JUSTgottaBELIEVE

That’s a lot for a one year rental. Does this help Robert’s trade value?

There’s no doubt that helps, which is why the Sox rebuild is likely to take longer than theirs without a change in ownership. Still, Sox are a lock for a top 10 pick for 4-5 consecutive years. Should be able to do some damage with that.

Would you have said Mike Elias is one of the best GMs in 2021? I’m guessing no based on your commentary here. Also, I’m not sure he’s one now because like you said he hasn’t won anything. The reality is Jerry won’t live forever so a change in ownership will happen in the near future. Whether that is 2 years or 10 years from now I don’t know but it’s inevitable. In the meantime, keep building up the farm system and improving on the fringes within the organization until a new owner takes the rein that is willing to spend money like recently happened with the Mets and Orioles.

The Orioles were 131-253 in the first 3 seasons under Mike Elias as GM. Over a 4 year period from 2018-2021 they were 178-368. It takes time for a deep rebuild to turnaround even when you supposedly have one of the best GMs in the sport.

Yes, re: this current rebuild it is still early.

I agree not yet. But give it another 18 months and it very well could be. We’re only 9 months into the start of this rebuild. It’s still early. edit: guess one could argue we’re 16 months into it if you define late July 2023 as the start of the rebuild. Still early regardless.

I think we can all agree it’s relatively easy to tear down and start building up a young core but it’s what comes next that’s hardest and what truly defines a GM. Can they push their team over the hump to a title or at least a pennant? Everyone was crowning guys like Mike Elias and Ryan Poles after they only did the easy part. Said that all last winter. Their defining moment is now. Next few years will define GM Chris Getz.

Let’s keep in mind it took until 2020 for the team to become competitive after the fire sale that started after the 2016 season. This latest fire sale started after the 2024 season with the Cease trade so 2028 is a realistic target for competitiveness for this current rebuild. 2027 is possible if everything goes well and the owner is actually willing to spend some money in free agency following the 2026 season.

It’s somewhere in middle for me. I know 99% of the board had their mind made up on Getz less than 12 months into the job but it was obvious he was left holding a bag of s%*# and I believe he deserved more time. I don’t think we really know anything about GM Getz for another 12-18 months but there’s no denying he’s rebuilding the farm system, scrubbing the mlb roster to bare bones (like the bears recently did), and making a number of ancillary moves within the coaching staff, player development, and international that hopefully pay off eventually. I see positives but the jury is still out. I want to see him continue to build off this momentum over the next 12 months and we’ll see where they land. Realistically, this team isn’t competitive until 2027 even if he does a great job.

If you’re including all those guys in 2019 then here’s the current list by comparison (since a lot of those guys were no longer prospects in 2019): SP - Thorpe, Cannon, Schultz, Smith, Iriarte, Taylor PP - Teel, C Montgomery, Quero, B Montgomery add another name to this list after Robert is traded and then in July after the #10 pick and I think this group will basically be where they were at in 2019 in perhaps the 2026 season. It’s really not that far off already. Then add some more TDL deals the next two Julys plus a top 3 pick in 2026 and we’re there. This time around gotta hope this young core isn’t nearly as injury prone as the last core. Then they obviously need to develop them better. Lastly, gotta pray for a new owner by 2027 that’s willing to add top FAs to the young core group.

I’d put the White Sox at #2 now, just ahead of the Cubs and behind the Rays. It’ll be tough to catch the Rays unless Getz knocks it out of the park with the Robert trade. Yes, depth is still a slight concern but they’ve added 7 of their top 30 prospects via trades over the past 5 months between the trade deadline and Crochet trade.

I was awfully close on the Crochet return as early as April but even I slightly underestimated what he’d bring back.

This would be a fantastic return for the Sox. I highly doubt they get this much for Robert but I’d love it.

Um, those were lateral moves, arguably downgrades, because the two guys previously in those roles (OF - Santander, backup C - McCann) left for free agency. His roster is getting more expensive, indeed, but he has done nothing to improve the roster that finished 40-41 in the second half of 2024 and got swept out of the playoffs by the Royals.

Robert + Varland for Arroyo + Lin. Get it done Getz.

ah ok, yes this must have been for like 2 months because the 2018 mlb pipeline list only showed 6 following graduations that 2017 season from Giolito, Lopez, and Moncada.

I don’t think they had 10 in 2017 unless there was some kind of mid season list right after the Q trade?

I’d be good with any of the Reds’ top 5 prospects for Robert https://www.si.com/mlb/reds/news/mlb-insider-says-reds-continue-to-show-interest-in-veteran-outfielder-01jevsd6pnxn

They’re slipping fast as their division rivals continue to improve. Window about to close here soon unless they make some shrewd moves.

What’s the most they ever had at one time? I’d be surprised if this rebuild didn’t produce 10 over a 24 month period that started 6 months ago.

Oh dang. Klaw is going to have the Sox as a top 5 system now. Quite the turnaround from bottom 2 a couple years ago. If they tank another 2-3 years like the Orioles recently did, the system will look very nice. But unlike the Orioles, the Sox don’t have the good fortune of picking top 5 every year in a row while they tank.

If they’re being honest with themselves, flipping Crochet for 2 - 55 FV and 2 - 45 FV prospects would have seemed impossible as recently as 6 months ago. Perhaps the Cease trade may ultimately underwhelm but this trade may make up for it. That’s what happens when you make a bunch of trades during a rebuild. Some look great, some not so much. There will be plenty more opportunities to flip vets for prospects over the next 24 months but those were certainly the two biggest chips they had since they already blew it by not trading Robert last winter.

So Sox system now has 6 T100 guys? With a deep return like this one let’s see if Getz can flip Robert for 1 more. I realize 3 of the current 6 are likely to graduate in 2025 but the #10 pick in July plus a top 3 pick in 2026 should replenish the system nicely. Finally starting to see the early stages of the next young core. C/1b - Teel and Quero 2b - Meidroth / Baldwin SS - Montgomery 3b - Ramos / Vargas OF - Montgomery / Wolkow P - Schultz / Smith / Thorpe / Cannon / Iriarte It’s a start…Now flip Robert for Justin Crawford and we call it an offseason. Then grab Summerhill in the 2025 draft and Emerson in the 2026 draft.

Teel and Montgomery were two of my favorite names from the last two drafts. f*** yea. This past spring, I optimistically speculated that Crochet could return one 50/55 FV prospect and another 45 FV prospect. Boy, was I wrong. Way underestimated him. This is clearly a better return than what they got for Cease. Just goes to show how the league values Crochet relative to Cease despite the limited track record.

Pretty impressive? Two T60 mlb prospects and two other 45 FV interesting names. This is a better deal than I could have imagined.