South Side Hit Men

Dear Leader lied last year about losing "nine figures", despite cutting payroll by nearly 2/3, while simultaneously sending his lackey to lie about the 2020 MLB COVID agreement, and another paid for lackey to whine about Samson outing his carrot advice and pimp his drunken manager hire.

The Dodgers and Mets don't give a rats ass about the "Luxury Tax". You have at least five teams (Yankees, Boston, San Diego, Houston and Anaheim) who have been relatively quiet who likely want to determine what the final "Luxury Tax" threshold and penalties are before signing major contracts.. A half dozen or so teams, including the Sox and Cubs, at minimum paying lip service to field a competitive team, with no intention of broaching the current or any altered Luxury tax. The remaining half of the league either had payrolls so low their major increases this offseason still keep them far below any tax threshold (Texas), or having a low payroll with no intention of bumping it significantly higher (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Oakland, Colorado, Arizona).

LOL at these two Ranger Tweets.

Flashback to another AL Central Owner getting all pissy about spending money. Illitch dumped Scherzer (2019 WS) and Dombrowski (2018 WS) after they wanted more money. Both went on to win World Series within four years of leaving. The Tigers have gone 144 games under .500 since.

Players have generally been signing for $5.5M-$6M AAV per each projected 2022 fWAR share, generally $0.5M-$1.0M less than the crowd sourced estimates per fWAR. Half of the 2+ fWAR projected FAs are now off the board. Updated through 7PM signings: Crowdsourced or final AAV per projected 2022 fWAR (Limited to the 33 FAs with a 2.0 or higher projected fWAR): https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/free-agent-tracker?&pos=all Fan Graphs Top 50 FA Rank ; $ = 2022 fWAR / AAV; (Age / #AAV Years) 1B (2): 5. F. Freeman $5.1M (32 5); 29. A. Rizzo $6,4M (32 3); 28. B. Belt $8.8M (34 1). 2B/SS (1): 3. M. Semien $5.6M (31 7); 12. J. Baez $10.0M (29 4). SS (2): 1. C. Correa $5.8M (27 8); 10. T. Story $6.9M (29 6); 2. C. Seager $7.1M (28 10). 3B (1): 30. K. Seager $6.0M (34 2). OF (6/2): T. Pham $4.5M (34 2); 20. K. Schwarber $5.8M (29 4); 21. A. Garcia $6.0M (31 4); 9. S. Marte $6.5M (33 4); 22. M. Conforto (29 1) $6.8M; 11. N. Castellanos $7.6M (30 4); 6. K. Bryant $9.3M (30 6). SP (9/8): J. Quintana $0.9M (33 1); A. Wood $4.0M (31 3); 31. S. Matz $4.4M (31 4); 13. E. Rodriguez $4.4M (29 5); 38. A. Cobb $4.6M (34 2); 17. C. Rodon $4.7M (29 4); D. Duffy $5.0M (33 2); 36. A. DeSclafani $5.2M (32 3); 32. J. Gray $5.8M (30 4); 50. Y. Kikuchi $6.0M (31 1); 14. K. Gausman $6.1M (31 5); 7. R Ray $6.2M (30 5); 19. J. Verlander $6.9M (39 2); 8. M. Stroman $6.9M (31 4); 18. C. Kershaw $8.4M (34 4); 15. N. Syndergaard $9.1M (29 1); 4. M. Scherzer $9.8M (37 3).

NBA and NHL grind out two months of playoffs to cover a six month season. NFL has a month of playoffs, with a significant advantage for the top four teams, to cover their four 1/2 month season. MLB owners are proposing a one month playoff scheme to settle a six month 162 game schedule. A World Series Champion had to win a regular season championship (League Pennant 1903-1968) or Division (1969-1993) to be eligible. Being a playoff team mattered, you had to earn a World Series over both a 162 game grind and 1-2 series against the other best teams. If this passes, it becomes a 14 team crap shoot, and degrades any value of fielding the best team possible over the 162 game season. People here were completely bored watching the Sox "rest" the final three months of the season. Now teams will "rest" throughout the entire season.

Well, there are still items within the Sox budget on the FA shelves. Meanwhile, Scott Merkin will write everything is covered come Spring Training.

Jerry can't spare a square.

Jerry is for the Children!

Better yet, cap it at three, bottom two division winners play best of three or five, winner faces top seed, home seed gets all home games until the World Series. If they implement this garbage, they should return to a balanced League Schedule. Since half of each league is making the playoffs, there is no competitive reason for teams in garbage divisions to have an advantage when it comes to padding their record over 18 games against each of the 1-4 tanking teams. 168 game schedule, 12 games, 6 home, 6 away, against each of the 14 other teams. Losers which would have made it under this scheme since the Wild Card Era: 1995: Baltimore 71-73 & San Diego 70-74 1997: Chicago A.L. 80-81; Detroit 79-83 1998: Chicago A.L. 80-82 1999: Seattle 79-83 & Pittsburgh 78-83 2006: Cincinnati 80-82 2014: Braves vs. Mets 79-83 play in game. 2016: Miami 79-82 2017: Three team play in game for the final two 80-82 spots: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Los Angeles A.L. Additional White Sox teams which would have made it: 1996 (85-77); 1997 (80-81); 1998 (80-82); 2001 (83-79); 2002 (81-81); 2004 (83-79); 2006 (90-72); 2010 (88-74).

Yep, I reduced my postseason viewing to the few teams I liked once they went to WC in 1995. If enacted, I won't bother period, just concentrate on Rotisserie / Fantasy, and the regular season. It's like Jerry wrote this plan, since the White Sox would be the primary beneficiary over the years with eight additional White Sox teams, or nearly as many as the eleven legitimate playoff appearances in franchise history. Also, they should return to a balanced League Schedule and eliminate the garbage interleague games. Since half of each league is making the playoffs, there is no competitive reason for the Sox and others in garbage divisions to have an advantage when it comes to padding their record over 18 games against each of the 3-4 tanking teams. 168 game schedule, 12 games, 6 home, 6 away, against each of the 14 other teams. Makes sense for Owners to propose this scheme: The owners have zero consideration for integrity of the game or fielding competitive teams. See Collusion, no NL DH, no minimum payroll, etc.. Many fans are happy solely by "making the playoffs twice in a row" Owners keep the vast majority of postseason revenue Owners no longer have to compete to finish in the top 3-5 spots, just need to be league average and with a dozen teams tanking, any team with a pulse will make it. Losers which would have made it under this scheme since the Wild Card Era: 1995: Baltimore 71-73 & San Diego 70-74 1997: Chicago A.L. 80-81; Detroit 79-83 1998: Chicago A.L. 80-82 1999: Seattle 79-83 & Pittsburgh 78-83 2006: Cincinnati 80-82 2014: Braves vs. Mets 79-83 play in game. 2016: Miami 79-82 2017: Three team play in game for the final two 80-82 spots: Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Los Angeles A.L. Additional White Sox teams which would have made it: 1996 (85-77); 1997 (80-81); 1998 (80-82); 2001 (83-79); 2002 (81-81); 2004 (83-79); 2006 (90-72); 2010 (88-74)

Meh, would have liked Stallings. Kim Ng is doing a great job assembling a solid team on a very tight budget.

The Sox signed up thousands of new season tickets holders last year after Jerry and Hahn flashed playoff carrots. There is no motivation for them to spend more, or bring in a competent GM/Manager, or buff for FAs. Jerry was fine with the Bulls wallowing in the same manner for decades. It wasn’t until fans stopped selling out the UC and Jerry stepping down that anything actually changed. Same for the Bears shitshow since Sid Luckman retired.

Kenny found those guys in 2004-2005. Hahn is not capable of finding multiple players in this mode. Bulls are solid and on the right track a few years after new leadership. Hopefully Sox fans will be in the same position later this decade with Michael or a new Ownership group, including a new front office and manager / coaching staff.

I called it an albatross last off-season and was mocked for it. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Keuchel vests for next year with the Sox’ lack of depth (Rodon gone, Lynn’s knee). A team that doesn’t draft and keep solid quality cost controlled players doesn’t have a “multi championship window”, now matter how many decades Hahn is around to declare that they are.

Pitching wins in the playoffs. Lynn’s health doesn’t look so great heading into a rushed extension, and Ray and Gausman are solid playoff starters. Giolito Ray Kopech and Lynn/Cease + Vaughn/Sheets/Deadline RF is far more formidable in the playoffs than a team without Ray but with Conforto. In terms of 2B, the remaining FA options are mediocre at best, there is nothing to prioritize. They also need to fight off Pittsburgh and Detroit for Leury Garcia’s services, or settle for 120 games of Yolmer Sanchez.

Ray and Gausman were solid deals, Matz was a steal. Sad the Sox couldn’t land one of these three, or even attempt to do so.

Yep, Heuer and his contract would look great as well Sox uniform as well. Smart teams keep salary controlled players. Half the board wants to dump Vaughn to save Jerry cash, and sign Conforto and dump yet another first round selection as compensation.

Tampa still has cash.

McNeil gives the Mets depth at 2B and 3B, no reason for them to lose him and keep Cano for whatever, if anything, he has left. I can see them DFAing Cano if he doesn't show anything the first half, and just eating the rest of that pathetic deal (a net $20.75M for each of the next two years).

Yes, but an alternative not palatable to the owner now, is it? Jerry's priority is not the "multi-championships" Hahn has been blathering about for the past decade with absolute ZERO playoff success. Jerry's priority is to wave carrots and maximize profits. There is no change with the Sox or Bears until there is a change at the top.

Well, they do have enough cash to give Hahn another extension. It would seem most of the board would support that move.

While player movement would halt during a lockout, management positions are still in play Don’t look for the Mets or Athletics to get serious about their managerial searches until the expected start of the lockout. At that point, player movement will halt, but teams still will be free to hire for management positions, including managers and coaches. - Ken Rosenthal

I plan on supporting the Players, so can do that here and not cross the line. I may have posts critical of Jerry/Manfred et al for the first time in this forum.