caulfield12

Unless Jimenez, Robert and Grandal are all Top 10-15 AL MVP candidates next year, we are not nearly as strong as we were on August 15th...or Vaughn puts up a massive sophomore campaign.

They knew that Lynn and Rodon would both be leading the AL Cy Young race at the end of July...? Then we have no worries, we are basically the Giants going forward. Everything is currently pinned on Cease and Kopech being TOR starters, a Keuchel rebound and/or perfect health and continuing miracles from Lopez. The Braves lost two members of their rotation and pitched over it, for example.

With Rodon and Madrigal gone, as well as Fulmer, Burdi and Collins (likely), that leaves only TA, Crochet, Vaughn and Burger to carry banner for Sox first rounders... Also, next time the White Sox farm system breaks out of the Bottom 10? Likely to be at least 7-8 years from now, 6 if we are being really generous about ability to recover, and/or pessimistic about the length of the current window and divisional opponents.

Once every fifteen or twenty years move, like Jenks and Loiaza.

Angels likely to now turn around and work out a multi-year deal for Iglesias...fwiw.

They're definitely not going to dump a Top 3 NL pitcher to assume Kimbrel's deal....kind of counterproductive.

Another NY Post article today that I won’t open since not willing to subscribe….basically predicated on losing Wheeler to NL East rival and speculating those two teams could kill two birds with one stone taking him away from the Mets.

Strength coach Allen Thomas let go The contract of strength and conditioning coordinator Allen Thomas is not being renewed as the Sox “re-image” that department, Hahn said. Thomas was in his 18th season, one in which the Sox were riddled by injuries. “Availability’s a big part of winning, and it’s important for us to find a way to maximize their availability,” Hahn said. “Sometimes stuff just happens. We realize that. But we want to make sure we’re doing everything within our power to keep guys healthy, keep them on the field and keep them productive. Which, again, has led us to reexamining what we’re doing in that area.” https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2021/11/5/22765466/white-sox-make-five-roster-moves

https://nypost.com/2021/11/06/mets-give-qualifying-offer-to-michael-conforto-noah-syndergaard/ Conforto and Syndegaard offered, Post seems mostly concerned about Nationals and Phillies…

Nobody would look at his age, his declining velocities, and statistics as a whole over the last four full seasons and conclude he should still be the third highest paid reliever in the sport…would they?

Huge scandal tmrw if Rodon isn't offered the QO and TLR telegraphed it ahead of time to a random SWA ticket buyer. Of course, that's much more likely than TLR saying they have the basic framework in place for a 2-3 year extension.

Define "some." Sure, just like $16 million could buy the equivalent of five Carlos Rodon's last offseason if you could only identify them correctly... Or more likely two Adam Eaton's.

Three years after what the Cubs just went through going through over a four year stint when he was much closer to his prime? I could see two years OR just one with huge incentives kicking it during that year to pay $15 million plus and a big jump for the second year if he pitched like that 2021 first half again. The irony is they ended up getting a better return for Kimbrel than Darvish. Timing.

Posey and Sal Perez as well…

Eternals is officially a disaster, even moreso since politics means it can’t play in a number of countries. Too many characters to introduce, not enough emotional investment. Not funny enough when it tries to be light-hearted. I like Gemma Chan was well as K.Nanjiani, but they can’t carry this type of film very well. Too much jumping around in history, it wants to be more profound on a philosophical/political level but stumbles there as well. Then two GoT actors reunited felt oddly discordant as well. Discordant. Wrong tones….looking at Chloe Zhao’s previous indie work and visual style, this was always a bit of a strange fit with a Marvel film. And I could have cared less about the Deviants and why they showed up except to justify the CGI/special effects budget.

A little bit more range than Dye, who was a statue, but not even half the arm.

Well, that doesn't have any potential to backfire. Besides you take one of the team's emotional leaders who'd just signed a long-term deal to be a part of the championship window and put him on another contender...not to mention the fact that Hahn's unlikely to do that because he would actually be risking his job if it blew up in his face. That said, not even sure post-trade Sox Kimbrel can mess up the AL Central next season.

Then they just give K.Jansen $10-12 million for one year and keep Dominguez. Or Melancon $7-8 million. Or trade for Hader. I just don't see any reason they would do that without $2-3 million coming along with Kimbrel in the exchange. When I said generous, I meant Philly giving up much of anything for taking on that contract, not a particularly well researched insight into Dominguez. Also don't see Iglesias getting 4-5 years from anyone but the Dodgers or maybe Angels...but you certainly could be right, we just don't know how the CBA uncertainty will impact the FA market quite yet.

I would love to sample whatever "optimistic juice" you're having... Looks like the ship has already sailed on Rodon, unless all the talk about the QO has just been a smokescreen.

Someone had Dominguez coming back...which seems generous. Forgot Mychal Givens, too. https://www.sportstalkphilly.com/2021/10/phillies-5-free-agent-closers-for-2022.html That seems like a pretty big gamble for Philly...can't afford to keep missing the playoffs with that payroll and keep your GM job. Because if it goes wrong, everyone will be able to make the hindsight arguments just like we did with Adam Dunn in 2011. That helped push KW into the C suite.

That's fine and good for the very final finishing piece to complete a WS contender, but it is not more of a need than RF, 2B, and another starter if we lose Rodon (have to watch Kopech's innings, too) and even a legit backup catcher like Roberto Perez...who could also give Grandal more time at DH and help slow down the opponent's running game. Those are four better ways to spend that $16 million.

That was the Law argument, 1/$10. But he hates the White Sox, right? Chapman for Kimbrel straight up would make more sense for White Sox than Yankees, with Sox paying $18 million instead of $16 million, then packaging Bummer for a 2B...not exactly the most logical move financially.

Boston would be another big market team but limited interest in a Kimbrel reunion…they could go after one of the other names, though, helping out by driving up potential demand. 1. Relief Pitcher “Different people have different perspectives on the pros and cons of spending big on relief pitching, and that’s all well and good. Regardless of the approach they take, the Red Sox need to find some bullpen help this winter, and that’s especially true if Houck and Whitlock enter the season as part of the rotation picture. That seems likely to be the case, and so that means the Red Sox would be left with a back-end of Matt Barnes, Josh Taylor, Ryan Brasier, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Hirokazu Sawamura. That’s not going to cut it. Not even close. There are some interesting options ready to come up from Worcester, but there needs to be some real attention to this group. I’d prefer a mix of established names and potential diamond in the roughs, but either way new faces are needed.” https://www.overthemonster.com/2021/11/2/22755577/boston-red-sox-2021-2022-offseason-preview-chaim-bloom-eduardo-rodriguez-jd-martinez-vazquez-arroyo

Only for trade partners/speculation…not Madrigal/Heuer commentary. LAD K. Jansen off the books, but he could also return for much less than $20 million 2021 salary, could go with a Knebel/Melancon type and save a lot SD Melancon will decline affordable option and hit market coming off overachieving season, Padres are near luxury tax threshold, need to dump Myers, Hosmer, Frazier/Kim/Profar Cardinals might not be 100% set with Gallegos, also saw “good” version of Kimbrel firsthand in 2021, but not the first franchise you think of spending that money on a closer…new manager will have a big say in decision LAA depends on QO situation and keeping Iglesias happy with multi-year deal better than “bargain” $9,125,000 deal this year…top closer on the market if he leaves, would be looking at 3/$39-45 realistically. Milwaukee could throw a wrench in the White Sox plans by putting Hader on the market…they certainly wouldn’t want to take on Kimbrel’s salary. Kimbrel for Narvaez reunion, haha? Minnesota….but they won’t spend like that unless they lock up Buxton and go for it next year, highly unlikely due to budget/payroll Cincy had Iglesias and didn’t want to pay him big money in the first place, or Wade Miley for that matter. Unlikely. Joe Kelly is a pitcher who also is going to draw considerable interest as a potential closer. Kendall Graveman will draw interest as well. Teams unlikely to be looking. Sea, Cle, Philly, Atl, KC, SFG, Toronto, Houston, NYM https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/early-2022-fantasy-baseball-relief-pitcher-rankings-top-20-shows-that-bankable-closers-are-in-short-supply/

Player salary 1 Chapman Aroldis Chapman NYY $18,000,000 2 Kimbrel Craig Kimbrel CHW $16,000,000 3 Hendriks Liam Hendriks CHW $13,333,333 Will Smith, who closed out the World Series for the Braves, 4th at $13 million. Spotrac is actually showing Kenley Jansen at $20 million, which they obviously want nothing to do with anymore. Raisel Iglesias at $9,125,000…likely to negotiate a longer term deal because he loves LA, but he’s part of the QO field and could come free and would be a Kimbrel alternative to other teams. You’ve also got Melancon who will turn down his $5-6 million option coming off one of his best seasons. Chapman is/was definitely not worth that $18 million in 2021 and lost his job. Heck, 15-18 teams in baseball would take 2-3 Carlos Martinezes and hope to catch lightning in a bottle for the same price as one fading Craig Kimbrel. The HoF label isn’t going to put more than a handful of butts in the seats, either. Relievers: Archie Bradley, Alex Cobb, Jeurys Familia, Brad Hand, Andrew Miller, Adam Ottavino, Trevor Rosenthal, Kirby Yates