Chicago White Sox

POTY. SSS is really, really bad without Margulas. And it seems like SoxMachine has less articles and more pointless podcasts. Thank god for James Fegan.

I don’t think there will be 40 man roster problems this offseason and I’m fairly confident Hamilton will be on the team early next year if not sooner. He doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors.

I just don’t think playing service time games with relievers is necessary. I’d get him up this year and let him start developing into a back-end of the pen anchor.

Looks like I was off on Vieira lol. At least I got the Danish & Volstad pieces right although not together.

Which is totally fine if teams don't value him as a controllable TOR right now. But if a team is offering up a haul for him right now, take the prospects and run. We can always use the acquired prospects (or the depth it creates) to land a TOR starter when the time is right (hopefully prior to the 2020 season).

What if we get pieces that can help us in 2020 though? I really don't think it's as simple as you're making it out to be. Rodon is still a bit of a wild-card, especially with his health issues over the past couple seasons. I understand there's a split of whether Mejia can stick at catcher, but if you believe he can, we just filled out biggest organizational question mark with an elite talent and can reallocate potential resources to the rotation.

I mean, yeah that would work. And I'm probably off-base on Riley. I thought he had much more proficient swing & miss issues but that does not appear to be the case. He could definitely be the positional centerpiece of a deal.

You'd really keep Rodon if you thought our first legit year of being competitive was 2021? Is one year of a TOR starter (assuming that's what he is) really worth the opportunity cost of forgoing a Quintana like pacakge (if we could get it)?

No, it's a very fair question and honestly it's probably a bit early to jump to that conclusion. I guess I thought he just looked different in his last start. Very good pace from start to finish, much better composure on the mound, consistently getting ahead of hitters, & using the changeup more frequently. Seemed like a different guy out there, although that's really the smallest of sample sizes.

I would love to add Riley, but he's not a good enough centerpiece IMO.

Rodon has three years of control. Saying he fits the window is very debatable. Furthermore, he's had a mess of injury issues over the past few years. If I can get Quintana like package for him, I'm taking that to the bank and running. We have almost unlimited financial resources in the coming years and no reason we can't add a veteran starter to partially offset his production in the short-run. Having said all that, I would need to be blown away to move him. Otherwise, let's hope he can stay healthy and anchor our staff for the next three years.

Which prospect?

Why is that sobering? Burdi & Hamilton are elite relief prospects. And despite showing much power, Sheets is still a talented 1B prospect in his first full year of professional baseball. I might put him before Sheets, but overall I think his ranking makes a lot of sense.

I guess I’m less concerned with left-handed hitters showing platoon splits in the minors, especially one who hasn’t been able to focus solely on his offensive game.

I was just reading BA’s write-up on him from their pre-season top 30 and it kind of got me down on him. His lack of speed is a bit concerning for a middle infield prospect.

If I can get Mejia and two lower end top 100 types I’m all for it. I think a package like that would be attractive because it lets them keep five of their six top prospects and let’s us get one blue chipper while taking advantage of their depth.

The rumor I saw Tatis & Gore were the only untouchables. Don’t think I’d deal with them without Mejia coming back in the deal. Urias is obviously awesome but would make the infield situation even more complicated.

The Braves could too. Maybe the Yanks if they’d trade us Andujar & an arm. I’m not sure the Brewers have what we’re looking for at this point.

The Padres want a TOR starter and Rodon looks like he’s finally fulfilling his potential. I’m sure you’re right, but if one team did something crazy it’s the team that spent $140M on Hosmer when they we’ret even ready to compete.

The only org right now that could probably sway me is the Padres. I would happily take Mejia, Allen, & Naylor for Rodon.

I agree, but if he really only has a 10% chance of sticking at catcher I can kind of understand. But still, he’s been one the best hitters in the Southern League this year and hasn’t been able to focus on offense as much as other prospects.

Gotcha, I just took your comment of Fry being a solid reliever as your view of his performance this year and not from how other front offices might view him.

I’m not sure I follow. This post seems to indicate that Fry has only been solid and Hand has been much better this year and neither of those statements are true. The primary reason for a difference in value is due to track record. If Fry can maintain this level of output for another 2 - 6 months he will be worth quite a bit. That obviously remains to be seen.

Hamilton is also the best & most major league relief prospect at the moment. He may not be the first guy up (I think he should be), but he'll definitely be up before year end and likely part of the 2019 opening day bullpen.

2019 is when the real log-jam will hit. I'm not overly concerned about this offseason as there is still plenty of filler on the 40 man.