caulfield12

Unfortunate that they couldn't get a live signing video out today with Cruz and/or Patino. Makes it feel more like mlb draft//NCAA signing day excitement.

Well...haven't you heard that mantra repeated ad nauseum everything is more expensive in California these days? $105 Sounds like a rounding error on the Dodgers' payroll, but still almost double where the White Sox are heading without Robert and Benintendi. Meanwhile, Cohen doing Cohen things... https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mets-sign-elian-pena-to-5-million-bonus-to-open-2025-international-signing-period/

That job and UCLA have seemingly been cursed...getting grounded by an average Iowa team didn't help much.

And Morel to the Pirates for even bigger money... Would have expected news of teams trading cash/pool money to LA SD Toronto by now. Toronto has at least 4-5 prospects that are upper tier but all the attention on the two West Coast teams right now. Fwiw, Toronto believes their "splitter" factory/pitching philosophy might be one of the reasons they made the final cut.

https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2025/1/14/24343286/today-in-blue-jays-history-trade-david-wells-for-mike-sirotka

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/andrew-salas-signs-with-marlins-for-3-7-million-in-2025-international-signing-period/ Cash-challenged Marlins betting big on another Salas brother....

https://nypost.com/2025/01/15/sports/how-teams-are-interpreting-roki-sasakis-very-serious-demeanor/ Tea leaves coming back in the direction of SD... https://www.si.com/mlb/yankees/news/insider-reveals-reason-why-roki-sasaki-might-have-denied-yankees-grant9

Note DeLoach a DH for Seattle lol. No Julks starting for Houston...

https://www.mlb.com/news/shotaro-morii-signs-with-a-s A’s are almost getting interesting…especially compared to Angels.

That was peak Yolmer…like comparing Eaton 1 and 2 with the Sox, two totally different players. Well, minus the Gatorade baths.

The Amaya/Colson Montgomery comp is just scary….to consider how much of a setback that would constitute.

Other than Fulmer, and Kopech…we’ve mostly been successful with hyped pitching prospects. Of course Rodon and Lopez have excelled moreso after leaving the team, and 2nd/3rd round has been a minefield, but it's harder to find niche success other than Padres’ relievers with other teams, perhaps, or Orioles’ position prospects.

Found this touching video from over a year ago…this is what it’s all about, the dream of so many growing up in extremely difficult conditions.

But by definition DH and LF are also big bats usually but suffer the worst for defensive short comings in the fWAR system for the inability to play defense period....arguing Benintendi Viciedo Vaughn in past years for example in LF was/were much more valuable to the Sox than a benign or negative offensive presence. Or that Pods/Pierre were actually more valuable without huge offensive numbers.

https://global.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/43323854/mlb-ranking-worst-signing-trade-mistakes-all-30-teams-2020-ohtani-strasburg-betts#chw Worst franchise "recent" moves....#9-13 all with White Sox ties-ins. LaRussa managing makes it as worst decision since 2020 here...beats out Cease deal and Burger for Eder trade. The Oakland A's fire sale seems NOT that far off from what the White Sox have done the past 24 months, though. Grifol/Getz might actually be listed at #2, at least so far.

Collusion in the sense there’s always been a bottom 5-7 teams that don’t even pretend to compete, and the Commissioner’s Office won’t do a thing…which is not quite like working together to suppress FA salaries of players over 32 or whatever.

But certainly not close to 30th…notice the pitch vs. hit ranking even with Semien/Tatis, Jr. No Daniel Hudson/Wendelken there, either. Catching would be abysmal…Oscar Colas would be a starter, even though they still won’t start him on baseball’s worst team. Collapses of Tim Anderson and Madrigal sting, Fulmer still hanging on somehow. Romy over Sheets haha. Bullpen another trouble spot. 14. Chicago White Sox What-if wins: 80.6 (+20.9 better than actual) Playoff odds: 32.5% | Title odds: 0.8% Hit rank: 25 | Pitch rank: 4 Regulars: Andrew Vaughn (1B), Marcus Semien (2B), Colson Montgomery (SS), Jake Burger (3B), Seby Zavala (C), Oscar Colas (LF), Luis Robert Jr. (CF), Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF), Romy Gonzalez (DH) Rotation: Chris Sale, Chris Bassitt, Carlos Rodon, Garrett Crochet, Jonathan Cannon Bullpen: Ian Hamilton, Aaron Bummer, Tanner Banks The strength of that core rotation keeps the White Sox in the middle. Getting Sale, Crochet and Rodon together is tempting. And what White Sox fan wouldn't want to undo the trades that sent away Semien and Tatis? Still, it adds up to a hole-filled, middle-of-the-road roster short on bats with no depth. The current plan to beef up the minor league system is a good one. https://global.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/43399642/mlb-offseason-2024-25-ranking-30-mlb-teams-trades-free-agency-exist

"And now they are believed to be finalists for Sasaki, who reportedly held a second meeting with the club Tuesday and could sign as soon as Wednesday when the new international signing period officially begins. “He’s someone that is obviously a major priority for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this winter. “We’re going to do whatever we can, and know that there are a lot of other teams that are going to do the exact same thing.” latimes.com/sports

Wendelken played for the Yokohama Bay Stars and not Sasaki's Chiba Lotte Marines...for the last two years, but they might be familiar with each other.

The official Top international prospects list only goes 30-50 deep, right??? MLB Pipeline and Baseball America/Badler... Looks like they expanded to Top 100… https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-international-prospects-bonus-board/

If you stuck Enrique Bradfield in CF (after Robert trade) for the White Sox versus let's say Fletcher, versus on the bench behind Cedric Mullins at Camden Yards...he's going to have much more of an impact defensively/runs saved for the White Sox wins in close games than for simply backing up CF/PR/defense in BALT.

An/y individual team could do a slightly lopsided trade to help the White Sox and nobody could stop it...because 80% of the trades the White Sox have made the last two years were lopsided, right? I mean...isn't it a form of collusion against the other two divisions to deliberately not field a competitive team as a supposed large market team, when even the Oakland A's are going to spend $40-50 million more on payroll. Nobody in baseball is going to complain in 2025 if 3 of 4 of the AL Central teams (MIN DET KC CLE) make the playoffs YET again...? I'm sure there will be a lot of protesting, especially to teams that are spending $150+ million on their payrolls...as well as the Orioles, etc.

If the Dodgers are going to corner 75% of the Japanese market, why don't the White Sox intentionally target South Korea or Taiwan? Obviously there's HaSeong Kim dangling out there...just feels like making the White Sox the "Team of Korea" or "Team of Taiwan" would pay off a lot more than not having ANY identity. Probably would have to compete with the Giants, who signed Woo for CF last year and then they're closer time zone wise/flight-distance. Maybe some Korean relievers/pitchers or infielders/outfielders (Dodgers just signed a SS/2B, another Kim). Seems there's more marketing possibilities than anything the Sox can do inside the city of Chicago the next year or two...not that you can't have both. The Cuban Connection never really had a tangible payoff in terms of revenue derived from that country (tv/satellite subscriptions, merchandise/souvenirs, sponsorships, etc.) Or even Puerto Rico...? Just seems like they can piggyback off what LAD are doing in Japan on a much smaller scale with Korean and/or Taiwanese players.

Bill Mazeroski likes this post...Nellie Fox, too.

Here are the three biggest prospects to watch any movement with in the days ahead with TORONTO... According to Francys Romero, the Blue Jays have an agreement with nine players, including MLB Pipeline’s 22nd-ranked international prospect, Cristopher Polanco. The shortstop is expected to sign for $2.3 million. The MLB international signing period (2024-25) begins in 12 days. Here are my top 35 talents, dark horses, team signings tracker with estimated bonuses and more. Full content available for paid subscribers on Beisbol FR:https://t.co/ireXLUNWDu — Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 3, 2025 Polanco’s MLB Pipeline notes that he has a smooth left-handed swing with “tremendous” bat speed. There’s not a lot of room for projection left in his 5’11” frame and he may end up at second base in the future, but the hit tool is ranked a 60 grade. Another shortstop is set to sign for the Blue Jays as well, Juan Sanchez. The youngster is set to sign for $1 million and is Baseball America’s 44th-ranked available prospect. Moreover, the Blue Jays are set to sign Kennew Blanco, who ranked NINTH on MLB Pipeline’s available IFA’s last season, for $600,000. Last season, he was supposed to sign, but an age controversy set his signing back a year with a lesser bonus. Altogether, the Blue Jays are set to spend $4.76 million of their $6,261,600 pool, giving them just over $1.5 million left. There is something that complicates things though. What about Rōki Sasaki? https://bluejaysnation.com/news/international-free-agency-primer-the-blue-jays-are-set-to-sign-nine-players