SoCalChiSox

If something big was really going to happen we wouldn't be shopping at the 99 cent store for a starting RF.

Sarris should be smart enough to know there is a significant difference between "available cash" and "available cash budgeted for player salaries".

It is when you are pinching pennies despite proclaiming out of the other side of their mouths that we are now in the championship window.

JRs "budget" really puts Hahn in a bind. It sucks they had to forego Joc just to make Hendriks work financially with Eaton. Its like they are trying to address everything in a meaningful way while being basically budget neutral from last year, which is tough to do and IMO shouldn't be the case pandemic or no pandemic. If you really hit your championship window you should be able to spend. They starved the roster for like 3 years of money during the rebuild phase so there should be ample cash even after profits are doled out. They also have alot of the core guys on sweet team friendly deals. Look what they saved: Encarnacion 12m minus 1m buyout on declined option...savings 11m. Cishek 6.75 minus 750k on declined option....savings 6m. Mazara, Rodon...thats what at least 8m in savings prolly? They have cut around 25m....added back in like 9m for Lynn and 7m for Eaton, so they are still at a net savings right now of around 8m...you can't tell me you couldnt have squeezed in 3m or 4m more for Joc and still given Hendriks 13m in any kind of reasonable world. You'll still have to pay for a LH DH later on with some power anyway so its not like you are really saving anything with Eaton over Joc. Its just stupid.

Actually it doesnt. With Joc you could have hit two birds with one stone. Now we will still need a legit LH DH in addition to reliever.

Has he? Very few people believe he adequately addressed RF.

They didn't spend 7m on a 4th OF when Engel is there...

So we gave up on Joc for nothing in exchange then. Nice.

FO should put out a Nightengale story saying we are "close" to bringing back Colome. Were not waiting till March again with Lozano.

So we couldn't sign Joc because of money needed for Hendriks. What if we don't get Hendriks? Better circle back to Joc and no IDGAF that they already signed Eaton. Thats the FOs problem, not mine. Push him to LF and Eloy to DH.

What about the fact that its seemingly almost impossible for Eloy to play a full healthy season so for those inevitable 20-30 games he's out Schwarber could play LF as well. There is a place for him here. It involves some musical chairs between him and Vaughn and Eloy but it makes sense.

Not sure TLR wants to entrust that fulltime role in a World Series seeking year to a rookie. In any event, Vaughn could still spell Jose at 1B 1 or 2 days a week and DH against LHP. There is a role for both players.

Hendriks and Schwarber.

Yeah....we blew a layup there. Sox gonna Sox.

Schwarber.....get it done...1 yr/5m.

Yeah he is using Chicago to string it out and get another bidder again. Hendriks will sign in March. With San Diego. And FO will say they had the high bid.

Except it wouldn't be hard at all to sign both Joc and Hendriks if they even gave a half ass attempt at making a financial commitment to maximize their chances to win a title in this window.

Lulz @ the team using players as a human shield to hide behind in order to justify the signing. Truly reprehensible.

So? If you aren't gonna pay 100m for an OFer, how bout at least 3/30 or 2/22? If we are making excuses for them failing to even do that then there's no point in having a window. A team that was truly ready to spend for its window wouldn't find a 2 or even 3 year deal with 10m AAV prohibitive at all in terms of flexibility. Seriously, this is disgusting level of penny pinching at RF. Pederson was a no brainer. At some point you have to put forth a viable option at RF and not just Mazara/Eaton slop. Its like the only spot in the lineup that needed to be addressed God forbid we do more than a glorified 1 year vet minimum style contract for it. I also wish the Sox would try something new and thus actually be honest with us upfront as to what they are looking for. If you don't like a fun loving, loose bunch of kids and instead prefer douchebags and assholes than just say that. All you have to say is our culture is too positive and inviting and we think morale being correlated with productivity is an overrated concept and thus the team would be better served with a more miserable atmosphere in the clubhouse, then at least it would be an honest assessment of what they want rather than leaving fans bewildered at each signing.

Whats the plan to add some real LH power?

Translation: JR vetoed even a 2 million legit backup catcher.

I look forward to what the rationale will then be when they dont even land Hendricks.

Yeah its so open we are pinching pennies on 7m OFers vs 10m OFers.

I thought I read they were out on Brantley today due to cost, though.

Rabbit.....thoughts on Eaton over Joc? Most of us are pretty pissed. Even if they sign Hendricks ill still be pissed. Any chance Sox will sign Schwarber to be DH since LH power is still needed? Maybe keep Vaughn in the minors for a few months.