thxfrthmmrs

He’s got a Hawk like thing for Mazara. If Avi could be a 30/30 CF why not Nomar!

We’re at $122M and likely not done. I think we will still have a couple more one year deals left and end up at $135M. I’m fine with leaving enough flexibility to reassess the needs next year.

Mazara is not a CF and Collins is not an RF. Lay off whatever you’re on.

So we significantly shored up the offense and starting pitching without significant long term commitments and mortgages minimal future assets. I wonder what the negative nancies will find to complain about next.

What do you put in your eggnog for Christmas?

Good teams also have great bullpens. With 3/5 of the rotation not going deep in games, we need bullpen help more than ever.

What if Moncada gets hurt? Anderson? Or Giolito? Who’s their backup at those positions? Collins is a much better backup then whoever is filling in for those guys. If defense is what you’re worried about, they could easily bring in a defensive catcher sitting on someone’s bench. And as Dick Allen had said, if Grandal is out for a significant period of time this team is screwed anyways.

He's 32 and STEAMER projects that he's at least worth his contract value the next 2 years. He's hardly the bad player you're making him out to be.

He's finally getting one right.

Always winning an argument when you have to resort to OPS.

You do realize 5 out of last 6 seasons he's worth way more than that AAV. He had one bad year in 2018 and bounced back nicely. It was a fair, low risk contract for a player of his value, hardly dodging a bullet as you have suggested.

What are you talking about. Coming of a 2.5 fWAR season he's a bargain at $8M AAV. I think many here would be happy with his modest production and defense than a gamble on Mazara.

I thought that was yesterday.

I will go out on a limb and say EE signs today. His market is shrinking by the day and it makes a lot of sense to get the deal done before Christmas.

I know what you mean with the comp, Mendick is someone who could be a versatile piece playing a bunch of positions and be the jack of all trades. But mind you Taylor was a 4.8 fWAR player in 2017 and 3.2 in 2018. He also had superb contact ability back in the minors (.312 BA vs .259 for Mendick) and made a swing change to tap into his power in 2017. I think a good ceiling for Mendick is probably 2019 Taylor, but I don’t see him being beyond that.

I keep seeing a need for Mazara platoon come up and I dont know if we really need one with an EE signing. With EE at DH this team will be pretty stacked offensively so I'd rather any platoon for Mazara bring versatility, speed and defense to the table in addition to being capable vs. LHP. I don't know if anyone left out there fits the bill better than Leury or Engel. Our potential bench is looking like McCann, Leury, Engel and Mendick. I wouldn't mind bringing in Asdrubal Cabrera in as the backup IF if they don't think Mendick is ready. Cabrera being a switch hitter and playing average or better defense across all 3 IF positions brings more value to the table than say a Puig/Souza/Pence/Santana as the Mazara platoon.

I can get behind a 1+1 deal, ala Twins’ for Cruz, except less $$.

I see we’re trying to get out in front of any bad PR from a failed Betts signing next offseason by locking up an RF.

Who are the remaining suitors besides Sox for EE anyways? Rangers have Choo, Rays have Tsutsugo/Choi, and Blue Jays have Tellez. EE would be an upgrade for those teams but chances of them going after him are low. At this point I would be extremely surprised the Sox don’t end up signing him.

I am completely aware of how the contract is accounted on the team's books, but what I am suggesting is the number of years a pitcher needs to be effective, and not the number of years the contract would be accounted across. Put it this way, how much value does a pitcher like Cole get you? 6 WAR? 7? The value he gives you per season is capped. So in a $324M contract, Cole would have to pitch at an elite level for 6 years to justify the contract. With how volatile pitchers have proven to be, especially aging power pitchers, that is a huge risk. So you can argue that it doesn't matter id the contract is accounted over 9 or 20 years, it absolutely matters in this 9 year contract Cole has to be elite for 6.

Do you seriously think that? It absolutely has everything to do with the years. There is a reason the longest committed contract to a baseball pitcher is only 7 years. Had Cole been looking for a 6/$216M contract Sox would absolutely be in the running. There is only one team who in the history of MLB gave 9 years of top dollar to a pitcher, and that team is worth 3x the White Sox. I don’t need to harp on the risk of an expensive contract to a pitcher, not to mention on top of that a 9 year deal. The risk of the pitcher coming down with career altering injury or just losing effectiveness increases significantly with a longer deal. Also quoting $36M AAV is misleading, Cole would almost be less effective or even a shell of his former self by years 7 or 8 of the deal, so you’re essentially deferring his current salary to later years by giving him a longer deal. Also giving a deal like that would essentially close the window on any hope of resigning extending a Moncada, Giolito or even Anderson or Kopech. It’s just not a good baseball move for the Sox. Of the things to complain about how this offseason went, not outbidding Yankees for Cole is the very last one of them.

This. Also I may be in the minority but I’m fine with giving Collins a shot at DH to begin the season. If he flops DH is probably the easiest position to fill through in season trades (even thought 2019 says otherwise). We’re at $110M right now by my calculation and even though we could fit EE on the payroll, I’d rather shorten the game by signing 2 highend BP arms.

I like him too and he is what I hope Mendick would become. But definitely won’t come cheap. You’re taking the word wishlist... too literally.

Who else do you want Santa Ricky bring in for the Sox this Christmas? I see a lot of discussion on the Keuchel thread on this and most owns another DH type like EE and RP. I think an elite RP is a must (Harris, Betances, Cishek), but how about a stopgap 2B? I like Cesar Hernandez but wouldn't mind a Asdrubal or Dozier. Dozier especially since he kills lefties. Could slide in as platoon with Collins if we don't land a EE.

Might have overpaid by $5-10M but who cares, everyone else had to overpay for pitching this offseason. Rotation is set!