Chicago White Sox

I just don’t see it, but theoretically could still happen. Unfortunately, this feels like the move to me, with Pillar moving to a true 4th OF role a couple months into the season when Colas is hopefully ready. Until then, someone cheap like Brett Phillips likely fills in as the 4th OF and provides some defense. Again, just me speculating, but if they were going to sign someone like Duvall they should have just done that move and not this one.

What’s scary is that outside of Robert, there isn’t a single player in the lineup who will be under 30 by the end of the season and with three years of control left. Vaughn has two years of Arb left after the 2024 season, Eloy has two club options, and Moncada has one club option. Beyond that you’ll still have three years of a 30+ years old (and likely declining) Benintendi. That’s it for the guys already in place, which means filling six to eight everyday spots over the next couple of years. Hahn really left a heaping pile of s%*# on his way out.

Who is the starting RF then? It doesn’t sound like it will be Colas, which leaves Sheets, Pillar, & Phillips.

So is this what we’re looking at to start the season? Those “reinforcements” can’t come soon enough, because it’s remarkable how little controllable talent would be on that Opening Day roster. It also refinforces how critical it is for Getz to hit on a Cease trade. Being competitive in a shitty AL Central by 2026 seems like a long shot without Dylan bringing back a couple of near major league ready pieces. Lineup: Benintendi, LF* Vaughn, 1B Robert, CF Jimenez, DH Moncada, 3B# DeJong, SS Lopez, 2B* Pillar, RF Maldonado, CA Bench: IF: Sosa OF: Phillips* UT: Sheets* BC: Stassi Rotation: Cease Fedde Soroka Kopech Flexin Bullpen: CL: Santos SU: Brebbia SU: Leasure MR: Garcia MR: Hill* MR: Lambert MR: Drohan* LR: Toussaint Reinforcements: Montgomery, SS* Rodriguez, 2B Colas, RF* Shewmake, IF* Lee, CA Nastrini, SP Eder, SP* Mena, SP Shuster, SP* Speas, RP

I think they feel he needs more time in AAA, which is probably true. I believe the whole point of these scrap heap signings is so we don’t have rush prospects with any actual talent like Rick previously did.

I don’t disagree, but you shouldn’t spend big if you only need a two month placeholder for Colas. A lot of these additions are simply buying time.

Because they plan on starting Colas in AAA and we need two OFs. Not saying it makes sense per se, but I fully expect it happen. Sheets can not be allowed to play the OF unless there are multiple injuries.

I think it will be a platoon with Brett Phillips.

$3M if he makes the major league roster

What’s fascinating to me is that every argument of his against the move is immediately disproven by the existence of the Cubs.

I hate that I have to keep repeating this, but our run differential was 319 runs worse than the Twins. How does that roster make up that difference?

Me and Aly have discussed privately and decided to cancel the ban bet. While I know @ron883 will be disappointed, we felt a better proposal was to ban all Orioles posters if/when a Cease trade happens and he commands a headliner better than Joey Ortiz.

Why would the mods lie about this?

Their Cease valuation sucks IMO, so I decree it’s fair value!

The mods told me via PM that you agreed, so we’re on like Donkey Kong!

Oh I get it, but you can’t force a trade like this looking to fill specific needs. Go for the best talent possible or you risk writing off too many trade partners. That being said, if you expect two higher end prospects and one needs to be a pitcher, then the Yankees still make a lot of sense for us.

Oh no doubt, and that’s the likely outcome, which is why I’m calling it a quantity deal for them. But if he were to somehow get some command and could stick in the rotation, the ceiling would be pretty high.

You might be right, which is just insane IMO. The positional depth in our system is very poor with little outfield talent. I wouldn’t pass on a pitching headliner if it were someone with a legit TOR ceiling, but we shouldn’t be passing on positional prospects if they are available.

I don’t think this necessarily is a bad return for Burnes. It’s just more quantity than quality. Having said that, these pieces really wouldn’t work for us and we need potential impact talent (although Hall has some ceiling).

A trade needs to happen in the next 19 days or I lose my ban bet with @baseball_gal_aly. If I lose that bet, burn this thread to the ground with me.

Fair enough…but I don’t agree it was reasonable to assume the Brewers would undercut a Cease market. I don’t think they were committed to dealing him unless they got the right deal (and this gives them two major league ready pieces that can slot into their rotation and at SS) and I don’t believe all GMs like paying up for arms with just one year of control.

I can’t imagine Getz will go with a prospect that far away as one of the two big pieces.

You literally just said he was “likely available” based on what exactly?

Time for the Yankees to nut up and offer us Jones, Hampton, & Vivas or Cashman will risk joining Hahn in the unemployment line next off-season.

Are we actually comparing Burnes and Bieber? And all the rumors suggested Burnes wasn’t very available.