Balta1701

You get the idea. My number was the Cubs picking up 40% of the deal rather than 50%, with the Sox paying a premium just to make it happen right now since they're legitimately desperate, but whatever.

Nick Williams.

If they're not willing to spend the money that it would take to bring in help after their gamble on everyone staying healthy didn't work...and they're not willing to pay a high prospect price for someone cheaper...then they may as well start looking to sell Rodon and Lynn before they walk as free agents.

Honestly, I think the white sox are likely to do neither and they'll just hope Leury and Hamilton can cover it. I don't think that JR will let them add to payroll, and I don't think LaRussa will be so convinced that Hamilton and Leury can't cover it to force him to trade players away.

I would take a platoon of them, if Engel ever came back, as the best we can do.

Adam Engel is not a starter. With this injury - there's a chance he may not even be offered arbitration next offseason. Luis Robert sure seems likely to need at least some careful treatment next April, assuming he's back full time by then. Eloy Jiminez should probably have his OF time limited. If you're counting on Eloy Jiminez as one of your outfielders, you've just justified having an expensive and experienced backup, because apparently he's just not going to stay healthy out there. And RF - there's still no plan for that even next year other than "sign someone again". So you pay a premium to have that covered the next year or so, but you also add the OF who can help right now.

:::motions in the direction of the White Sox's outfield:::

I am genuinely curious to see if Robert receives a funeral.

Yes, technically the White Sox would have to trade something, but this is where you can make use of a "Nick Williams" or someone in the minors who is out of options this year.

AJ Pollock. The DJ Lemahieu contract with the Yankees was basically that except IF.

If you're only giving up money...yes. That's why I circled that guy - the Cubs would move him without requiring a return of any prospects of value, they would be satisfied with the payroll savings.

Technically it results in the Sox having a par RF for 2 more years, because if he remains a 2 WAR player, that's an average MLB player. And he's some depth who can shift over to CF. And he could cover for Eloy if he gets hurt again. And of Adolfo ever put things together, it can be a platoon. It's more money than this org would want to spend, but that's the kind of player good teams will have around - often overpaid, but capable of being subbed in when needed.

Well we'd get tired of LaRussa benching Vaughn for them, but that's a different story from "having them available when your front line guys go down as expected".

I'd say having the Sox take on $40 million and the Cubs stake on $20 million is a reasonable premium to pay for having gambled on health this year and lost.

At his best, Leury is a 1 WAR player in a 600 PA season, and some years he's been a 0 WAR player. Heyward is basically a 2 WAR player every year since 2016. Leury also has something of an injury history himself, as does Adam Eaton, as does Billy Hamilton. If Hamilton and Leury are on the IL by May 15, you can't sit here and say "oh how could this possibly have happened no one could ever have seen this coming". Heyward would probably platoon with Engel if Engel ever comes back, or could give Eaton some time to get healthy, and would take over RF as the primary option next year when Eaton is gone. That would be a reasonable thing to do as it would give you a RF who can move over to CF if Robert has any long-term lingering issues and needs more time off.

I don't know that the training staff isn't making some obvious mistake, but think about the offseason, what was our biggest complaint - the lack of depth. Why? Because we looked at the roster and saw a whole bunch of guys who were generally injury risks, all of whom were coming off the weirdest season in our lifetimes for training and schedules. This is why some of us said this team wasn't likely to win 100 games, and this is why people complained so much that Rick Hahn himself got sick of people throwing "The money will be spent" back at him on Twitter. If you told anyone in the offseason that 2 of the regulars were basically lost for the bulk of the season by early may, a lot of us would be saying "Well that figures, that's pretty much what we expected. We couldn't have told you how it happened, we probably wouldn't have guessed Robert and Eloy, but we wouldn't be surprised at all. You can't be all that surprised when guys who are injury risks get hurt.

Given the circumstances, the White Sox need to be flexible with the payroll here. Heyward at $8 million a year over the next 2 years would have been a decent addition in the offseason. Given a desperation penalty on the White Sox - if they could get him right now, today, and pay $12 or $13 million a year without having to give up any real talent, I would say get that done.

Leury is worth $3.5 million as the 4th guy off the bench because he can play CF and SS and this team's SS was clearly injury prone coming into the year, so "warm bodies who can fill in at those positions" are very useful. That doesn't mean you want him taking over CF nearly-full-time for a month+.

Heyward makes too much sense. Average in CF with experience there. Team that is selling parts and off to a bad start. Veteran, generally consistent for the last 5 years. Overpaid. All you have to do is figure out a dollar amount for the Cubs to pick up. Could take over for Eaton if a 2022 season happens. Can platoon with Engel if he ever comes back. Played for the Cardinals so LaRussa will bench Williams and Hamilton for him.

I’d imagine it would be difficult and maybe not possible but considering his affordability and control in 2022 id imagine you have to start with Crochet as a headliner. Which is why this is difficult- the White Sox aren’t going to want to do that and probably shouldn’t.

Overall UZR ranks him as a positive CF in the shortish stints he’s had there.

Jerry Reinsdorf refused to spend money in January when his whole fan base was screaming for it. If he refuses now, then he may as well just start selling high on his free agent pitchers. It’s actually that simple - they need average big leaguers out there right now just to stitch this team together, and the best way to get them at this point is to take on salary. If they’re not willing to do that, then throw in the towel.

You can’t exactly be confident in Leury staying healthy either (ditto Eaton for that matter. Heck, ditto Hamilton too.)

Adam Engel Is out until at least June.

It seems like it was a conference call with the press.