caulfield12

Every GM/team in baseball would want Crochet on their team…potential-wise. Only one franchise out of 30 could even tolerate Clevinger on their roster.

How much cash are you willing to eat to move Benintendi?

When they just gave an “outsider” in Fedde nearly half that amount for two years? If the Rockies can give Tovar as much as $84 million…heck, didn’t even Myles Straw get more than that way back when?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/another-multibillion-dollar-deal-completely-171436891.html For private equity firms, sports teams present a massive growth opportunity considering many of their valuations have grown well above 10% over the last year. The value of the average NBA team grew 35% in 2023 versus the previous year, according to Forbes. But leagues have put a cap on the ownership percentage that these firms are allowed to have in order to ensure that they cannot have controlling stake. For example, the NBA allows for a single private equity firm to own a maximum of 20% of a team, and a team is not allowed to sell more than 30% of its stake to private equity. These firms are actually allowed to own more than one team per sports league, though only the MLB allows for a single private equity firm to have stake in an unlimited. The NBA and NHL cap firms at five teams, MLS caps firms at four, and NWSL limits ownership to three franchises. The NFL has still not allowed private equity to enter the sport — and league owners pushed back a discussion on whether to change the rule just last week. However, that discussion is expected to be brought up again later this year, according to Bloomberg.

Yeah, an A level (potentially CFer) prospect, very toolsy, surprisingly good eye and strong OBP compared to what we normally see in young/raw Sox prospects...many are speculating he will be considered the "jewel" of the trade 2-3 years from now. BIggest questions are how much power he will hit for and whether he can stick in CF as he gets older and puts on weight/muscle over time.

Soler managed it just fine...but obviously two totally different kinds of hitters. It certainly depressed Burger's homer count in the second half as well.

Those three teams (from thread title)...along with the A's (1.1%), are the ONLY ones with less than 10% odds of making the playoffs as of current moment. Marlins 11.1% Angels 14.6% Royals 14.4% 1-5 Astros still are predicted for first place in the AL West, for example.

If not as a starter, something like Andrew Miller at the height of his multi-inning powers...

As an exercise in roster building in Getz's shoes and also because there eventually has to be a core or foundation. It's certainly not going to be adding today's equivalent of Theo adding Jon Lester.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/march-madness-iowas-win-over-lsu-draws-123m-views-to-smash-record-for-most-watched-ncaaw-game-014731830.html Would have been 15-18 million on ABC....plus it was Monday night vs. Sunday afternoon or evening. They apparently didn't want to preempt American Idol.

After Montgomery, who are the #2/#3 options for an (early) extension, if you were the GM? Robert, Jr., is NOT an option for this exercise (likely in futility).

Be prepared for attendance numbers in the four digits, then. 12,300 tonight. That puts their season ticket base in the 11-12,000 range, SOMEWHERE. Unless there were an inordinate amount of single game buying AND especially determined Braves' fans in attendance...despite the miserable weather.

At some, Getz is going to have to set a FIRM date for the "contention window" to begin. It's going to have to be 2026-27-28. The first one is unrealistically early (2026)...given the situation they're currently facing and declining budgets. The latter one (2028) just feels so far away for fans to sit through FOUR years of bad baseball to get to a competitive team after what just transpired in 2022/23. And it's not even like you can pile up those Top (1) 1-2-3 draft picks anymore as the Astros/Royals/Cubs did to spark their rebuilds a decade or more ago.

Sure, but where do you start? Schultz has a lot of long-term injury/mechanics concerns, as well. Anyone really at that size. Tier A FA is out. That leaves the June draft/international draft pool or bargain basement bin like this year (Fedde/Flexen/Soroka, etc.). It doesn't seem we're ever going to overspend/outbid on Japanese and Korean pitchers, either. At least not under JR Regime, or his son.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/garrett-crochet-48366/ Okay, I was counting this as one of the three since it JUST started. 2024-25-26 2027 UFA

You need to build around someone, like the Royals with Witt, Jr. Right now, almost all of their (future) eggs are pretty much in the Montgomery basket.

Three years of control remaining. You wait a full year and he keeps this up and he's getting more and more expensive by the start. There's also something to be said for "we're going to put all of our resources behind you into this whole starting thing working out" as quickly as possible. The price tag will be lower and suddenly you can start to project the makings of a Sox rotation into the not-so-distant future, past 2026. Part of this is a function of having almost no players on the roster to get even mildly excited about. This idea might seem completely preposterous just 2 months or so from now.

He's going to have to prove himself over an EXTENDED time period. Whether he can hold up throwing 30-40 max effort pitches (multi-inning usage)...just like tonight, in adverse weather conditions. Whether he can control his walks and keep hitters off balance by getting ahead and bringing his "A" wipe out slider. Otherwise, even at 99-101 he's going to end up unsuccessful and/or getting hurt again.

Obviously 2-3 months from this becoming a more serious consideration, BUT 1) White Sox desperately need "feel good" redemption stories after the unpopular Burger trade, both were considered key parts of the rebuild at one point 2) MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE Kopech can just let it loose as a closer/reliever and get away with it (obviously going to have to increase his slider usage though) 3) Both pitchers have/had such uncertain futures that guaranteeing or locking in XYZ amount of money right now (for the future) would or could be QUITE attractive...as getting injured again (TJS) would come close to spelling the end of both of their careers. Risk mitigation. Of course that works from JR's side as well. 4) They're going to have to start thinking of Crochet more as a "long term asset" and less as a push him to the brink (see Rodon 2021) type of situation where they knew he was leaving at the end of the year. Other than Montgomery, there aren't really any obvious players you would even consider for an extension. Robert, Jr., seems to be out of the question entirely at this point. OFC, the thinking coming into this year was just to pump and dump nearly everyone on the roster, but at some point you have to draw a line in the sand and say "the future starts now." Otherwise, there will never be an official date for when they're expected to start competing in such a weak-ass division. And you also need to have guys like this to draw/excite fans...with REAL talent and charisma that fans can actually get behind.

Kopech with 36 pitches. Topped out with two at 100.8. Over 10 at 100.

Would have more faith in Crede, Uribe or Julio Franco (even at today's playing ages) coming through at this point...

Would honestly rather watch the ghost of Joe Borchard because he at least might hit the ball 440-460 feet...and possessed some above-average athletic tools at his disposal as well.

Traded away the wrong first round draft pick last year...not that Vaughn had Burger's value. Maybe it was fairly close, though.

So the Sox can stay in the news again or distract from the team's record?

OFC it's Gavin Sheets coming up. K or 3 run homer, let's see...