ChiSox59

Holy fucks boys, we mean business. This is so fucking huge.

OMG, I am so happy!!!

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I willed this into reality.

This isn't accurate. Wheeler: 2018 fwar: 4.2; 2019 fWAR: 4.7 Keuchel: 2018 fWAR: 3.3; 2019 fWAR: 0.8 Wheeler only made 17 starts in 2017 after coming back from surgery. He wasn't good (0.2) fWAR. Keuchel was 2.3 fWAR in 2017. So even including 2017, Wheeler has amassed 9.1 fWAR since 2017; Keuchel 6.40 fWAR. So, yah...that's wrong.

That's a fair take, honestly. There is a decent chance Wheeler turns into a bust of a signing. But what would you do instead? Cole/Strasburg or bust?

I wouldn’t necessarily look at it that way. Collins will DH a few times a week in that scenario but he’s not going to be DHing everyday. Grandal, McCann, Collins, Abreu, and Eloy will all split DH duties.

Could see Sox putting a claim in on Nestor Cortes. Two options remaining and Sox are so thin on LHP.

I honestly don’t think he ends up getting that much, but sure. I DGAF about $5M over 5 years.

Right. Offer him 5/$95M right now and get it done.

Yah, meant to mention Sanchez in my list but just slipped my mind.

Mercedes and Collins have pretty comparable wRC+ in AA and AAA. Collins has quite a few more PA as well, so SS is quite a bit larger.

This. To add to it - Collins has much more of a pedigree, has proven to hit well in the upper minors for a longer time than Yermin (don't forget Yermin has less than 400 PA above A ball), and is most definitely a better defensive catcher than Yermin. Not a great comp.

Gotcha. So basically nothing to do with fit, but everything to do with your lack of faith in the Sox spending the money necessary to bring in two top 10 FA in one offseason.

Roster expansion definitely changes the calculus, but its awfully tough to carry a DH only bat on your MLB roster for the entire season. But yah, he's on the 40 man now, so its a moot point.

Why don't you think the Sox should be after Grandal - arguably the best overall fit for a bat currently available on the FA market?

1. No 2. No 3. Yes 4. Yes 5. No 6. Yes 7. Yes 8, No 9. No 10. Who gives a fuck?

I am pretty sure if the Sox had NOT put him on the 40 man today, but traded him between now and R5 draft, the acquiring team could add him to the 40 man roster (and therefore protect him from the R5 draft). I am admittedly not 100% sure on that though. I think more likely the Sox look at him as a platoon DH option should FA options not come to fruition, and wanted to protect him just in case. Hard to say tho - I felt the chances of Mercedes actually getting selected in R5 were pretty small.

I would think so. I think the trimming will be from the Palka, Zavala, Vieira, Medeiros, Fulmer and Covey group as opposed to anyone just added.

Alec Hansen definitely most notable omission. Other guys that have a shot a playing the big leagues, though certainly not impact talents, would be Forbes, Kubat, Puckett and Thompson. Only guy I could see maybe taken in R5 draft out of this group is Thompson.

December 2nd. Sox probably figure it will be easier to slip guys currently on the 40 man through we they need to make space as opposed to right now when a bunch of teams have several openings. And obviously if you don't put a guy like Foster on now, he is eligible for R5 draft. Can always remove him later.

Same, definitely surprised me. Makes little sense why you'd add him to 40 man now, but chose not to call him up in September.

Future Sox reporting that Yermin Mercedes is expected to be in the names added to the 40 man today.

MLBTR will list the players each team adds to the 40 man as they occur today.

Yah - he really is a great fit. Left handed. 1 year affordable deal. Above average defense. Won't require a major prospect to acquire. Leaves options open to acquire big time RF for 2021. Sign me TF up.

Yah, I hear ya. I wouldn't be against another signing to replace Engel on the 26 man, but was trying to be realistic. With the roster I presented, I would assume Leury and Dietrich would platoon if Peralta were to hit the DL.