Dick Allen

It’s $13 million they don’t have to spend now, and it didn’t work. If they were willing to spend $13 million more than they were prepared to offer Machado to get him here, they would have been far better off just adding that to their offer. It was stupid. But they have done similar things for years. Money just pissed away. For a team that seems to have quite a tight budget, they have to be smarter when not trying to win. It didn’t take anyone to be Theo Epstein or Billy Beane to know Alonso and Jay was a bad idea.

I did read Jared's fathers pardon will make it easier for him to borrow money.

Many think it can’t be done. Nixon was given a blanket pardon, but it was never tested in the courts. Chances are, with some the self proclaimed “Law and order” President will be handing out, looks like Steve Bannon ripping off Trump’s base is now pardon worthy, that will more than likely be tested.

To me the jugular would be Bauer. That is not happening. But that would enable the White Sox to improve their rotation the most. Keep all of their top prospects. And demoralize the rest of the AL Central.

But even then you don’t know. Q sliced his finger, but then had a lat issue. Will that be a problem moving forward, or is it a sign he is starting to fall apart? Who knows.Most of these guys are better than Gio Gonzalez. I am not worried about that. But you are right, lucky is the word when and if this signing happens. Probably a couple of these guys will be really good in 2021.

I don’t see how this group is really any worse of an option than Q or Richards. If you aren’t willing to shop at the top of the market, this is what you get. I really don’t know why they aren’t going for the jugular here. With the Cubs disassembled and their Network with lots of questions, and not the love able losers anymore, this really could be the opportunity to really change things in Chicago, and for the White Sox moving forward. If they ever started operating as a big market team, considering their division, they should be in the playoffs more than anyone.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/23/opinions/donald-trump-potential-bizarre-pardons-alonso/index.html

No doubt, but that wasn't obvious, and they were in win mode.

Rudy, Ivanka, Jared, and Mark Meadows at the WH today probably getting their secret pardons.

Give Soxtalk $54 million and we would sign someone and call for his DFA in spring training.

Right but it squeezes out the higher paid utility guys, and back up catchers and middle relievers. In the end, the owners sell it as another high priced roster spot, but the reality is they make it up somewhere else

Think of what the Sox could have done if they saved $13 million and didn’t trade for Alonso and sign Jon Jay, two very obvious, before the fact mistakes.

The cost is a wash. What is spent on a DH is money not used in other areas. The AL hasn't had a $10 million per team higher payroll average than NL teams. Their budgets don't change. Their allocation does. And if they do change, its only because they can afford it. Teams now have 26 man rosters. That additional player when things normalize, probably averages out to less than what the Sox pay Liam Hendriks per year for 10 years if they don't want him in 2024.

Last year, 3 of the final 4 teams used their bullpen the most. But I agree with you. If they play 162, the more you get out of your starters the better you will be.

If the White Sox won't go $2 million above their target to get their top guy, they better not fail to get their #2 or #3 target. They are fine with time right now, and I doubt all these guys looking for 8 figures are going to have their dreams come true. I just hope the White Sox adopt trying to be the best they can be instead of just trying to be good enough to win the ALCentral. That has not worked out well in the past. They are the only team in the division who has not gone on a multi year domination since the division was formed.

Extends careers of better players,some who will be chasing historic numbers. Offense sells. It makes the game more attractive. Bullpens will be run far more easily. Its time. Just from a White Sox fan prospective look at how much better our baseball watching experience has been because of the DH. Luzinski, Baines, Thomas and Thome. Luzinski and Thome would have never been White Sox. Baines and Thomas would have had far shorter non HOF careers. Oscar Gamble in 1977 is another . As far as money goes, 26 man roster will add something but minimal. If team adds a$10 DH, they will not have a $5 million set up guy and utility infielder. The cash will be taken from another area of the team .

I think if your pitchers think you can call a good game, especially with stealing bases taking such a small role in today's game, and you can frame, the other stuff doesn't matter so much. Carlton Fisk wasn't all that defensively, took forever to put down the numbers, but his pitchers loved throwing to him , so now he has a reputation as a top defense catcher.

Lavine is really good, but closing out games is not a strength. Of course, being on bad teams doesn't help, but he constantly misses shots at the end of games he was making all night. His defense is improving but still below average. But there are a lot of NBA greats that didn't play much defense. I think Lavine would start getting his due if he was a #2 or #3 guy on a roster and not the man as he is on the Bulls. I also think the Nets would have been better off trading for Lavine than Harden. Assuming Kyrie can normalize, Lavine as the 3rd guy there and a lot less drama seems better to me.

I feel bad for Katz. It will be impossible for him to live up to the hype. There are so many Sox fans thinking Giolito like turnarounds for multiple pitchers, and either improved or sustained performance for everyone else. It is . Some will probably get better. A couple will probably naturally regress and a few probably are what they are.

Gary Sanchez is pretty horrible behind the plate and the Yankees seem very reluctant to move on from him even when he hits. 128 makes me think many teams today would tolerate Piazza behind the plate for his HOF bat.

To me he is as reliable as Rodon and probably far more expensive. It seems like most of what is out there wants a lot more money than what they eventually will get, but I do think, especially if they are playing a full seaon, people are really underestimating the innings. When and if Kopech is ready, it might behoove the Sox to go to a 6 man rotation for at least a little while. The Sox only have 3 guys that pitched more than 35 innings in 2020. A couple guys might be able to ramp up to a normal workload, but you need to be careful and have reinforcements. For a one year cheap guy I would much prefer JA Happ over Richards although he is a flyball pitcher. If you aren't going to go big, waiting it out and seeing who is left a week before spring training probably gets you the same class of pitcher at a bargain rate.

He will be entering his age 33 season. Since 2015 when we all thought Trayce Thompson was going to be a stud, he has pitched more than the 51 innings he threw last year once, and that was 76 innings. So really you are hoping for 70 innings, but probably getting 50. Why bother? How does that help you? Besides he is looking for decent money.

Who is comparing them? He wrote you cannot outhit bad defense being a catcher. Piazza certainly did. I actually like Grandal. And Grandal’s defense has always been quite positive with Fangraphs. He actually blows James McCann away.

I don’t know why a team would want to pay Richards to be in the injured list most of the time.

Oh yes you can. See Piazza, Mike.