caulfield12

That will most certainly not sell many tickets. Rendon's collapse killed them.

SportsGuy had Ortiz starting over him in his projected future lineup lol.

Seems like there's no harm letting him get started in AA or AAA/extended spring in AZ...different reports out there and that first year back has increasingly become a train wreck for numerous pitchers. He blows most of the vets away and he will get a spot somewhere in the rotation or perhaps bullpen.

They are only offering $140 million to Snell's $240 ask. Not convincing that they REALLY want Snell.

You apparently didn't watch any of Williams' 2021-2022 games, lol. Well, maybe just Utah twice the previous season. He has had that #1 draft pick since high school in MD and can do anything on the field physically. What happened at USC is not unlike the Eagles Jaguars or Dolphins collapsing down the stretch...everything snowballed and multiple factors were at play beyond the QB.

Tatis is worth more in terms of fWAR as a Gold Glove RF than below average SS (did have one positive year at SS). Of course, that also requires a plus plus arm.

$240 million...

Wander Franco too. OKC's Josh Giddey escaped consequences w/ the recent ruling.

Sounds like a certain Clint Eastwood skit returning again this year…simply substitute an empty chair, etc.

Deivi Garcia?

Jay and Alonso worked so well…Parrot…LaRoche. Who the hell cares, as long as it’s not Sheets?

And he’s fast/athletic, plays well above average defense and should come in just under $10 million…

Add Bauer and Clevinger…we can win the division at least.

Michael Taylor would be better than some of the names listed. Or Puig in RF for selling tickets. Put him together with Bauer until real prospects arrive in 2025. Puig was in Korea 2022 and two Winter Leagues 2023-24. Might as well turn this team into the circus just for entertainment value. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=puig--000yas Just 33 and would be much more fun than 85% of Sox hitters still. Bring back Clevinger too and let’s win this thing!!!!!

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/latest-mlb-rumors-free-agent-103515760.html Emmanuel Clase rumored to Cubs…Bellinger still predicted to eventually go to Cubs as well (before Toronto or Seattle). Alongside the Yankees, the Chicago Cubs are one of the teams most interested in adding to their bullpen. However, the Cubs appear to be looking at more than just the free agent pool. According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score in Chicago, the Cubs are interested in trading for two-time All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians. Clase's ERA may have ballooned between 2022 and 2023 from 1.36 to 3.22, but he still led MLB in saves for the second consecutive season. Clase is still just 25 years old, and compared to the other available high-end closers, Clase's $14 million over the next three years is remarkably low for a reliever of his caliber. It would take a mighty haul for the Cubs to snag Clase from Cleveland, but the Cubs have one of the most underrated farm systems according to MLB execs, so there is almost certainly some sort of deal that can be worked out. Hector Neris asking for $50 million over three years. Snell/Boras asking for $240 million…at least $100 million over current offers.

“Nicky” Ortiz is never starting over Westburg on a consistent basis. Nice try pretending that’s the #1 option on the table to “boost” his viability with Sox fans though. Point 2, the Padres can easily come up with a better trade package than the Orioles are supposedly/apparently offering and Preller has never hesitated to make a trade…not once. But Cease could be the very first time at least since 2015 that he hesitates to pull the trigger.

Or Dave Martinez?

Fedde vs. Rodriguez...head to head fWAR at the end of 2025. We will so who is right. Almost perfect match in per year salary, but stronger belief in Rodriguez to give him two additional years. Both similarly available to any MLB team.

It's just as ridiculous as your assertion that he can't be a starting pitcher because the White Sox and 28 other teams didn't bet more. Let's compare the fWAR for Rodriguez vs. Fedde in two or four year's time. 29 other teams didn't give Eric Fedde that money to start for them, right?

The White Sox haven't been right about any young pitchers since Sale and Quintana... That's a full decade. They haven't been right on young catching for even longer. At any rate, you can go ahead and count Cease as the third...although technically not their development win compared to the Northsiders. Plus he's hardly worth Westburg and Ortiz to Orioles' fans. (Maybe Balta, too.) Mention Cowser Basallo Mayo and they will simply hang up on you.

If it wasn't Vera, who was the most hyped Sox starting pitching prospect by the front office and media mouthpieces?

Nobody thought Alexei Ramirez or HaSeong Kim would amount to anything much. Tigers and White Sox 1B were supposed to be drafting generational hitters. Andruw Jones's son was once on a HoF trajectory. Most MLB teams were not that excited about Jose Abreu or opined he wasn't as good as their own veterans. Remember when the market spoke conclusively about Fulmer over Buehler? The consensus is right...until it's wrong and then everyone hides behind safety in those crowds of wrong assessments. See Mike Trout.

Who did they hype for two full years as the future savior of the rotation? Ohtani was a lot less than Rodriguez too and he was slightly more hyped lol. So if it wasn't Vera....who was supposed to be the #1 pitching prospect to at some point reinforce the Sox rotation??? Surely not Crochet.

It's exactly like Preller. Great at identifying talent. Terrible with finishing trades and strategizing team chemistry. Of course a much bigger financial playpen under Seidler. He basically threw a hissy fit when he missed out on Judge and other top targets so decided to throw money at Bogaerts just to make a splash when they already had 4-5 on the roster capable of playing SS. That left the bench and bullpen and back of rotation well short. The jury is still out on whether Yalie Elias will blink when the pressure is on at some point...not to be perceived as taking a backwards step with the rebuild. Kimbrel just seems like an awful awful awful move. Baltimore has the same momentum the Blue Jays and White Sox and Padres all had in 2019-2021. No guarantees they can keep it with a penny pinching approach. Especially in that hyper-competitive division.

There's a massive gap/argument between their prospect perceptions, though. Mayo would be logical to replace Bergman...maybe. But Astros are not going to subtract from the current team for their version of The Last Dance. Not until they capitulate at the deadline, at least.