caulfield12

A 21-year-old, 6-foot-2, 205 pound switch hitting native of Cuba, Moncada regarded as baseball’s top prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America. One of the comparisons MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo offered for Moncada was “Robinson Cano with more speed,” referring to the Seattle Mariners All-Star (and possible future Hall of Fame) second baseman who has 278 home runs and a .307/.355/.498 career slash line. https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-white-sox/examining-yoan-moncada-baseballs-no-1-prospect-and-newest-member-white-sox

White Sox 23rd in this week's MLB Power Rankings as well as attendance. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-power-rankings-for-2023-week-4 AL Central with 3 of the Bottom 8 spots.

But what happened after that solid but not as dominating season? He became an albatross contract that was essentially unmoveable. JR was trying to make a political point to owners but didn't necessarily want Belle on the team long-term. He wasn't a marketing star because of his prickly personality and past run ins with fans dating back to LSU. Robin Ventura would depart for the Mets the subsequent season... White Flag year, etc.

Now Hahn can simply hide behind TLR and injuries...that he wasn't allowed to make any decisions for two years until Benintendi and Clevinger were signed as FAs... Kimbrel wasn't actually his idea, along with the likes of Kelly and Leury, etc. And the wheels of avoiding any genuine sense of responsibility or accountability just keep spinning round and round...

Including a better offer on the table for Miguel Cabrera than the Sox could put together at the time... but his son hasn't been nearly as loose with the purse strings. A Baez here... an Eduardo Rodriguez there, but mostly draft emphasis. Pitching injuries in the starting rotation have crippled their rebuild. Mize Skubal Manning etc.

Thankfully he skipped the Sale and Anderson drafts lol... especially the former. But that's also how we got McCulloch Ring Poreda and Broadway in the first round.

Green Bay is such a unique situation in sports. Just don't see replicating it... nor the public interest in bankrolling it with thousands of Sox shareholders in this current day and age willing to just throw their money into the wind. Not enough community good will at this point. Has to be something closer to Wrexham FC but on a much larger scale.

JR was extremely fortunate not to get stuck holding the bag with the Albert Belle deal...if Baltimore/Angelos hadn't bailed him out, God knows if they even would have won it all in 2005. Dodged a massive bullet in the process of making the point to fellow owners about runaway FA spending.

Himes was the master of the draft but not a yes man or ass kisser. That was enough to doom him.

Rick Hahn could have surely had a playoff team if JR just gave him another $25-50 million to spend aka waste/misallocate. We are the king of being exploited by market inefficiencies... like the bullpen, analytics, player health, a plethora of one dimensional players when more athleticism is obviously required under the new rules that have seemingly blindsided the organization.

We're acting like it's virtually impossible to win a division where we start off with a $75-125 million head start over the other four mid to small market teams each and every year. Ridiculous. World Series winner...that pipe dream is long out the window, but absolutely zero reason they can't average making the playoffs once every 3-4 years with all their built-in market advantages.

Setting an arbitrary parameter like that just shows how ridiculous the Sox are if they actually follow that. It's as arbitrary and capricious as the rest of the operation. As an operational guideline... if talent/potential is equivalent, sure. But that's almost never going to be the case with floor/ceiling on these collegiate vs. hs picks. Not only that but it puts you at a disadvantage with agents and other teams if they know exactly what you are going to do.

Well, I suppose the last two first rounders argue a change in approach...ultimately successful, we shall just have to wait and see. Supplementing the so-called contention window is out the window though.

Sure... they control his rights no matter what. See contentious year to year deals with Giolito recently.

Even Beltin Bill Melton got screwed over by the team from a broadcasting perspective... granted he wasn't that great or always well-prepared.

To the Dodgers... who don't have a SS and still have all kinds of pressure to win? For a half year... sure, Colas. Not 1 1/2 years at a very good salary compared to FA market and needing to conserve resources for Ohtani. Plus Montgomery is hurt... so his value is dimished until he tears up AA as well. Look up what SD gave up for Clevinger...or Josh Hader for 1.5 years.

To the Dodgers... who don't have a SS and still have all kinds of pressure to win? For a half year... sure, Colas. Not 1 1/2 years at a very good salary compared to FA market and needing to conserve resources for Ohtani. Plus Montgomery is hurt... so his value is dimished until he tears up AA as well.

Don't forget Leury, who certainly counts against 2023 payroll as well. Can't believe Jimenez has all that much positive value at this point... them again he probably goes all Ortiz/JD Martinez with the right team after leaving the Sox.

For a 1 1/2 year contract... assuming he's healthy AND productive between now and the DDL time, he's worth a Top 30-50 and a fringeish 100 guy... especially if they don't get Ohtani.

Padres coming after you this week, Ron. Tatis is still going to be pissed off Jose Ruiz just retired him.

The musicians/quartet or quintet...

Boom. Boom. GS included. .231/3/15

Sox fans’ relationship with this franchise pretty much the exact, diametrically-opposed version of amicable.

Katz undoubtedly wants out after Gio is traded and will make more money after he leaves the Sox anyway…in NCAA for example, like the Twins’ coach leaving for LSU, or starting his own private academy in SoCal. Game story headline is Eloy picks up his 7th RBI. Lol. Two games clear of the Royals for the moment.

Who do they have to trade along with him to not send money to subsidize the remaining contract balance? Trading Colson Montgomery along with Yoan...might be one of the only things he could actually do to spark a true Sox fan revolt. At any rate, pennies on the dollar implies trading for less than than his "true" underlying value...so that means eating money or young talent by definition. How about them Cubbies Sat and Sun?