caulfield12

Unless he wanted a flexible opt-out to not be locked into a long-term relationship with an organization he was uncertain about... For Gordon, it's just as much about finding a comfortable fit with the right team and environment. We all were sold this idea Shark would be willing to sign a long-term deal, and it couldn't have turned out to be any more the opposite or both sides. Likewise, Heyward cost the Cardinals a ton in talent and he was content to jump ship from one of the best organizations in baseball after just a year, so that has to be part of the hesitation...along with the belief KC can come up with 4 years and $70 million at the last minute when the rubber hits the road on decision day in the next couple of weeks. I don't think no trade is quite so important...unless he really wants to keep his family close to Omaha.

That would be quite an unusual amount of FA spending for StL, I can't ever remember them spending $160-170 million on just two players from outside their organization in a single offseason. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jef...27d3e3bdfa.html Please send this article to KW and Hahn (about the consequences of not developing enough homegrown hitters.) Still, not going to feel sorry for the Cards.

It would also give the White Sox flexibility perhaps to get out of the contract after 2-3 years. The problem, though, is those types of scenarios these days almost always work to the benefit of the player...he's playing well and can get more money elsewhere in 2018 but if on the decline he can just collect guaranteed money over the remainder of the deal. That situation really left the Dodgers short of pitching with Greinke, but it also prevented disaster with Albert Belle for the Sox almost twenty years ago. That said, you still have to replace that production somehow. That said, Gordon wouldn't stick around just for the salary or paycheck if his skills greatly diminished...he would retire early like Meche or Cud dyer recently with the Mets imo.

Desmond Jennings would be a good buy low, shorter-term commitment guy. Only a 724 lifetime Ops but does everything pretty well except hit for power. More like Span. Coming off an injury-riddled season. Let's hope not scraps or leftovers like Victorino or Travis Snider.

Probably just meant who they're currently in on most...

Considering lots of speculation about $14-18 million per season after the playoffs, that's one of the more seemingly reasonable deals so far this offseason. The World Series brought him back to reality a bit, as his defensive shortcomings reared their ugly head.

Gardner might be more palatable if not for the last two years... Really think the White Sox are targeting additions for 2016-17 and might look at 2018 for the right guy but you don't want to have contracts for speed/athleticism-based players who quickly seem to lose those skills in their early to mid 30's these days. We typically tend to be 2-3 years late on those types of veteran additions for name-brand players coming over from other organizations. For that reason, CarGo makes more sense as the fallback option, but more based on what they're asking for...or Inciarte at the right price as well. All things considered, Gordon's a lot surer bet for roughly the same money per year...as long as you don't go five years. I think four years and $70 million is the max contract KC would be willing to fork over. So CarGo minus talent for two years (obviously not Q) or a Gordon commitment for two very productive years and two potentially declining years, and losing a draft pick but having a lot more confidence because of the AL/ NL disparity, Coors splits and a long history of injury problems versus Gordon missing hardly any time before 2015. Otoh, LH and plays RF and at his peak more dominating than Gordon...like a Cespedes or Upton in that sense. Streaky.

Regarding RF issues.... They'd have to try Cabrera in RF and hope for the best...unless they bring in two out of Span, Parra, Fowler, Jackson and forget the Big 3 (or make a trade for one OFer). Feels like the best we can possibly hope for is Big 3 now with an additional midseason acquisition if we're in contention.

CarGo and Ethier are those two interesting case studies for how much return they can get now compared to being pure salary dumps a year ago. Ethier I believe has the longer deal, so wouldn't cost as much...and is more of a complimentary player for LA. CarGo, otoh, is the remaining franchise player (most identifiable) for the Rockies, and rebounded significantly...so they will definitely ask for Fulmer or Adams....and it's unsure whether Adams alone gets it done now. Another factor is he's a lot more expensive than Frazier...but we don't unfortunately have the equivalent of another Montas/Micah/Trayce package we're willing to deal. Maybe Hawkins and Adams, that feels like their ask in terms of selling it to the fanbase.

Is Saladino fails, that's when you can try to bring in Desmond (one year plus option based on incentives) or bring back Ramirez potentially. At least you preserve the draft pick and give Saladino his chance to earn the position with regular playing time. In early June....it's a huge risk though, as Morales and Drew struggled mightily. It took until the next season for him to get his timing back without a spring training regimen.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/40-best-movies...0387052007.html Very good list of 40...with about 7 documentaries i have yet to watch Top Ten films of 2015... Top tier Spotlight Inside Out The Tribe (Ukrainian movie with no dialogue about school for deaf) The Look of Silence (companion piece to The Act of Killing) Room Sicario Others under consideration... The Revenant Beasts of No Nation Steve Jobs Creed Bridge of Spies Carol Mad Max:Fury Road The Martian Brooklyn Chi-Raq Ex Machina Yet to see Star Wars, 45 Years, The Big Short, Son of Saul, Anomalisa

We could always sign Guthrie to prevent him from facing the Sox. Or Raburn. All kidding aside, does anyone prefer Latos, Kazmir or Fister AND Span/Parra/A.Jackson to Gordon alone? It's a worthwhile question for both organizations. Especially if those players are all willing to sign 2-3 year contracts (or two plus an option/buyout) vis a vis Gordon's anticipated 4-5 years.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 04:17 PM) Royals have a 0% chance at Chen. He's seeking 5 yrs $100 million Four years at $50-75 million is the negotiating zone. No way he gets five and $100, even with Boras. But roughly the same numbers being bandied forth about Gordon. One would have to argue that having a deep bullpen that can cover 5-6 inning starts rather than 6-7+, that exploitation of a market inefficiency (having a dominant yet relatively affordable pen) would cause them to be even more reluctant not to get sucked into overpaying for veteran starting pitching with the numbers being so crazy. If anything, it forces teams to look at Latos and Fister more closely.

KC, at least publicly, is pushing for either Kazmir (4 years at $12-15 million), Gallardo (draft pick attached) or Chen (Boras client). Would supposedly prefer a lefty. The irony is Kazmir is also 32...essentially the same package offered to Gordon. Then you have Latos and Fister. Leaving the question for both teams really, does Span/Parra/Jackson + SP give you a better overall result than Gordon alone and saving roughly $3-7 million overall that can be spent on fa's who last into May/June unsigned or at the trade deadline? Others to consider: Mike Minor Justin Masterson Tim Lincecum Cliff Lee Brandon Beachy Aaron Harang

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 12:04 PM) That's not a bad lineup at all, IMO. Couple that with the pitching staff & they are in pretty good shape. Biggest worry I have is in 2017, what do they do at DH? Then again, I always jump too far ahead & that's not that topic at hand. Cabrera...

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 10:31 AM) I would imagine a farmer in Iowa wouldn't be interested in a shirt like this. Haven't you told us time and time again there are just as many Sox fans in the Chicago area as there are Cubs fans and the extra at Wrigley are just tourists? Not me, Jon Greenberg of ESPN.

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 11:08 AM) Ya Hosmer and Moustakas are gone. The royals are f***ed soon. That's why they need to keep gordon. You have like a 2 year window. I also have a feeling Perez is going to break down badly for them. Which is precisely why a long term deal from their perspective makes no sense. They will be competitive barring injuries the next two seasons. And they will essentially have nothing but Ventura, Perez, Herrera and Duffy to build around beginning in 2017...at least 2-3 players short, if not more. And with Perez, they do have consecutive club option deals for 2017-19 for that very reason/legit concern.

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 10:39 AM) Good info. Thanks. Without stirring up the too frequent crap you take about the "Royals fan" thing, your specific info simply buttresses what the industry wide feeling seems to be about the Royals. They love Gordon; they'll pony-up (to a point); but there's only so far they're going to go, given his age, and given their overall situation. Put simply, they have bigger fish to fry. That's why there is something of a unique opportunity here. The Sox (or another team) can swoop in, better the in-house offer by a significant margin, while still getting an excellent all-around player at something close to the market-price for his WAR. Yes, they'll pay a premium above the Royals price. Makes sense that he'll need to be pried away from his comfort zone. Fine. Pay it. He'll still be a relative bargain (even if you have to go 5 years -- if it makes you feel better, think of it internally as the first 4 years of the 5 year deal at the higher 4 year price, invest the savings, and the 5th year price for a diminished performer somehow is less offensive to our delicate sensibilities). I say go for it. Market inefficiency there to be exploited. And it's all the better because Gordon's overall basket of skills is better for what THIS team, OUR team, needs. Maybe not the high ceiling in one or two categories that Upton or Cespedes might provide, but strong scores in so many areas. I'm here many years as Cy Acosta and have only posted ~150 times (lurked from 2002/2003 with no account as well). Don't post that often because (a) I prefer reading other's opinions, and (b) I generally only offer my opinion if it's something I feel strongly about. I'm not going to keep flogging this horse, you know. It's personal opinion, armchair GM'ing. If I were Hahn, I'd do X. Well, allowing for the factor that RH certainly has access to a lot of hard info that I'm not privy to that might better inform his subjective opinion, I know that if I were Sox GM, I'm all about locking-up the all-around player Gordon -- reaping the benefit of his defense, left-handedness, all-around strong offensive game, fire on the field, supposed quality in the clubhouse -- then pocketing the savings over an Upton or Cespedes signing for more moves later this year or next year. You're absolutely right with your last paragraph...and always have strong insights. Wish you'd post more. The White Sox, Tigers and Indians all have to make their moves now...before Minnesota's young talent starts to blossom and they have the revenues to add some more overall pitching talent along with the young Berrios to take over the division in 2017 and beyond. There are just not enough FA difference-makers (the headline OFer will be an aging Carlos Gomez next year at this time) and they absolutely would be insane to wait two more years...until after 2017. For the moment, we don't have enough young talent in our system to make any more significant trades and still hold on to Anderson and Fulmer. Sacrificing a draft pick for Dexter Fowler would be idiotic. Can't afford to keep messing up with second tier option like Shark, LaRoche and Cabrera. Finally, the long-promised/projected Latin American pipeline is still multiple years from bearing real fruit.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 10:47 AM) The problem is at the break you won't have access to those players, and if you do, it will cost you players AND the contract, instead of just the contract. We didn't give up much for Youk, Myers and Liriano. Just Escobar. That said, the situation with Boston needing to move him with Middlebrookspushing for pt was a bit unique because Youkilis was so popular. That said, with the double wild card, those moves are getting harder and harder to come by.

If you were manufacturing the shirt and had to choose only four, which team would you eliminate that would give you more profit with the Sox logo substituted for...?

QUOTE (CyAcosta41 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 09:19 AM) All "reports" I've seen had the AG group seeking 5 years at an AAV of $20K per and the Royals "allegedly" offering 4 years at an AAV of $12-13M. Of course, all agents and clubs use the press for leverage and obfuscation. However, if the above reports are true or nearly so, then letting Gordon choose between 4/$72M and 5/$80M is quite a bit better than anything the Royals have on the table. Personally, my belief is that with all the younger talent coming up for the Royals who need to be signed the next 1-2 years, they've got a line in the sand pegged for Gordon. At or below that line, they'll welcome back their native son with open arms. Above that line, they'll feel the need to be disciplined for the priorities that Hosmer, Perez, and Moustakas have over AG because of age, position, or both. I think the Royals ceiling is likely $15-16M AAV. I haven't seen anything that suggests they've offered nearly that high (which is why his agent is likely working hard to create the reality or illusion of a market). I think a White Sox offer of 4/$72M or 5/$80M is likely $10M or more better than what the Royals would offer. That's likely enough to get him to move to the Dark Side. And if necessary, I'd bump it up to 4/$76M or 5/$85M. KC is in the proverbial pickle. Gordon is ripe for the plucking. Get 'er done, Rick. With Boras representing Hosmer and Moustakas, they're gone. Cain is probably about a 30-40% chance to stay, but then you're also having to replace Wade Davis, Volquez, Escobar...that's six core members right there hitting FA simultaneously. It's why keeping Gordon after 2017 isn't logical...not when they can spread that money across 2-3 younger guys and not have to deal with the declining last three years of a five year deal when they're going to be forced to rebuild/retool. Right now, Perez, Soria, Herrera, Ventura and Duffy are the main ones under control into 2018-19.

QUOTE (glangon @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 07:56 AM) There were points last year where Danks steadied the ship and was pitching well, added to the mix that he owns the Royals, this trade would be daft imo. Personally, I'd see if some Japanese team fancies La Roche. Keep Garza away from our rotation. I think we are in a healthy state. We have a clear 5 man staff with Chris Beck, Carson Fulmer, Spencer Adams and Tyler Danish all in the minors ready to step up if needed. Danks is in the last year of his contract and he'll probably be replaced by one of the above when he goes. Pitching is an area of strength where we have a conveyor belt of talent waiting in the wings. Let's not screw that up and screw over the budget by bringing in Matt Garza Adams is at least 1 1/2 years away. Beck and Danish profile just as much as relievers as starters for the moment. This year is make or break for Tyler as a starter. There are even some legit concerns about Fulmer bing able to hold up physically as a starter. It's a stretch to use the term conveyor belt when Jacob Turner is essentially our #6 starter at the moment.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Dec 24, 2015 -> 07:33 AM) The problem I have with this idea is that Danks actually added value last year, and LaRoche didn't. I think I've seen the theory here before that each additional WAR a player produces is worth about $5 million AAV on a contract. If that's the case, Danks earned $9 million of his contract last year. LaRoche, on the other hand, would need to pay his entire salary plus $7 million back to the team for his performance last year. That's why I think if they can't trade him, they should seriously consider releasing him, and they should not let his contract enter into their decision on pursuing other FA/trade options. $7 million now...for one war.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...fs-al-central-2 Schoenfield's Path to the Playoffs for the AL Central teams

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-colum...le51281160.html