caulfield12

Cubs already right up on luxury tax threshold now.

You just cursed us with a Hosmer signing. Sounds too similar.

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-projected-mlb-team-defenses-2024 This is easily our favorite projection, because Chicago was straight up bad with the glove last year – ranked last in MLB, in fact – to the point that new GM Chris Getz said he was having difficulty convincing free-agent pitchers to sign with the team for fear of playing in front of that defense. We figured he’d improve the gloves, and he has, but we thought it might be “poor, but better.” Instead, it might actually be good? If it is, it’s because the returning Luis Robert Jr. is an excellent defender, and new middle infielders Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong always play strong defense, even if the bats might lag. Max Stassi didn’t play in 2023 for personal reasons, but he had for years been an excellent framer. There are still weak spots here – notably Andrew Benintendi in left and Andrew Vaughn at first – but as we said above, up-the-middle fielding is more valuable than corner fielding. Less time in the field given to Oscar Colás and Gavin Sheets should help, and veterans who had seen better days than they showed in 2023 like Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal have departed. It's a different roster now. The White Sox don’t have to be, and won’t be, baseball’s best defensive team. They might be the most improved, though.

What was it?

Truly rational! But being a White Sox fan the past 15 years has pretty much been the definition of irrationality in terms of opportunity cost.

JR and the Finance Dept. loves this post.

They couldn’t if they knew he was injured. Grievance would have been filed by MLBPA.

Village of Bedford Park

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/741650-simply-a-natural-the-15-mlb-couples-most-likely-to-produce-a-star See #2. Olympic softball player.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kim-zolciak-daughter-brielle-biermann-152945975.html Brielle must love her some baseball. A while back, she was in a two-year relationship with Michael Kopech, a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, until they split in March 2018. She also had a quick situationship with ex-UCLA pitcher Justin Hooper in 2019, which lasted less than a year.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/billionaire-owner-chicago-bulls-white-190109031.html Reinsdorf and billionaires getting hammered universally in comments

Well, that could either 1) highly complicate things or 2) ensure that both teams at least GET something, because it's going to be very unpopular to turn down both? How would they decide which team should get what percentage of benefit/subsidy though? Does it matter that the Bears did this 20 years ago versus the White Sox closer to 35 years ago? What about the existing bonds/debt attached to the Bears' project vs. Sox liabilities? Will that also be taken into consideration?

Royals 2014-15 again. But we don't have the basestealers and contact hitters to really make this work in the same way. Do we even have any capable bunters?

Unless we time warped backwards to 2019.

All kinds of Sox related news this week https://www.yahoo.com/sports/paul-konerko-sends-heartfelt-congratulations-204341027.html to Chris Chelios for jersey retirement as a Blackhawk

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-al-batting-champion-tim-205531823.html If TA gets traded to another team this year, he pockets an extra $500k assignment bonus.

Bring back the Melky and Carlos Sanchez comedy acts.

https://www.milb.com/player/billy-seidl-687225 Duke Blue Devil. One of the closers for Kanny last year. Higher ERA than you’d like at that level. WHIP needs to come down significantly.

Bryce Harper already wants his contract renegotiated/extended. https://sports.yahoo.com/bryce-harper-has-8-years-left-on-his-phillies-contract-so-why-does-he-want-an-extension-201603197.html Can just imagine the reaction of JR with this tactic. Boras wanted the opt out so but Harper had wanted to demonstrate his commitment to stay in Philly and helping to sign other FA's like Turner Schwarber Nola and next Wheeler again reupping.

Margot basically replacing Michael A. Taylor on the roster…

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/brielle-biermann-engaged-baseball-player-003051442.html Actress/social media influencer/Real Housewives of ATL daughter…not sure if this is good or will end up more like Michael Kopech, for now we can be positive/optimistic about something Sox-related I suppose.

The United Center is home to the Reinsdorf-controlled Bulls and the Wirtz family-owned Blackhawks. Reinsdorf and the Wirtzes co-own the building, and the purchasing of parking lots nearby only can mean arena expansion and development of the area are in the works. ‘‘It would be premature to discuss specifics at this time,’’ a spokesman for the parking-lot venture told Novak and Herguth. You’ve gotta salute the corpo-speak, but, if you have a brain, you know what’s up. Never forget that Reinsdorf made his fortune in real estate and the Wirtzes in alcohol distribution.

Why is Jerry Reinsdorf spending millions buying up parking lots around the United Center? Reporting by Tim Novak and Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times Buying lots: As Chicago White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf seeks $1 billion in taxpayer funding for a new ballpark in a planned mixed-use district in the South Loop, his associates have spent millions of dollars buying out parking lots run by his competitors to build what could be a similar district around the United Center. Spending big: Over the past 19 months, a Reinsdorf-connected company has spent $44.7 million buying vacant lots from two politically connected families that over the years have offered discounted parking deals to fans of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, the Sun-Times has learned. A third family has refused to sell its parking lots. The connections: More than half of that money has been paid to family-owned companies connected to longtime Bridgeport businessman Joseph Feldman Sr., whose late sister headed the political campaign fund for former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Key context: Reinsdorf, who is also chairman of the Bulls, and the Wirtz family, which owns the Blackhawks, co-own the United Center, which they built 30 years ago without any public financing. Both teams have since built practice facilities near the arena, which is a major catalyst for economic development on the West Side. Bottom line: Four of Chicago’s professional sports teams — the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox — are working on plans to redevelop or move their stadium sites. Read our full Watchdogs report here or click the button below.

DBacks didn’t get to the WS by being dumb. Otoh, we now have two their former top execs and potentially the one being positioned as next Sox GM in Josh Barfield.