Jack Parkman

The Sox get maybe one segment per day on the Score and ESPN 1000. I listen to it, I know. Sometimes they don't talk about them at all, even during baseball season. And the Tribune has zero Sox beat writers. They just run AP stories about them. You don't think that says it all when the biggest paper in town doesn't even consider them relevant enough to have someone cover the team? Shit, forget nationally, they're largely ignored in Chicago.

That was the deal when the Cubs were involved. It is probably somewhere around 27% for the teams themselves and 20% for NBC after the exodus for the Cubs. It still doesn't change that JR has the option of robbing the Bulls to give the Sox a better TV deal.

You do know that The Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks are overwhelming majority owners of that channel, right?? NBC only owns a small minority for licensing rights. Reinsdorf will own roughly 60% of that channel between the Sox and Bulls, so he's the majority owner as of 2020. He can do whatever he wants. As of 2020, Wirtz will get his cut of the profits and JR can do whatever he wants with the rest. I don't doubt he's stealing from the Bulls to fund the Sox there.

It has to do with # of subscribers to the channel in the viewing area. It is an indirect relationship. The Hawks, Bulls and Sox own 80-90% of NBCSN-CHI. NBC only owns 10-20% of the channel. JR can give the Sox as much of the money made from the network as he wants. He's stealing revenue from the Bulls to give the Sox more.

They don't but it doesn't change the fact that regardless of whether or not people watch Sox games, NBCSN-CHI is in every household in the area with cable/satellite. That is where the money comes from. If they didn't have the other teams(especially the Bulls) along with the Sox, they wouldn't get as big of a contract. Also, the article you cited only talked about the Sox' share of Cook County, which is only 60% of the metro area. Even if they have 47% of Cook, they probably only have 10-15% of DuPage, Kane, Will Etc.

They only have a "bigger market" because their games are on NBCSN-CHI and they share it with the Blackhawks and Bulls. Those two teams draw from the whole city. If the Sox were the only team on a sports channel it wouldn't surprise me if they had the smallest TV contract in baseball. The Sox have been bottom 5 in TV ratings in baseball for the better part of this decade. The TV contracts are about how many people have access and decide to pay for a channel. Most people aren't subscribing to NBCSN-CHI for the Sox, they're subscribing for the Bulls and Blackhawks. This will be interesting if/when the Sox start winning again. The Sox are, at best, a lower end mid-market team. In 2017 and 2018 they were 29th in baseball in consumption of the team. (TV/Radio)

All bigger markets than the Sox. We don't know the numbers for sure, but I believe their market to be 25-30% of greater Chicago, which would put them in the bottom 5 in baseball, smaller than the Twins and slightly larger than the Royals. Math: 30% of Chicago metro is 2.85M. KC metro is 2.1, Twin Cities is 3.2, Cleveland is 2.1. Cincinnati is 2.1 by itself, if you include Louisville add around 900k.

That MIGHT be the one team you have an argument for.

They might not be the worst, but definitely bottom 5.

Kopech hasn't graduated yet.

It is based on the following logic: There is about as little national exposure as you can get in baseball playing for the Sox. The Rays probably get more exposure because they play Boston and the Yankees 38 times per year. They have their own "moneyball" thing going on. The A's get more exposure because of Beane and what he did /does there. I can't think of a team that is more forgotten nationally, even when playing well than the White Sox. The Padres have more/better talent, and the Phillies are closer to winning. There are legit baseball reasons why both teams are better options than the Sox. Take off the silver and black goggles. Can you put yourself in the shoes of a neutral fan?

I don't disagree here, but there is a huge difference between a 32 year old DH and a 26 year old GG 3B, who is a great hitter as well.

w/e. We'll see. I actually think the Sox have the best offer for Machado and he's waiting for someone else to beat it. How come you guys don't give Fathom as much shit as you give me? Serious question. He's more of an Eeyore than I am. At least be an equal opportunity roaster. LOL. You guys all roasted me for saying that it would last until ST, and guess who was correct there?

This is true. the reason the Sox weren't able to create sustained success from 2000-2012 was because JR would rob Peter(drafting/development/scouting) to pay Paul(The MLB club) KW offered A-Rod 8/196 in January 2001. They aren't afraid to spend for the right guy. The issue is that they always have just enough restraint in contract offers to finish 2nd. I'm not concerned about the Sox making a decent offer, I'm concerned that Machado and Harper have no desire to play here. They'll only sign here if it is their only option.

You must have missed 2018, where winter lasted until May 20th. A few years prior it was snowing on May 17th. Over the past decade more often than not Winter isn't truly over until at least April 30th. Last year it wasn't over until damn near Memorial day.

I don't think the Sox have ever eclipsed a $130M payroll so they're not much better.

What? The reality that the only reason that either player is even considering the Sox is because their desired teams aren't even close on dollars? The Padres are in a similar position to the Sox and if you're being objective about it, have the greatest collection of young talent in baseball. Add in San Diego's climate, and it is easy to see why they're a more desirable location for those guys than the Sox. The Yankees are the Yankees, and no matter what is said publicly you can never count them out. Out of all of the suitors, the Sox are probably the least desirable location. Philly has closer proximity to winning and a young budding ace on their staff, and San Diego has nice weather and more talent. If you don't put on the silver and black goggles, it is easy to see why the Sox haven't signed one of them yet, and aren't likely to in the future. Most posters here are thinking with their heart, and not their brain.

Padres fans are probably saying the same thing about the Sox, so this statement means nothing.

At this point, if there is a higher offer than any existing one given you'd have to think he just takes it and leaves everyone else in the dust for lowballing him. I think he's to the point where he's about to say FU to the other teams and not give them a chance to beat it.

Last year it wasn't 2 weeks it was 7 and that is more likely to happen here long-term with the jet stream instability.

Honestly, if you take weather into account probably the Padres. You also don't know what the Dodgers are going to do. I still wouldn't count out a 1-year deal from either or both of them, because the big 4 spenders will have room next year. (Yankees, Sawx(If JDM opts out) Cubs, Dodgers)

If Olney is right, the longer this drags on the better for the Sox getting one of them. That is the bright side of all of the waiting.

Parkman's pre-Winter Meetings Machado/Harper thoughts: 1. Neither will sign until after SB Sunday at the earliest, if not the start of Spring Training 2. The White Sox will throw a competitive offer out there, but neither player is likely interested in the Sox. They'd only sign here after exhausting all other options. Hmmmmmmm..........

This. Nice post.

That is my point. The way I understand replacement player is your quintessential AAAA hitter/pitcher. Someone who is good to great at AAA and can't cut it in the bigs. Players like Ryan LaMarre, J. B. Schuck, etc.