Dick Allen

If you are going to sign the big name guys, you are going to have to prepare for the last year or two of the contract being ugly, or you come in 2nd or 3rd place with the signing. if you ever read Roland Hemonds story of the White Sox signing Carlton Fisk, which gave JR and EE instant credibility, he signed him for 3 or 4 years, I can’t remember, but told JR, the last year might be charity. Turns out he lasted 13 or 14 seasons. So JR understood the concept 40 years ago.

The team can't even bring in a decent back up catcher.

While I agree it's hard to conclude anything in a best of 5 series, it was quite obvious they needed upgrades at 2B, RF and a LH hitter. Failed all over.

I wonder if the team would have actually addressed their biggest needs had they simply not picked up Kimbrels deal.

I preferred Lou Bob myself.

We say this about every signing. It isn't offered if they can't afford it. Face it, the White Sox will never get these types as long as JR is calling the shots. Needed to improve the team, lost one of its better pitchers for nothing. Signed one decent reliever, sign another one who 5 months after his injury still can't throw off a mound. Sign another pitcher who has totally sucked and signed a 35 year old to solve 2B who almost certainly will put up a replacement level WAR. This happens all the time. It's time White Sox fans stop falling for ever thinking this is the year they are all in.

Maybe the Conforto delay is he is getting vaxxed.

I think the Hahn is sitting on 3 offers for Kimbrel and will decide soon is BS. If it were true wouldn't they have Kimbrel take a seat until the decision was made?

But a lot of those players took up the slot space anyway, which makes that a wash.

Walker was a typical 2nd round White Sox pick. There was 2 years of control for Mazara, but until last year Conforto averaged more WAR per seaon than Mazara put up in 4. If Conforto had a big season and walked, he, for a second round pick would still be a really good deal . Look what they gave up for 1 year of the Shark. Here's a list of White Sox 2nd round picks. Who on this list wouldn't you trade straight up for 1 year of Conforto with rhe White Sox in their current state?https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/index.fcgi?team_ID=CHW&draft_round=2&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_round

Why not? The Sox gave up a second round pick for one year of Nomar Mazzara.

In the minors.

Sox will sign Story to play 2B, trade Kimbrel for Bellinger, and trade Cespedes and someone else for Monts. RH will then be a hero.

Which is odd considering Boras is his agent. One thing front offices really like about Boras is how much he pushes his players and provides them resources to stay in shape.

Don't give LaRussa any ideas.

Rodon without injuries is as likely as an entire 8th grade class without zits.

Yes, even Boras' assistant, Heyman, has nothing.

He should be, but innings will be very limited, probably fewer than Rodon because he still is expected to be around after 2022. They really can't ride him hard and put him away wet like Carlos.

Not Kopech. VV is the guy who will give you what Rodon gave you in 2021. They signed for the same money.

The lockout really hurt the Sox. You can still get tickets for Opening Day at face value on ticketmaster. That usually only happens when they are hopelessly bad. They did no business from Thanksgiving on, and haven't done anything to excite the fanbase since the lockout ended. Bad combo. JR doesn't take chances with his money.

If I was a team in the market for a closer and waa considering Kimbrel, I wouldn't give up jack shit for him now, and I am not a Kimbrel hater. I would make the Sox use him as a set up guy and see which version has shown up. The longer this drags on, the lower his price tag gets. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see the Dodgers giving anything of value for a guy who ended last year struggling and is getting paid the same as their longtime closer they apparently didn't want to pay. Bellinger would be a great prize, even though he is a huge question mark. It just doesn't make sense to me from a Dodgers perspective. Sure, overall they save a couple of bucks. But they don't care too much about that. If they would give up Bellinger, it makes me think they think he won't hit anymore. I think their scouting is pretty good.

I think the White Sox strategy is they think they are good enough now to be in a great position I July, so they can add then and pay the addition for 1/3 of the season.

Of course, but if you aren't willing to go there, you wind up not signing major free agents.

If the Sox had interest in Conforto, I imagine it would go like their interest in Bryce Harper. Thanks but no thanks after they find out how much it costs, but probably has some year and $ amount they would be interested. That would probably ve enough for Boras to use them if the price dropped.

Usually free agents who were pretty mediocre before having a big year their free agent year, go back to being mediocre. Conforto isn't the first guy who was thought to be in line for huge money, to have a bad free agent season, but I don't know the track record of similar players.