caulfield12

You can really stretch and argue Tyler Flowers (second time with Braves), Devenski, Semien, Escobar, Montas (more progress this year), Junior Guerra, Bassitt...with the leftovers like the Big 3 core and a healthy Rodon...could have been close to competing, but it still feels like an 82-85 win team. Quintana was better his first four big league seasons than recently, so they were fortunate to get the overpay from Epstein...Sale’s value was similar back then, maybe bumped up a notch for each healthy season he accumulated. The common thread throughout it all...terrible free agency moves and major developmental disappointments from Beckham and Viciedo. You have to be right at least 40% of the time on those headline acquisitions. Missing on Benintendi by one spot or Burger perhaps never being the same...it’s from that same “one key injury” line of thinking with Jared Mitchell, non performance from Hawkins, the constant string of disappointments that can’t easily be overcome by a mid tier payroll and revenue producing organization. Even Rodon has been a mild disappointment, although he looks really good again, at least for now.

Well argued. In the end, though...the “brilliance/armed robbery” of Rizzo has shifted from the most-loved to most concerning of the three moves (a lot depends on Dunning’s health moving forward), the concerns about Moncada and Kopech fulfilling their promise, etc. The Quintana trade looks brilliant for the moment, unless Cease blows out his elbow again. That said, even Kimenez for Q looks like a huge steal. So we should all give him credit for being patient and maximizing his return despite one of Q’s shakiest seasons. And making the right determination to deal Kahnle at peak value, that was smart and a lot of us questioned it as well as Rutherford’s potential. Balta rightfully says he gets at least another year, if not until mid-season 2020. That’s more than fair, and he also can’t control the slate of injuries to our Top 30 prospects, either. Nevertheless, GM’s are always going to be judged by the W-L record on the backs of their theoretical baseball cards, not what ifs, theoreticals or what SHOULD have happened.

The single biggest danger is that Hahn realizes his future is in jeopardy and does something idiotic like signing Donaldson for 4 years, Adam Jones for three and somehow ending up with an “elite closer” acquisition blowing up in his face. This has been one of the biggest problems in this age of Sox baseball...mitigating risk by spreading it around a basket of players instead of signing just one or two huge deals, then crying poor when those aging vets produce below average results which hamstring the team’s payroll and lead to deals like the one we made for Shields coming off 10 runs surrended in Seattle, a classic pitcher’s park. http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/id/360531112 He had only given up 9 runs that month, but it was already patently obvious SD was trying to dump him...he had mouthed off in the press and it’s still almost inconceivable that we assumed almost half of his contract, and then threw in one of the (future) top prospects in baseball for the heck of it. Let’s not forget Royals’ fans already were questioning if James Shields was “broken” nearly two years prior to that start for the Padres. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/15884407/san-diego-padres-executive-chairman-ron-fowler-blasts-team-poor-play It’s almost illogical why any team would have bailed out the Padres and their owner (see article) without asking for more concessions...like additional talent coming over from SD.

The Tigers had a LONG run of success under DD, just no World Series title. Avila? A wash? Marlins produced Yelich, Realmuto, Stanton, Jose Fernandez, Ozuna...they blow lots of teams away in terms of development. DBacks weathered the LaRussa/Stewart fiasco quite well. Almost nobody in baseball would choose Hahn over Preller in terms of talent evaluation. So that gives you the Orioles...but 80% of that gets dumped into the lap of Angelos and Showalter...and they made the playoffs in a much tougher decision at least twice if I recall correctly. Maybe the Twins? Well, they earned a WC and had the top ranked system 2-3 years ago. Would enjoy seeing Beane with at least $150 million to spend in Chicago...but doubt he ever leaves Cali.

Luckily, Hahn has the Mariners struggling down the stretch or it would only be the Padres with a longer streak missing the playoffs. Seattle has gone Gillick, Bavaria, Jack Z and now Dipoto. Padres have gone Towers, Hoyer, Byrnes, Preller in that time span, so we’re already two behind. From 2013 until today, there’s really only been one decent stretch that got your hopes up, the first 6 weeks of the 2016, before the dreaded James Shields Hail Mary call. That’s six years now of nothing but Abreu’s rookie year and Avi in 2017, unless you count LaRoche and Son Gate, Sale Jersey Massacre Gate and Dunn Historical Ineptitude 2011 Gate. Two totally busted free agent groups in 2011 and 2014 (LaRoche, Cabrera, Robertson, Bonifacio, Beckham, Geo Soto). Oh, forgot to include the JB Shuck Era in there, too. Pythagorean of -3 total from 2013 through today. 91 Games under .500 in 5 2/3rd’s seasons. That will average out to about 16-18 games under per season for more than half a decade. That’s the definition of Baseball Purgatory for fans.

Complicit and complacent both could work equally as well here...

You mean he would have gotten another GM job with a relatively unblemished reputation...? I wonder where SoxTalk would rank him as of today as a GM? 15-20? 21-25? It’s hard to imagine Bottom 5, but there’s not much compelling evidence he has been “objectively better than his peers” either, unless you count puff piece articles. The Indians definitely have done the best job in the division...and that coincided with bringing Francona into the fold. Moore got KC into consecutive World Series. Judging by wins per payroll dollar allocated, the results would be pretty darned abysmal. Finally, who is really choosing our managers? That’s yet another big issue for the Sox since 2011.

And that’s why I question Hahn more than Williams...KW gets the blame for all the bad moves, but none of the credit for Abreu, Eaton, Quintana, Sale, etc. That’s pretty convenient. So we are left to ponder how any reasonable GM’s could think Shields would put them over the top...or value the money/subsidy coming back from the Padres more than having a handle on his own farm system that he could be outscouted by Preller so badly. We simply can’t afford those types of mistakes that the Cubs, Astros, Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers can get away with. It’s also impossible for me to imagine if their colors were reversed that “black Hahn” would be nearly as universally-lauded as he is today. So yeah, the timidity to question Hahn more than KW underscores how fragile this rebuild really is if we just overlook at the “bad” moves and blame all those judgments on KW or Reinsdorf.

He might not test off the charts on the SAT or beat everyone in Jeopardy or Millionaire, but high EQ is even more important now...he understands people, isn’t afraid to express his opinion, knows his brand (another reason for going back to CLE/Akron), is quite comfortable with his place in the world. Trump still can’t tell the difference from UK, Britain and England...even though his mom’s from Scotland or Wales...yet Koby Bryant can speak something like 8 languages. Too bad they can’t have a nationally televised debate, like the Tiger/Mickelson Thanksgiving Challenge. Family Feud would be even more entertaining.

Fortunately they have Cease, Robert and Madrigal to give them a bit of cushion...not to mention four more talented outfielders in Basabe, Adolfo, Rutherford and Gonzalez. And, finally, the possibility of Burdi getting back on track. The biggest question is how much they’re willing to open up the checkbook on FA after getting burned over and over again the last decade.

But the Cardinals are (soon to be) rebuilding and the Brewers have proven to be unwilling to take that huge “over the top” move to pull even with the Cubs (like Sabathia or Greinke). Where are Pirates now, with the curious Archer/Kela moves after dumping Cutch and Cole and pissing off their fanbase? Their attendance is close to ours even with that recent hot streak. And I’m pretty think sure had at least one midweek crowd of just 20000ish in the heart of the summer vs. the Cubs last week. In the end, they still have 3 if not 4 years of that window wide open. The only thing that can truly derail it would be major injuries to Bryant, Baez or Contreras. Now the starting pitching is THE issue if you’re matching up with the four best AL teams, but the Dodgers are the only other NL team right now with a bigger budget.

But all the FA moves the Sox have made since Dunn have been universally panned...except for Swarzak, Albers for a half season...basically, the headline moves. That, and the Shields trade, continue to haunt him, although he mysteriously gets a free pass from nearly everyone for “being forced” to add Shields by KW.

Yes, because of Darvish and Heyward, and Lester to a certain extent. Yet they’re scared to death to trade a combination of Schwarber, Happ, Russell and Almora (for deGrom) because their big league depth and versatility would take a huge hit. Not to mention chemistry concerns with shaking the clubhouse up. Finally, Zobrist is near the end of his career and Bote is certainly a useful guy but not the centerpiece for a Cole or Verlander type of deal. As much as they want Harper, starting pitching and shoring up the pen are even more critical the next 2-3 years. And obviously health.

Because no team in baseball currently has more payroll flexibility, the LUIS Robert acquisition, starting off with three huge infusions of talent...and the fact that 80% of the division is now or soon will be (Minnesota) in various stages of rebuilding/retooling.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/08/04/new-york-times-new-writer-sarah-jeong-anti-white-tweets-ctn-vpx.cnn You’re welcome, NY Times. This will provide Rush and Hannity material for 2-3 weeks.

24 games played for Robert this year. Has will have missed roughly 90 if he can finish the rest of season without getting hurt again. Let’s say something like 52 gp and 90 missed at end of August, then surely will play for Kanny and/or W-S in postseason, then potentially AFL. Basically, 1 1/2+ months out of 5, or 33-35% of potential games played. Unless you want to count spring training. Avi, for example, should have 100/162, around 60% or twice as many games...so really needs to continue developing during that Sept though January time period, somewhere.

https://sports.yahoo.com/president-donald-trump-changes-mind-lebron-james-criticizes-players-intelligence-due-cnn-interview-045205309.html Pattern of consistently denigrating the intelligence of African Americans continues, this time with LeBron in the crosshairs.

The Mauer deal really hamstrung that franchise...that, and steps backwards for Sano/Buxton and Santana’s health. Berrios has been very good, but has yet to become a true ace as was predicted. I know, all progress/improvement is not linear. That, and moves for “bargain” free agents like Morrison and Lynn really fizzled out.

The Twins did eke into the playoffs. That said, the most comforting is knowing that something like only 3 teams in BA history haven’t made into to the playoffs at least once in the five years following making it to the Top 5.

Just watched highlights. Why the hell was Anderson looking backwards and slowing down between third and home....Jesus, that was terrible not to score there with two outs...

Glad Yoan can leave this game with a positive feeling...

Of course, walk one of their fastest runners to lead off the inning...

Omg. Who the hell can close it out?

So they can turn Moncada and his 167 baalhp around.

White Sox 14-30 in 1 and 2 run games...7-19 in one runners. Even that out, you get 44-64. Narvaez has a 364 OBP? Wow...