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A solid starter is a possibility but not a high end, high priced one.

The Sox dont need a Wheeler nor should they. They have their top 3, which is all a team needs in the playoffs, the #1 of which is young enough. Chasing starting pitching through the FA market is the riskiest if all positions due to the length if contracts and injury concerns. Ice never advocated for it and never will. Developing them and trading for them is the much more reasonable route. They have their top 3 this year with very talented pitchers behind them learning how to pitch in the MLB plus a good group behind them learning in the minors. I think you'll see them draft more advanced arms now to continue it. As you point out lengthening the bullpen, which is already good, will also hide any weaknesses in the rotation. They are playing to their strengths and if you are right and the budget us maxed out, it was the smart move to make because they weren't getting a high end starter for that price. A lock down pen would be more effective than a middle if the road starter.

Its 18 for cap purposes but in reality it's only 13 paid out. It's not an excuse not to sign Bauer. The Sox were never going to commit 5 years to a starting pitcher with the options they currently have. They wanted that proven closer at the back of the pen which is a very important piece for a winning team.

with only 26 starts and 150 innings in the MLB, I don't think they will do that. He needs to learn how to get MLB hitters out. He can't learn that in the minors. He can get those hitters out.

What happens to cease then? I don't think they are ready to give up on him and that's what will happen if they "replace" him. This is where I have an issue with the "all in" comments. The Sox are still building a team for the future as well with talented players. They aren't going to sacrifice Cease's development just because he is struggling. He is too talented to discard.

Yep.

Bears are meh. The Bulls and Hawks truly suck. The Cubs are meh as well.

Hopefully

Sorry I edited it. Its how long the contract stipulates you play. He only has a 3 year guaranteed contract.

But he will only played 3. Hence he got paid 54 to only play 3 years. That's how the determine the AAV. How much did the contract stipulate you play.

They won't bring Vaughn up to only play occasionally

It's only different in the guaranteed years of the contract for official reporting purposes. If a player signs 4 year guaranteed deal for 54 million they calculate the AAV 4/54. This deal is only guaranteed for 3 years , the 4th year is an option that isn't guaranteed. However if the option is not picked up he gets 15 million. Thus he could pitch only 3 years and get 54 million.

But it's not a 4 year contract. The Sox could not pick up the 4th year and it's a 3 year contract. He will then earn 54 for 3 years.

But he could get 54 million for 3 years of work. He just doesnt get the whole 54 during those 3 years.

That's at the end of the season. The paper teams now and before the season don't always line up that way. I would agree that the top 3 teams at the end of the season usually win it but again it's usually not always.

It does some but it is also harder in ways too. The ball travels much faster on artificial surfaces so you need to have faster reaction time and be quicker to the ball. He did win a gold glove in the minors. Not that means everything but he must have done at least a good job on fields that are historically much harder to play on than the MLB ones.

Silly is my middle name this time of year, especially this year. With the semester starting next week, I've spent the last few days recording lectures, deleting them because I sound stupid and re-recording them.

OOps. Read it wrong. I blame it on old and aged eyes. However he is still way off base in the article.

2? Giolito, Keuchal, Lynn and Cease. Kopech as you stated will start in the minors but will come up eventually. That leaves 1 spot for half a season as it currently stands. They need a pitcher who can fill the #5 spot and possibly go to the pen later depending on the performance of Kopech and Cease.. Now, the want may be to get a TOR pitcher and push everyone down a notch and possibly not see Kopech this year

It is the NY times. Take it for what it's worth.

Only the red ones.

Agreed. They have carefully acquired players to give themselves a number of chances at the playoffs. That will be much more effective than trading everything for a single shot. Baseball is just too random over the course of the season. The best team on paper doesn't always win.

Vaughn needs the obligatory time to extend his time before FA. He really needs to show his progress in the upper minors before he comes to the show.