beautox

We've got Abreu and Yonder...unless we don't land Manny or Harper and plan on flipping Abreu

I'm sure someone will heat up during the season like always but the top level pitching looks very thin for this draft. It'll be interesting as well because of how deep this class appears to be on bats how KC and the O's view their farms and how best to use their pool. Rutschman is supposedly on a similar path as Madrigal where he won't need a lot of time in the minors. Both teams picking ahead of us might be better served reaching a bit and adding a draft class that has a similar timeline to the show.

My hope is similar to Rodon; Rutschman gets prospect fatigue and the O's and Royals get cute and focus on HS bats and more $ to spread down draft.

fangraphs just updated their draft board here Vaughn sliding down to #6, Abrams at #2 and Stott at #3

I agree it just doesn't strike me as a Friedman move to lock into Harper. The hallmark of the dodgers recently has been positional flexibility and while Castellanos is a below average defender across the board he certainly fits the mold of being able to plug him in in a corner outfield or 3B if need be and he is right handed, they're stating his price tag is going to be high but I don't buy it, hes a free agent after this year and hes projected for 1.9 fWAR and $11.3MM in ARB.

If the yankees do land Manny and we can't land Harper either; I wouldn't be against targeting Ellsbury. Sox trade Abreu to the yankees for Ellsbury, Florial & Frazier. Now Frazier has obviously lost some shine(former 55FV) and has had a concussion so lets just spitball and say his value is 30M, Florial is worth 26M. Abreu is projected to make 16M in ARB and produce 2.4 fWAR i think there is enough health risk with Frazier to make the deal work for the Yankees and nearly be there in terms of value if the sox take on all of Ellsbury's contract. Stanton, Judge, Gardner & Hicks aren't going anywhere. If they sign Manny and play him at SS till Didi gets back they can live with Andujar at 3B, eventually moving him across the diamond to 1B after Abreu leaves. Lastly Abreu will likely get a comp pick attached to him so it should further balance out the value.

I think they go after Realmuto and Kluber and call it an offseason.

I agree which I think behooves the white sox to get opt outs after 4 years and front loading the contract to say 40M per year. Theoretically the sox could front load Harper and Machado to a combined tune of 75M and still have plenty of payroll flexibility to sign other pieces and lock up our developing core as the window opens.

I'm putting the odds of the sox landing Manny at 40% and the odds of landing both Manny & Harper at 15%. There has been no movement from the cubs or dodgers to create space and payroll flexibility and the only reason Bryce hasn't signed is they're waiting on Manny to set the market. My best guess Manny 10/280 Harper 10/320

While I agree, I think its entirely possible he falls to the sox at 3; it is entirely possible he gets prospect fatigue like Rodon. The O's new front office might opt to go in a similar fashion as the astros with Correa in '12 or the twins recently. As for the royals I could see them getting cute too and going under slot both the O's and Royals have 4 in the top 80.

not to mention the difference in money due to taxes.

I could see the math shaking out and if we signed Machado bringing Burger and Medeiros or Lambert to give it a bit more punch. Having said that Greinke is owed 103 and his contract is under water when you factor in projections with him losing .5 fWAR from here on out and not taking into account injury risk. Bradley would be a nice get to team up with our bullpen core as it sorts itself out in the coming months/years (Fry, Bummer, Burdi, Hamilton, Burr, Frare, Ruiz).

Greinke, Jarrod Dyson & Archie Bradley + 15M for Fulmer, Palka, Sheets & Curbelo Greinke helps stabilize our rotation. Dyson makes for a nice stop gap before Robert & Basabe begin knocking on the door and Bradley makes a nice set up for Colome and fits the bigger window.

Provided they land both of them I think you see them move some lower end but still interesting pieces for a CF like Mallex Smith in the Rutherford/Basable/Adolfo range.

The sox have the payroll flexibility to make it happen. Personally I would love to see it, all though I would put the odds around 5%. Just based on the market that currently exists for both players which is surprisingly limited, 4 Teams linked to Harper (Sox, Phillies, Dodgers & Cubs in that order), 3 teams linked to Machado (Yankees, Sox & Phillies in that order). I think front loading and opt outs after 4 years would get it down with both players in addition to deferments at the back end. With the television contract on the horizon it wouldn't hurt to have to fresh franchise faces. Even if they signed both the sox would need one more starting pitcher and a center fielder.

I've been of a fan of Grandal for ages and in several posts thought he would be a great acquisition for this team and all the young pitching. Dude is an OBP machine and can frame for the young pitching core, sign me up.

Makes sense

I'd imagine they move Miguel Andújar to 1B

The Hahn and KW are going to shove plan. Trade Fulmer & Palka to the Mariners for Mallex Smith, Kyle Seager and Carlos Santana, Mariners chip enough money so it makes sense Trade Robert, Collins & Dunning for Realmuto with window to extend. Trade Rutherford, Burger & Medeiros to the D'backs for Grienke & Ray Sign Harper DH - Santana# - 2 C - Realmuto - 3.7 1B - Abreu - 2.4 2B - Moncada# - 2.2 SS - Anderson - 1.3 3B - Seager* - 2.7 LF - Jimenez - 3.3 CF - Smith* - 1.8 RF - Harper* - 4.9 SP - Greinke - 3.4 SP - Ray* - 3.2 SP - Lopez - .9 SP - Rodon* - 1.5 SP - Giolito - .2 CL - Colome - .5 SU - Fry* - .5 SU - Burdi - 1.9 MR - Bummer* - .1 MR - Burr - . 3 LO - Banuelos* - .2 LR - Hamilton - .1 C - Castillo# - 2.1 IF - Sanchez# - 1.5 UT - Rondon - .3 UT - Garcia# - .6

well others have, and it is.

I don't disagree; in a vacuum its an overpay by 8-10M. Considering the cards can move Carpenter back to 3B and have moved up their pick if Goldy walks and get a year to evaluate and offer an extension its fine, but its still an overpay, they need to compete with the cubs and brewers and it makes sense they've got a back log of catching and pitching with reyes coming back young is likely a utility guy and a mid late draft pick for '19 does nothing for them this season, so i get it.

seems steep for one year of Goldschmidt. When you factor in Kelly was recently rated #55, weaver's value and youngs and a top 100 pick roughly worth 2.2fWAR @ roughly 9 million it seems about right if you think Goldschmidt + the pick he will likely receive for not taking the QO is about 35ish million in surplus value.

As is tradition, i believe madrigal was ranked 12th last year at the start of their list and mize was 9th maybe.

"why would Chicago trade Gio Gonzalez? after just (re)acquiring him?" honestly they're going for a full rebuild and fulmer is a change of scenery candidate, they're going to need to move someone like Smith if they're determined to move Seager's contract at any cost.

As it stands Seager's contract is under water 3M thats if you think he will bounce back to what steamer projects and the reduce by .5 fWAR over the remainder of his contract. Instead of trying to package Seager with Haniger I would prefer the sox look to get Mallex Smith, best case scenario we're looking at a 3fWAR leadoff type worse case he can be a valuable 4th of on a contending club. I would consider a package like this: Seager & Smith to the sox for Carson Fulmer, Steele Walker & Laz Rivera with the sox picking up all 57M of his contract