ChiSox59

Hopefully instead of being MIA, hopefully he's talking to MIA.

3B, most likely. I absolutely salivate at the idea of them trying to play Miranda at 3B. That's like Sox playing Burger at 3B everyday defensively.

I think Twins did pretty well here. 3 years of Arraez for 2 of Lopez + a pretty solid 50 FV prospect in Salas. If Lopez stays healthy, I think Twins did well here. Arraez has no position.

How's the BP top 101 look for the Sox?

If you want to assume $180M is a hard cap moving forward, sure. Payroll just last season was ~$195M. Sox almost certainly will add some $ either before OD, and if not, during the 2023 season. I don't think assuming a $195-200M payroll in 2024 is outrageous assuming things go decently in 2023. I said myself that if this coming season is another disaster you pretty much have to sell off the good assets after 23, then its all moot anyway. I just don't think terming the payroll situation looking forward as "...an absolute mess. Worse than this year" is terribly accurate. But its all just conjecture and projections at this point.

On the flip side, didn't the betting odds for the divisions drop last week after the Correa signing and the Sox were still considered the favorite in the Central? I am on my work computer so cannot link, but I think I'd give Vegas sportsbooks a bit more weight than 6,750 random MLBTR readers.

Including Lynn, the 2024 payroll is about $164M. The good news is that the only positions that would need to be filled are 2 SP, maybe a C to pair with Seby/Perez depending how they progress in 23, and perhaps a low end reliever. The entire position player base sans Grandal, who is clearly a negative asset at this point, returns in 24. Sox obviously aren't going to be in on the top of the market SP, but if you sign a pretty good one to replace Gio for say $15-20M AAV, a stopgap #5 for ~$10M and decent reliever for $5M, they're basically right back to where they were in 22-23 payroll wise and have a full roster. They don't need to replace a bunch of guys. Obviously its essentially running the same squad back yet again, but I don't really see some doomsday scenario. Perhaps a better showing in 2023 will convince JR to open the purse strings a bit more than he did coming off the brutal 22. After 2024, 4/5 most expensive deals in Moncada, Lynn, Hendriks and TA are all gone, and the payroll opens up fairly significantly thereafter. Sox will certainly be in similar situation after next season to this offseason, but it also just underscores that their hands have been and will continue to be tied contractually without their owner approving significant payroll increases, which I don't think we can expect without a deep playoff run in 23. If 23 is another underperforming disaster, I think we can pretty much bank on all the controllable talent beyond 23 getting moved, which could provide a chance for a mini rebuild as it would include some pretty desirable assets on shorter term deals (2 or less) in Cease, Kopech, TA, Eloy, Graveman/Hendriks/Bummer, you could perhaps even look at moving Robert (though I'd continue to hold there). Rick Hahn & Co definitely don't deserve the ability to undertake that process again, however.

Paging Rick Hahn.

Well, Chapman is a piece of s%*# human so….

So Charlotte's current rotation is likely: Davis Martin, Jonathan Stiever, Sean Burke, Jason Bilous?, Nate Fisher?, John Parke?....definitely could use at least 2 milb deal guys to slot in after Martin. current pen: Gregory Santos, Tanner Banks, Matt Foster, Nick Padilla, Benneet Sousa, Kenyan Middleton, Declan Cronin, Mike Morin Pen seems slightly ahead of the rotation, I'd say. I do wonder if the Charlotte's park makes it tough for the Sox to find intriguing arms on MILB deals since its such a bandbox. Pitchers would rather work their way back into the league in a less hitter friendly environment, perhaps?

Really don't understand the lack of aggressiveness in bringing in guys on milb with some upside for the Charlotte rotation. Guys like Brailyn Marquez and Touki Toussaint signed for minor league deals and would likely easily be some of our best SP depth after the Chicago rotation. Connor Seabold was DFA'd and traded for peanuts to Rox, etc. Hope Hahn still plans to add there, not only for Sox depth, but also so Charlotte has some semblance of a pitching staff unlike last season, so they aren't having to do bullpen games a couple times a week.

Knowing Lucas, me thinks his mind is on much bigger things. Like the Wheeler deal.

The 2023 is calculus is simply. Eloy, TA and Robert play 140+ games and Cease, Lynn and Gio makes 25+ starts, White Sox win division. Probably handily. Minor bouncebacks from Moncada and Grandal would also be welcomed. But if Eloy, TA and Robert miss large chunks of 2023, its going to be a dog fight to stay in the race.

Lucas gonna be nails this season.

This.

Right. But there is nothing that can be done about it at this point. Leury and Diekman were both awful acquisitions; I would not argue otherwise. But in total they're getting paid $10M in 2023, or a tad over 5% of the Sox current payroll. In terms of bad $, the Sox situation isn't that awful. I am not defending the moves, but if you're going to point fingers, point your finger at JR for not allowing his FO to spend over what amounts to relatively minor bad contracts. Those deals should not be stopping the Sox from finishing off the roster with a 4th OF and 2B, but here we are.... In any event, it sounds like Duvall wasn't going to sign here regardless of the $ as he was looking for starting role the Sox didn't have to offer.

Well, its true. You can keep complaining about sunk costs if you wish, but they're irrelevant at this juncture.

Well, unless you know of way of un-signing a guaranteed contract, Leury's contract irrelevant as it pertains to Duvall. It was an awful deal; everyone agrees. But Leury's $5.5M isn't coming back, so it had no bearing whatsoever on Duvall. I would have loved to sign Duvall, but if he wanted a starter role, there wasn't one here for him. Not sure an extra millon or two would have made much of a difference for a 34 year old that is looking to extend his career as long as possible before taking a part time role. Can't say I blame him.

Nah, I doubt he's an option. He'll get like 2/$20M at least. He also hasn't played the infield in a couple seasons; probably isn't anything more than an emergency option there.

The reality of the situation is quite simply that the Sox need Luis Robert to play 140+ games and be an elite talent. If he misses significant time again in 23, the Sox aren't going anywhere.

Yes, that is most likely the case.

I think they just ran out of gas. They had been playing pretty good ball since Tony had left the team. But they knew they needed to sweep that series, and after losing the first one in heartbreaking fashion, I think all the air in the balloon was simply gone. Sox went on to lose 8 in a row stretching the lead from 3.5 GB to 11, and making the race looks much more lopsided than it really was.

With Beinintendi on board, Sox need a RH OF much more than a LH OF. If they're going to go LH OF, he needs to also be able to play 2B.

I think they believe that Sheets can cover RF for 30-40 games. I hate it, but its obvious that's the strategy. There is really nowhere else to play him unless the really put Eloy in RF.

Yep, disapointing. Appears Marisnick is the guy.