caulfield12

Gonzalez really looks like he belongs in a major league diamond...nice adjustment defensively on last play, another base knock.

Well, we learned Tony LaRussa can play racquetball well. Lambert reminded me a bit of Brandon MCCarthy...tall and whip thin, lively arm, struggled with offspeed stuff...could really use a slower breaking pitch as everything was hard. Very up and down in terms of pitching planes, not a side to side or angles guy. Madrigal had a very nice oppo swing....picked off, but that’s the same he looked for OSU, including the high half swing practice before each time in the box. Anderson really looks good...King said how they spent a ton of time with backhand plays in the hole, we really malign the coaching staff but it was obvious he made some huge strides defensively in the second half. Maturing into the leader that will replace Jose, who has looked old/slow so far out of the gate. Other than RF and catcher...the White Sox future seems set with Jimenez, Robert, Moncada, Anderson and Madrigal...and that’s where Harper really could have put this team over the top. Am actually more concerned with the starting pitching than any other aspect of this team’s future, because we’re seemingly unlikely to pay top dollar for our own version of Jon Lester to anchor the rotation.

Where did the audio go? Not coming up on my iPad At-Bat? Went directly to team website?

My entire goal in life is to now keep my fWAR in terms of “likes” at 50% of Balta’s cumulative total and simultaneously not get passed up by IHOP Waffleson.

We’ve been saying that for years...only a win total in the 50’s with attendance below 1.2 million gets that conversation even started in board meetings.

Hard to say that unless you put him in at least a neutral offensive park.

Hey, but at least they’re spending, or willing to spend...although it might take another fifty years to find the exact perfect combo of Tier C and D additions to actually win something. We’re basically the Twins, except more wasted money and lower in the standings.

Down to Rendon and Bogaerts....Goldschmidt....JDM, then a real falloff to guys like Ozuna that our own OF prospects should outproduce. Glad I’m not a Bulls’ fan as well.

Phillies shouldn’t be trying to “win” the Bryce Harper negotiations, they should be trying to “win” Bryce Harper 234 comments Are the Phillies trying to low-ball Bryce Harper https://www.thegoodphight.com/2019/2/25/18239970/phillies-shouldnt-be-trying-to-win-the-bryce-harper-negotiations-hot-stove

Unless there was no cap on Harper, but then you’re still playing chicken with Middleton’s “stupid/crazy” money...

So then we’re at $320 or $350, because both numbers have been put out there in defense of the Sox...?

Why would KW possibly try to block a deal that wasn’t for crazy money? The only way that makes sense is if the broadcasting rights deal is paying even less than before...which would or should increase their urgency to TRY to put the organization in position to get a much higher rate per game by 2024.

Was going to attempt a Robert Kraft joke but presumably still too early...but, if you get there before 5 p.m., the Early Bird special applies.

Well, other than everything that has come out since then, unless it’s a complete misdirection or subterfuge. Sure, we can all see the logical arguments for why Harper would be even more valuable to this particular franchise at this exact moment in time...and hope that I guess they keep their involvement a complete secret until it’s announced (whereas the Padres started to receive a lot of media attention about two weeks before everything went down early last week.) We’d also have to wonder what is our appeal (other than money) when bringing in the “friends and family plan” failed to be the convincing factor and actually might have worked against them in a weird way.

Did he really intend to create that impression, and why? If they weren’t willing to go beyond $250 million guaranteed for Machado, why would they suddenly reverse course and guarantee $300-350 million for Harper?

Sure, they could have guaranteed Manny $30 million per year for a decade and Harper $30-40 million, but they have demonstrated no tangible signs of a desire to do so...in fact, they were willing to guarantee Machado $31.25 million per year, but where did that get them?

https://www.royalsreview.com/2019/2/6/18212011/lets-set-a-few-things-straight Royals’ blogger on why they need to take Rutschman 2nd despite their stable of catching prospects and the fact that they can’t move Sal Perez to 1B or DH realistically.

Does he hang out with Kris Bryant and his wife?

The Indians' dilemma with Lindor and Jose Ramirez...

Rick Hahn will figure out a way to actually get a "like" online for something he says, and doesn't piss off 90% of the fanbase for the first time in a full week.

Very sneaky. If the owners won't or can't pander to the fans, we can do it here at SoxTalk, and be proud of it. Love ya, Ben IHOP/IHOB Waffleson

I got ripped for comparing his lack of athletic ability even in high school...and instead heard about Epstein's lacrosse and soccer career. He will always think more of opportunity cost and risk mitigation rather than talent/ability first, its the way his brain has been trained.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/kris-bryant-vents-about-servicetime-manipulation-its-awful-010426518.html Kris Bryant vents about service time manipulation, "It's awful." “It’s awful,” Bryant said. “So awful. It’s going to happen this year and it happens every year. I could understand it if you go out and have a rough spring training where you don’t look ready. But there’s certain people who put the time and the effort into the offseason so that they do show up to spring training and they prove that they’re ready to go. I feel like you should be rewarded for that.” “They’re finding a loophole in the system,” Bryant said. “It doesn’t make it right. It kind of seems like the easy way out rather than showing someone that we’re going to reward what you’ve done in spring and what you’ve done in the offseason. ‘Here you go, you get Opening Day.’ That’d be pretty cool.” When Bryant says “it’s going to happen this year,” he’s talking about Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Both players enter spring training as two of the best prospects in the game. Everyone knows neither will open the season in the majors.

The second one. They clearly underestimated the Padres' finances, the attraction of the West Coast, the appeal of that #1 farm system (just as many Latin American players, if not more, than us) and the relationship Machado had already developed with Tatis, Jr., before this offseason and the fact that his two biggest "coups" of the offseason in Jay and Alonso ended up speaking in glowing terms about the Padres instead of the White Sox.

The problem here is that Hahn and KW are WAY WAY WAY too close to the management side of things, and have completely lost touch with what it means to be a fan. Their lives are too comfortable, too cushy. It's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to give that up, if you put yourselves in the same position, holding the jobs they do...I mean, it's a lot easier to become a Representative or Senator from your state than to become a major league GM. Still doesn't mean it doesn't suck for the fans that we have more of a lawyer/financial analyst than someone who leads with his heart. In fact, Community Relations/charity work might be the the ONLY area the White Sox are on the cutting edge, compared to the rest of the major leagues. Unfortunately, no W/L standings for most effective charity programs.