Chicago White Sox

I mean, this is a message board and we typically debate various topics without taking opposing viewpoints personally (apparently not the case). That being said, @chitownsportsfan summarized my thoughts very nicely. I keep hearing how awesome Rutherford has been after a slow start when nothing in the underlying statistics suggest that at all. Meanwhile, Sheets has been awesome and doesn’t get nearly as much love. It’s really as simple as that.

Before the Quintana deal, it was one massive signing for us and one “big” trade with the Cubs ?‍♂️

Come on man, it was a totally different environment back then. And both sides have admitted to the risk of making a deal of this significance with each other. This isn’t just some random message board poster claiming this, SoxTalk’s favorite Cubs GM has said this himself. And no, I simply said a lot of the stereotypes the Sox were known for have since been overturned in recent years. I’ve acknowledged the clusterfuck that was the Machado miss many times on here and I’m not banking on them signing Gerrit Cole.

Lol...I guess I’m weird or trying to “win” for calling someone a hypocrite.

I actually admitted I was wrong about Bell (although I still think he sucked with us), but it really doesn’t change my point. That move was 27 years ago and the Sox & Cubs have basically done no significant trade then until Quintana.

I mean, you literally just made fun of me for not remembering George Bell was highly regarded. Pot call kettle black?

Thank you...and that’s the point. A lot of the stereotypes of the White Sox have been turned over in recent years.

I’ll admit he was better / higher regarded at the time of the trade than I originally let on (although he wasn’t very good by modern metrics). That being said, if we have to go back to 1992 to find a “big” Cubs-Sox trade that still reinforces my point.

Does that make you four years old, because I’m still struggling to see how Josh Donaldson wasn’t a great player.

That was @Moan4Yoan claiming it was “regression”.

Sheets has been awesome since a slow start, Rutherford not so much despite the common perception around here.

Yeah, that 1998 roster just reaks of rebuilding with no namers like Frank Thomas, Albert Belle, & Robin Ventura.

Lol...so was Ken Griffey Jr, but I don’t really call that a big trade when he was at the end of his career. Bell was out of the league after two seasons with us and wasn’t very good at the time of the trade. But hey, keep on reaching.

Yeah, unfortunately I don’t work in the front office and can say with absolute authority that they’ll raise their payroll to ~$125M. I can say with certainty they can afford a payroll of that level, that they should spend at that level, and that I think they will spend at that level, but whether they immediately jump there in 2020 remains an IF until they do.

What are these big trades you’re referring to? Sammy Sosa for George Bell in 1992? Matt Karchner for Jon Garland in 1998? Neil Cotts for David Aardsma in 2006? I know Sosa became a star, but none of those were anything like the Quintana deal in terms of scale and the risk both clubs took on. Also, White Flag Trade had nothing to do with rebuilding. They traded a couple of decent pieces, but kept the vast majority of the core. That is one of the biggest reaches I’ve seen in a long time.

Just like we’d never rebuild, never trade a star to the Cubs, and never go into the international free agency penalty box.

Oh my bad, thought you meant the majors.

I saw him at SoxFest and he’s easily the most impressive physical talent I have seen in my life baseball wise.

Who else would be impacted other than Sanchez?

The only pitcher getting more than five years will be Cole IMO. That means everyone else should be in our wheelhouse (see Danks deal.) And I get people being skeptical if we’ll ever sign a guy to a $200M+ deal, but that doesn’t mean we can’t land the vast majority of free agents this offseason. People are just so butt hurt over last offseason that they’re no longer being rational. We’ve always had middle of the pack payrolls or better under Jerry and that isn’t going to suddenly change because we temporarily cut back on spending like all rebuilding teams do.

Oh remember, Reinsdorf finally decided to rebuild at 80+ years of age so he could line his pockets with all those sweet rebuild savings!!

Just like many others here, he won’t be willing to take a guess but will then say we won’t sign anyone implying a $80M payroll next year.

Who is saying they’re moving?

The problem wouldn’t be Bummer as the closer IMO, it would be the fact we just lost our best setup man. Right now, we have three quality relievers we can count on in Colome, Bummer, & Fry. For better or worse, Herrera will be in the mix next year and cross our fingers he returns to form. Even with Colome, we’ll need to add at least one quality RH setup man. Trading Colome would’ve made fixing the bullpen a bigger effort this offseason, but potentially would have worth it for a young, major league ready RF or SP.

I guess we’ll have to wait and see. And while Cole is the guy we should be going all out for, when I say TOR starter I’m speaking loosely and including guys like Wheeler & Bumgarner. If we’re unable to land one of the top four or five starters in free agency, then pack this shit up and move the team to Nashville because the organization is toast in Chicago.