caulfield12

Hopefully, a more modern, analytics-based approach to the game. And less LaRussa. Seems like she has Out-Hahned Hahn and KW in the social networking/high society crowd. “As Co-CEO, Mellody is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel Investments outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ariel Investment Trust—the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO, Mellody spent nearly two decades as the firm’s President. Outside of Ariel, Mellody is a nationally recognized voice on financial literacy. Her leadership has also been invaluable to corporate boardrooms across the nation. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation. She is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. She previously served as Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale and was also a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies. Mellody’s community outreach includes her role as Chairman of After School Matters, a Chicago non-profit that provides area teens with high-quality after school and summer programs. Additionally, she is vice chair of World Business Chicago; co-chair of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art; and a board member of the George Lucas Education Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Center for Strategic & International Studies, and of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Mellody is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees, and serves on the executive committee of the Investment Company Institute. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy. In 2019, she was awarded the University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service. She has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College, and the University of Southern California. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People” in the world.” source: Ariel Investments website/bio And probably Starbucks at GRF, haha…along with a renaming deal with JPMorgan Chase, instead of a tacky mortgage company.

We’re a Top 5 payroll or Top 2 committed for 2023…that still might never go over $68 million on an individual player and would hardly even allow fans the joy of speculating on adding Baez, Story or Semien, let alone Correa and Seager. Obviously not how much money you spend (see 2006-2011/Dunn), it’s how you allocate your payroll that matters the most. So saying we’re actually not THAT cheap, we’re just not that good at talent evaluation, isn’t much to crow about, either.

That leaves our starting pitching depth woefully short…basically Lopez or Crochet, but you might have to trade one of them, too. Sheets, Vaughn (maybe) and Burger on the positional side…and money added to payroll, when we could have just spent money. Not a great idea with our minor league depth and continuing to take pieces away from future teams. Might be better just to wait until midseason if that’s the very best we can do. And Castillo would come with a much higher cost, the only one to really be excited about turning things around with Katz.

Carlos Correa, of course! In an alternative Sox-Verse.

If they are still Top 5 on Opening Day I will officially join Ron’s Cubs quest. It’s not going to happen with Kimbrel removed…and it would take a lot even with Conforto because they might try to dump Keuchel as well and reinsert Lopez into the rotation.

Minuses - Fathom says he is mopey and has bad vibes Lacks power Expensive money wise Is that the recent Phillies version, Seattle or Milwaukee one? Apparently not quite so easy to find a 2B as has been repeated over and over again since Kimbrel trade. Certainly not one you can pretty much guarantee a 2.5 fWAR, at least. Take another shot at Villar, but then is he going to be any better than Leury? McNeil is going to cost too much talent to acquire…off the big league roster in all likelihood. Also, we should do this for all the teams looking at Conforto for RF.

Somehow I have a feeling the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers, Astros, Angels, Mets, Padres, Blue Jays, Nats (maybe), Mariners, Cardinals, Rangers, etc., will have something to say about those rankings before Opening Day. Also, Braves being so low is pretty impressive for a WS winner, Brewers, Rays, etc. It also goes to show how far from automatic the addition of Conforto is at this point.

Why would being forced to pay Segura or god forbid Gregorious be a positive value, compared to simply having $15 million free to allocate however they wanted? It seems pretty apparent they perceive fair market value production at 2B (in this current landscape) as closer to $5.5-$6.0 million, rather than paying almost three times that to get (arguably) 1 additional util of fWAR. Adam Frazier is another good example, as a 2ish fWAR “All-Star” player at an expected $7.5 million salary…that got quite a mediocre minimal return back. And he possesses positional versatility as well as hitting LH.

Nothing in the Houston Chronicle yet. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Sara-Goodrum-director-player-development-16665849.php Astros hired a female exec and there's a 2024 option for reliever Hector Neris, that was it.

To sign Hendriks or offer the QO to Kimbrel, or both? That was a bit of a head-scratcher for the White Sox to spend top of the market rates for a closer...of course, ultimately, it went from a perceived strength to a not a weakness, but a definite vulnerability (see bed wetting against Astros by pretty much everyone but Tepera.)

Team Assured Mutual Destruction (not necessarily nuclear in variety)

It's a fairly unique situation in which Boston wanted their former player back, despite his lack of performance in MIL. That said, Milwaukee also has the more abundant farm system to help balance out the two contracts...as Renfroe clearly had/has more value entering 2022. Would the Cubs or Red Sox or Braves or Padres desperately want Kimbrel back? We shall see.

$12 million for one year of Bradley. Renfroe has two remaining years, looking like $7,500,000 and then final ARB year...makes up for the missing Avi Garcia power. Going by spotrac numbers, seems to be a discrepancy there. $11 million (JBJ) and $5.5 million vs. $7.5 million for Renfroe. Quintessential under the radar deal for MIL/Stearns.

No surprise. Not even sure he pitched for the Dodgers after being acquired.

Of course, we almost universally predicted this situation would arise. Sure it came up once or twice in the so-called "war room."

Over 50%

Except we don't have a monopoly with all the entertainment options available and generally declining interest in baseball, not to mention the Cubs ...differentiated product can't easily enough be defined using pizza toppings examples. Each topping can't represent a player unless they are close to iconic or superstar level.

TLR is the answer, which means Tony is seemingly is more difficult for him to stomach than the Ricketts Family Circus. Or the White Sox were never interested. Or the Cubs simply offered more. Or all three.

But now they have multiple guys with closing experience. They don't have to do anything...unless the White Sox are willing to take Gregorious instead of Kimbrel.

I can't get the copy and paste formatting from Closer Monkey.com (a real site name) to work. Cardinals relying on Jordan Hicks' return and then Gallegos as their back-up. Cubs would take him back for what, exactly? Padres, it would be Kimbrel for Kim or Profar, but then are either of those two going to outproduce Leury??? Over the next 2-3 seasons, that wouldn't save any money from the overall payroll, either. Dodgers could easily go with Treinen, Graterol combination and add at mid-season, or bring back Jansen as well at lower salary. Blue Jays, MAYBE??? *Jordan Romano Adam Cimber Tim Mayza (Yates signed with Yankees, 2 years/$8.25 million)

Closer 1st in line 2nd in line 2022 Closer Updated TEX Joe Barlow Spencer Patton Josh Sborz Jose Leclerc 9/25/21 (IL) Jose Leclerc Jonathan Hernandez

We can no longer afford Conforto, and Schwarber's going to require moving Sheets/Vaughn/Burger, unless they're willing to go with Jimenez AND Vaughn as the everyday corner outfielders. No potential for disaster there.

With the Phillies and Angels off the board, seemingly Arizona....who is desperate for a closer now? Toronto? Padres? Rays....although NOT really, they have Castillo and Kittredge and a shoestring budget. Dodgers? K. Jansen still looming out there, he will fill one of those...in all likelihood.

That would be the ultimate 180 degree reversal if those three former White Sox somehow outproduced Cease and Jimenez this year. They might as well bring back Tepera and flip him again for good measure, although a playoff contender is much more likely.

So now the Cubs have outspent us so far this off-season. Guess that will make for more Twitter entertainment with him and TLR in the same town. And, as usual, that Phillies speculation being out there for weeks and weeks about DD being desperate for Kimbrel and all the ideal packages the White Sox would get back in return...sigh.