caulfield12

Just throw Kelenic in while they’re at it… Marte Kelenic and Brash plus one more piece equivalent to Basabe. Could even make it Taylor Trammell. Not seeing any way they part with Kirby.

"They’re better, in other words, than they have been in a long time. And this is just the beginning. After that dismal 2018 campaign, the Orioles brought in Mike Elias, one of the architects of the Houston Astros’ carefully constructed turnaround from laughingstock to champions as their new general manager. And he brought with him NASA engineer-turned-baseball analytics innovator Sig Mejdal. Say what you will about the 2017 team that took home a now-tainted trophy, but Houston’s ongoing dominance in the AL West is built on more than just sign-stealing. That kind of sustained success is every baseball team’s ultimate goal. And the Orioles have reason to believe they’re right on the precipice." https://www.yahoo.com/sports/ml-bs-biggest-surprise-make-way-for-the-orioles-this-could-be-the-beginning-of-a-long-successful-run-001654430.html

Clase

Xavier Edwards

Craig Grebeck?

Are you sure that’s not from one of the numerous Fast and Furious sequels?

Sure, but what’s the difference between 3 1/2 vs. 2 1/2 years of control for the worst team in baseball? The Nationals need players that are pre-arbitration. Even Vaughn only has one more year. Soto’s already making the highest amount in arbitration. But it’s not like Cease’s arbitration numbers will be chopped liver.

https://theathletic.com/3428196/2022/07/16/juan-soto-trade-packages-teams/ The White Sox really don’t have anyone besides Vaughn and Luis Robert on the mlb roster that would be of interest. Eloy? For a rebuilding team with an escalating salary and limited control? Nope. Even Cease and Kopech don’t fit the timeline. The Sox aren’t going to be any better off trading those two…or even just one of them and a package of minor leaguers, because it’s basically trapping them in the same exact situation they were in from 2011-2016. The only way it possibly makes sense would be if they had an extension agreement already in place. And, as noted, that would never happen with Boras. Freddy Garcia was a notable exception for a previous megatrade/extension due to his connection with the Guillen family. That pre-existing relationship doesn't exist with Juan Soto.

At least you're taller than Nicky Two Strikes Madrigal. Actually I always thought 5'9" to 5'10" was close to the average for a man born in the US.

Maybe a Buddy Bell type job with another organization, but he's getting up there in age.

TLR & JR feelings/“forgiveness” >>> winning a championship or pleasing the fanbase Tells you everything you need to know about the current tenuous state of the franchise.

What was Rauch at the major League level in terms of average velo, around 92-93 touching 94? He had the labrum/shoulder issues instead of TJ if I remember correctly.

Which year?

Mets Dodgers Yankees Padres Angels (for Ohtani) Cubs don’t make much sense in their situation…and Red Sox are in between right now and will likely be losing Bogaerts. Mariners/Rangers/Orioles interesting “all chips in/compete now” choices.

Documentary on White Sox’ near move to Florida in the works Scott Diener, who directed the Derrick Rose documentary, has been researching the story since last summer and has spoken with several key figures. But it still has to be pitched for distribution. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/8/20/21377560/chicago-white-sox-florida-scott-diener-jerry-reinsdorf-james-thompson-michael-madigan-comiskey-park So, following that same timeline, the threats from JR will come in 2026-27…since it was a 1988 to 1991 window last time, and the White Sox had far and away the simplest stadium design (borrowed from KC, largely) of all the stadium projects proposed at that time. One interesting tidbit. Jerry Reinsdorf and Governor Jim Thompson were best buddies at Northwestern Law School. Of course, Sox GM Rick Hahn has his own NU ties.

See corrections below/above. There’s already a ticking clock on all this… https://www.fieldofschemes.com/2020/05/12/16111/a-savvy-negotiator-creates-leverage-that-time-the-white-sox-pretended-to-move-to-florida-to-get-stadium-money-from-illinois/ “As for St. Petersburg, city officials there kept shopping around for another team to lure to town, eventually helping the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers create leverage to score new-stadium deals at home as well, as memorialized in a FoS magnet. Finally, it looked like the city had hit paydirt when San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie, frustrated at having failed four times to get stadium-subsidy referendums passed in the San Francisco Bay Area, announced he was selling the team to Tampa Bay businessman Vince Naimoli. The rest of the National League owners, however, voted to reject the sale and to tell Lurie to instead sell to local supermarket baron Peter Magowan, which he did, saving the Giants for San Francisco.” So five teams got new stadiums out of the Tampa/St.Pete threat, with the Rangers’ stadium already replaced yet again for Globe Life or whatever it’s called.

Everything I found online says 2029. That’s a little bit more urgent than 2033. https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-rosenthal-white-sox-guaranteed-rate-isfa-0828-biz-20160826-column.html Those stadium projects usually require two full years to complete (2028-29)…then you have Chicago winter weather. So they would have to have funding/architectural plans in place by no later than 2026-27. Of course, quite obviously, the Sox would lose quite a bit of leverage if they have one of the worst teams in baseball in 2025-26-27. They also signed a new t.v. deal for just five years, so the odds of a complete rebuild/teardown with both of these issues in mind…slim and none. 13-years (2017-2029) “The stadium's current name was announced on October 31, 2016, after the Chicago-based private residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate purchased the naming rights in a 13-year deal.”

https://www.si.com/mlb/2011/03/12/11baseballs-tallest-pitchers#gid=ci0255ca70801a2515&pid=dustin-nippert If you look at the majority of guys pitching at 6’9” or taller, they were finesse guys like Rauch, Eric Hillman, Hendrickson, Doug Fister and Chris Young. The majority ended up as relievers. Daniel Cabrera, Ryan “Little Unit” Anderson, Andrew Sisco are three “power” pitcher names that come to mind. Then you have Tyler Glasnow at 6’8” and I think Alex Manoah is 6’7”. Not very many have made it. The White Sox had another 6’8” guy in Adam Russell a decade ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Kolek Yet another name that comes to mind in that same mold…where the two biggest busts came #1/2 on high school pitchers and the three best position players were 10/13/25 (Conforto/Trea Turner-SD/Chapman).

https://www.gamblingsites.net/blog/tallest-players-in-the-history-of-major-league-baseball/ Glasnow at 6’8”, Manoah at 6’7” but those other pitchers were more finesse guys other than Big Unit

Why would Soto say no to nearly half a billion? The Nationals’ offer would have been the largest by total dollars in MLB history, but it also would have made Soto a National for life — keeping him under contract until age 38. It probably doesn’t help that the Nats (30-63) have the worst record in baseball. What will it take to acquire Soto? Likely, top prospects and the ability to absorb a bad contract. Soto has already finished top five in MVP voting twice. He’s a clear top-three player in baseball. Because he’s under club control next season, the Nationals also don’t have to trade him unless they love the return. Which teams could realistically be in play? The Padres, Mets and Dodgers have the prospects and/or financial muscle. Never count out the Yankees, of course. But this is a bit like the Kevin Durant sweepstakes: Every team should consider it. The Athletic’s MLB staff dove further into what it will take to get a deal done. Craziest suggestion: Soto for Shohei Ohtani (and then some). Our brains just exploded. “With the draft of Parada, the Mets can now dangle Francisco Alvarez as the headliner in a Juan Soto trade. You know Mets owner Steve Cohen is thinking the same thing.”

So just keep picking tall rangy left-handers until one becomes the next Sale…? Like Crochet, needs to put on some serious weight.

Last Illinois first round pitcher for the Sox was Kris Honel? Pretty sure not Jason Stumm…

Not since 2015 or 2016. Pretty sure it was a useless Samardzija start, too. I haven’t been able to leave China to go back to the US, since returning here would still face a combined 28 day hospital/hotel then at-home quarantine. This has been the case ever since Covid-19 hit in January 2019. Last time I checked, a flight was $222,000.

The SS who used to play for the Pirates? Well, he’s one of the quietest guys you will meet, other than Harold Baines. Went to Triton.