caulfield12

And a bobblehead night, if we can manage to find enough corporate sponsors this season...

Once Manny Machado signed with the Padres, it was believed the Phillies were the odds-on favorite to land Bryce Harper. As recently as Sunday, the word on the Phillies possibly landing Harper was optimism, but the Dodgers have entered the mix and we've been told not to forget about the Giants. Tuesday morning, MLB Network's Jon Heyman sent a handful of tweets saying others -- aside from the Phillies -- have offered over $300 million to Harper. He also pointed out that the Phillies have had their confidence in landing Harper dented, Harper is still seeking only long-term offers, and that perhaps the Dodgers were only granted a meeting with a short-term offer due to desired locale/stage. A lot of that seems like informed speculation, but the biggest takeaway continues to be the Phillies have not closed down a deal yet. With the Dodgers jumping in the mix and Harper still not a Phillie, there has to be some serious doubt as to Harper's interest in playing in Philadelphia. cbssports.com

But arguably most valuable to that franchise, right?

At least he has a cool Amish/Mennonite beard?

You're our Amir Khan arguing with his professor from Three Idiots. Which is a compliment, by the way...

There was a theory there for a while it was the slider (Liriano)...too many two-seamers or sinkers/forkballs. I'm sure 'til this day most youth baseball coaches will blame it on kids throwing curves and sliders when they're in 5th-9th grades.

On January 6, 2012, the Padres traded Rizzo and right-handed starting pitcher Zach Cates to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. The deal was negotiated by Jed Hoyer, the Cubs' general manager. AJ Preller was nowhere in sight, but probably in the Caribbean or Venezuela on a scouting trip for the Rangers. From the post you were responding to...how soon we forget how Rizzo ended up on the Cubs, those "baseball insider" shenanigans with Hoyer eventually ending up in the Cubs' front office. No suspicions there.

It's the velocity. With the Japanese pitchers, it's throwing 175-225 pitches in high school games...cumulative wear and tear, and manhood/macho idea that pitching until your arm/elbow/shoulder falls off, no matter how acute the pain, is like the modern-day version of being a warrior.

Then let's do the opposite. Once again queues up the Kamikaze pilot/nursing home episode from Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

So far, we've only lost Kopech, Burger, Dunning, Hansen (god knows whether it's physical or mental), Basabe...and Fulmer might as well be injured, for how he's looked more like the poor man's Addison Reed than his for his former teammate Walker Buehler. Can add Adolfo's rehab, although he SHOULD be fine, arguably. That would have been the Top 7 in a row of most White Sox Top 10 lists for the last decade on, before the Big 3 trades were executed.

Arenado has never put up a 10 fWAR season, is older and has question marks about how high his offensive upside is outside of Coors. Great player, but there are questions on how he would do in a huge market with the pressure to perform in the postseason ever year. (Same can be said for Harper and Machado after this offseason as well.)

It’s going to require a 3 or 4 year opt out...he won’t be tethered to the Sox five prime career years if the rebuild continues to founder on the rocks.

Didn’t even have to read who posted this...

Need to get a veteran #2 starter next year, desperately. Can’t blame Herm Schneider anymore. Maybe the Nationals just knew a lot more about thei pitchers than we did? Will probably end up with Esteban Loiaza when he’s furloughed from prison...we’ll inevitably have to hear about the heartwarming human interest-related comeback story.

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...