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Continue to think that what people think dombrowski is, vs the things he actually does has a big schizm. DD is 'old school', yet now hires as GM a young, unproven guy who is known for his application of modern analytics into the clubhouse? Also - gotta be pretty weird for Girardi to have this guy suddenly become your boss after being somewhat of just an assistant coach.

I wonder if they have the same rep.

He doesn't really mention anything except its unlikely he signs this year with sox due to commitments, but also all teams are full-up, so it's likely he waits a year.

I'm curious how this stuff happens. Do we think the sox actually finalized the handshake agreement recently, or do we think people knew he was going there but didn't want to be the first to report it.

"The knock is that he struggled against good breaking pitches, of note Cuba is a heavy breaking pitch league, however he did still put up solid if not spectacular batting lines. This has some scouts thinking he could be a better MLB hitter if he can master/sit fastballs while hopefully improving or at least recognizing breaking stuff. There is some concern though as average velocity in Cuba is decidedly lower than in MLB." https://cubabeisbolphil.medium.com/getting-to-know-yo-elqui-efa180009c50 One area I really trust paddy on at this point is his ability to recognize if the cuban player will be able to hit velocity. I'm pretty excited here. Doesn't sound like he has the power of Yoenis, but a pretty nice package.

Better or worse than Avery weems?

I am so perplexed on my feelings about the sox international strategy. I think James articulates most of it well: they are doing a better job, they are finding impact talent, but they also seem to be not maximizing it that from the outside looks so bizarre each year. However, I do wonder if a lot of this is just Paddy having good sources on the cuban pipeline and always having uncertainty when guys are going to be there. And so maybe the "they didn't think there was guys worth signing", an objectively silly line from Hahn, actually was "we'd prefer to keep some space just in case X guy comes open. But that doesn't make sense when they trade it away, so I'm at a loss. They are doing something right, who couldn't like the last 3 years, after a pretty pisspoor start. But it just seems so weird when you have an allotted budget to say "well that's good enough, why don't we just try to save some cash on nate jones.

Take him back to the store, see if he can be exchanged.

Well clearly I missed all the fun. Regardless, very pumped. Vera/Cespedes is a great class, and I like a lot of the other names @Y2Jimmy0 and Badler documented excellently: Adrian Gil - 5'10 and already in low 90s Victor Quezada - big power bat likely to play 3rd

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/chicago-white-sox-2020-21-international-signing-preview/

Yeah this is the line: "So with more flexibility in their pool relative to other clubs, the White Sox now are expected to sign Cuban outfielder Yoelki Cespedes—the 23-year-old brother of Yoenis Cespedes—for around $2 million on Jan. 15. Cespedes isn't that tall, but he has a strong, athletic build (5-foot-9, 205-pounds) and a quick bat. He played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and hit .319/.355/.389 with two walks and 18 strikeouts in 77 plate apperances as a 21-year-old during his final season in Cuba's Serie Nacional in the 2018-19 season. The year before he batted .273/.353/.400 in 289 plate appearances with 17 strikeouts and 42 walks." I'm going to pull this out for a new thread.

I poured a glass of egg nog last night, took a sip. It was buttermilk.

I honestly don't know why people write these things. Indeed I do think other teams exist and may try to do stuff.

His K% was the 2nd best of his starting career. His K% had dipped below 20% in 2017 before figuring it out in 2018 and surging to 29% in 2019 - a year where he was a top 3 pitcher in baseball. Last year it settled at 26%, which puts him as the 20th best strikeout pitcher among qualified starters. But regardless, let's say that we were trading for Lance Lynn after his 2019 season, where he was again, the 3rd best pitcher in baseball. Let's say lynn only had 1 year on his deal. Do we think that Dane Dunning+Avery Weems gets Lance Lynn? Obviously not. And if he is the 2020 version for a full season - 200 IP, 4.3 FIP...he's a top 20 pitcher. He's Carlos Carrasco/Zac Gallen, two pitchers that provided the same value as him last year.

If you told me that you'd be leaving out "who for the past two years has been a top pitcher after a pitching change that increased his K% while maintaining his control". And do I think that the sox paid the price of a 5-7 WAR pitcher? There is a big difference between a 5 and 7 war pitcher. 7 WAR pitchers indicate pretty much the best pitchers in baseball. In 2016, there wasn't even one. Chris Sale was a 5 WAR pitcher. Would Dane Dunning, by himself, get Chris Sale if he was on the last year of his deal at 9 million? No. 5 WAR is usually top 10. And looking up and down the list, I kind of find it hard to believe that Dane Dunning alone - a pitcher I like but is a sinker-slider pitcher that throws low 90s and has had TJ, where if he gets it again is almost certainly done - gets them. But when you look at the top 20 lists, you see more pitchers that Dunning could get. That's about a high 3-4 WAR pitcher. So the idea that the sox paid for essentially a top ten pitcher with Dane Dunning doesn't fit to me. And yes I'd do this trade even though I respect Dunning being the first sox pitcher in 5 years to come up and know what a strike zone is.

well 1) yes, I don't think I've seen a package we've put together that I say "that might do it" and I made my own! 2) The hope is that so few teams can take on salary, that taking on a full salary from them + madrigal bridges that gap. In a normal year, I'd say the reds would still take best talent. But this year... I still think they take best talent but we'll see if they even actually follow through on these trades. I don't hate their team even with the departures, and that division kinda sucks.

This bill actually doesn't include the liability shields on companies. I didn't catch that initially.

dang it, for some reason I thought the period ended january 4th not the 15th. Wellp, it's a good thing every day is the same and nothing happens. It'll fly by. I kinda like that there is intrigue here. It's more like a college signing day where you think you know but you don't know know.

Not true, he mentioned Kenny Williams as his...hypothetical player.

The only reason I see that as feasible is the white sox seeing an old, declining, past his prime DH and actually thinking it's a bargain.

Realistically they do have a spot for Vaughn.

I don't either. If I'm a reds fan and I'm trading castillo, i'd want a vaughn. I would rather trade with a padres and get Abrams, etc. But i'm not sure where to sweeten with position players.

Ugh, I'm excited about something now. If mous actually carried a lot of hurt on the reds books. White Sox Get: Luis Castillo ($4.4 mill) Mike Moustakas ($14 mill) Total (18.8 mill) Cincinnati Reds Get: Nick Madrigal ($575k) Jonathan Stiever Jared Kelly Kade McClure puts sox at $132mill. Sign Jake McGee, Archie Bradley for 8mill, sign Austin Romine to minor league deal with a 1.8 mill season bonus. Pitching staff Giolito / Keuchel / Lynn / Castillo / Cease|Kopech Reserve: Lopez Bullpen: Bradley, Bummer, McGee, Heuer, Marshall ,Foster, Fry, Reserve: Crochet ?

it's possible. Tough run for them though, they just got only 1/3rd of their salary, would be looking at a smaller salary again, and then have the potential for an extended CBA work stoppage after that.

Ha, I was thinking Castellanos the whole time. Mous would be perfect. So anyway it's not hapnin.