert if they get their socks knocked off by a return offer? If you know something that we don't, it would be nice if you told us.

MLB off-seasons have become frustrating in how they play out. Are you suggesting the the White Sox declare that they will not trade Robert under any circumstances? Or do you think they should just take the best offer right now because ChiSoxFanMike is cranky?

The White Sox have been pretty clear that they're not shopping Robert, but they'll listen. Are the White Sox supposed to declare that they will never, never, never trade Robert now that they have picked up his option, even if somebody waves a Crochet-like return in front of them? Nov 4: “Obviously with the hamstring injury toward the end of the year, he missed some time,” Getz said. “But prior to that, with the adjustments he made going into the second half, that gave us confidence that this is someone we want to have in our lineup on a regular basis. We just need to find a way to get a productive six months of the season, and a lot of that is keeping him on the field.” “We have a plan with performance,” Venable said. “We had it going into last year, we have it every year with Luis, understanding the risk [of] injury and really have a mindful plan with all of our players. Certainly, a heightened awareness of Luis and his injury history. We'll roll out a similar plan this year and make sure we're doing everything to put him in the best spot to be healthy and be productive.” White Sox pick up 'game changer' Robert's $20M option for '26 Nov 20: “It’s very truthful that we are not shopping him, because we’re very comfortable having him in a White Sox uniform, knowing what he’s capable of doing. Now if it makes sense for both parties to work out a deal, then so be it. But we’re planning on him being in uniform for us next year,” Getz said to Merkin. Chicago White Sox aren’t ‘shopping’ their All-Star outfielder

Well, my thought (which somehow, turns into unconditional Getz love to the detractors) is that the asking price on Robert will be higher while there isn't a clear replacement on the team or in the system. Maybe if Baldwin or Pereira look competent in backup roles, the asking price on Robert drops in July.

He threw 170 in 2024. I don't think they'd be signing him as anything but an upside play. They'll probably grab up another couple of this type.

They've pretty much stated their preference. One of the implied rigors of being paid $20M a year to play baseball is that the player may have to endure trade rumors. I trust that Getz is keeping Robert apprised of the market and the team's goals.

Robert isn't part of the extended future of this team. I can understand moving any of the players on this roster (except Monty and Teel) for a return that sets the Sox up better than the traded player does. To me, keeping him makes more sense than trading him for a minor league bullpen arm.

Wow. I've so gotten into your head that you now think your thoughts are actually mine? LOL. Buy a guy a drink, first. The choice here seems to be that either Chris Getz and the entire White Sox front office are so completely in over their heads that they are regularly misjudging the market for Luis Robert, or Robert's their CF this off-season, and they'll move him for a non-trivial return. I can understand how breaking nonsensical narratives down to simple realities confounds you, since you're the one who has chastised the entire board for not being embarrassed enough that you thought Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn are better players than Shane Smith because the Brewers rostered them while exposing Smith to the Rule 5 draft. I prefer to run with the explanation that requires fewer yoga classes for pretzel-shape twisting. Seriously, before you start typing "make it make sense", or "I'm just laughing at...", consider that for multiple trade deadlines and offseasons, the Sox have entertained trade talk for Robert, and wound up keeping him. A rational person might surmise that Getz looked at the offers and decided that plugging Robert back into CF is worth more to the team than the unsatisfactory package or return the market is offering. If you really think that Getz is receiving offers that are worth more than playing Robert, it's incumbent upon you to tell me something more about these offers you know exist instead of pretending to be laughing.

Those who subscribe to the hive mind are generally shocked by those who can step back and look at the big picture. You don't have to look on in awe from the outside. I'll bet you have it in you to do it too.

I'm coming around to the thought that the White Sox aren't repeatedly marketing Robert and failing, but they made the decision that he's the best option as their CF, and if another team wants to change their plans, it's going to cost them.

Something called "ClutchPoints" hypothesizing a Sox/Mets trade return Will Watson, R.J. Gordon and Jose Chirinos for Robert.

Really? Any particular reason why? I think they just changed international scouting director, but I wouldn't think they'd cancel everything over that, unless there was some shenanigans going on.

Somebody using Grok to scrape the net for Braves' rumors...

Interesting string where it's posited that the Mets need more international money to sign their whole class.

Ian and James always put out a podcast worth a listen. The most interesting is the convo about Baseball America's raving about where the Sox are going with Development (BA thinks the Sox could have a top ten system after the draft), and James talks a bit about what he hears the Sox want to add soon. Give a listen.

Garfien had a good talk with Phil Nevin about why he came to the Sox and what he does.

Interesting argument for German Marquez.