southsider2k5

This probably puts AZ in the sellers camp.

Look, if he signs anything it will function as a 1 year deal with something close to $20 million so he still gets paid next year, but allows him another bite at the apple in a year. To be fully honest, if he were willing to take a 4 @ 10 per type of deal, I would be convinced that he is hurt and looking for money because he has confidence in his future.

Harold Baines never had the peak that Dawson had. For my sake, if I were a HOF voter, I would look for two things. #1 A huge peak where they would be one of the top players at their position (if not THE best) putting up league leading numbers over a period of at least 3 to 5 seasons. #2 Longevity that puts them into the historic rankings. Harold never had #1. He never hit 30 homers in a season. He drove in 100 in exactly one season. I LOVED Harold Baines, but I can't look at him as a HOF with guys like the guys who made it (and didn't) from that era. I look at Mark Buehrle the same way. Really good peak, not superstar peak. He never led the league in wins, never had a sub 3 era, was a top 10 Cy Young once (5th), and didn't have an especially long career where he racked up a lot of wins or other counting stats.

If there is to be an extension, Robert has to be willing to sign it.

And no way Robert is signing that deal.

Just looking at our roster this year, he was ahead of Capra and Amaya, and not much behind Rojas. I am not saying if this is finished player status, that he is a starter, but he can hang around the rosters of a lot of teams with some defense, even if the bat doesn't improve.

I think Baldwin and Meidroth have some defensive flexibility and some room to grow there, and we all know you can hold on forever in MLB if you can play some defense and multiple positions.

What an odd thing to be worried about. Is there a particular reason with the history of the game and White Sox, it was Yoan Moncada you chose for this?

IIRC we tried and they tuned us down.

Is he though? After Suarez I see McMahon and potentially Wilii Castro who has played 3rd in the past as well. Ramon Urias probably too. Obviously some depends on who decides they are out of the race, as well as who is looking to upgrade at 3rd.

The movement of the draft to the middle of July has just destroyed the trade deadline drama.

There is a block of like 10 teams that could be in, or could be out, and most have way bigger and more interesting pieces than the Sox.

And, again, roster spots aren't at a premium right now. We can afford to play him because he isn't blocking anyone else. If he bombs, street him and yeet him.

I also wonder how much workload is taking away from his stuff. Honestly it was why I was stunned when the rushed him to Charlotte when he wasn't exactly killing in a hugely pitchers park in Birmingham.

I do think some of these other guys can carve out a major league existence. Sosa is the type of guy who can carve out a 10 year type of career between starting and bench, and bouncing around a field with his bat. Again, the type of guy who is if he is your starter, you would be looking to upgrade, but also not enough IF talent to go around, so he will survive. Hell if half of the guys who have played IF for the Sox the past few years are still around, that should tell you right there. I think Chase will probably peak out as a low level starter, but he could also be a solid utility guy Baldwin is definitely a swiss army knife type of guy. Once he learns consistency, he can stick around forever. If the bat comes around, he is a middle tier type of guy. With the pitchers, it Burke and Cannon are pretty well showing what I thought they were going into the season, probably #4 to 5 starters, with #3 potential in a good year. Shane Smith we definitely need to see how he bounces back. Is the league figuring him out, is he tired, or is it some of both. Grant Taylor obviously has a big time arm and needs to learn consistency, but also if he is going to be even a closer, that is a huge loss for the rotation of the future, as he was projected as a front to middle stud.

This. If he isn't a 3rd baseman, he becomes the type of 1B that you are pretty quickly to upgrade on, because his bat isn't 1B good. It is 3B.

Regardless of what we think of it, the fact remains he is worth a ton more as a starter, and a ton less as a reliever. I always felt the same about Pallette, and it isn't that deep. Someone who is playing every day, or starting every 5th day is way more valuable, and should be ranked as such. Even the best closer is only going to log 60 to 70 innings a year.

Realistically, by the time you pay taxes, agents, and everything else, about half a players career earnings are gone before they ever see them.

That might well depend on which players the Sox target in deals. Based on how they have drafted and where their kids on in the minors, they seem to be looking young, but that doesn't mean that some guys who are out of options, or up against the Rule 5 wall couldn't have some value over guys with control for teams sending out players and needing roster spots next year.

I am just thrilled that the improvement in this deal has been directly related to Getz finally having the stones to let the kids play more this year. The worst stretches have been when they chose to let their free agent dumpster dives have run. The kids are getting consistent playing time finally, and lo and behold, the world didn't end. Are their struggles, absolutely, but it isn't like they were replacing all stars. I still don't see much in the way of long term starters outside of Colson and the Catchers when it come to position players, but that we all kind of knew.

I have no idea how to parcel out the trade and definitely choose to focus more on who we got (even if as a package) versus where they came from.

If Grant Taylor is a reliever, he is 10 to 15 slots too high.

This is what mid rotation ceiling looks like on a bad day.

It's also worth mentioning that when I talk about people trashing players this is a GREAT example

So far we have about a league average starter who has washed out of his primary defensive position and prone to looooooong slumps.