ChiSox59

Yeah, you hate Ryu. You've mentioned that. He's definitely not perfect - I too would prefer a 2 year deal - but that isn't going to happen.

Ryu on a 3 year deal. Keuchel on a 3 year deal would be OK as well. Really don't want to go to 4 years on either . While I prefer Ryu overall, I'd feel more comfortable going 4 on Keuchel because he's more durable and I feel he may be a bit cheaper. But I'd consider the 4th years for both depending on the AAV. I'd be fine with pretty much any of Walker, Wood, McHugh, Gio, or Smyly for the last spot. Likely in that order.

Ugh. Bumgarner is literally the type of signing that I just covered in the post you quoted. Signing Bumgarner to a 5/$100M deal he will require is going to be thorn in the side of this organization by 2022, right when they're entering the prime with this core. No one denies he'd vastly improve the club in 2020, but he doesn't really fit the timeline, and the commitment he will require is only going to make things harder on the Sox when they're actually ready. Not to mention that Bumgarner is a flyball pitcher. He'd get absolutely torched pitching in Chicago in the summer. He is not a good fit. But continue to pound your fist for the Sox to spend dumb money on bad fits. If they do, you'll be filling threads with negativity about what a terrible signing it was within 24 months.

I also think calling Hahn a failure at this point is premature. He literally hit a home run on each of the key trades. He signed arguably the best prospect in baseball. Our core is young, cheap, controlled long term, and incredibly talented. The Sox overall have struggled to full in around those moves, but they also haven't really stuck their neck out that much on those moves either. Hahn had some bad slipups pre-rebuild that we're all aware of, but I think he's done a pretty good job since Sale and Eaton trades. I think we were all hopeful when this started that the Sox would be entering their juggernaut stage by 2020, but that always required pretty much everything to go right. A lot has gone right. Injuries have hurt. We probably lost a year and half with the Kopech injury, and certainly injuries to Rodon and Dunning didn't help either. Getting close to nothing out of 1st rounders Burger, Burdi and to a lesser extent Collins to this point sucks. Adolfo unable to stay healthy delayed, and perhaps even completely derailed, what very well could have be our OD RF in 2020. I am hopeful for a healthier year for our farm system in 2020, and hopefully a couple of those guys return to be key pieces of the core. The lack of activity at the WM has everyone on the ledge, and while the premium long term assets are gone, I do expect the Sox to fill in the gaps with interesting players. We'll likely be looking at a roster that will need alot to go right in 2020 to be in the mix for the ALC come next August, but it will without a doubt be the most exciting Sox team we've watched since at least 2012. Step off the ledge, friends. Everything is going to be OK.

This is a good post, and I definitely agree. I look forward to the day there is new ownership. I asked this in another thread the other day and didn't get much of a response. What is the succession plan when Reinsdorf passes? Will his family take it over? Is anyone in his family interested in running it? This has been explained to you many times, but I will try again. You don't get credit for offering the highest contact if the player signs elsewhere. But it shows the Sox willingness to be aggressive, and perhaps even overpay if the situation is right. That is a good sign. Spending big money to sign players who may improve the 2020 team, but will likely impair the 22-25 seasons when this thing is supposed to be at full speed likely isn't the wisest decision for a mid market team like the Sox. Its frustating in the moment because we all want to watch winning baseball sooner rather than later, but I also respect the patience, because if they blow their load now, that 22-25 window looks a lot less enticing if they don't bat close to 1.000.

Thanks for posting. Great video to listen to guys like @Balta1701 and others who regularly site tampering not being that widespread. Directly from Sampson - "Every team tampers. Every single tampers every single day of the year. It happens. We deny it because it is against the rules. But there is not one player who we have ever acquired who we did not tamper with."

If (and big if) the Sox signed Ryu and say Walker or Wood...they're very much in the mix to win 82-88 games, which very well could be enough to win this division. No way the Twins repeat their miracle 2020 season, the Indians are likely to tear it apart, and the Tigers and Royals are two of the worst teams in baseball. We all knew 2020 was probably a pipedream to be a WS contender, so not sure why the last 10 days changed that, unless your opinion of the Grandal signing was that the Sox were going to follow that up by completely emptying the clip at the WM. Which was also a pipedream. But I will never convince you to view anything White Sox related in anything other than a pessimistic lens, so I don't know why I bother responding.

Josh Nelson is a fearmongering douche. All of SoxMachine (except for maybe Margolus) are actively rooting against the White Sox at this point.

Yah, maybe. Kinda sad.

There are plenty of options left to fill this rotation. Will they sign them? Can't say for sure, but it is still totally feasible for the Sox to clean up the rotation between now and ST.

Imagine this place if Grandal wasn't signed. My lord.

Yes - seems like about 70% of the fanbase complains no matter what the result.

Anderson off the board to the Brewers

There are 4 seasons between now and Moncada/Gio becoming FAs. If the Sox aren't "coming into form" until 2022, we never had a chance to begin with.

Perez was actually pretty good in the first couple months last year, but then fell apart. I made a lot of money on Perez last year - took the over on 4.20 ERA early in the year when he was dicing with several of my twins fan buddies. Easy money.

Honest question - what is the succession plan when Jerry passes? Is there one? Is the expectation that his family will run the franchise?

Hahn said that they did. Though frankly, I wouldn't expect him to state otherwise.

And Madrigal and Robert for 130 games or so. And 15-20 starts from Kopech. And a full season from Cease. These things help. I don't think its outrageous to expect this team be be around .500 even if they just add two meh vets on 1 year deals for the rotation.

I think non-tendering Avi had more to do with the fact they wanted to give Cordell and Palka a shot at RF in what was going to be a lost season. Maybe you find a cheap controllable asset out of nowhere. Avi was an impending FA, so even if he had a good year, he was gone. Obviously Palka and Cordell and the other cast of characters (Delmonico, Tilson, Jay) all flopped, but I think trying to find a nice piece for the future out those guys the plan. Which honestly I guess made a little sense based on Palka's 2018. It didn't work, but I didn't hate the thought process at the time.

I hated the comment too, but I mean, the guy gets asked about it constantly, with a mic in his face and without prepared comments. I think he was just trying to say the Sox have spent some money, and more money will be spent. But I agree that mentioning Eloy and Abreu in that context was super gross, but I also think when quoted in text it looks worse than what he was really trying to say. But Hahn deserves little benefit of the doubt, so I can't fault anyone for roasting him those comments.

Sure, but he's still has a career .776 OPS against LHP. I suspect Grandal will get his days off against LHP, but you're going to have to mix him in at DH/1B on a good number of the days McCann is catching.

Oh, it definitely won't be straight platoon. But McCann is going to get most of his starts against LHP, which he hits well. Which means there are only 2 open spots for Abreu, Grandal and EE. Abreu and EE murder LHP, and I am not sitting Grandal on the bench every time McCann catches. I would think EE is the guy that ends up on the bench alot, and then you're wasting his best attribute. I am also guessing that his representation is bright enough to see this as well. I still think EE goes to the Rays.

So when McCann catches against LHP, which lefty masher is sitting on bench - Jose, Grandal or EE? Having to sit one of those guys against LHP is so silly - I don't think EE is a fit. teal: unless the Sox want to put EE at 3B against LHP, and Moncada in RF.

I just don't think there is any realistic chance he's around 3/$45M with where this pitching market is. But ya, I do that deal.

This cat and Mazara make no sense on the same roster, so probably not.