Dick Allen

Again, Puig hasn't been very good, I was responding to a post that mentioned last season. Engel was better against LHP last year. And I don't think what someone did in 2013 or 2014 is very relevant, or no one would be complaining about Jose Abreu's new contract. It's also interesting that even though many of the experts here say Puig's bad rep is overrated, not any of his 3 previous teams have any interest in his services.

The 2 previous years .628 OPS in 2018, .592 OPS in 2017. Last year it was .791, only 50 points lower than Adam Engel.

If they sign Puig, fine. I think there are better ways to spend their resources. He doesn't hit lefties very well anymore. Has only played RF since 2016. Mazara hits RHP pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good. I really don't see the fit, but I guess they could find him ABs.

There was an article last week where one of the fangraphs guys was talking to some scouting director comparing Vaughn to Konerko. The scouting director said he was "way better "than Paulie. That would be HOF material.

Also, Puigs 76 wRC+ against LHP the last 3 years might make Adan Engel not so bad. I get pu kung him up if it was for next to nothing and you could send him on his way if things don't work out. But I doubt it is that simple.

If Puig is available for next to nothing, and he really is nowhere near the clubhouse problem he is made out to be, isn’t it astonishing no team has signed him? I think there is way more to it than people on both sides of the argument want to believe. Maybe he isn’t as bad as many of us believe clubhouse wise, but maybe he is still asking for significant money and a situation where he is pretty much guaranteed every day at bats. Or maybe he is willing to play for next to nothing but is as bad in the clubhouse as many think. There is evidence to suggest playing for a contract isn’t all that big of a deal for him.I postedthe video of him walking back to the dugout after putting a ball in play. Yes, he would have been out anyway, but it is a very bad look considering your reputation, being on your 3rd team in less than a year, and less than a month from free agency.

Bob Rosenberg has been the White Sox and Bulls official scorer forever. He was dismissed by MLB after last season. He is 79 and loses what he says is about $20k in income, so he is selling off his 6 Bulls championship rings. The minimum bid is $300k. His replacement as White Sox official scorer, is the Phil Rogers who wrote a positive book about Bud Selig. He was hired by Bud's son in law.

At least they didn't blow money on Cole Hamels. He is already done for opening day.

I don't know why switching agents would make an extension more likely. Less likely if you think about it. Extensions at this point is the player giving up some cash for more guarantee. He isn't going to hire a new agent because his previous one wanted too much from the Sox.

If true, this would be a pretty decent development https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/one-scout-thinks-white-sox-prospect-andrew-vaughn-way-better-paul-konerko

Kipnis has been bad for several years.

I do think half the teams making the playoffs is too many, especially the randomness of winning baseball games, where even in a 7 game series, the best teams doesn't always win. I like it like it is. Don't make it too gimmicky.

I don't think there is much question Puig is an asshole. That is pretty common knowledge. Whether he is too big of one is the question. Maybe he has been humbled,

More proof that not being an asshole pays off if you haven't been a very good player.

Whatever you think of Puig, his reputation has definitely cost him some cash this offseason.

Eventually there will be a breaking point. Obviously baseball isn't basketball. Losing one player isn't going to ruin your ticket base. But if it becomes a pattern and winning stops, and prices keep going up, what seems very unlikely is going to happen. I watched Hub Arkush on Kap's show last year. He has his dad's season tickets, tickets they have had for the Cubs since he was a little kid. Obviously not a corporation, but last season he almost cancelled because the price is getting outrageous. Maybe he breaks this year. Maybe not if he has Comcast and can't watch them on TV.

And even if that is the plan, you waste a year of in their prime Betts and Sale for Alex Verdugo? Vergudo is pretty good, but not that good.

I just think when you aren't operating on a shoestring budget, and you charge the customers what you charge, if you want them to stick with you during lean times, you better be ponying up when windows are open, and not satisfied with half assed, and a profit. Mookie Betts is a player you get signed or you go down swinging like Brian Downing trying. Trading him for financial purposes is OK for the Marlins, not the Red Sox.

According to Forbes, the broke Red Sox only made an $84 million profit in 2018. The 2019 figures are not out. So you must be right, paying Mookie Betts wasn't going to work. I wonder why they even offered him a significant extension. Trading him isn't going to increase their chances of bringing him back. There were other ways of resetting their tax.

You play it out. There aren't many Mookie Betts around. Trading your best players usually doesn't result in more wins in the short term. Their "window" is open about as long as Sale's arm remains feasible. To dump Betts now, makes it less likely Sale is pitching meaningful games.

John Henry's sports empire is supposedly worth $6 billion. You are trying to win and you trade Mookie Betts. F-. Could you imagine if JR did that? And he isn't worth anything near John Henry's group. I'm sure some will say it's totallly different, but fast forward a few years and the White Sox are trying to win, and Moncada is the player we have all hoped, and JR sends him elsewhere for a package like this. Fail. Fail. Fail.

The very definition of NBA hell. They supposedly draft well, but still lose. The team needs a new vision. Pax, Gar, and Boylen have to go.

Joc was available because they upgraded. His price was obviously higher earlier, as they had no MVP level replacement and weren’t looking to move money. But yeah, b**** the Sox didn’t bring Joc in for a year.

He has agreed to the trade. Cease and others back to Colorado, now the done deal will be completed this weekend, so he can get a couple more days of attention before it "falls apart".