caulfield12

Obviously it can't be EVERY single guy. Colson Montgomery's comeback is his crowning achievement so far, for example. Inherited, like Quero. But certainly a strong strong majority of Hahn players. And we still don't know what leeway if any he has to deal with the Robert and Benintendi contracts. Clearly Getz thought Robert was worth doubling down on to maximize the trade return after two consecutive rough seasons.

Getz doesn't seem to be hung up on forcing guys into the lineup who just aren't producing... See Curtis Mead down the stretch. Everyone else in baseball doesn't see anything there... and moved on in their evaluations. Right now, there are 9 spots and the only players who look like they have more than a 50/50 chance to be a part of the next Sox playoff team based on last year are Colson and Teel... and Braden coming fast in the minors. Nobody else, including guys like Bonemer or Antonacci, are close to a "sure thing" right now. On the coaching side, Grady Sizemore would be one obvious example. Base running and outfield defense should be two of his core competencies, and exactly what he will be doing in Minnesota. But he was exiled to offensive coordinator, which is a fancy way of saying he had no power or influence over anything at all.

Wander Franco turning out like that, well there's a reason the Dodgers can lose a handful of guys like Urias from their pitching staff and not even blink. Replacing a franchise cornerstone is an entirely different matter. Caminero has a world of offensive potential, but still is much closer to a Devers type than Bobby Witt, Jr. because of his defensive limitations.

Thought that Schultz Hagen and Taylor were supposed to result in at least 1 if not 2....if they still need two more they're not going to just go out and buy at market prices in free agency until 2029/30, well, good luck with that strategy. It seems almost a given at this point that a collegiate up the middle impact bat is the draft choice. CF would be the preference, or another SS that could capably play anywhere on the diamond.

We shall see if Getz ultimately has the same amount of loyalty to Quero/Sosa as newer guys like Teel Meidroth Thorpe Vargas and Mead... Think all you want that GM's are completely objective and never would even consider factors like this (how their own trade returns ultimately pan out in the media and with fanbases), all other things being equal. Is it not the least bit curious how almost any former Sox player or coach connected to Rick Hahn was summarily dumped and the majority were bad mouthed on the way out (see Andrew Vaughn this year)? For example, how many times have Sosa and Robert been labeled as low baseball IQ guys around here? Too many times to count. Coincidence? Otoh let's say Miguel Vargas or Chase Meidroth is usually described as a gamer/clubhouse leader/diligent worker? It's like saying first and sixth round draftees have the same likelihood of making the big league team if the MiLB results and position profile are similar.

Where does it end? Trade Vargas Sosa Quero and kick the can further down the road? Taylor before he blows out his elbow? We barely have a first wave of prospects that can fill out 3 positions at 2-3 fWAR or higher. Montgomery's and Teel. For now. Assuming the draft pick is an advanced collegiate hitter, that's 4. B.Carlson might be 3 1/2 to 4 years away, optimistically. Someone in another thread wants to trade Robert and $10 million for god knows what FV player that will even get you...besides more debt.

No way the White Sox will do this … not until he’s ready to pitch in the majors, when/if that ever happens in his recovery. He wasn’t an elite prospect in the first place and he still has to beat out a lot of guys like Thorpe that Getz will want to show/prove the return on his trades was worthwhile…especially with the Dylan Cease return way under water as of today.

https://global.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47017276/mlb-reclamation-candidates-free-agents-bounceback Likely out of Sox price range. Mostly. Maybe not Castro but already have Baldwin.

Fine, next time I will write two separate messages...first Eddy was obsessed with the Padres overspending, now he wants the White Sox to copy the Rays without the capacity to execute like that. For decades only Tier B/C free agents. Period.

Not sure even the White Sox are THAT cheap. Especially holding onto Robert so stubbornly at $20 million. That's how Arozarena ended up with Seattle, got increasingly expensive.

But not to the point where the league would rescind the trade. They had to have access to MRIs and physicals, yes? Well start the countdown to TJS...maybe Angels just are counting on that happen already, baked into the lower return because one year old normal Ward hasn't usually been anything amazing and he's right at that 32-33 cliff.

First Moises Alou peeing on his hands...embrace all kinds I guess on the Northside.

Stowers in Miami could end up with the best numbers...almost nobody (especially scouts) expected that to occur.

But he might not be 100% ready to go until June or July....

When they might not even be playing? Do you think JR would take responsibility for that last option year under such uncertain conditions? Seems highly unlikely. Remember the Rays dumped a perfectly viable closer in Fairbanks because they didn't want his contract on the books at just $11 million.

Then let’s be the “new and improved” Pirates, assuming Passan’s recent reporting is accurate. They can at least quickly make up ground in the Central.

Then the Brewers or Guardians seem to be the most relevant current examples. Or the Mariners/Cardinals. The White Sox and Rockies honestly don't have ANY kind of discernible identity as an organization despite new tag lines every spring for marketing from Boyer. But you can at least squint two years down the road and envision a path in the AL Central with Skubal gone. The Rays are at least 3-5 years behind Toronto NYY Boston and Baltimore.

Why JR was too proud to reach out to the Pope ... well, do we know Ishbia's religion? Seems like a branding no brainer. Otherwise, the Cubs and their fanbase wouldn't have tried so hard to claim him. Not like Ishbia's alienating 1/4th or 1/3rd of the fans by attempting to get the Obama's more involved, for example. Even on the Southside, where the Obama's have more obvious historical ties. Or Mellody Hobson, for that matter... Lucases clearly lean quite left. Michael Jordan had his famous Nike quote on this about shoe sales.

He has the OPTION. He can hold his shares or move on and sell them as well. Just as many shares sales went to JR's family this past year as the Ishbias Maybe 40-45% 40-45% close to an even split then perhaps 10-15% with that remainder still held onto by individuals/families from all the available reporting.

But why are we comparing ourselves to Tampa? That's the toughest division in baseball many years and the smallest market saddled with that abysmal stadium? The Sox believe it or not are NOT classified as the small or medium market JR created by himself. Or should we be considered as the A's and a special case of franchise self sabotage be made? Once again...from Top Ten in Forbes 2006 to 17th and pretty much dead even with SD in franchise valuation and continuing to fall in revenue production. Which other teams have fallen that far respective to peers in the past two decades???

The other problem is that Getz has more of an agenda to prove that Vargas and/or Mead can stick at third. Which leaves only second 1B DH if they don't feel he could adjust to the outfield. He's not tied into Sosa's future success in the same way. All that said, if Colson gets off to a slow/slumping start and Sosa is traded...who is actually going to hit the ball out of the ballpark for the Sox? Teel? Benintendi? Vargas? Robert might not even be on the OD roster. Pereira if he doesn't strike out 35% of the time?

The fact that the Rule 5 draft is now perceived as something that can be successfully repeated as a viable strategy is almost beyond pitiful for a franchise based in Chicago. Where is the so-called Sox Pride if the owner doesn't even exhibit it?

My "ilk" who apparently should be satisfied with beating the Twins in 2008 thanks to Hahn's son calling the coin toss correctly for home field advantage, and three total playoff wins across almost two decades??? Well whoopdeedoo. Who are you crappin'? You're getting to be more and more like Don Quixote by the day.

Hill is merely insurance for a Robert trade...like Taylor was last season. Playoff caliber player, no way in hell.

What good does that do now? They have a flag flying for 2021? First division champ in 13 years? It would have meant a lot more had they actually won a single playoff series to pay off a decade plus of waiting for things to finally turn around.