Chicago White Sox

I’d say a #3 starter ceiling. He’s not an elite prospect by any means, but the kid is also a legit 21 year old in AAA who has posted nice K rates throughout the minors thanks in part to a plus curveball. People here will harp on the fastball being below average, but he’s also built up a considerable amount of innings over the past couple years and I wouldn’t be shocked if the fastball eventually goes up a notch. Regardless, it’s dangerous to trade a young, athletic starter who just put up 135 innings in the minors when you have zero long-term guys in your rotation. Even more dangerous when you’re trading him for a 26 year old who screams 4th OF or second division regular. I don’t like the move in isolation and I like it even less given where we stand in our rebuild.

I have avoided reading too much into the veteran scrap-heap moves because I thought he was simply looking for cheap filler that could provide plus defense (giving Getz something he could pat himself on the back about) and be good in the clubhouse for the handful of young players we actually have. However, this is the first time Getz has gone out and acquired a potential foundational piece using our own prospect currency and he spends it on a high contact, strong glove RF. I’m sure Fletcher is a fine little player, but it’s not what I want from RF (especially when stuck with Benintendi in LF) and not how I would have spent my limited prospect capital on while just kicking off a rebuild. Really makes me question what in the f*** Getz is doing in all honesty.

This move legit terrifies me. How does trading Mena for a 26 year old, 5’ 6” OF enhance our long-term outlook? Like I get this guy isn’t completely powerless, but we now have a pair of contact-oriented hitters in our OF corners. This just seems like such a low ceiling move and I struggle to see the broader strategy here. And now I’m actually worried that Getz places very little value on power.

@Balta1701 - Remember when you said he was untradable?

You’re probably right. But even if he wasn’t, why sign Piller and him?

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.