ChiSox59

It is outrageous, but I don't really care to debate anything abreu related with you. Why aren't you saying the same thing about Collins? He had the same minor league OPS as Mercedes last year.

1. There is more to baseball than hitting the ball. 2. Zack Collins and Mercedes had virtually identical OPS last year in the minors, and throughout their careers. IMAGINE that! Stats, and stuff. 3. People that think Mercedes can outproduce or even replace Abreu and Encarnacion's production at the major league level are high.

A non-roster ST invite. Drew Anderson. https://www.mlb.com/player/drew-anderson-623454

Maximum 13 pitchers. So won't be an extra pitcher.

Basically no at bats for Mercedes or Collins until there is an injury. No at bats for Delmonico either - who is he gonna play over? I said Collins at first blush, but with some more thought, I bet it'd Romine or Cuthbert who will be DFA's upon Madrigal's arrival.

Nah, Grandal will be in the OD lineup.

I think he's interesting. I think most of the intrigue goes away when he can't play passable defense anywhere. He's worth having on the 40 man and I hope he has another nice season, but he has like 400 plate appearances above A ball. I am not quite ready to state that he could effectively replace Abreu and Encarncaion's production at the MLB level like some here seem to think. I hope he gets a shot at some point. I don't understand why they didn't give him a shot last September if they were going to add him to the 40 man this winter. But it is what it is now. Nice guy to have around, but you won't find me lamenting the fact he isn't being handed the MLB DH job.

Lol, some people going a bit overboard with the Mercedes love. He is a guy that may be nice to have around in case of injury, but he isn't a guy you need to move people around to make space for.

I'd go with Collins. But his stay will be short. The 26 man roster is mostly set. Maybe last bullpen spot is open, but its almost certain to go to Fulmer for one last chance unless he has a disastrous ST. Can't imagine Engel or Mendick will be left off. Highly doubt a couple nice early ST games from Delmonico puts him back in the picture. Maybe they give the nod to Romine or Cuthbert just because they'll be easy to DFA, but I'd lean Collins. Position players: Abreu, Garcia, Anderson, Moncada, Eloy, Robert, Mazara, Encarnacion, Grandal, McCann, Engel, Mendick, Collins Pitchers: Giolito, Lopez, Keuchel, Cease, Gonzalez, Colome, Herrera, Bummer, Fry, Cishek, Marshall, Cordero, Fulmer

I kind of agree here. Not enough to not be interested in extending him or anything, but I do worry a bit about a comfy Moncada working less on his game, and I also think he’s unlikely to consistently play 150+ games with the way he’s always acting like he’s seriously injured whenever he stubs a toe.

Im not ignoring anything. I’m just not sure I’m prepared to call a 7/$140M deal a no brainer on guy with one good season with a historically high BABIP. I do think Moncada is going to be a Star in this league for a long time, but I’m not quite ready to pay him like a star. I already said id be cool with the proposed dollars in the extension, but thought it seemed a bit high all things considered.

Sure, but you're paying him $650k in 2020. He'll get a raise to $4-5M or so in 2021. He is going to have to be one of hte best 10-15 players in baseball (and to be clear, he has the talent to be and already probably was in 2019) for the Sox to not be paying him MORE via this proposed extension in 22-23 than he would make via the arb process. The sox have traditionally done these extensions to create value. The proposed deal doesn't create a ton of value for the club unless Moncada is a straight superstar - but it also comes from a guy (MLBburner) with questionable validity, so I'll wait to see the actual terms before putting much more thought into it. Definitely hope they can get it done!

I think something like this makes more sense: $5M signing bonus. 2020: $1M 2021: $5M 2022: $10M 2023: $14M 2024: $18M 2025: $20M 2026: $22M 2027 team option: $24M ($4M buyout) 2028 team option: $26M ($4M buyout) That is 7/$99M guaranteed, with the chance to take it to 9/$145M if the options are picked up. Extends three FA years, plus 2 more options years. Seems a little more like something that could give the Sox a little more incentive to get this done. The proposed deal by the MLBburner just doesn't seem like a move that creates a ton of value for the Sox, beyond simply just ensuring you have Moncada on the roster.

I mean, Moncada has had one good season that was very inflated due to unsustainable babip. I love the guy. I hope we extend him. I hope we extend him now because I don't see him getting any cheaper. 7/$133M seems a tad steep, especially when you're escalating it up to $18M in his arb3 year. Again, I wouldn't be mad about it, but it certainly isn't any semblance of a discount.

@Y2Jimmy has nailed basically everything this offseason, so I expect this to happen. That would be a quite a commitment from the Sox.

Dude, they aren't locking anything in. The Sox are paying $250k to have the option to bring Leury back for a net cost of $3.25m without any other competition. If Leury has another decent season, it wouldn't be a total shock for him to beat that. If he sucks in 2020, you pay him the $250k and you move along. Its a non issue. Its basically ensuring the opportunity to bring him back IF and ONLY IF the Sox want to bring him back.

Nick Madrigal has less than 315 plate appearances above A ball. There is plenty of reason for him to get more minor league seasoning. I agree that (good) young players and minors leaguers should get paid more. But this is the system that is currently in place. Take it up with MLB and the MLBPA. I don't really care to get into the contract law debate, and obviously a guy like Madrigal this year, Eloy last year, Robert had he not been extended, etc. are one of the best 25/26 players in the organization. But there are other things that matter, and ultimately, these dudes are employees of the White Sox, the White Sox own their rights, and the White Sox can do what they want under the terms of the existing CBA. There is no written rule that defines a players readiness, and until there is, intelligent teams are going to continue to abuse contractual control. Nick Madrigal is going to make plenty of money playing a kids game in addition to the massive $6.4M signing bonus the Sox gave him, so if this delays his FA by 1 season, it is hard for me to feel too bad about it.

Sure, but it is also isn't against the rules as currently constructed. Being a respected employer is great and dandy, but when all other employers in your industry do the same thing that may be a tad cutthroat but its legal, you'd be wise to do it as well because you'll be a competitive disadvantage if you don't. Plus, the Sox have done a ton of good for their guys. They've guaranteed Luis Robert what like $80M before he's even stepped foot on a major league field, and they also paid Eloy a boat load of money he hadn't yet earned. They're doing right by their guys. Just because Madrigal isn't going to start the season in the bigs doesn't mean the Sox aren't doing right by their guys.

Right, so there are no clear rules against it. There aren't rules against something that is undefined. You can say "serve time manipulation is prohibited!!!" until you're purple in the face, but if you can't define what exactly service time manipulation is, there isn't a rule. You can make tons of arguments that Madrigal should be in the minors to start the year, and until MLB formulates something that clearly defines MLB-readiness, there is no defined rules against it.

First off, they didn't extend Leury. He was already under control for 2020 for $3.25M. They added a $3.5M CLUB OPTION for 2021, with a $250k buyout. And this is legitimately nothing like the Abreu move which was and remains a significant overpay.

Until there are actual rules against it, they should continue to do it because everyone else does it and it would put the Sox at a huge disadvantage to not do it. Sox have done right by their guys giving them unheard of monster extensions before ever having played a game in the big leagues. Punting a prime year of Madrigal for like 10 games in March and April in his rookie season when you have a perfectly suitable guy in Leury to fill in would be straight idiotic. Which is why it won't happen.

Still looking for 1 more manager to fill this league up. Been stuck at 11 for a bit here. If anyone is interested or has any questions, please shoot me a PM and I will get you whatever you need. Thanks!

I think you nailed it. Hope they flop Eloy and Abreu, but they won’t.

He is the weak side platoon RF. Slightly different.

Lol can’t believe some people are trying to convince themselves this is bad.