Dick Allen

Throw the wife beating away, and Addison Russell hasn’t been very good the last 2 seasons. But I do draw the line with wifebeaters. If the Sox ever picks him up, it would be like Brett Myers to me. I want the team to win, but I would want him to suck so bad.

Belle's clause actually called for him to remain one of the 3 highest paid guys in baseball. For what Harper could demand, this type of thing could be perfect. How many players besides Trout are going to get more than him the next 4 or 5 seasons? Then if they do, let him walk, and let him get paid to decline by someone else. There is probably something that could work, but probably too many obstacles for the White Sox to overcome.

Maybe, but if he's anything like Moncada, he's going to get rung up on pitches not in the zone anyways.

The best free agent he signed is a player you absolutely hate.

Yes, I don't see it. It would be counterproductive. Might as well hang on to him and their top young guys, or just trade their young guys for max returns. Punting on good young players just to eat Cano's money will set them back years after they would have been done paying Cano anyway. They knew when they signed him the last 2 or 3 years were going to be painful in all probability. That's how these things work. It's a bonus when that doesn't happen. Just suck it up.

Actually, the Sox pretty much started the opt out trend with Albert Belle. It saved uncle Jerry a lot of money. They could get around it by using a similar clause as Belle had. If someone is making more money, the Sox can match it, if they refuse, they player can opt out.

Right. Plus the timelines people are using are timelines with teams that didn't get 10 or 11 prospects, many top 100 for 3 players. This rebuild should be in high gear right now. Not with division crowns per se, but some competitive baseball.

They are going to have to offer the most anyway. When you are in this particular stratosphere though, I don't know how much higher you really have to get not to include an opt out. It's not like they are going to spend all this money anyways.

We already know the White Sox aren't going to sign these guys. The problem the front office will have by letting all their interest in them leak out is not that they are now being cheap, but the top guys don't want the White Sox money. They think they have a better chance to win now and in the future elsewhere.

Why would he need a scapegoat?

These TV deals are long term. While it probably helps the team is really good and popular from the outset, the parties negotiating look at this long term. It's not imperative the Sox win 90 games in 2019 to max out.

As you said in another thread, you don’t let bias or emotion get in the way of your views, despite popular opinion.

I really don’t know why a rebuilding team would trade stud young guys making nothing just to dump a contract. They would be better off just keeping them and eating money, or trading their youth for multiple prospects. I see no way they would trade on of these guys just to eat Cano’s money. It is a fantasy. trade the prospects for a salary dump and sell rebuilding to your fan base. Yeah, right.

They obviously will have the Bulls and Blackhawks with them. Chances are they stay where they are at, except the games on WGN will probably go away I wouldn't mind them thinking outside the box and working something out with someone like Amazon. Get a prime membership, watch the White Sox wherever you go.

60% of what we are hoping is one day a championship rotation is currently on the team. To not have a team who can at least think they can compete behind them, especially since your supposed championship middle infield is also in place, is really playing with fire. And who knows how Kopech comes back. Matt Moore didn't exactly dazzle after TJ surgery. Who knows how Cease will hold up? Who knows what will happen with Dunning's elbow. Who knows when or if Robert breaks out. People are already complaining about Madrigal for some reason. Collins, I think he will be OK, but probably not a 1-1 guy Hostetler said he would have been had he had the first pick. Burger, another question mark. Rutherford has always seemed to be to be a poor man's Ryan Sweeney. Is that something to be excited about? Face it, Moncada, Anderson, Gio, Lopez, Kopech, Rodon., Eloy....the Sox need at least a couple of these guys to be all star quality, and a couple to be really good players if they are only going to buy off the clearance rack.

It's 3 guys out of 50 who played for them.

If they aren't going to land any of the big guys, see what's left at the end. There will be bargains. If signing 2 or 3 of these guys is going to make it so they can't afford anyone when the time comes to win, how the hell were they ever supposed to sign Machado or Harper?

Because most of the players on those teams were nowhere near Houston when they started winning. And the few who were still there developed, and performed. The White Sox guys we are all hoping for so far almost to a man, need to take a rather large step. Best case scenerio is great, and maybe somehow they all get good together. But something needs to light that match. It isn't trotting the same guys out there and hoping Palka and Delmonico aren't the guys who were let go for nothing from other teams, and Yolmer, who strikeouts out like Ron Kittle, but hits homers like Julio Cruz, isn't beloved because he pours water on his head. It isn't watching Adam Engel continue to show us he can't hit. It isn't trying to figure out if Minaya and Infante are indeed the same person. Maybe getting some wins, or at least coming to the park really thinking they can win will help Moncada. Maybe it will help Anderson and Giolito, and Lopez. Because if those guys don't step it up, it's going to be a while.

Hector Santiago is a nice guy and all, but why go after a guy like that? What is the upside? As for spots in the rotation, this team hasn't been .500 since 2012, and pitchers are not ever locks to remain healthy. If they have too many starters at any point, which I think is pretty silly to think it actually will happen, they will make someone a reliever or they will be trade bait. Too much pitching isn't a liability.

I do think the Sox need to do something even if they don't sign a Machado or Harper. You can't have these guys staring at the same teammates after that ugly season. I would like to see them get something that can inspire some confidence. Whether that or those players will be around when the team actually contends, who knows? But you can add pieces and still develop players. Then when the time comes, bring in someone new. Even if this rebuild works, players are going to be swapped out year after year.

It won't be too long before there will be betting windows at ballparks.

That was pretty brutal. He seems to really struggle right at the end of games. Hopefully he will learn something. If he ever figures to close out games, he will really be a player.

I think the Sox should wrap Eloy in bubblewrap and put him in a case and display him on the concourse of GRF. Maybe rope it off so no one can get too close, so something can't go wrong. . Have him spend the next 6 seasons as a museum piece. No sense putting him out on the field. He might get hurt.

The Cubs win 95 games and tell their manager to do more managing. The White Sox lose 100, and their staff is so great, they won’t change a thing.

They wouldn’t cut him in spring training. I am guessing he either agrees to a contract significantly lower than his arb figure or he gets non tendered.