ChiSox59

I don't really plan on signing him next year. But that makes a hell of a lot more sense than giving up legitimate assets to acquire 1 year of an impending free agent. The Sox are going to take a huge step forward next year. But they still likely aren't ready for primetime. Trading for Mookie Betts in the hopes that we can attract him to sign an extension is a ridiculous concept. Let a team like Atlanta overpay for 1 year of a player before he walks into the free agency he has earned. At a minimum, Betts is costing one of Madrigal/Vaughn/Cease + at a minimum another nice piece like Walker/Stiever/Dunning. Hard pass from me, and I highly the doubt the Sox are even considering anything so stupid.

Meh. Id try to hold onto as many of them as I can until their spots are needed. Order of first guy I'd DFA to last guy would be as follows: Covey, Yolmer, Zavala, Vieira, Fulmer, Ruiz, Engel, Cordell, Medeiros, Frare, and Basabe. I think Engel, Cordell, Frare and Basabe should all be pretty safe this offseason. I think Sox like Ruiz arm and so I'd be surprised to see him trimmed from the 40 man as well.

So if the Sox sign a player who rejected a QO - say Zack Wheeler - they'd forfeit their 2nd round pick. Somewhere in the high 40s overall. Correct?

Someone who is closer to contention than the Sox are going to give up more than "a few mid level prospects" for Mookie Betts. This whole conversation is insane. The sox are not a fit for Mookie. Revisit after 2020 and sign him for nothing but money if it makes sense at that point.

Moncada is without a doubt soft. Love the dude. But he acts like he’s seriously hurt 2-3 times a month. Doesn’t mean he can’t be a star - he can and already is in my mind. But I don’t think he’s going to be a guy that plays 155+ games more than a couple times in his career.

All things considered, the Sox hold it 100% in their own hands to make up for last offseason. Sox can thrive without Machado, but it’s going to require attracting some premium free agents.

I want Grandal. Such a great fit. Should be affordable. Plugs so many holes. Yesssss please.

I'd bet a healthy sum on the under.

My bench right now (post Robert and Madrigal promotions) would be Leury, Yolmer, Engel and Collins. With the 26 man roster, much easier to carry a 4 man bench. But that bench assumes we add a DH, RF and re-sign Abreu. So we'll see. And I do agree that having a bench bat with pop would be great. Ideal world that could be Moustakas (wouldn't really call him a bench bat, but a guy we move around) or a guy like Derek Deitrich, but we'll just have so see how the roster plays out. Ultimately I'd be fine with Leury, Yolmer, Engel and Collins if that means we added Grandal, at least a decent RF stop gap and at least 1 mid to top of the rotation SP.

I'd be very surprised to see Leury not on the squad next season.

We agree...I was just being nitpicky. Yolmer is fine. I won't lose a tad of sleep if they keep him around so long as Madrigal is at 2B come mid April. But I'd also be fine replacing him with someone outside of the org.

I am not much of Yolmer guy and I would be totally OK with the Sox non-tendering him, but he's averaged 1.67 fWAR the past three seasons. He basically is just short of a "2 WAR talent", so kind of a weird comment.

I endorse this plan.

Yoan isn't moving. But Rendon could play 2B. Trade Madrigal for RF or pitching. I wouldn't do it, but its a possible solution.

I don't think Rendon is really an option. Obviously you can make good players fit, I just think the $250M it would require could be better spent spread among multiple players.

Derek Dietrich would be a nice fit if he gets non-tendered. Possible, but probably unlikely. Kyle Gibson turned into a gas can last 2 months of the season. He could a decent choice a a cheap 1 year option for the back of the rotation to fill in for Kopech/Rodon.

Someone is going to give Wood more than $1-2 million. Similar pitchers were getting $8-12M last offseason. If you can get him for less than $8M, great.

Odorizzi also an extreme flyball pitcher. He would get smoked pitching 15+ times at the Cell. He's towards the bottom of my top 10-15 SP options.

Detwiler, Nova, Osich, Santiago, Banuelos, Palka, Skole, Castillo, Goins, and Tilson are all going to be DFA'd, outrighted or a free agent in the coming weeks. Add back Rodon, Kopech and Burr and we're at 33. Dunning, Burdi, Rutherford, Lambert, Flores, and Hansen all need to be protected. That gets up you to 39. 5-6 free agents will be added, which means a handful of these guys will also be on the chopping block: Fulmer, Ruiz, Yolmer, Cordell, Engel, Covey, Virira, Frare, Medeiros, Basabe and Zavala.

Lol no way. Quintana has minimal surplus value. He's paid what he's worth. I doubt the Cubs trade him, but if they did, they wouldn't get much. The Cubs definitely aren't getting a top 20 type prospect for Schwarber.

Realistic Offseason Plan: Resign Abreu - 2 years / $28M with $13M club option in 2022 Sox lowball Yolmer on 2 year / $7M extension and he takes it Sign Zack Wheeler - 4 years / $70M Sign Grandal - 3 years / $60M Sign Alex Wood - 1 year / $8M RF is tough. I want Nimmo. I think we shy away from Castellanos/Ozuna due to poor defense and Abreu staying around clogging up DH. Will likely be one of Calhoun, Dickerson, Gordon, or perhaps Gardner. Don't hate the Gardner idea frankly. Hopefully all on 1 year deals with an option. Let's just call it 1 year / $10M to be safe (probably conservatively high for most of those guys). For the sake of this exercise, I am going to select Dickerson. I think we'll also sign a decent veteran reliever. Hard to say who - let's go with Chris Martin at 2 years / $12M. Payroll would be right around $125M, still below league average. Lineup by May 1: Robert CF, Moncada 3B, Abreu 1B/DH, Eloy LF, Grandal DH / C, Anderson SS, Dickerson RF, McCann C, Madrigal 2B BN: Leury, Yolmer, Collins and Engel Rotation: Giolito, Wheeler, Cease, Lopez, Wood (with Kopech joining mid-June, Rodon shortly thereafter) Pen: Colome, Bummer, Fry, Martin, Cordero, Marshall, Herrera and one of Hamilton/Fulmer/Johnson/Burdi/Covey/Ruiz/Vieria, etc. Tough to not be excited about that team. Probably doesn't get you to the playoffs, but they'll be young, cheap and controllable. All good things. May be good enough to compete in the AL Central that will certainly still be down.

No. The thought of even doing so is so stupid. The Sox didn't rebuild to trade away an elite prospect or two for 1 year of an impending free agent.

I hear ya....Collins does provide alot of things this team lacks. I think he'll get his shot, but taking away his catchers glove already isn't really the best idea. Collins provides exponentially more value if he can catch, both to the Sox, and as a trade asset. He doesn't need to be, nor will be ever be a full time catcher. And that is fine. But removing any chance he has of even being an occasional catcher already doesn't seem like the wisest of moves.

10 most likely at this point? What would it take to move up to 8 or 9?

Because Ricky, and most other managers, aren't going to risk losing their DH on more than an occasional basis. Collins getting near everyday reps requires there to be 3 catchers on the roster. Its a little easier to navigate when he plays 1B, but we all know Abreu will be at 1B most of the time.