caulfield12

Does Meidroth really possess the arm and range for big league SS?

And Cease...a real-life escape artist on the mound.

Can you get that gig like that without even a disappointing Beckham-esque or Getz-like career?

Which was probably already agreed upon...RoFR at some predetermined point in the future, and definitely upon death.

They're worth whatever Ishbia is willing to pay for them? it's not the shares themselves...it's a separate issue of control person. That's not related to a certain block of shares per se. Even then we're still talking $100 millionish in cap gains...that's a rounding error for the Suns/Ishbias. It's all about Jerry's ego/legacy at this point. But basically the same reason the Pohlads want out in Minnesota. No longer as much fun for them...having had the family (multiple generations) involved for 40-50 years now.

$80 million isn't a big deal at all to the Ishbias...they would pay that premium today for Jerry to surrender control. In fact, Jerry has probably lost roughly the equivalent amount already with the team's valuation falling from the $2.1-2.2 billion range since peak from 2005-2012 and then in 2019-2022 again. The hit to local broadcasting revenue was another $75-100 million per year if you count advertising revenue and ownership of their own network with the Bulls/Blackhawks Having to now trade Luis Robert Jr. now is yet another symptom of the financial malaise...

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/mlb/news/jake-burger-hits-first-home-run-with-rangers-days-after-daughters-open-heart-surgery/articleshow/118635176.cms Always with the baseball scoops…lol.

The A's and Rays are cautionary tales of what happens when big, complicated challenges are met with half-measures and inaction -- and reminders to teams with unsettled stadium issues in places like Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri, that the longer they take to reach resolution, the messier these situations get. With every city council meeting that ends with no deal, every local voting result that kicks the can down the road to the next election, every ballpark rendering torn up before a shovel ever enters the dirt, the likelihood of best-laid plans being replaced by worst-case scenarios multiplies. For the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals -- two teams angling for public money to help finance new stadiums -- there are countless lessons to learn about the fragility of deals and their capacity to go sideways. Already there has been resistance to the White Sox's request of $1 billion to help build a new stadium in the South Loop, and voters in Kansas City last year rejected a sales-tax extension that would have helped fund a downtown ballpark. Public cynicism over using tax dollars to fund billionaire owners' real estate plays has made turning visions of a new stadium into reality that much more difficult and the ramifications of letting a potentially volatile situation decay that much greater. https://global.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44096180/mlb-2025-spring-training-oakland-athletics-tampa-bay-rays-minor-league-ballparks-sacramento For all the good in the game during Manfred's time as commissioner ---- the sight of two big league teams existing in small stadiums is rich with subtext. And with a labor negotiation expected to threaten games in 2027, a widespread dissatisfaction among fans about MLB's competitive balance and a local-television landscape in need of an overhaul, the challenges in Manfred's final four years as commissioner go well beyond the perception that comes with shrunken stadiums.

News coming out that Vladimir Guerrero had an ask for $600 freaking million from Toronto...that's crazy for a bat-first player at a corner who just might be in the greatest physical shape 8-10 years down the line. https://global.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44143628/vladimir-guerrero-jr-says-final-offer-600-million-blue-jays-extension-talk Also, Lawrence Butler signed a $65.5 million, 7 year extension with the A's. That's almost $130 million just between Rooker ($60 million) and Butler this offseason, not to mention the Luis Severino deal for $67 million.

That's how you assess pitching, is it not? TOR/ACE, 2/3 and 4/5 types. Obviously you need a mixture of both, but since Wheeler and prior to that Tanaka, we haven't tried to BUY an ace in free agency. Usually our aces are leaving the Sox organization, rather than coming in from another organization. Cannon at his best is going to be a 4/5 guy. I'm not sure who you believe has more potential in the minor leagues to be better than Martin and/or Burke in the big league rotation, other than the Big 3 names we always refer to. Thorpe is a huge wild card, but I'm closer to the Balta position on him than the front-line starter due to his exceptional change and "good enough" fastball case. Obviously there's no longer Ky Bush (this season at least), Eder has a reliever profile and has already been sent down, Berroa might be hurt, Mason Adams, Carela, Nastrini, Batista...I would take Smith's arm (Rule 5 pick from the Brewers) and still-existing potential over all those guys in AA/AAA.

Oops...meant 2026, not 27.

There aren't currently any legit major league pitching prospects in the projected AA/AAA rotations that don't profile as back-end/fringe/swing-man types at current time. Iriarte might have the most "prospect buzz" and even that's fallen off pretty dramatically, along with Nastrini.

Assuming there's an "inside" story there somewhere...

It was reported somewhere in the last 24-48 hours that the Ishbia share had risen into that range or vicinity...would have to dig back through all the tweets and "info" flying around online.

Being skeptical of Sox prospects is human nature if you're 55 years old, lol. Who am I way off on, exactly? You really are a big believer in the current infield group (Colson, Vargas, Sosa, Baldwin, Ramos, Elko)??? Colas/Fletcher/DeLoach/Julks? I mean, pretty much everyone's high on Smith, Schultz, Braden, Teel and Quero...the most controversial is probably where you rank Grant Taylor's value/future contributions (starter/reliever). Where am I wrong? My only comment is that the presence of Ishbia in the organization is a ticking time bomb for how long Getz has to successfully make his mark. In all likelihood, he gets the better part of the next two years (barring another 121+ loss season AGAIN) to start getting this ship headed in the right direction in terms of TANGIBLE MLB results...not just prospect rankings/hype.

https://southsideshowdown.com/white-sox-ownership-transition-window-narrows-after-limited-partners-sell-their-stake-billionaire-justin-ishbia No real news, other than reporting of what was already reported and then seconded by Greenberg. That 40% number (current number THEORETICALLY owned by Ishbia now) of shares wasn't expanded upon in any way. https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-white-sox/justin-ishbia-expands-white-sox-stake-as-reinsdorfs-future-becomes-uncertain/

MLB, 'Demon Slayer' partner for anime-style short film for Tokyo Series https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-demon-slayer-team-up-before-dodgers-cubs-play-tokyo-series

Brooke Fletcher (look where the tweet came from)...she's been interested in sports media for her entire life Scott "Scooter" Fletcher/Greg Walker UGA Beckham connections galore...as well as Hawk Harrelson Also part of the infamous Sosa/Alvarez trade if I remember correctly.

Career earnings of $26.5 million and another $71 million guaranteed. Not bad for a Rays' one-time utility guy deluxe.

Scott Fletcher's daughter/Beckham's in-law?

Leave it to the White Sox to have their best hitters come from the catching spot...the ONE place where you pretty much are happy with a 600-650 OPS guy with solid game-calling skills and rapport with the starters. That's their NEW NICHE!!! That and left-handed starting pitchers.

Not in the A games...

Getz has to be feeling the pressure. In all likelihood, he gets these next two years and then is demoted (not unlike Grady) or out of the organization entirely. It all depends on whether the team looks competitive or not heading into the second half of 2027. Same goes for Venable, although I'm pretty sure he will get a bit more leeway as long as he holds the clubhouse together and does a solid job mentoring the young players (especially on the positional side of things). There's just not much to get excited about other than the usual suspects (we have no idea how Montgomery's back will hold up) and the two big-time catching prospects in Teel and Quero. Teel looks like he will be a key contributor...with Quero, feel he'll end up more like another version of already-rostered Omar Narvaez, which is a solid contributor to a big league roster at least. Have almost zero expectations for anyone else (outside the Big 3 pitchers and Braden) at this point...Meidroth, Vargas, Sosa, Ramos, etc. It's better to just be pleasantly surprised than disappointed, right? Maybe maybe maybe Baldwin can become Chris Taylor Lite in an ideal world.

Threw a lot of strikes today...that was good enough with this line-up. It will be fascinating to see how long he and Scherzer can keep going.

Well, they scored a boatload of runs the last two days...so there's that.