caulfield12

Except we can equally apply this to Beckham (Golden Spikes winner, Team USA, etc.) on the experienced side as to Viciedo on the other side of the coin (like Moncada, raw defensively). Not saying Viciedo was ever a sure thing to stick at 3B, but he always at least had the arm strength for it.

Is the 20% posting fee based on the GUARANTEED part of the deal, or the potential full 7 year value or the midpoint of those two?

Would anyone trade Eloy Jimenez for Jonathan Gray? That’s the equivalent, were the Sox in “win now” mode. Of course, they couldn’t compete without Jimenez’s bat. The Reds have a much better offense, but, from a talent standpoint, Gray is more accomplished and has done his work in Colorado. We might as well trade Rodon for Gray and hope Cooper can work a miracle.

Actually, that contract would have been fine to absorb, along with one of the Big 2. The problem is his health, and he’s a workhorse guy like Q...not a dominant, TOR type. There hasn’t been a single Japanese pitcher not to lose effectiveness after coming to MLB due to injury. Let say his upside is Maeda-like results. The only reason is you feel that there’s no opportunity for better FA pitchers next offseason (dubious)...the risk/reward is justified for a LHP or your marketing department, but the Pacific Northwest has always been a better home for Japanese pitchers. Our only connection was Tikatsu and Iguchi over a decade ago now.

Would you stake your GM job on “potential” for Rodon, versus, “this is what he is, like it or not”? He’s the LH Javy V., but with less durability. If I’m the Reds, I go after someone like Sonny Gray (with a salary subsidy) or even Jonathan Gray without having to deal Senzel. The Reds can always go after a FA pitcher next offseason depending on how competitive they are this year.

Cost controlled young prospects are like gold to a small market organization like Cincy. Rodon is going to get more expensive, and there’s no reason to be confident in his health or consistency...other than their staff having a better strategy to unlock his potential or simply improving from a move to the NL. Actually, with the lack of quality in our division, he might struggle even more facing three really strong lineups (more frequently) over there in Milwaukee, Chicago and StL. It’s not exactly a pitcher friendly park, and he tends to give up a ton of fly balls. Imagine our reaction if someone wanted to acquire Jimenez for their version of Rodon...considering we’ve failed to put a homegrown superstar on the field everyday for over two decades now.

The Indians went through two complete teardowns, the second one right in the midst of their 2007 playoff window...between that and the strike, which was really rough on Rust Belt attendance, and the return of LeBron James siphoning off interest/sponsorships/season ticket money, you have a perfect storm. The fans really hate the Dolans, and don’t trust them. Not too far off the concept of the original Major League, although they ran out some pretty big payrolls (for a small market) the last couple of years.

“MLB Network insider Jon Heyman says the unique deal is for an initial three years, plus a player option in 2022. But the option can potentially be replaced by an additional four-year guarantee that would convert the deal to seven years.” So it’s only guaranteed for three years...we need to find out more about how this player (but not team option) works. There should be protection built into the deal for both sides, or maybe incentives met are related to the player option automatically kicking in. Since they’re rebuilding, it would make sense for the M’s to want a player for more than three years, because they’re unlikely to be competitive from 2019-21. Weird deal...or revolutionary, time will tell, and who the hell knows with the Mariners?

Sure, if his contract was seriously backloaded...it would have to be attractive enough to keep him off the free agent market at Year 4, right?

It sure looked like both of them had a great time playing golf together last week in Florida. Alonso posted a photo on Instagram of their foursome in front of the clubhouse with the hashtags #GreatTimes, #Golf and #TheBoys. Utilityman Danny Valencia was also in the foursome. Hmmm. He and Machado were teammates in Baltimore. Valencia and Alonso played together at the University of Miami in 2006. Valencia can play first base, third base, left field and right field coming off the bench. And, he's a free agent…. https://sports.yahoo.com/sox-drawer-q-harper-machado-004749136.html

https://www.mlb.com/video/andersons-diving-catch/c-3577846

According to some, that last line is 100% not true.

One more argument for moving to Portland, lol. Much closer to the Japanese market. Just don’t have the opposing teams staying at the DoubleTree.

What’s one example we can cite where internet rumors actually ended up in a bigger contract for a player? Wouldn’t teams just hire internet trolls to undermine player values or tout a team going to Plan B’s? It’s not quite like arbitration hearings (head to head), because you have more demand than supply of elite talent, but the same principles should be at play. Of course, the trick would be not getting caught.

It’s equally annoying to think all these fake rumors, Twitter trolls and Insta follows are going to have a real impact on negotiations or are strategic plants coming directly from Boras or Lozano. Somehow the ARod negotiations (Texas against themselves, White Sox used as a prop or pawn) occurred without this overwhelming social media circus atmosphere.

No, that would be the White Sox hiring Steve Alford to inculcate The Indiana/Knight Way into Sox operations.

Well, a 49 year old economics and AP American Lit teacher living in the heart of China should be completely in the loop...I’ll have to consult with the hackers/troll farm next door who bombard every anti-Chinese article in the western press with positive comments supporting Xi Jinping to see what they can do.

For five years, based on his performance level before 2018 (essentially throwing out last year)?

The Cubs would ask for a boatload back, and they might be trading damaged goods.

So if we blame JR or KW for handcuffing him financially for 15 years...and he has “free reign” now...when can we start judging his track record? Because if we don’t bring in any whales, he’s pretty much operating in the same way he always did, with the lone exception of having the money to go out and sign Luis Robert. Unless you think everyone will not care about Alonso’s production (or Castillo’s, and Colome’s) if we fail to sign Machado?

If they went for a non-retread manager (who wasn’t good enough for the Cubs) and brought in a really innovative GM and revamped scouting department, they would have bought themselves at least another couple of years. If everything was on track, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. It would be about why Machado wouldn’t want to be part of such a promising future...not unlike Harrelson hyped for a certain unnamed division rival in 2011-12-13. He could see all the pieces coming together before almost anyone jumped on the bandwagon.

If that was the case, why create all this excitement and false hope in the fan base if you didn’t realistically feel you had a shot? I just wonder if the Alonso thing was the White Sox getting all outside the box or they were given that advice by Lozano as a way to make them “realistic competitors” for his services? The other thing that makes no sense is why eliminate the Phillies if they were connected to the “stupid money”...why not just declare the White Sox out of it?

Well, it would be nice to have a somewhat likable franchise cornerstone. Albert Belle as the best example in franchise history isn’t much of a bar to clear (in terms of character), but when you’re investing $300-400 million...shouldn’t we have some minimal expectation that the player will do more than just collect a paycheck?

http://texasrangerstrades.blogspot.com/2006/12/mccarthy-acquired-and-danks-traded_30.html Well, we just hit the 12 year anniversary of the Danks/McCarthy trade...do you really expect anything to happen on December 31st, where it would get buried in the news? MLB needs to be more strategic than that.

At least you had the 1977 White Sox. Disco Demolition and Veeck’s antics. The crazy jerseys. The historic park in its final days, collapsing by the year. Andy the Clown. The ability to actually afford taking your entire family to a game every other weekend, and buy them something from the concession stand. A completely non-corporate feel.