ChiSox59

Just how we drew it up, my friend.

Right. Kopech isn't throwing 200 innings next year. I'd much rather have him pitching for the Sox in August and September than April and May.

Yah I am moreso referring to 2021. Let's just say Sox sign Wheeler 5/$105 and Hamels 2/$25M. In 2021 you have Giolito, Wheeler, Kopech, Cease, Lopez, Hamels, and Rodon. With Dunning, Lambert and Stiever not terribly far away. That is a lot of SP. Obviously someone will get injured and maybe Lopez isn't a SP long term (I think he is), but that I just don't see the need to add 2 multiyear SP. But I guess you could always just trade from the depth - its not the worth thing in the world.

I think its a no brainer for Kopech to be in AAA with the kid gloves until they get the year of control back. Hahn has pretty much already said that is what they're going to do.

Hope so. Just hard for me to imagine Cole Hamels wouldn't be able to beat a 1 year deal.

Glad to hear it.

I struggle to understand the necessity to add a 2nd veteran pitcher on a multi-year deal. Just seems like a poor use of resources, but I guess you can never have too much pitching.

I don't really consider 8% above average and 27% above average that close, but yah. Kole Calhoun would be fine with me, in all honesty. I'd prefer him to spending a bunch of money on a DH to play RF in Castellanos or Ozuna. If you're going to sign a FA RF, Calhoun is one a handful that make some degree of sense because he is a plus defender. But there are a handful of trade targets that fit much better on 1 year deals that should be pretty cheap to acquire.

I have a hard time including Abreu in those calculations.

Joc Pederson has been worth 5.7 fWAR with a 127 wRC+ the last two seasons. Calhoun 2.5 fWAR wiht a wRC+ if 95. Calhoun is a better defender, but Joc is clearly the much better all around player, and he isn't a bad defender.

I mean, assuming you're not giving up anything overly exciting, its hard not to like the move. Who would you prefer for RF?

He's too raw. He'd prefer Billy Hamilton.

Leury also hits LHP well.

Plenty of other suitable options. Joc is on the list for sure, but there are other names that would work just fine.

I really don't see the Sox trading for a RF unless they are on 1 year deal, or are cheap and controllable. I don't really see the Sox spending a big chunk of their available funds on a guy like Blackmon.

I could see Sox pivoting that direction if need be, but not chance Cole or Strasburg sign before Wheeler IMO.

Rosenthal specifically mentioned Familia and Lowry.

Mets looking to shed salary and willing to attach assets to do so. Familia + Nimmo for scraps?

No, but there was a FAR higher likelihood of retaining them in the org when another team had to place Burr/Frare on their 40 man roster. Now all 30 clubs can sign them to a minor league deal without a 40 man spot. I would think if the Sox wanted to retain them, they would have DFAd and not non tendered guys making MLB minimum.

I am more shocked they just allowed him to become a FA without first exposing him to waivers and seeing if he'd clear. The way this was handled, seemed to me the Sox just wanted Frare and Burr gone.

I could have sworn I read somewhere that the in the offseason, waiver priority goes to the worst team in the opposite league first. In which case the Marlins would have had first dibs.

On a 1 year deal, I have zero issues with Hamels at all, so long as he isn't the marquee SP addition. I suppose I could live with him on a reasonable 2 year deal, but things will get pretty crowded in the rotation in 2021. These things tend to work themselves out though, so having too much SP isn't a horrible thing. Could always trade Hamels next offseason as well if need be, assuming he doesn't have an awful 2020.

I really don't see the Sox just punting Collins in a trade. He isn't going to have a ton of trade value, he is dirt cheap, and he provides two of the things our lineup needs most (high OBP/left handed). Worst case scenario, IMO, is he starts the year in AAA as insurance. I still think the Sox are going to do a C/DH/1B rotation something like this: Grandal: Catcher 90 games, DH 30 games, 1B 30 games McCann: Catcher: 60 games, DH 20 games, 1B 10 games (primarily plays against LHP) Collins: Catcher: 10 games, DH 50 games, 1B 30 games (primarily plays against RHP) Abreu: 1B 90 games, DH 60 games Not exact numbers, but something like the above should work. I also think Eloy will be sprinkled in at DH a little more often than he was in 2019.

This may be the first time I’ve ever thought “wow, I agree” to one of your posts.

When you have a terrible defensive LF and a young pitching staff, adding a terrible defensive RF isn’t a wise decision.