Look at Ray Ray Run

I actually think a lot can change. He really only has 2 months as an elite hitter - his time with the cubs. His defensive metrics also "improved" with the cubs. I am skeptical on the defense moreso than the offense. If he goes out and has a 950 ops with adequate defense he's looking at a big payday that could contend with what JD Martinez got. It's a gamble, but it certainly could pay off if the big long term commitments arent there this off season.

Yeah, seems like a net loss for the cubs here and if their payroll situation is so dire that they couldn't add a single dollar, I'm not sure how I shedding some salary opens up the door for a large long term commitment.

I imagine this means it's the last, expected, bigger move. The sox shouldnt be done exploring improvements for the team - I imagine the others just feel more far fetched and less likely.

This cant be real though. The cubs have spent $0 so it's not like they have any real wiggle room. What's the point of moving an expensive piece to acquire another one with deficiencies.

The Rangers never made sense so I believe this. They had too many outfielders. It looks like Castellanos and Ozuna are screwed and should have taken their original multi year deals if they were offered

This doesn't make much sense. I think ricky tends to overuse his good arms if anything.

Yeah, this is why I didnt want to give longer deals to the other guys who signed. Too much volatility in that market and the sox have very high end talent in the RP world in their minor leagues.

I also think if Ozuna or Castellanos market really tanks like I believe is possible, the White Sox may circle back on a shorter deal.

I imagine the only additional moves this team would make would be large, marquee moves, for the future. Likely nothing happens but I imagine rick is still working on that young and controllable front.

This feels like the Astros throwing the red sox under the bus to save face a bit.

Not a bad deal - I didnt love any of the relievers this offseason so I'd rather be committed to one for a shorter period of time. Smith worries me with his age, stammen is just another guy who has ups and downs and is really old. Cishek still has + stuff but his age and injury are of concern... which makes the 1 year pack a good deal. I would have preferred spending the extra money to get an elite arm like Betances.

I honestly don't get your anti-defense bench position. I'd actually be fine with Engel as the 4th outfielder. He could be fine vs lefties with a little positive variance (see last year) and he's a fantastic defender and baserunner. Engel the starter makes me irrationally upset, but Engel as a 4th OF'er is such a perfect fit. This isnt the NL; I've never been a buyer of the power bench bat in the AL. If your regular lineup is talented enough (the Sox is) you don't need some PH masher or hit first player. You need versatile and athletic players who excel defensively and on the bases imo. That's an ideal bench in the modern game.

Which better points to the importance of Bailey here. Reinsdorf likes to see proof in the pudding when it comes to investments. He's comfortable shattering records to non-proven players because he got proven bargains out of Sale and Eaton already; and now Anderson. He's comfortable beating the pack at the tip top of the international market because players like Jose Abreu panned out after he benefited from someone like Alexei. The Sox have been bad in the IFA market and Jerry strikes me as the kind of investor who feels more comfortable once he sees the value of it working. If Bailey can become an MLB regular, or maybe even a star, maybe he starts the transition into more investment in that market.

Bailey needs to be a real prize to get any momentum going in that market, imo. Exciting thing is he has a real shot of being one of the fastest risers in baseball in 2020.

Thanks, mobile at the moment.

Yahoo article after he announced.

Yeah, the Ohtani stuff was nonsense for sure. That said, the way Cuba watches over these kids when they play in places like Japan makes it very difficult to evaluate and really difficult to judge the kid based on any sort of production. He actually held his own though which is a testament to him. I believe he did some pitching before the transition to Japan but he was so young it's impossible to evaluate. I think being left handed and throwing 95+ led to the exaggerated point on his pitching prowess.

I admittedly don't know much about him, but I don't think Passan was paid to shill for this guy; he spoke with scouts and some people, and reported (also said in a radio interview) that he was an elite level amateur prospect who could lead the pool next year. I wouldn't put too much stock into his position or time in Japan - I imagine the culture shock is pretty damn immense for a kid of his age... even moreso coming from and going back to Cuba repeatedly.

Huh? Very possible he'll be the #1 ranked IFA next year. Why would you not want him?

"The Chicago White Sox, who have been in on most Cuban prospects over the past decade and are building around fellow Cubans Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert and Jose Abreu, figure to be a favorite landing spot."

This was in the minor leagues of the Nippon League I believe; I remember reading that this year was his first year in Nippon Baseball. He also hasn't really pitched over there which is why the Ohtani comment was crazy; sure, the kid throws hard, but Ohtani was an elite all-around pitcher with a proven track record.

I think he should be allowed to win the job in spring - if he has a big spring, the job should be his.

He was absolutely dominant in AA though, which is probably a tougher league to succeed in at this moment in time. That said, obviously he has no case for being called up immediately.

Astudillo doesn't strike out, sure, but he swings at EVERYTHING and he has horrible plate discipline. Madrigal has great plate discipline and a much better understanding of the strike zone than Astudillo.

These two aren't really that similar. Reed wasn't as fast, he wasn't as good of a baserunner, he wasn't a 65+ grade defender, and he struck out more in an era where striking out happened less. Mardrigal is running historically great strike out numbers, and he plays a position with less emphasis on power. Reed also hit the ball in the air with much more frequency which is bad given his limited iso outputs. Reed was also a lefty who absolutely could not hit lefties.