caulfield12

They were very competitive in 2013, but no playoffs...especially second half, they really ended the season on a high point and then carried it on into the following year. Two World Series in a row in 2014-15, then they REALLY spent a lot of money in 2016 and 2017. Too many injuries, Gordon fell off the map, etc. Let's not forget how the Yordano Ventura death set that franchise back, not unlike the Fernandez situation with the Marlins, he was always going to be their future ace and franchise pitcher. Not unlike our 2005/06 situation. They broke the franchise record for payrolls every year from 2013-2018, afaik.

Where the heck is Oscar Colas? Next signing class now?

What is the actual name of this brother? Video? When this was mentioned before, the only record of another brother that matched was living in Florida and in his early 20’s and seemed to have no connection to playing at all (it would be a bit of a coincidence for such a long Spanish name to match exactly, but not impossible.) There is only one sister in the family, that’s about the only thing one can verify online and through social media. 3-4 brothers. Unless they were brothers with different mothers, but not sure how likely that is either. https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/white-sox-rave-about-prospect-elijah-tatis-brother-fernando-tatis-jr They always mention Elijah as the younger brother...but not necessarily “the youngest.” Seems almost impossible to find any scouting reports or information about Daniel Fernando online. Fernando Tatis Jr. The son of Maria and Fernando Tatis Sr. His dad is a former 11-year MLB veteran infielder, widely known for hitting 2 grand slams in 1 inning on April 23, 1999 @ LAD (with STL) off Chan Ho Park... Has 3 brothers, Joshua, Elijiah and Daniel, and 1 sister, Maria. https://www.instagram.com/tatisdanielfernando/?hl=en So it’s Daniel Fernando Tatis. Two really short videos of him hitting. Definitely doesn’t have the height yet. https://celebs.infoseemedia.com/fernando-tatis-jr/fernando-tatis-jr-brother-daniel-fernando-tatis/ https://celebs.infoseemedia.com/fernando-tatis-jr/fernando-tatis-jr-sister-maria-fernanda-tatis/

Leury, 26 mlb homers in 1613 PA (about 10 if he played everyday) Engel, 21 in 1140 PA (about 11.5)

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One more year and it's too late. Then he's looking at $200-225 million on the open market...assuming a return to "normalized" revenues.

Vaughn has to be the last really obvious choice remaining...and that's mitigated somewhat by his positional limitation, although not much. After that, you've got guys like Cease, Madrigal and Kopech. Madrigal looks like a consistent bet to be an "above average" player, but he's certainly better managed on a year to year basis like Crede or Jenks because of that ongoing injury factor going back to Oregon State and his style of play. Most importantly, he's never going to break the bank in arbitration because his game isn't captured well by advanced stats or even HR's/RBI's/BB's.

If you believe he's willing to give a pitcher with one TJ surgery in his history $140-180 million...at the end of the 2023 season, he'll be 29, which is close to the ideal age for a pitcher hitting free agency. Obviously, 27 or 28 would be preferable, but that's as close to peak as you're going to get for a free agent pitcher. At the very best, you're going to buy out 1-2 years of free agency at this point...but that's becoming increasingly unlikely. Of course, if he has a disappointing season, you're unlikely to see the White Sox take the financial risk and Giolito's still going to bet on himself bouncing back in 2022/23.

There has always been an adjustment period, especially with someone who missed so much time in Cuba and after signing year...and also due to injuries. Look at Tim Anderson or Moncada or Jimenez. Heck, think how many years it took for Rowand or Crede to break the starting line-up. Robert has more talent than all of those guys (Moncada used to be considered right up there, and still could be)...but the first 2-3 years are always the toughest for anyone not named Mike Trout. Another player with a similar combination of talent/tools was Sammy Sosa, he started off pretty well his rookie year and then struggled to the point a change of scenery (or PED's) became necessary to reinvigorate his career.

Sure, it's a possibility. But has the same relative likelihood as Collins/Mercedes/Sheets at DH, or Leury Garcia as a starter.

You have Cease and Kopech to draw from, then our minor league depth, with Kelley the most likeliest. You'd be incredibly fortunate just to get one #2 starter out of Cease and Kopech, honestly. One has to assume that if Lynn repeats his last couple of seasons, he will go for the biggest possible extension available, and that won't be from the White Sox. Keuchel will be declining, and it's going to be at best a very IFFY proposition to move Crochet to a starting role, assuming they could get him to stop throwing at 100+ (or that he doesn't get injured coming out of the pen first). Now, we can relying on "lucking" into Keuchel for the 2020 season, but the odds over franchise history of the White Sox adding a #2 starter from outside the organization haven't been all that great (in terms of FA). Almost always, it has been success in the trade market (or rare "freebies" like Esteban Loiaza and later Jose Contreras.) They will need outside the box thinking, like a Scherzer/Greinke/Verlander type of move...or one of the numerous veterans that are heading into FA next year with Bottom 12-15 franchises that are in cost-cutting mode.

That's fine if you can guarantee at least one ace out of that group of pitchers to replace Giolito...

Arguably the highest ceiling in the game, along with Franco, Acuna, Tatis, Jr. Soto might be number 1 overall if he had the defensive tools for CF. Big Bellinger fan, as well.

If we can add one of Greinke, Scherzer, Bundy, Gausman, McCullers, E.Rodriguez...or perhaps Salvador Perez in their walk years. https://www.mlb.com/news/players-in-walk-year-before-free-agency-in-2021?partnerId=zh-20210301-156906-MLB&qid=1026&bt_ee=Efpg%2FnAP74GfM%2B7J16JKmHtWj0FuTrNG2puuZpUCEi949h%2B4ZYHOh0mUfVqavQy7&bt_ts=1614602867953 Of course, everyone in baseball is monitoring the five stud SS’s along with Kris Bryant, particularly Story and J.Baez.

It’s a bizarre environment that’s confounding even the most seasoned economists and investors: an unusual mix of sentiment seen in 1999, just before the dot-com bust, the period a decade ago after the 2008-09 financial crisis, and the early years of the roaring 20s after the pandemic a century ago that concluded with the crash of 1929. The perfect “Goldilocks” scenario could still arrive: faster economic growth with limited inflation, perhaps gently letting the air out of the biggest bubbles. But darker scenarios exist, including a big spike in inflation, a popping of all of the bubbles at once — with big risks for investors who got overextended — and an economic recovery that hits turbulence. Another quote from previous article...do we still have another 10-15% run in the stock market due to huge earnings growth (and even more stimulus spending, not to mention IRS refunds catching up) in the second half of the year, or do inflation/interest rate fears and irrational exuberance finally catch up and knock everyone back for a loop? Pretty amazing to think we were nearing Dow 18k roughly a year ago.

It wouldn’t be 2020/21 without more news off the field than on it for the Cubs...also, just saw where Dave Portnoy at Barstool was trying to add on sports book features, so everyone’s chasing the fast and easy money right now. Tom Ricketts, top Chicago Cubs executives and investment advisory firm The Raine Group have formed a special purpose acquisition company seeking $325 million for a technology-media-telecom acquisition, including possible acquisition of a sports team, a sports gambling firm or a digital media and podcasting opportunity. The SPAC, Marquee Raine Acquisition Corp., filed with the SEC Friday afternoon. The blank check sponsor is an equal partnership between Raine, an investment firm often involved in sports, including the pending sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves,and Marquee, a business formed by Cubs executive chairman Ricketts and other executives, which launched a regional sports network this year. The Marquee Raine SPAC identified a series of eight “macro themes” in its prospectus that it says guide its thinking about an acquisition. Among them is ”real money gaming,” in which the firm expects “to see a proliferation of investable opportunities across the real money gaming ecosystem” in the U.S. “Sports-enabled assets” are also cited among the themes, which the SPAC sees creating attractive investment opportunities thanks to the rise of global sports platforms, legal sports gambling and single-entity leagues. Digital media, audio podcasting, live entertainment, health and wellness, interactive games and technology are the other themes cited by Marquee Raine. SPACs raise money at an IPO to make an acquisition later on, but by rule cannot have identified a target ahead of time. For that reason they typically reserve the option to make an acquisition in any area, while identifying preferred sectors to equity investors. https://www.sportico.com/business/finance/2020/chicago-cubs-raine-group-spac-1234617358/

SPAC’s, likely the next great speculative bubble to pop? Among the more worrisome is the incredible explosion in SPACs, often called blank-check companies, which are essentially pools of cash from investors looking to acquire hot startups and take them public while avoiding the traditional initial public offering process. Former Trump administration officials like Larry Kudlow and Wilbur Ross are now among the investors setting up their own SPACs, as are famous entertainers and athletes such as Shaquille O’Neal. “I’m more concerned about the bursting of bubbles in cyber assets, gold and SPACs,” said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at consulting firm RSM US. “I mean Shaq has a SPAC. What could go wrong?” https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-bubble-trouble-frothy-markets-043041879.html https://www.sportico.com/business/finance/2021/sportico-sports-spac-tracker-1234623199/ Notice Theo Epstein, Billy Beane, Ricketts/Crane Kenney (Marquee-connected), A-Rod, Jeff Smulyan, etc. SPACS: WHAT A SPECIAL PURPOSE ACQUISITION COMPANY MEANS FOR SPORTS https://www.sportico.com/feature/spac-special-purpose-acquisition-company-sports-1234616048/ SHAQ SPAC II: O’NEAL, DISNEY VETS MAYER AND STAGGS SEEK $300 MILLION FOR MEDIA BUSINESS https://www.sportico.com/business/finance/2021/shaquille-oneal-disney-executives-1234623077/ Forest Road II is led by Thomas Staggs and Kevin Mayer, who share the roles of CEO and chairperson of the proposed business. Staggs is a veteran of Walt Disney Co., including as its chief financial officer and as lead of its valuable theme parks business. He also is credited with a leading role in the acquisition of ESPN. Mayer is also a Disney alum, having led the internet businesses, including ESPN.com. He is also said to be the architect of Disney’s direct-to-consumer strategy that started with the acquisition of BAMTech—the business behind MLB’s wildly successful app—which led to the launch of Disney+ last year.

Just responding to the point about breakout candidate...to me, that means someone who is playing nearly everyday, at least for a position player. We can say he might have one Brent Lillibridge season in him (and perhaps it was 2020 already), but that's not enough playing time IMO to declare him as a "breakout" when it's mostly a bench role.

At least 8 fWAR, but he's going going to need to markedly increase his walks to get there. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/mike-cameron/1070/stats?position=OF A better "floor" is probably Mike Cameron, although there's certainly a possibility he could still end up lower than that (which wouldn't be shameful, certainly). From age 26 through 31 (1999-2004), he put up TWO 5.3 seasons, TWO 5.5 seasons and his bottom was 3.6 and 3.8 in those six peak years. #3 is your best hitter, which is Abreu (for now), and will probably end up as Vaughn or perhaps Eloy Jimenez in the not-so-distant future. The other plausible argument is for non-Covid 2019 version of Moncada there (as your 3/4 "best" hitter). I actually prefer Moncada second, with Anderson 3rd and Robert 1st (longer term, 2022 and beyond), simply because I think Moncada will be quicker as the much more experienced player to develop the skill-set and patience for the #2 spot. Of course, TLR will be tempted to put either Eaton or Madrigal there, which will drive most SABES aficionados nuts, to quote Greg775. Going by the Mike Cameron example (and he spent a lot of his early career at the bottom of the line-up then leading off), you're looking at .249 MLB average (I'd bet on Robert being in the 260's or 270's) and .338/.444/.782, 107 wRC+ and 50.6 fWAR. That's the floor, a 750-800 ops hitter with even bigger power than Cameron, a career strikeout percentage around 25% (we'd love to get that in 2021), 11% walk percentage is probably at least 2-3% points too high, but he might start getting his share of walks like Tatis simply because pitchers are afraid to face him when behind in the count or don't want to risk a leadoff home run. During his peak, Cameron was a 20-30 homer guy, with 25 being around the average. I'd bet that Robert, with health, is closer to 30-35 homers per season, unless they do something really dramatic to suppress the baseball....and, even then Robert has about as much raw power as anyone in baseball not named Aaron Judge or Eloy Jimenez. Eric Davis' 1987-1989 run in Cincy...maxing out at a 7.1 fWAR but just two other career years over 4 (4.7 and 4.3) would be a "worst-case scenario" IMO. Or Devon White in 1991-1993, averaging around a 6 fWAR for the Blue Jays...reminiscent of his defensive prowess and the similar ability to glide to the ball and kick it into another gear that almost nobody possessed. According to Advanced Stats, Robert's flat out sprint speed "was only" 20th in MLB last year, but he seems even faster if you watch him compared to the rest of the players on the diamond on a daily basis, and it's an "easy" grace that few other players have showcased. While he has a REALLY strong arm, it's probably his weakest area (along with hitting for average) of the five tools that he has, but TLR keeps calling him a "six tool player" so I'll go along with that...the sixth tool being that "it" factor or extra gear that he can seemingly summon at will (like the massive tape measure breaking homer he hit in Game 3 against the A's).

That's a positive sign for the financial health of the KC Royals...those are the kinds of players the bottom 10-12 franchises don't blink about letting go when they get too expensive in their arbitration years. Not to mention this deal stretches into his early 30's, which makes it even "riskier" from the club perspective.

Defensively or hitting-wise? I noticed when I woke up around 4-5 a.m. that he fouled out down the RF line to Avi...still has that predominant H or K arm bar? Not sure what type of arm bar it was...maybe getting confused with K-shaped economic recovery articles, lol. Hopefully they start spelling his name correctly, instead of "Berger." And 2018 Spring Training where he went down with the Achilles' seems like a LOT longer than three years ago, doesn't it?

Should get NEGATIVE 2 points for those "easy pickings," lol.

The Olympics, to me, are a big testing opportunity this summer. With 98-99% of the Chinese population not vaccinated (partly because nobody has had Covid in Wuhan for many many months, at least half a year), it's a conundrum because tourists will never voluntarily go through 10-14 day quarantines on both sides of a trip. So the question becomes if international travelers HAVE to have a vaccine certificate, from which providers (will the Chinese ones be accepted in the EU or US, for example?)...or will it be enough just to take "instant" exam and, at worst, have a 24 hour quarantine that first night until coming up with a "clear" test. Because we all know that if you have a test 2-4 days in advance (sometimes it's so hard to get an appointment the day before travel), they're also potentially missing X number of cases that later turn symptomatic. It's kind of frustrating here, because 1) many people don't trust the Chinese vaccines, both here and abroad, say, the Philippines....but 2) there are no other choices but the Chinese vaccines, and those have only been administered to government officials, international business travelers, embassy/party officials, active duty military, etc. No talk of doing any vaccinations for teachers...in no large part because it has been since April or May where there was a real concern about outbreaks, at least where I live (Beijing and Northeast China is a slightly different story over the last 4-6 months, there was certainly a lot of concern during Spring Festival/New Year's when hundreds of millions of people all travel over the span of 2-3 weeks.)

He’s never been able to consistently hit well playing everyday against left and right handed pitching. He has his hot stretches like all hitters, but relying on Engel to be a 775-825 ops hitter is not a recipe for success. And he will get some infield hits due to his possessing Top 5 sprint speed...putting the ball up into the air is not his game, it’s getting on base and getting in opponent’s head. Otherwise, if they believed in his everyday ability, no need for Eaton and that money invested in someone like Quintana instead.

He has a minor league option remaining. Likely they keep him starting every fifth day at Charlotte...they simply can’t afford to have 4/5 starters going 4+ innings each start, so Lopez at the very least can eat up those innings in blowout losses to save the key high leverage guys, and would next man up in the case of Cease/Rodon failures or injuries.