Chisoxfn

It was pretty evident that George & Ted had no plan and I think they basically realized we have no plan, are a week behind, and aren't going to be able to pivot fast enough - we better just stick with these guys. Zero thought process and macro view at the top - so indicative of WHY this organization won't change without finding a very strong and powerful football leader who is at the top.

Which honestly - might be the right thing for the franchise to do. I just want to have a president or someone else who has a longer term contract in here who can help be a part of that evaluation process (who is also evaluating Pace & Nagy and the whole enterprise). I don't want everything just falling on two potential lame ducks. I complained 2 years ago when the Bears were borrowing into the future and that was when they were coming off a 12 win season. I think there are only absolute rare situations where you borrow into the future and I don't even think they did anything meaningful with some of the Mack money they pushed out, etc. Those things irk me a ton. They go against almost everything I stand for on a financial side of the house, etc.

Got my parents & in-laws set-up to get their first doe of the vaccine tomorrow and thursday, respectively. I am sure it will be chaos at the actual site - but feels like progress. Counting down the days until I am eligible (my wife was already eligible and got her first dose about a week ago - although no one really knows yet how she is supposed to get her 2nd dose).

It’s why they need a president to make sure that doesn’t happen. I do expect we will see a move made to invest in a qb. If I were Pace my best chance at sticking around is solving qb. I take a shot at Winston and draft a qb. If the new qb or Winston flash - even if the team isn’t good - I buy time if there is hope at qb. Technically if I am Nagy the same probably works. Their best chance is aggressive plays to upgrade qb. As long as they don’t trade a bunch of picks for it or jack up the cap - I am actually 100 percent on board with that - someone need to make sure that sort of stuff doesn’t happen.

I have the same thoughts on Nagy. i get more and more frustrated when I think how badly the offense has failed. I think of the Fox era and they had some bad QB's but they still were able to move the football better than this and with really bad receiving corps, etc. In Pace's case - it is the same thing - the lack of offensive personell is just really bad.

Pretty evident with how yesterday and today went down that McCaskey doesn't have any vision and that is probably very indicative of why the franchise has been the way it has for the past 30+ years.

I can live with it - if there was a move being made at the top to bring in a new president.

Sounds like we will know by end of day - but one concerning piece is, it doesn't seem like they had really thought very much down this path - would lead us to believe not a lot of truth to any thoughts on a new president type of figurehead (but i guess we will see).

Still nothing out of Halas hall, but Allen Robinson indicated in an interview today that he didn't know what coach was calling the plays the past 2 games. Not sure that it matters - might just be more the fact that multiple coaches are involved or it could be an indirect shot at Nagy. Bears had multiple games this season with less than 2 3rd down conversions. While you can point to Nagy's record and 2 playoff appearances in 3 years - you can't ignore the sheer ineptitude of this offense. The problem is - with the late start they are getting, unless they have a guy they really like that they know they can get - I don't know that making a move on Nagy now is super critical. But you can't ignore the big personnel misses, imo. It seems to be the issue is I think the McCaskey's think very highly of Nagy/Pace the person and that factors into it. Anyone who thinks otherwise is niave to how the real world works. If they were jerks - the decision to make a change is always easier. People are still humans and there is always a human aspect to everything.

I don't love Colome as a non-closer though. He feels like that guy who relies on the edge of the final 3 outs to will himself to victory. He was a very effective closer for the Sox, but I don't know that he is as effective of a set-up guy for whatever reason. I have no stat to back me up on that.

Isn't it the opposite - I see more population movements from liberal areas to conservative areas and thus potential shifting going the other way, whether changes are made or not. California in particular has plenty of people it could lose on the left (and remain left) while saturating Texas (and shifting texas more neutral) and potentially some other places. Shoot - Look at what happened in Georgia & Arizona.

All I am saying is it is a slippery slope and you need to understand how things are perceived and that there are two sides to many arguments. The reason we are in this mess to begin with is multi faceted and more than just Trump being Trump. Trump had a huge leg to play in this - in my opinion the biggest - but in many ways he was the accelerant for the fire. And I don’t have a good enough opinion on PR yes or no but I know there are arguments for both and I don’t think my first order of business should be related to this. If you want to appease - you set up something to ensure more bipartisan watchers at polling booths and just tighter state documentation of voting guidelines (won’t do anything but perception is important) plus all of the damn focus should be on COVID and economic recovery anyway.

And this is a good oline draft - the type where you can find 2 good starters if you do it right. I tend to agree - build through the trenches (oline and dline) and that will make any qb you draft or db you draft for that part far more likely to be successful.

Look at you - giving the right a hard time for them not believing an election is fixed and here you are with your first order of business to just rig things to the other side. Totally hypocritical and an awful look if that is what the parties were to do.

Nah - I would DEFINITELY get the spelling right

In some ways these deals are the best of both worlds. The player gets generational money (guaranteed) while also ensuring they still have one crack at free agency while they are still in their "prime" earning years. In a best case scenario - they are obviously leaving money on the table, but in a worse case scenario - they have secured the fact that if they have any clue how to manage money...than they and all future generations of their family are more than set for life. Now each individual has different risk tolerances - but to me these deals seem like total no brainers as long as they are reasonably fair. The exception was the Braves deal where said player gave up way too much leverage (in my opinion).

Oh yeah - in grand scheme of things, nothing major to get upset about. Team is still better and I'm not one who worries about perception of moves or no moves. To be honest - this team didn't need to do a lot in the off-season for me to feel good about them. The only thing I wouldn't have wanted was to spend a bunch of money on some over the hill bums or to trade Kopech or any of our front line pitching prospects for a short-term rental. Those types of moves would have irritated me to no other because i think they would be too short-sited. Compound that with the recent move the Indians made and this team is more than good enough to enter the season and you can tinker from there and upgrade based upon where things look in June/July. Don't need to spend it all now - although like you said, I expect a few more moves because they need some extra depth in the rotation. Those are the types of places where things can go south fast and put you in a hole that you don't make the playoffs. The positional depth on this team (*knock on wood*) is strong where even if a few players regress, I expect others to step up, that the offense should be good regardless (and its why I was never a big fan of allocating all that money to Springer). I'm also pretty excited about the coaching staff, in particular Katz. I don't think he will be some miracle worker, but I do think this was the right time for a fresh voice and interested to see how some of the young Sox arms can take steps forward, in particular Cease, Kopech and Croquet. Less fascinated with Lopez because I don't think his stuff has looked good (and I don't think that had anything to do with Cooper) - however, the new coach might surprise us, especially if he can help Lopez find that curve again.

I agree with you that the Sox were probably ready to be in that sort of range (as you talked about). My worry with COVID is it just hampens everything else...but it could also be an opportunity for Sox because maybe JR really has more in his coughers from all the money he saved from the rebuild that him scaling back is just smaller in nature vs. the overall league. My question though is where does it get in the way. If the Sox still can play and are okay moving payroll to different spots, than this moves might tip the scales a bit more to the positive. For example - if a team like the Dodgers made this sort of move, I'd be commending it day in and day out (which goes to show you I like Hendriks especially over next 2 years at a minimum). Its more the context on a smaller payroll squad and the 4 year deal. Whose to say though in 2 years Sox can't flip him and Grandal and apply $35M another way too.

I assume Bears probably see at least 1 of these QB's there @ 20 and probably still at least one or two there when they pick in 2nd round (or at least they could move up without paying an arm and a leg to get one in 2nd round): Lawrence - No Shot Fields - No Shot Wilson - No Shot Lance - Maybe @ 20; Unlikely past that...probably unlikely he is there at 20 (but he might be there at 15 or 16 where maybe you can go get him - if you really like him; got to think the Wentz stuff and lack of film this year hurts his stock Jones - Maybe @ 20 or in Round 2 - Tua stinking it up and throwing to historically amazing talent has to cast at least some doubts Trask - Highly likely @ 20; potential in round 2; How much do teams ignore that bowl performance over the body of work. I happen to think Trask has a lot of skills that translate to NFL QB today. Ability to step up in the pocket and feel pressure, track through his progressions, and throw a hella accurate ball. Arm strength not huge - but I think arm strength can be overrated (and this is coming with someone who loves those toolsy QB's). Jamie Newman (George; Former Wake Forest transfer) is another interesting name to watch (probably more as a 3rd round type of guy). Kellen Mond is another guy - still pretty raw, but good athleticism and the type of person a team like the Bears should invest a draft pick in; maybe they hit, but if they don't, still good potential to be a very cost effective back-up and maybe the type of asset you can also flip (if you find a franchise guy another way).

I'm not mad if they take a flyer on Kluber and/or Richards.

We try to - but doesn't always happen.

No worries - I did assume at least a few people probably were posting in the other thread only to get the dreaded "lock" comment :). You too!

Given how much of a crapshoot closers are, that is probably the last place I would have invested the cash. That said - my answer probably has just as much risk, but I'd rather spend a bit more on a front-line starting pitcher and/or allocate some extra cash to extend Lynn/Giolito (and see if I can acquire/extend a starter). I don't love long-term cash tied into pitching, period (so my answer is hypocritical in nature as is my follow-up answer). It is one place I think Jerry has been right. And I can think of so few times he has been wrong - but I think this team has enough young arms that you could throw $100M at Bauer for 3 years and see if he bites (or go $70M for 2 years for all I care). For example - I would have been fine earmarking some funds to extend Lynn and make sure I get Giolito (I like longer term in this case because you are betting on someone younger and in Lynn's case, while there is risk due to Lynn's age, I think his age also means you don't have to go long-term so less chance of an albatross). That said - I don't hate the move - in the sense that if you are going to spend money on FA, I prefer going cream of the crop or waiting a long time for the market to play itself out. I don't like the middle of the pack game, feel you have a > risk of overplaying the market (from a price perspective) with all the same perils of free agency. But now that they've done this - I need to find some more pitching and do like the fact that on paper, this pen can shorten the game up quite a bit (which is another way you can handle not having as deep of a rotation - at least once you get into the post-season). My revisionist history move is I would have rather used some prospect capital and payroll to get Yu Darvish vs. Liam. But I recognize Yu comes with his own risk so not a slam dunk choice by any stretch of the imagination and this move preserves prospect capital for other potential moves.

I will say I am lukewarm on this move. I just don't like the use of salary resources on a closer. I like Liam and he makes the team better, I jus think if the Sox are as payroll limited as I assume they will be, there were probably better uses of the funds, however, I hope Liam crushes it for next 4 years and also hope I'm wrong and JR goes deeper in his pockets than I expect over next handful of years.

Me - I had to seperate this into a new thread. Didn't need 80 pages of historical garbage. Lets get the big news in its own thread.