southsider2k5

One of my all time favorites. Gonna miss the guy.

Of all of the issues, this isn't even a top 5.

Thinking about the timing here, I wonder if it was done to lessen the Abreu signing.

The problem is too many Sox fans have an irrational little brother complex when it comes to the Cubs which clouds their judgment. Jose Abreu going to a mediocre 2nd rate team was a way better option than his signing with the world Champs . That is the bottom line.

I have been waiting a year to hear the real story here. The other one didn't add up.

This is not better. The Cubs suck and are no where near the playoffs. Helping playoff teams is the opposite of what this organization needs.

It's the same as if they got a 1/10 with a $2 million buyout when it comes to the math.

They don't, but to get into the US they need them.

It was never 8 million. The original post was that it was at least 8 million, not that it was 8 million.

It's also worth noting that after 9/11 the US government when into a whole other level when it came to the qualifications needing to get into the United States as well as green cards and other papers required for foreign workers. While it wasn't difficult to make up documents pre-9/11, it is a different world today.

Ugh, we are going to regret this.

Bassitt is probably going to get $100 million in his next contract, maybe more.

[insert here we go gif]

That's for sure. Next season is all about Eloy, Robert, Moncada, Vaughn, and Tim Anderson doing what they should be doing at this stage of their careers.

Nothing is ever 100%, but that goes both ways. There is probably a better chance that Cueto goes back to what he was, than Clevinger not being able to put up 5th starter numbers.

Especially since if you go back over 2017 to 2022 Clevinger has averaged about 2.5 war per season, even including the surgery years.

We also could help him out a ton by getting him an OF who can catch the damned ball.

For the record, since 2017, which includes Clevingers last TJS, Johnny Cueto has put up 7.8 WAR, or 1.3 per season. Clevinger has put up 14.2, or about 2.5 including the seasons he missed due to his surgery. During that time frame he has put up two seasons with a higher WAR than Cueto did in 2022 at his recent peak.

I think it was probably in cooperation with Grifol, but also done above his level.

To finish the important part here, there is about zero chance that Cueto's 23 is as good as his 22. The last time Cueto was this good was 2016. What is crazy is that Cueto's 2022 saw an insanely low HR rate despite his K rate being the lowest of his entire career. It was also the first time he has been over 140 innings since 2016. There are a lot of red flags here screaming fluke.

I think there was a fair amount of progress lost by players not having normal winters and/or springs for three years now.

I can't help but wonder if his conditioning last year cost him some of his flexibility.

Well, hopefully this is also the last we see of Fields this season with his injuries as well.

I would hope a decent amount. Look, as we saw with Tony, you can have all of the assets and information in the world, but if the manager refuses to use it, it is worthless. The scene that keeps playing over and over in my mind is the staff trying to tell Tony how a rule works, him refusing to listen, and Tony being wrong.