caulfield12

PR like Gore and Dyson in the late innings...getting into scoring position.

https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/8/11/4611804/alex-rios-trade-leury-garcia-white-sox-rangers From August 2013, Leury is the longest tenured White Sox over Jose Abreu...nobody back then thought this move would have any future significance for the franchise.

They're the WFT/Raiders of MLB. https://www.eastvillagetimes.com/the-clock-is-ticking-for-padres-cj-abrams/ By the way, looks like CJ Abrams will be playing either 2B, SS or LF with the Padres to start the season, despite having well under 500 major league at-bats (see Vaughn, but coming out of high school instead of PAC 10). That would be four players (along with Paddack, Tatis and Campusano) they didn't hold back for service time manipulation. Editorial Note: Since Harold jinxed Kelenic big-time last year and now the entire state of Wisconsin (NCAABB), there will be no separate CJ Abrams thread in 2022...as we also didn't do one for the TB Rays wunderkind.

That would be so White Sox and TLR, making Vaughn the weak-side of a RF platoon along with Leury. Who knew that under-the-radar Alex Rios deal would have such long-term ramifications back then, or even 2-3 years ago, for that matter? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to platoon Leury and Harrison instead? Or am I missing something here about Leury's non-stellar RF defense?

Not with the new, oversized glow-in-the-dark bases.

They'll find out quickly enough Berrios is not QUITE as good as his reputation that precedes him. A very solid pitcher, but closer to a 2/3 than a 1/TOR.

Well, that would wipe out the career of Nick Madrigal.

Will go with the Braves, post WS hangover. Of course, they have a better pen, and are getting Ozuna and Acuna back at some point.

Are they a top team or just three stars and a ton of pitching question marks like usual? Also, the Indians' pitching staff will continue to give the Sox fits.

Sure, but that will only last a month. Who knows, maybe Engel gets hurt yet again and he gets a shot like Goodwin and Hamilton last year.

Great, too many relievers now with Crick, lol… Maybe, just perhaps, we could trade one to get something we actually need?

I actually thought all these Sox offseason moves are exactly the types of moves a team in teardown mode would be making, like the club approaching 2016-17 offseason...hoping to flip them at the deadline. Well, Graveman and Kelly both would be considered riskier I suppose.

No...that Kimbrel being on roster carries yet another danger. Which amounts to losing a bullpen arm we wouldn't have had to if not for this particular situation. Everyone was already reconciled to losing Adolfo, so he becomes the most obvious aspect of any trade package at this point. Along with an elevated risk of injury to Kimbrel. The Sox would get roughly $8~10 million back, assuming he's insured in a similar fashion to David Wells in 2001.

At least they can't turn around and give that $200k "saved" to Texas for their international draft pool... This time, it goes the other direction to offload Kimbrel from the roster. instead of Nate Jones.

Who'd a thunk outfield defense is important? This just means Pollock to the Sox for sure, lol. Oops. Stuck with Kimbrel again. I remember a time many years ago when we ended up with one of the best LH relievers in baseball because they were going to be a spring training roster cut and would have been exposed...Damaso Marte. Pretty sure Thornton was the other one. Although one would doubt it's Micker Adolfo or a White Sox reliever having similar success if given an opportunity.

One more reason why Kimbrel wasn't a compelling need to bring into the regular season...do we have to keep him in the big league roster or risk losing him like Adolfo?

You’re betting on all these guys like Abreu, Lynn, 34 year old Pollock, Harrison, Graveman and Kelly repeating…the odds are definitely not with the Sox. That’s not even getting into recent club history with such veteran targets. You’re also blocking Vaughn’s development, and potentially spending up to $25 million more over a two year commitment, also blocking Cespedes and Colas potentially. No reason just to not pay the much younger, better fielding, Joc Pederson his $6 million to be a one year strong side platoon. Then that $10 million is better allocated to starting pitching. And Pollock just can’t stay healthy for a full season.

Who would the Dodgers start in his spot? Lux?

Up to six different teams involved? Far easier to go to Oakland with Burger or Lopez and Adolfo. We can’t afford to give up Sheets for a one year rental.

Current status: Constipated.

That would clearly negate the Sox plan to only add 30 something veterans.

There's another obvious question for the Dodgers trade...who would they start in the OF with Pollock traded? Beaty or Lux? They just traded one of their spare outfielders the other day, pretty sure.

Gore and Abrams aren't going to be it, so that leaves Campusano, Hassell, James Wood (Rookie Ball). Wood, maybe? What offensive player would the Padres take from the Phillies? Just not seeing it. Haseley or O.Herrera aren't going to get anyone excited in SD. Same with Didi Gregorious. Those would all be downgrades, except if Didi could play SS (instead of Kim), but then they've also got Tatis and Abrams and Cronenworth up the middle. The White Sox nor the Padres (Grisham) have a CFer to spare, unless it's Engel/Leury (that doesn't move the bar, either). This trade is already getting WAY too complicated and there are simply too many moving parts...and the Mets should have simply signed one of the relievers that we bought (or had previously) on the open market, like Kelly/Graveman/Tepera/Velasquez, etc.

Bigger point is you could have had the younger Joc Pederson for $6.5-7.0 million, now we would taking on a $15-25 million two year commitment (see escalator clause above)...while simultaneously limiting Vaughn's ability to come into his own as a hitter (we need YOUNG/CHEAPER/GOOD players!!!), seems we keep making this team older and older by the month. You also could end up blocking Colas and Cespedes in 2023, although that's not the primary issue here.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/aj-pollock/9256/stats?position=OF Definitely a consistent 2-3 fWAR performer, WHEN healthy. 34 years old (warning label attached), $10 million plus $10 million player option for next year ($5 million buyout, not sure how that would work, but it would be roughly an even salary swap). From the information, if he had 600 plate appearances, his 2023 contract would be $15 million, so possible $25 million outlay for two years, lowest would be $15 million. 2023 Option escalates $1M each for 400,450,500,550,600 Plate Appearances in 2022 https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/aj-pollock-10693/ The next point is it would leave Vaughn/Sheets as the DH platoon, with Vaughn only getting 30-40% of the at-bats. Not addressing the left-handed hitting issue, as Pollock hits RH. Defense has been trending negative for three years in a row...from positive the first seven years of his career, peaking at age 27 in 2015. Don't love it...because it means we likely send Vaughn down to hit everyday, trade Sheets (or even more RHed if they trade Sheets/Burger instead for pitching) or weak-side platoon Vaughn (only 30-40% of at-bats avail). Pollock at his age and with his declining defense seems to be not worth the upside, because you're unlikely to get a repeat 30's "peak" year out of him again as he nears his mid 30's.