CaliSoxFanViaSWside

R-E-L-A-X

According to bWAR Grandal has never had a 4 WAR season so I looked him up on fangraphs and he has had 5 seasons of 4+ fWAR .Why the big difference between the 2 in previous years IDK but they both had him at 3.7 last year so, yes, he's capable of it considering the low amount of games played but can he hold up for enough games ? Conforto and Segura aren't even on the team so until we actually see what new players we get I'll skip them as you probably should have. I could have just as easily stuck up for the core . As I said they are full of potential but the board is full of people praising the core and not wanting to trade prospects. And the guys who never give the Sox the benefit of the doubt like @Look at Ray Ray Run, @Jack Parkman , @South Side Hit Men @caulfield12 @Thad Bosley all get attacked for their "style" of posting. Right now all we got is injury after injury and potential and Jerry running the show. Oooof. Hell I've had run ins with most of those guys in my more optimistic days. I kind of vacillate between wearing the tinted rose glasses and looking at the whole forest. I can exchange ideas and thoughts opposing @Chicago White Sox and @fathom points of view because we show each other mutual respect. It's very difficult trying to be objective around here because as Sox fans we are full of hopes and dreams . No one wants their hopes and dreams crushed by realists, objectivity and pessimism. When your hopes and dreams get in the way of your objectivity and love of potential you get mass delusions like everyone opining that Eloy should only be a DH when he comes back from injury . No one wanted to hear anyone tell them otherwise, that Eloy was going to be back in LF. Now Vaughn is expected to get the same PA's this year he got last year and not traded by the true believers . Now a few more people see he doesn't fit in on the current team and probably should be back in the minors like Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs recently suggested.Of course we can cling to his potential and HOPE he comes out guns blazing and never stops . @Lillian has been talking about getting more LH for years and she took abuse for it. Now all of a sudden it has become fashionable and the majority now want it so she's no longer the lone wolf in the crowd everyone can poke fun at. I had the gall to suggest Vaughn not get so much playing time and his fielding was too small a sample size to be trusted and I got roasted for it . The core best pick up the pace and stop getting injured if everyone wants to be all jolly instead of at each others throats when the vocal majority shout down and mock the "pessimists".

Of course he is . I know everybody hates the Astros but Springer 5.0, Correa 6.7 , Altuve 7.7, Bregman 4.0, Reddick 4.5, Marwin Gonzalez 3.9 . That's 6 position players with basically 4 and above bWAR which was a good combo of hitting and fielding from most of those guys. 31.8 bWar total from 6 guys. Ok so the Sox got Robert ,Anderson and Moncada who can give you that. They lost their best starting pitcher and no one seems to want him back. Age is a concern in the rotation be it the older guys or the younger guys fulfilling their promise. Lots of DH types who can't field so they aren't going to rack up WAR. Conforto is still a $100M dream capable of that kind of WAR but i wouldn't pencil him in to get it or even to acquire him. Robert is just 1 guy and outside of Moncada and Anderson the rest area bunch of bad fielders . Grandal , Abreu arent getting any younger.

The core needs to prove they are a core and start fulfilling their promise then. Right now we need a major fluffer to jump start the core. Moncada for MVP and then he can't hit for a higher slugging than Madrigal but woo he's fields so good and gets so many walks and Madrigal sucks and there goes that draft pick for nothing. How you even believe in another 6 years of "the core" is beyond me. All I keep hearing is Robert can patrol the whole outfield ! Moncada will be an MVP. Kopech will be great. Eloy will be a hitting monster. It better happen damn soon because the stans for the team keep getting their way and Madgrigal was traded and yay we still have Vaughn , Kopech and Crochet and they were too valuable to offer for Burnes. Let's all blame Covid for not spending last off season which created the need for Kimbrel. Next year it will be the lockout the lockout, Cohen Cohen ! The year after that it will be the core is too expensive now and we have no starting pitching. And worst of all Jerry is in charge of it all.

The problem is what moves ? What FA or 2 or 3 that we can realistically expect the Sox to pay the most for the fits in the LH hitter upgrade we thought was a possibility . Conforto , then who Rodon ? Can we expect to be in on Ray ? Remember there's still a bunch of teams going to all be scrambling should the lockout last all winter. Then we miss out on those FA agents and what ? Then we trade Vaughn, trade Eloy, trade Sheets trade every and any promising minor league player we have left ? There's still the Kimbrel thing to take care of. Some here seemed shocked people are "freaking out" when we all heard the Sox were going to be aggressive and significantly add to payroll. Everybody stans for the team and whips us into a frenzy, then nothing. It's basically been now or never meaning hello lockout, goodbye moves until it's over? It's a lot to swallow and there's tomorrow to do something and then nothing except a lockout giving us all time to steam even more . I'm not freaking out but I sure am disappointed now as I'm sure you are too.

Rodon is looking more and more like a possibility .

Say hello to the biggest contract in White Sox history then.

R-E-L-A-X

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-free-agency-blue-jays-kevin-gausman-agree-to-five-year-110-million-deal/

Who knows, look how long Nolan Ryan pitched effectively. Those kind of arms are very rare.

He's not in prison and MLB let him own a team so JR taking a moral high ground is not important to a successful Sox team and is the complete opposite of what he did with LaRussa.

Problem is this November is more active than many Novembers preceding it because of the looming lockout. We may not have Dec. through Feb. to sign or trade anyone if the CBA isn't resolved til March and there's a mad scramble to sign and make trades.

Robert wasn't available over half the year. 4 and 5th guys out of the BP aren't top players in the game. . You wanna win we need some great players not great potential. Right now the Sox are filled with potential and lacking in greatness. If you want to keep waiting. hey it could be the right path.

We're pretty confident in a lot of guys that was my point. That confidence has to be replaced by knowing they will be great every year instead of injured or slugging .400. Hell Madrigal can probably slug .400

I don't think it's that scary but since no one has stepped up to prove they are a top player anyone they trade could end up being the one. It's actually kind of sad funny that Tatis, Jr. at a younger age has proven more than Eloy ,Moncada, Kopech really any young player on the Sox despite his injuries also. The one actual guy they didn't give any talent to get turns out to be the real keeper and every draft pick turns to dust.

There is nothing going on that says Kelenic will have a better career than Madrigal. You sounds like you're talking about 5 years from now when Kelenic is a top player and Madrigal isn't.

If I was a GM I wouldn't want Crochet. That's why I wanted him traded last year. Maybe Vaughn and Kopech gets that done who knows. That's another thing teams rather not get is 1st basemen.

You know what bothers me. We keep getting all kinds of arguments who has the potential to be great,among Robert, Eloy, Moncada and now Vaughn and every year Abreu and Anderson turns out to be our best hitters. A couple of those dudes have to step up and stop getting injured. No one would be freaking out over missing out on a few players to make the team better if those guys start playing like we think think should. People last year didn't want to trade Vaughn, Kopech and Crochet. We are waiting on an awful lot of potential. I know they haven't been around long and are still young but someone please step up.

Usually when you trade for a TOR starter you have to give up a pitcher with TOR potential. That would be Kopech+++

Well he did say trade for a TOR starter . That might take Vaughn and Sheets though I would imagine teams not real anxious for2 DH's for a TOR starter.

There are those here who think he'll get more than Marte so ....there's $22M wiggle room between $78M and $100M

While I always lean toward the Sox not spending how would you feel if the Sox spent $100M on Conforto ?

Savages ?

Maybe Sox sneak in the Gausman talks , that one not finished yet. LOL

Love deals like that for always injured guys, fill em up with incentives.