southsider2k5

It's not a coincidence. Fans are abandoning the team in high numbers, just like I said they would. It will not be cured by a .500 season.

Reading what people post here, and knowing what our history looks like, I don't buy it. An 80 win team does nothing. Heck two years ago I had people telling me that they wanted this, and people would keep showing up and watching this team. Again that isn't how Sox fans operate.

The absolute last thing the White Sox should do right now is trade prospects for a closer.

I don't buy for a second that Josh Donaldson and a .500ish team will do anything for ratings. That is not nearly enough to start the return of the bandwagon fans. People weren't even showing up for a team that was in first place until the middle of September of 2012. I see nothing to support that was .500 is enough for them.

Not really, no. Sox fans aren't motivated by .500 teams.

Again, why? I am not sure what the big addition of moving up another 5 -10 games over what this team will do anyway organically is. It isn't going to do anything for attendance. It isn't going to do anything for ratings. It isn't going to get fans excited at all. What am I missing here?

20/25% seems right.

I can only imagine the meltdown if this had happened on our side of town, but wow. As manager this IS your responsibility. To my ears, this is worse than Manny Machado talking about not hustling at times.

What is the team going to get for moving from 73 to 78 wins by adding Josh Donaldson?

It would take about a 3rd standard deviation scenario of everyone going from zero to ceiling all at the same time. It isn't even enough of a possibility to entertain in any realistic fashion.

They will make a step forward this year organically, which is fine.

There is no realistic amount of money this winter that is going to turn this into a playoff roster.

This is another ex-top Yankee prospect floating around the waiver wire.

The non-tanking talent isn't really here yet. If it was, I would feel differently. Again, if we land a whale, the calculus changes, but as of today, meh. I'd rather have another 3rd pick in 2020 than have Josh Donaldson push us for 5 more wins.

In all seriousness it means the Sox believe in him enough to still hold up another 40 man roster slot for him. They obviously want to slide him through waivers, but are apparently willing to put him on the 40 to hold on to him.

Its a Chicago team. They will win just enough games to end up 1 slot behind however deep the elite talent is in the draft.

But they would lose draft position due to winning more meaningless games, meaning both worse picks up front, and less money to play with as a draft pool in 2020. It would also mean worse waiver position and Rule 5 draft position. Again, at this stage, unless Harper flat out is telling this franchise I will sign with you if you sign Josh Donaldson, it is a waste to sign Josh Donaldson. Blowing $25 million on the small chance it might get you Harper seems like a giant waste of resources. I would rather see the team bring on a Robinson Cano/Zach Grienke and get assets to do it if we were going to spend money for the sake of spending money. If there isn't a deal like that out there, move on with the rebuild as scheduled. The whole point of this time period is to spend this time being awful to accumulate as many assets as possible for the future to create a pipeline of talent stretching from now into the next 5 to 7 years that won't be as possible when this team is winning a lot more games. How many draft positions are you willing to give up in 2020 for the rights to watch Josh Donaldson play for a bad baseball team? I would much rather have the extras from winning fewer games in 2019 than paying Josh Donaldson for Josh Donaldson's contribution to this team in 2019.

If Machado insists on playing SS, you move on.

If it doesn't, we wasted $25 million and draft position to set back the rebuild. Which do you think is more likely?

It literally does not matter who plays 3B in 2019 for the White Sox. It could be the ghost of Joe Crede or Manny Machado himself. This isn't going to be a playoff team and dropping $25 million-ish to outbid the Braves on a one year deal does what for this franchise? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. At this stage of the rebuild the Sox should be whale-hunting and roster filling. Donaldson doesn't fit that today.

YOUR MOVE THEO!

Unless Bryce Harper was our first signing, there was no really good reason to go after Donaldson. Why so we could win 78 instead of 73 games next year? Meh. Pass.

Well sure, if they can add another young superstar the calculus changes, but realistically, I am going to not count on that.