caulfield12

But what number WOULD have worked for Wheeler, assuming he ever was serious about coming to Chicago and not using them for leverage? $130 million? $135? $140? At a certain point, once you reach your valuation and go well over it by 10-15%, you have no choice but to walk away...especially if the guy's coming to a place (Chicago) where he's already anticipating not being happy. Why would you want that attitude on your team...or his wife/fiance bringing down the other Sox wives? I'm kind of joking about the last part...but we've spent months concerned about Bumgarner not necessarily being a great fit with this current clubhouse and coaching staff. It's obviously a consideration at SOME level, for both sides.

Hahn deserves MLB Executive of the Year if he can recover from Wheeler to sign Ryu AND Keuchel, fix RF, supplement the bullpen from the RH side AND pick up one last piece as insurance for Collins at DH (see Gennett, Smoak, Cron, Adams, EE, etc.)

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=170991 Courtney Hawkins put up an 811 OPS in the CAL League last year...only 91 K's in 348 at-bats.

He could have taken it a lot further....some jibe about Strasburg having to pitch 250+ innings with 15+ victories and 300 K's for the final option year to kick in.

That would only give us slightly more DH's than Kardashian extended family members.

Bobby Bonilla/Herschel Walker

It would have exactly the same feel as Cabrera/Robertson/LaRoche, just that the young core has essentially doubled and has more superstar potential in Robert, Moncada, Jimenez and at least one of the young pitching prospects to have a breakout.

Kevin Durant or a 76ers exec?

With the looks of the economy over the next decade...that's a dubious bet. Most are predicting 4-6% ROR in the market in the coming years (not subtracting inflation rate and taxes), rather than 8-10% and above. Of course, it also is dependent on the election outcome next year, which is impossible to predict as well.

And that's why Wheeler is such a huge loss. Nobody had the plausible upside of being a 4+ fWAR guy in the AL, other than Zack and the top 2 in Cole/Stras. He was going to be their Jon Lester in the overall scheme of things, comparing Sox to Cubs rebuilds. Of course, Lester when he was acquired was at least one tier/level above Wheeler. Perception.

The problem here is that AT LEAST 5-7 teams are thinking the EXACT same thing on Ryu because of the lesser commitment in years/dollars/proximity to playoffs, etc. Obviously if Bumgarner went to, say, the Twins, that would eliminate one competitor, but it's still going to be a game of musical chairs with teams bidding up each remaining pitcher on the market of those top 3 remaining after Cole. Dodgers/Angels/Yankees (2/3 that miss out on Cole) Minnesota Texas Rangers Cincinnati Reds StL Cardinals SD Padres (supposedly favors the West Coast, proximity to Korea, larger stadium although much more homer-friendly last year) Plus, those teams are more more comfortable (in general) dealing with Boras. The only advantage we have here is the possible relationship between Grandal and Ryu...or that he would be the first high-profile Korean player ever to play for the White Sox.

If they were personal assets of the owner, sure. How is it any different from Ilitch or Monaghan owning the Tigers, just the billions versus hundreds of millions...? Obviously they can’t issue bonds or B shares and plug Little Caesar’s or TD Ameritrade derived assets into baseball ops. The closest you get in sports is the Hicks and Glazers servicing personal debt with revenues from their sports franchises...or the McCourt divorce fight over future broadcasting and parking rights dollars.

They would probably take Gonzales over Dunn...

But you have the same problem with Betts...trade real assets and then extend him for $135-150 million? Because that’s roughly what it would take. Theres even less starting pitching on the market next year. Supply, meet demand.

That’s because Drake LaRoche was honorary manager and in charge of the clubhouse for that one year...and is now deployed in Pattaya, Thailand, breaking up a trafficking ring. “He’s the best, most naturally talented leader of men I have ever encountered since Robin Ventura. He could be a four star general, a start-up CEO or the next Mr. Rogers.” Kenny Williams, 2014 ”I love me some Drake.” Adam Eaton, 2014 ”At least they doesn’t needlessly flip over the postgame buffet table due to their non-Raidersesque, pacifist ways.” Chris Sale on the LaRoches

Who is Medellin, Cali and Sinaloa? KW as Pablo Escobar and Hahn as El Chapo?

How is he a bounce-back candidate when he was Top 5 in MLB strikeouts? He’s in the “be wary of overpaying/extending” based on his 2019 season category.

Team policy...certainly for a beard like that. Out goes Charlie Blackmon as well.

Fine, 1997-2003 Marlins, it’s 647 a.m. in China and I just woke up...but you proved nothing about the A’s...unless you want to go back and take away the “lucky” Royals beating them in 2014.

They need Marquez to compete more than any single player other than Arenado...

The 1987-93 Marlins with Huizenga and DD and the best farm system in baseball...of course, that eventual runs up you into a financial brick wall like Red Sox, Cubs, Giants or Tigers right now.

The A’s last had arguably the best team in baseball the final two months of 2014. They also come up a player or two short every year. But it’s more of the KW 2002-2012 Riverboat Gambler/fix at the ASB style of team. But that Cespedes signing out of nowhere is something the Rays just never do...allocating that much FA risk over one player. Maybe they could have afforded to do it before Honeywell got hurt on the position player side, but signing Rendon in his early 30’s to a 7-8 year deal and bringing him to a new league could also be a franchise killer...not to mention there’s no such thing as putting yourself over the top in the AL East.

Cole to NY really creates a bidding war between Angels and Dodgers and Rangers and Twins and Reds on Ryu...

Michael Wacha.

White Sox will somehow be credited for “gamesmanship” and driving up the price on Ozuna...ultimately, the Twins were never an option and the Indians just traded for Reyes and can hardly afford Lindor, Ramirez, Kluber, Carrasco and Carlos Santana.