spiderman

I think trading Robert right now is going to be difficult to pull off. He just hasn't played that well outside of a few hot runs. Stay healthy, finish the season strong and see where thing stand. This could take until next trading deadline given how inconsistent he has been with health concerns. Same boat on Crochet. Unless you're just focused on trading Crochet now, there's no real reason to do so. He could be the big fish in the off-season with more teams interested if he finishes the year healthy and the contract talk less tied to a playoff run....

I can see them spending money in 2026, but this off-season would likely look similar to this past one where they sign veteran types to 1 year deals. Assuming Crochet and Fedde are traded, they may look to add some veteran starter to a 1 year deal who is looking for a rebound type season to go with Thorpe, Cannon, probably Schultz early on and whomever else they promote from the minors. Offensively, add in 1-2 veterans for cheap money again, maybe they promote Quero/Montgomery during the season, but it will be a season of young players they acquire today/tomorrow, maybe later (for Robert) and what they have. Next year is probably a step forward though with younger players of value coming more regularly, but it's still possible they lose 100+ games again. Probably 2-3 years from getting out of the basement, but to your comment, it's not likely they will ever spend on a big free agent with Reinsdorf running the show. They will bring in veterans, but not elite difference makers, but they have another off-season of development ahead before there's any spending.

Let's hope that the White Sox aren't more motivated to shed salary vs. get the best prospect return. In a league with no salary cap (and even with the tax, the White Sox are not close to that), they wouldn't value payroll savings. If they did that, Reinsdorf would need to go into hiding for awhile and Chris Getz would have a hard time explaining how freeing up payroll (from a team that can/should add payroll if they chose) was the priority.

Please share, but I feel that Morosi just speculates more than most national writers.

Watch the White Sox trade Benintendi with Roberts....then they can claim they have payroll flexibility!

I understand the injury concerns. Very legitimate concerns which should hurt his trade value. I don't think his current/future salary though is an issue. He's a bargain if he's on the field/healthy and if he hit free agency, he's be paid a lot more than what he's currently making. All of this goes back to his health. Teams aren't going to trade a premium for an off-injured player or based on potential. He needs to do it on the field for anyone to give up anything remotely close to what the White Sox are expecting back. I also don't want Chris Getz to settle - keep a crazy high price and if Robert can start playing like he did last year, a market will form (even if it's not exactly what he would want).

They have to fire him at some point soon. Getz gave him a horrible roster, but Pedro will be the first fall guy Pedro is in over his head, but what a crap sandwich this team is. Almost automatic outs every day at C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B and LF. A minor league starting rotation. A make shift bullpen Getz should also be fired, but that would require Reinsdorf to admit a mistake

Any optimism in the White Sox for next season has to be zapped at this point, right? Getz says he does not like the team and then trades/signs players who will probably make the team worse under the guise of cutting payroll all the while why Reinsdorf says he wants to win in 2024. It's pretty depressing to have this type of leadership. Onwards to last place!

What is sounding good on paper for what the White Sox have done to this point or are expected to be doing? I think the direction of the organization is well known at this point.

Who does he think is believing that nonsense?

Sure, that's possible, but it's really hard to be that bad. The White Sox appear capable, but I would guess that they will be somewhere north of 90 losses, but probably not back to back 100 loss seasons. The roster does look very bad though so I don't rule out underestimating the bad here.

With our without Cease, this roster is brutal, but it's not going to lose 120 games. It's a 90-100 loss team.

We would be trading Cease for money reasons if they don't think they can resign him (and given the White Sox history, there is no reason to think that the White Sox would actually spend market value). Yes, they can argue that it's about flexibility and creating roster depth, addressing other positions, but any deal they make is likely to be primarily for minor league talent. This is not a trade you made, with Cease under control for 2 more years, if "speed is the of the essence".

Are the White Sox really going to sign a pitcher to a 5 year deal?

Why would the White Sox want his input on anything? When he was younger and the game was different, fine.... Different times. The dude was falling asleep in the dugout and has medical issues. Concerning and not helpful that every decision maker on the White Sox is (or feel they have to) acknowledging the advice and access that he has. Right across town, the Cubs are hiring what many would say is the best manager in baseball (or at least in the top of the best). Here, we have a 80 year old whose time has past in the ear of our decision makers on a team with no actual direction, shitty culture and cutting payroll. Who thinks this is a good idea other than Reinsdorf? What could go wrong?

Let's be honest. Outside of a Robert, Cease, maybe a few other guys that people are hoping improve (like Vaughn), this roster is a garbage heap. It's a 95+ loss team.

I would suspect that domino's will begin falling pretty quickly now . Where Cease falls in that order probably depends on the teams willing to spend $$$ on free agency vs. giving up prospects. He still may be on the backend unless a team steps up to the White Sox sooner.

They cleared out the roster at the last trading deadline, let a few more players go (Anderson, Grandall, Bummer, Hendricks, Andrus, Clevinger) and have replaced them with Triple A depth. Maybe it's a bridge in a bad division to 2025, but what does that even mean? Are we really expecting significant talent from the minors to come up? Are they going to spend on free agents? It's hard to build anything sustainable without doing both.

I think they believe that being around .500 will mean they are competitive and in the AL Central, that may be true most years. So, I think they can/will claim they want to compete, but that must be taken into context that they probably don't need to win 90 games to be competitive, and, if things bring right, can "compete" in the AL Central. Agreed with your points though. This off-season, they are cutting payroll. They are trying to re-tool vs. rebuild, but these are not the moves a team that wants to win will make. Trading an ace with 2 years left only makes sense if you don't want to pay him. If you don't want to pay him, why would anyone think they are going to spend to actually compete? This will likely continue to be some patch-work roster.

They aren't willing to spend on any significant free agents OR their own talent so they are capped already to only be competitive as long as their minor league system produces talent on a consistent basis. They use free agency to complement their roster, but the chances of adding impact talent is low. They are cutting payroll right now and the roster looks awful on paper. They probably won't fully rebuild, but will do some middling where they improve the defense, patch together a pitching staff and try to hang around in the AL Central. There is no desire to win, it's more about being competitive.

Is Merriweather considered to be a leader? Looking forward to Bernstein and Holmes making ridiculous comments about this move (if they sign him) because he didn't get vaccinated.

I don't understand moves like this. Is Getz aware of the steaming pile of pooh that is the starting rotation/bullpen? The holes at C, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, RF and DH? Even if you think Moncada and Jiminez play better, this team is awful on paper. Hard to see them competing and makes little sense to be overpaying (or spending at all) on 2B who haven't been at league average in OPS+ in recent years.

Anyone see what Passan wrote about on ESPN+ this morning regarding Cease? Assuming it's just that the White Sox are engaged in trade talks with a few teams, but anything new?

Yeah, I guess I don't understand the point of trading Cease to fill holes. If you're going to trade Cease, which seems like the likely outcome, they need to focus on getting a team to move 3 of their top prospects. Why do we care about trading for a 2B who isn't going to make much of a difference on a team that would likely lose 90+ games? Trading Cease means you are rebuilding. They may not want to use that word, but if they want to scare off the remaining fanbase, trade him for major league talent that just fills holes to "shake things up".

If the White Sox are improving their infield defense, even with the lack of offense, is this the sign of a rebuild or a retooling? Same on Bummer...they decide to improve the defense now after they trade him, but they added at least one starting pitcher (we know they aren't going to spend on aby significant free agent) and add a few spare parts (including that infield defense) . Saying that, if they trade Cease and acquire 2 players who they expect to be part of the team for next year (say another starter and a RF), add a few more stop gap free agents for cheap....one more starter, 2 relievers another 2B.... Who is the team to beat in this division and can the White Sox compete with some mish mash of stopgaps?