Lillian

Again, if they think that they are going to sign Harper, or even Brantley, neither of those two are viable options for CF. That means that the corners would be taken by the new acquisition and Eloy. Therefore, where would Avi play?

I think it's probably more like .280 - .290 with 25 homers, or .250 with 30 + homers.

A couple of points, which should be considered: When healthy, Avi is not a terrible right fielder. He has good speed and a decent arm. His exit velocity has been among the highest in the League. His 19 homers, in just 356 at bats, was on pace for a 30 home run season. Nevertheless, If they sign Harper, to play right field, and Eloy is going to be in Left, there really is no spot for Avi. If he were not going to be a free agent, at the end of the year, I would absolutely not favor simply letting him go. If they don't sign Harper, or someone else to play one of the corner outfield spots, and if he can be retained for $8 million, why not? Unfortunately, there isn't much time left to make an informed decision, regarding the unknown outcome of their quest for Harper, with the deadline to tender being tomorrow night. Seems like a bit of a dilemma. I wonder if Avi could be extended, at a reasonable price. Then he might be worth a gamble, as he could always be used as a valuable trade chip, or allow the front office to use some of their several corner outfield prospects, in trades. Of course, the problem with that scenario is, what if they extend him and then sign Harper? Where would Avi play, while building up his trade value? I suppose that Harper could try to go back to CF, but that has not proven to be a good spot for him. If they don't sign Harper, a future outfield of Eloy, Robert and Avi wouldn't look so bad.

Can anyone confirm that the pending TV contract will indeed be enhanced by better ratings and better performance, regarding this coming season, and if so, to what degree? Is there a way to quantify any correlation between such factors? How do such factors vary, from one team, to another?

My question is would you take Cano and that contract, even if you didn't have to trade anyone to get him?

I assume that you meant Robertson, not Davidson.

Here is a pretty good article on Happ: https://thatballsouttahere.com/2018/11/16/phillies-free-agency-profile-happ/

The debate over whether, or not, Harper could realistically be able to generate enough WAR to justify the kind of money, which we are discussing, is interesting. However, I'm more curious about the intangible factor of things like national exposure, product sales and competing for the Chicago fan base. How quantifiable are some of these considerations? Is it realistic to think that Harper could actually make a significant difference in the battle for Chicago's baseball market share?

I suppose that it all depends upon what he considers "stupid". Who knows, he might think that our suggestion of $400 Million is not just stupid, but rather Insane. Of course, Sox management hasn't suggested that they would go that far.

Worse yet, he has to announce it and admit that they are willing to spend "stupid" money. Geez!!!

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/luis-robert-has-opposing-players-awe-whats-he-going-do-how-far-he-going-hit-it I hope Harper understands the potential here. He could be part of the best offensive outfield in baseball, even better than the Yankees. Imagine Eloy, Robert and Harper playing along side each other, in a couple of years. I know that most of us have already fantasized about that very scenario, but reading and listening to the hype on Robert, really has me stoked.

Reading those comments by Yankee fans reveals a pretty big consensus that they don't want Machado.

It looks like this thread has already been derailed. I understand that we are all fixated on the Machado/Harper sweepstakes, however that is being discussed in great detail, in a couple of other threads. I had hoped that this thread would focus solely on the "alternate" approach, in the event that the Sox are unable to acquire either one of them.

You're correct. I agree that the strategies are not mutually exclusive. However, what if we miss on Harper, or Machado?

Again, I don't know and that is why I'm asking. It's just one more potential strategy, which would be interesting to explore. My point was that the front office seems to be willing to greatly increase the amount of its financial commitment, and if they can't land either of the big "fish," what else could they do with that money?

Shorter term "bridge" guys was what I had in mind. I agree that other free agent contracts, which extend beyond when guys like Robert, Madrigal, Kopech, Cease, Dunning etc, arrive, doesn't make sense.

Yes, I read your thoughtful post, with interest. That was precisely the kind of thing, which I am hoping to see, from our board.

That would be my personal preference, as well. However, it's still an interesting question. That kind of dramatic increase in payroll presents lots of possibilities and I'm curious to know if it could be a feasible strategy. Seeing specific suggestions helps to know whether, or not, it could make sense.

Another possible use of the money could involve acquiring existing contracts, in trades. One of the strategies, which I have not seen explored, is the acquisition of a player, whom the winner of the Machado/Harper "sweepstakes" might want to move, in order to free up roster space and payroll.

The total amount is not the critical issue here. If you think that management would not be willing to spend $150 million, per year, then simply insert a number, which you consider realistic. My interest was to see how that total payroll could be employed, if neither Harper, nor Machado were acquired. I'd like to see how you would spend the money this year and next.

There have been lots of suggestions about how to acquire Machado or Harper. There is also a thread entitled; "Your Off Season Plan". I specifically asked how the same money that is being suggested for a Harper contract, might better be allocated to acquire several other pieces. The potential acquisition of one of the two big targets would almost necessitate additional free agent signings, in order to fill out the roster required to be competitive, quickly. It has been almost a consensus here that it makes no sense to sign Harper, without acquiring additional pieces to move up the window of contention. All of that would involve increasing the annual payroll to somewhere around $150 Million. It would be interesting to see some of your suggestions for an alternative use of that money. Given the extraordinarily modest financial commitment, now on the books, how might the Sox assemble a competitive team, without Machado, or Harper, using that same total $150 Million annual commitment, for both one of the top free agents and several other pieces?

"Balta," Since you seem to think every position has to field a better than average productive player, exactly who is going to comprise this "power house" Indian team's outfield, if Brantley doesn't return?

Yes, I guess he's a pretty tough grader. LOL For my part, I don't think that a team has to have a better than average player at every position. If that's the criteria, then I suppose that my suggestion deserved a "failing grade". I still subscribe to the old formula of pitching first, a productive top two thirds of the line up and settling for great defense at a few key positions, such as CF, SS and catcher. Whatever production you get out of those 3 positions, could suffice, if they provide plus defense.

With Harper, the Sox could be competitive this season, if they added 2 starters and one dominant reliever. If they also added Donaldson, or Lowrie, they could very well give the Indians a run for their money. Then if and when Avi and, or Abreu are gone, they could consider another addition, or two, for 2020, depending upon how the prospects had progressed. What significant holes do you see in this roster?: 2ND. Moncada 3RD Lowrie RF Harper 1B Abreu LF Eloy DH Avi or Palka, depending upon who is healthy and producing C. Narvaez/Castillo SS Anderson CF Engel (That glove & speed are needed in CF, if Eloy and Harper are at the corners) Utility infielder Yolmer Sanchez Starters: Corbin, Rodon, Lopez, Giolito, ???? (Cease later in the year) Bullpen: Fry, Hamilton, Minaya, Bummer/Banuelos, Burdi, Jones, closer to be acquired

I had previously suggested a heavily front loaded contract, with an opt out after 5 years, and a contingency opt out after only 3 years, if the Sox had not managed to achieve competitiveness, by that 3RD year. I've considered the feasibility of relying solely on heavy front loading, as a means of mitigating the risk of his opting out, before the point, at which the Sox expect to be competitive. That could work, however the problem is that some team may offer to significantly increase the later years of the contract, if he would agree to opt out and sign with that organization. Therefore, it still seems like a reasonable strategy to offer the "contingency" opt out, after perhaps 3 years, based upon whether, or not, the team has realized the goal of becoming competitive. One thing to consider is that such a clause could have the effect of reassuring Harper of the front office's good intentions. He could well conclude that they are serious about filling out the roster with the pieces needed. After all, why would they offer such a contingency opt out, unless they intended to compete. Finally, it's worth remembering that if the Sox cannot achieve that goal, by the end of the 2021 season, they should be willing to see him opt out, with the consolation being that they would dramatically reduce their payroll, on what could then be considered a wasted effort. At some point, management has to see that the player is willing to commit to the team. This is not a one way street. What is Harper willing to bring to the table? Do you really want the Sox to make that kind of commitment to a guy, who is only interested in the money? I certainly don't. Why not propose $50 million, per year, for the first 5 years, with an opt out, after that point and the contingency opt out, after the 3RD year? The remainder of the contract could be another 5 years, at some lesser amount, perhaps $25 to $30 million per year. If that wouldn't get it done, it could well be a signal that the front office should consider other ways to spend that money.