SoCalChiSox

BAL has no leverage. They can't spend their way into a viable postseason rotation and have redundant pieces so it's not like they are cleaning out their farm. BAL simply has a Dickless Wonder as a GM and that is the reason for the holdup. If he wants to cry in his crab cakes in October again tho, that's cool.

And "everyone else" is free to avail themselves of the benefits of paying 150-200 million dollars instead, while grappling with little regional TV money simultaneously. I'm sure owners will love to hear that their coaches would rather put ownership in that position rather than... you know ....doing their jobs to help players improve and fix things. And I'm sure said coaches will have no trouble answering ownership when they ask "Then what the hell am I paying you for?" Chris Getz should wipe his ass with any written offer that doesn't include two Top 100 prospecta plus a useful third piece.

What does Montgomery have to do with RF or 2B? And I asked about legit players not DeJong/Lopez. We need to get some potential savages that we can look forward to. Isn't JR about dangling the carrot with at least an aura of hope? Where is the fucking hope?

That's probable with LAD, but the mix doesn't really work elsewhere. For example, in the CIN package mentioned I don't really see it as a "mixed" package either because those aren't premium bats. They're more like nice add ons rather than savage talents.

What is your plan to get legit players at RF and 2B then?

Weren't we looking at him at the deadline?

Eh...it may also just be a reflection on what CIN has. Macsandz reported we asked for Cowser and Norby + from BAL and both those guys are MLB ready so it's just a reflection of their likes in each system IMO. I think we all agree 2024 will be awful but if you are correct that they are planning on 2025 being awful too (w/very low payroll) they might as well sell high on Robert now after his monster season.

Jimmy, do u know what our ask of LAD is?

Lowder and Petty++ is a good return but again the top pieces should be positional talent not pitchers

Remember last year NYY wanted Beni too but offered less. I think they are trying to buy low on him, because now that he's more than a year from his surgery, his game should improve. Near the end of the season, his SLG started really improving (or maybe it was just the month of August). If Beni is 285/365 and can get back to even 15 HRs that's actually a pretty useful player and NYY needs LHH too. In this hypothetical, if CWS ate half the cost, if he's fully back, NYY would be getting a bargain at basically like 8m a year from their end. If we are going to sell him, I think there's a good argument to be had that he could provide real value at the deadline if he's back to a 2.5 WAR player. I'm not sure Getz wants to get rid of him. He seems like a Getz type of guy.

At least some things are starting to move

Nah.....Kopech is Bannister's project.

7.5m per year? Ehh not bad. Hopefully he can eat some innings. Still hope they add another vet

I dont think they would empty their system for both. I think their primary concern right now is just Cease and it will only require 2 Top 100s plus a decent third piece. That won't put much of a dent in them. Just for that I don't see what the issue is for Elias. He has alot of duplicative talent in multiple spots which is not an efficient allocation of resources, certainly not something "the Rays would do" as you said. I dont see what's the big deal about giving up a RF and a 2B when you have like 4-5 quality IFers and a couple quality OFers. Let's assume for the sake of argument that he doesn't want to give up Cowser. But Cowsers profile if things break right is basically Beni circa 2018 with BOS before his power disappeared...a good all around player who hits for good AVG, good OBP, good D and also 20 HRs. That's a very nice 3 WAR player but ultimately not a massive loss for them. They've got savages everywhere. Same for Hjerstad. If he pans out, it's like .260/.325 with 25-30 HRs and a good arm in RF. Again, good player but not a killer loss for BAL. Cease may not win them the WS but he almost certainly could win them a series or even two. Their rotation, if not supplemented by legit talent, is not built to win anything in a short series where its your Top 3 vs their Top 3. They will not win a series against an opponent with two really good pitchers, cause that's 4 starts right there where they'll be the underdog.

For Cease and Robert, we would basically want everything, Holliday, Basallo, Mayo, Cowser, Hjerstad, Ortiz, Hall, Norby, Bradfield, Povich. Everything and then duplicative stuff you can trade away later for other needs. You could later move a couple of these guys for Top 100 pitchers if need be. Send it all over.

I feel there's been alot of smoke re BAL the last couple days, between this, Morosi and Getz saying we are not "very close" as opposed to not close. My gut sense is there is tentative agreement on the top two pieces, but haggling over the third piece and I think with even more pitching coming (Fedde, maybe Flaherty), they are going all in on BALs positional talent, even for the third piece. My gut sense is they want Bradfield as the third piece, as a future speedy, defense first CFer in place by the time Robert is moved in a couple years so they don't have to fill that hole. Getz seems to prefer D and speed so it makes sense. I think the Sox would accept Hjerstad/Cowser, Norby and Bradfield if Elias can actually grow a pair.

If Getz can secure Bradfield as the third piece in the Cease trade, Robert could probably be moved as soon as mid 2025 IMO. Getz seems to value defense and speed I think they want a credible replacement in CF coming down the pike if/when he's moved.

To be fair, Balta has suggested that no one (perhaps aside from Robert) has any substantial value, not just Santos. Lip Man has really been banging the drum on the whole Santos specifically is worthless thing.

I've been told a million times Santos has no value due to his injury.

I'm feeling good right now about this trade, especially with Morosi pointing at BAL. Getz saying they are not close feels like gamesmanship to me. I get a gut feeling that they are close and close with BAL specifically....maybe even just haggling over the third piece now. Ohtani, Yamamoto, other SPs do not change BALs position at all since like us they swim in only the kiddie pool.

Agreed.

Prolly should cost 4 Top 100 with at least 2 in the Top 50.

This

By contrast, to the extent that there's a few things in his game that haven't gotten wrecked yet, we will take care of that here. He should go to NY, where there's a real pitching lab infrastructure and legit coaches, oh and it's not a fucking dumpster fire.

If he's smart, he will sign with NYM.