southsider2k5

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:54 PM) But it's not for no reason. It's to build an average to above average bullpen over the next few years rather than a complete dumpster fire. How will we even know if this team is "close" to competing if the bullpen is complete trash the next two years? It is absolutely for no reason. It is refurnishing a house with no roof. And you will know it is time for a bullpen when the rest of the is actually good again. It really isn't nearly as difficult as you want to make it be.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:40 PM) You are focusing on the AAV only and not the total contract cost. Over the next few years the AAV is FAR less of a concern for the White Sox than 3-5 years from now when those superstars that you are contemplating signing will be making big money. $45 million is always a concern. There is no need to waste that kind of money for no damned good reason.

Getting an agent may push fixing the posting process along. http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/why-caa-is-th...i-otani-needed/

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:27 PM) I mean yea that's a lot of names but you still have to fill out a rotation and an entire bullpen plus account for poor performance and injury risk. I don't feel as confident as you that with that list of players the White Sox will have an above average bullpen starting in 2019. How many of this year's playoff teams carried an entire bullpen of homegrown and inexpensive pitchers? The Sox also concentrated this rebuild on pitching. No other rebuilding team has one that. No one of the Royals, Cubs, Astros etc, had any where NEAR the pitching line up coming through their system that the White Sox have. Not even close. Honestly, I can't think of the last farm system period to have the amount, depth, and quality of arms the White Sox have from top to bottom right now.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:29 PM) Really? Like who? 5x9x3=$135MM. I don't think that amount will get us one superstar player let alone two. 5X9 = $45 million per season. That is a still a lot of money in 2017 MLB.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:23 PM) For this very reason, I believe signing 4 or 5 second tier relievers best manages risk/reward. You hope that 2 or 3 of these guys pan out and of those that don't it's not a huge loss at $6-9MM AAV over a 2 or 3 year term. What free agent position players are worth signing in the coming years that won't come at an exhorbinant cost and are realistic targets for the White Sox? 4 or 5 guys at 6 to 9 million dollars per year is a whole of money for an organization that is obscenely loaded with high end pitching arms anyway. The top end of that number may well get us two superstar position players in 2019 free agency.

MLB‏Verified account @MLB 1m1 minute ago We are saddened by the tragic news that Roy Halladay, 2-time Cy Young Award winner & 8-time All-Star, has died in a plane crash. He was 40.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:03 PM) Only the Astros have really shown success without spending a great deal of money on at least one or two players. The Cubs paid Lester around 150 million because they didn't draft pitching. The Astros have paid a decent amount of players in the last year, especially if you count what they just added in Verlander.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 03:01 PM) But that relatively young position player at an up the middle position = big $$. IMO one of the cheapest and easiest ways for the White Sox to become competitivd again given their current state is to invest in pitching, more specifically the bullpen. I'd rather throw $100MM at four relievers like Reed, Minor, Shaw, and McGee than $150MM at a 33 year old Donaldson for example. Between Kopech, Giolito, Lopez, Fulmer, Cease, Hansen, Dunning, Adams, Stephens, Guerrero, Clarkin, Puckett, Martinez, Florez, Burr, Hamilton, Davis, Diaz, Bummer, Danish, Burdi, Infante, Beck, Petricka, Fry, Hickman, Olsen, Comito, McCluure and Henzmen you have a ton of really high end arms. Even if you can get a full five starters out of that group, you have all of those kids to get a bullpen out of, or even a fraction of a bullpen out of. There are a lot of guys in that last who can go from 95mph on up, plus arms that can eat up innings and more. That is also without looking for any Don Cooper specials or other guys coming in future trades. I would much rather being paying 5-8 of those guys $500k a year, than anyone else $10 million per year.

Expensive would be the biggest thing I could say. It is a fun experience, but boy has it gotten expensive over the years.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 02:53 PM) Do you think Swarzak would just say "this is my one shot" and accept 3/$15 or so? He should. The odds are more than fair that the historical Swarzak shows up again next year.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 02:33 PM) The more this all comes together, the more the idea of a guy like Swarzak coming back here as the closer makes sense. Short term, should be cheaper, will be looking to build his value while providing a stable arm in the back of the pen. You give him like a 1 year, $7 million deal and if he proves he's "legit," then you can either look to extend him or trade him. If he bombs, it's $7 million, not $36 million. I wonder if teams will be willing to throw more at Swazak in terms of years? Not much of a history, but a big year last year might do it.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 02:15 PM) So you agree the bullpen should be addressed then? And you really think the Sox are trading Avi and/or Abreu? I think that's a long shot. There is zero reason to spend on a bullpen for this team right now, especially when you have your future bullpen arms in the system right now at about 5% of the cost of Addison Reed. Spending eight figures on a bullpen arm for the 2018 White Sox is like tricking out your Yugo.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 02:05 PM) Last place? The division is terrible after the Indians. No reason they shouldn't finish third or possibly better if the Twins fall back. For everyone writing off 2018, how many people picked the 2017 Twins to make the playoffs? Not saying it's likely but if you stabilize the bullpen you never know. From September 1 on after trading nearly half the roster in the previous two months, the White Sox were 15-15. And this was with a garbage bullpen and no Eloy or Kopech. You also can't ignore the 4 win month, the still lack of a bullpen, nor the fact that we may well going into 2018 without 2017's two best hitters.

670 The Score‏Verified account @670TheScore 7m7 minutes ago #WhiteSox ponder whether to sell high on Avisail Garcia http://cbsloc.al/2m1sQo5 via @MLBBruceLevine

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 01:33 PM) That's your opinion and I have mine. I don't consider a 4 year $36MM contract a big commitment for a guy that should be a solid late inning bullpen piece for the next 4 years. He's only 28 turning 29 years old next month after all. For a guy that is going to give a last place team around 60 innings? It is a gigantic waste of money, when we have vastly superior arms in the system waiting to get sorted out at the major league level.

Teddy Greenstein‏Verified account @TeddyGreenstein 3h3 hours ago Hoiberg says Portis will play tonight, as expected. Will back up Lauri at the 4 spot. Story coming.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 12:55 PM) It generally takes a few years to build a strong bullpen. There is next to nothing to work with on the current depth chart. They are basically starting over. Why not start adding legitimate pieces now when the goal is to contend starting in 2019? Or does everyone expect to build an entire bullpen next offseason? Ideally, you lock in a proven closer now and then hope others emerge next year as solid 6-8th inning guys. If they don't, then you need to sign additional proven late inning relievers next year. They will probably need to add another 2 or 3 proven arms regardless. If they end up with 5 guys that can close after next season, great! Can never have enough late inning relievers, especially in the playoffs. With the arms we have in our system the last thing I am worried about is getting eight figure bullpen arms on long term contracts. Odds are 100% that some of the arms we are looking at as starters now are going to wash out and will be our bullpen arms when we actually are competitive again. There is zero reason to rush into a (at best) second tier closer at those prices.

Tony Donohue‏Verified account @TonyD1070 2h2 hours ago The #Colts are at a crossroad. Im told it is very possible Andrew never plays again. The team is looking at a top 7 pick in the draft..

Swarzak and Yolmer make breakouts list http://m.mlb.com/news/article/260850188/10...-up-for-awards/

NFL‏Verified account @NFL 45m45 minutes ago .@packers starting RT Bryan Bulaga suffers torn ACL: http://on.nfl.com/RCSSNK (via @TomPelissero)

Otani now has an agent http://www.espn.com/blog/buster-olney/insi...season-question

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 12:18 PM) Locked into the closing role for the next two years at a minimum, familiarity with the city, organization, and pitching coach, and prospects of winning a championship starting in 2019. I don't see why the White Sox wouldn't have as good of a shot as the next team if they match the highest bid. I'm guessing most contending teams (except perhaps the Cubs) view him as a setup man rather than closer. I think signing someone that can close games is the number one priority this off-season. Whether that's Reed, Swarzak, Morrow, Minor, Cishek or some combination of those guys I don't care. But it's demoralizing for a young team if you are constantly blowing leads in the late innings. He has other organizations he can close for, he is familiar with, other pitching coaches who he is familiar with, and teams that can win a title in 2018. Anything the Sox can offer, someone else can offer more of.

QUOTE (JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 11:58 AM) Even for a rebuilding team, there is nothing wrong with signing a guy like Addison Reed as their "premier" FA acquisition this off-season. Won't lose a pick and the commitment should be relatively small (4 years $36MM MLBTR prediction) for someone that can actually close games over the next few years. Right now they have a bunch of guys that are unproven or just bad (most fall in the just bad category). It can take a few years to build a strong bullpen anyways so why not start now? Especially if there are any plans to start competing in 2019/2020. Let me spin that around and ask why Reed would want to sign here unless we overbid for him?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 7, 2017 -> 11:00 AM) $$ He paid off the DA. He has power and influence. He's not especially unique in that regard. Except it isn't one DA. It is all over the United States and multiple countries.