caulfield12

Okay, that makes more sense. It seems sort of fair, but not compared to Berrios and not with a Year 5 club option vs. mutual or player option. That would have made the Sox window they were 100% willing to commit to through the 2024 season, with all bets after that hedged.

So essentially if Lucas pitches well in 2025 it's 5/70...but he could be injured and the club option works against his getting that massive payout if the Sox control him at that stage of his career for only $20 million again...when he would be hitting free agency younger and looking at $30+ per season like it would take to equal the Berrios deal (2/$60 after Year 5).

2023/24 is his walk year, he wouldn't have 3 arbitration seasons remaining...so potentially giving away 3 FA seasons but much less backside protection if he has another injury in 2024-25.

How much was the club option year worth? That would seem to be one of the key points. For a pitcher with previous TJ surgery, pushing FA back by two years really dampens the value of that big FA contract if you're already touching your 30s. He's obviously betting on himself...and saw the trap door at the end of the Sox approach which was more to the team's benefit than his. This also has to explain partly the arbitration fight over such a small amount. Of you compare that to Berrios' salary in his theoretical first two years of FA, it won't be close. Then thete's that two year age gap...if it was a player or mutual option for Year 2 of FA, much more palatable for the player but not the Sox modus operandi. Wait a second...so the club option would be Year 3 of FA, so it would be buying out two and possibly three years of free agency but not close to the monster backend numbers of the Berrios deal to make it a no brainer if you line the two up against each other and compare their production as well.

Well, let’s check back when there are two 105-107 win teams competing against the Sox in the Central. Everyone thought 2006 was “unfair” with the Tigers and Twins. 2015 was terrible roster construction.

96-98 against Robert. 98 against Abreu. Might be a bit of a hot gun, lol. Gas. Lopez was at 94. 97 with the overpowering K against Abreu. 95 the slowest, against Moncada.

Lambert or Bust!

Miguel Cleto-esque.

This is the end, my only friend, the end, of our elaborate plans, the end, I’ll never… or should we go with Strange Days?

If winning a postseason series against the Cards is no results, what are two victories in two seasons, then? The Mariners will likely fire Dipoto without a postseason again this year…jury still not out, remember, Hahn had how many years of retooling or rebuilding on the fly before the teardown? About the same as Dipoto. Hard to judge Rockies situation fairly due to ownership and the fact that they’re not allowed to sustain Top Ten payrolls despite consistent Top Ten attendance. The Cubs did manage to make, what, 5 out of 6 postseasons? Three NLCS in a row. The backend was clearly disappointing, but they’re also not totally bottoming out with a payroll right in the middle and Hendricks/Contreras still on the books. They failed to develop pitching, got a bit complacent (including Maddon), and made some terrible sustaining moves in FA. Other than the Astros, though, that rebuild and competitive window still goes down as #2. I mean, as a Sox fan, still not even sure we are capable of winning one postseason series yet depending on favorable matchups.

I don’t love Preller, but he does have the Dodgers and now Giants to overcome, and they did at least win a postseason series, something the White Sox haven’t done in 17 years now. Point 2, he will get a job running Latin American operations for some team the minute he leaves SD. I’m not so sure what Hahn can do, other than contract negotiations and PR speak. Point 3, they still have CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore to hype to the season ticket base to take some of the sting out of the Tatis injury. They have the minor league depth to continue making targeted trades. Point 4, they failed getting pitching last year and screwed up playing time adding Frazier…but at least he realized that mistake and quickly moved on. They also failed to add another outfielder, guys like Suzuki and Soler. Plus, the back end of the pen is a bit unsettled. Point 5, everything comes down to starting pitching and new manager Bob Melvin. That’s manager #3 already, Preller doesn’t get a fourth try, and he shouldn’t after hamstringing the roster with Myers and Hosmer. The Kim signing which was a stretch will quickly be under scrutiny again if he struggles to hit .200 again as a starter the first half.

Manfred always claims to be about expanding the game internationally, but just one of of 1.4 billion? Otoh, there are about 75,000 Sox caps, but nobody knows what it represents other than NYY, Boston and LAD.

But what does Bernie think about the M's outfield situation?

Even the animals are boycotting Dog Day Afternoon until more veteran relievers are picked up for the "dog days" of August.

"If you’re a schadenfreude fan, Bassitt’s trade couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. A few weeks ago, infamous Coliseum hot dog vendor (and Cal PhD candidate) Hal Gordon and the independent A’s supporter group Oakland 68s concocted a plan to host a fan fest at Brooklyn Basin next to the water. They were already going to throw a party, but once the MLB lockout was lifted last week, the Saturday fan fest looked perfectly timed to celebrate the return of A’s baseball. It ended up being a eulogy of sorts for Bassitt’s career in Oakland. Literally minutes after items donated and signed by Bassitt — including a pair of cleats, a hat and a baseball – were raffled off, emcee Rick Tittle made an announcement. “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” Tittle said into the mic, “but Chris Bassitt has been traded to the Mets for two pitching prospects.” The kelly green-clad fans didn’t even boo. A collective daze emerged, best summed up as “welp, it’s starting again.” Talking to fans individually, I sensed a mix of outrage and numbness." SFGate.com

Still waiting for any current GMs that are actually worse than Rick Hahn. I know it's quite the challenge...

Or one Ford Pinto?

He doesn’t have the authority to make those calls. But here’s a more germane question…which MLB GM’s do you currently believe that Rick Hahn is (clearly or arguably, if you prefer) better than, and why? AZ? Pitt? Baltimore? Hoyer? Cincy? Preller? Perry Minasian/Angels? Colorado? Philly/Dombrowski? Pretty hard to blame the Oakland GM for “Major Leaguing” that roster…they’ve been amazing since their biggest FA deal is $30 million and never higher than #22 payroll.

Somehow I don’t think that fact will convince any opposing GM’s to simply agree to take on his existing contract…

Well, there you go. One thing we can agree wholeheartedly upon. Not even going to bother going after TLR this year, he’s simply too easy to target or scapegoat.

The problem is that it hasn’t really seemed like anyone in the front office’s actual job has been in jeopardy, even now…for example, if the Sox somehow missed the post-season, nothing would change because “they wouldn’t want to change horses in the middle of the race.”

https://www.sfgate.com/athletics/article/Why-latest-Oakland-A-s-teardown-is-team-s-worst-17012659.php Well, yeah…there’s this. We could be A’s fans. Not sure how they will feel in the end when the team relocates to Vegas, but brutal brutal brutal to read this as a baseball fan.

Hahn should be embarrassed.

Vizcaino. Marte was already beginning to fade then, but was Thornton Vers.1 for the Sox.

O/U on K’s today is 6