Lip Man 1

"You win with star players" - Dave Dombrowski

DVS spoke with Hahn tonight at the Winter Meetings. My take of what Rick was quoted as saying is like he said a month ago, the Sox aren't going to tap into the free agent market for their positional needs: https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2022/12/5/23495622/white-sox-open-to-blockbuster-type-trade As Kenny would say, "It is what it is..." (unfortunately)

To me it's pretty clear the White Sox front office is incompetent, dysfunctional and inept. They don't know how to properly allocate the money JR allows them to have. It should be enough given the advantages due to market size to be successful and yet they are failing miserably.

Kershaw also signed a one year, 20 million dollar deal with the Dodgers

The Phillies got their star shortstop, agreeing to an 11-year, $300 million deal with Trea Turner on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The team has not confirmed the deal, which per Feinsand includes a full no-trade clause. The free-agent shortstop market was loaded this offseason, but it’s difficult to find a player at the premier position who has accomplished more than Turner over the past few seasons. Since becoming a full-time starter with the Nationals in 2018, Turner has established himself as one of the top hitting shortstops in the Majors. During that span, Turner is the only player in baseball with more than 90 homers and 140 stolen bases. He helped the Nationals win their first World Series in franchise history in ‘19.

The Mets appear to be replacing one Cy Young winner with another. After losing Jacob deGrom to the Rangers in free agency over the weekend, the Mets are reportedly reaching an agreement with another top free-agent arm in Justin Verlander, a source told MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. SNY's Andy Martino was the first to report the deal. Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman and others, the contract is for two years and $86 million, with a third-year vesting option.

The O's have agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Kyle Gibson, according to multiple reports Saturday. The deal, which is pending a physical, has not been confirmed by the club. This past season was Gibson’s 10th year in the Majors and his second with the Phillies.

Nice story by DVS of the Sun-Times looking back on some important deals: https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-saturday/2022/12/3/23486697/white-sox-biggest-trades-of-winter-meetings

The Rangers pulled off a stunner ahead of next week's Winter Meetings, signing ace right-hander Jacob deGrom to a five-year free-agent contract on Friday night. The deal will pay deGrom $185 million, a source told MLB.com; the club has not confirmed the value of the contract. deGrom, 34, is one of the most decorated pitchers of his generation, a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner as a Met who bloomed late but continued to improve into his early 30s.

"You can't spend a dollar if you only have 50 cents." - Kenny Williams ?

To me you never have enough pitching. If the Sox deal Giolito that means they have to sign someone else probably for more money than Gio's getting...in a very tight budget by all accounhts. Deal makes no sense to me now even though I know he's gone after this year. Now a deal at the trade deadline could be do-able all depending on what the Sox situation is at that time.

The White Sox are one of only four teams to have never handed out a nine figure deal. The others are the A's, Pirates and Royals. JR isn't going to start now.

The Rays made the first notable move on the free-agent pitching market, agreeing to a three-year, $40 million deal with right-hander Zach Eflin, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The club did not confirm the move, which is pending a physical. It's the largest free-agent contract for the Rays, surpassing Wilson Alvarez's five-year, $35 million deal in 1997. Eflin has been a starter for the bulk of his MLB career, making 115 starts over seven seasons. He recorded a 4.37 ERA across 13 turns in the Phillies’ rotation last season, but following a nearly three-month layoff due to a right knee injury, Eflin returned in September as a member of Philadelphia’s bullpen and posted a 2.45 ERA with 21 strikeouts and two walks over 18 1/3 innings split between the end of the regular season and the playoffs. He earned the save in the team’s Wild Card Series-clinching victory against the Cardinals.

The Tigers’ search for starting pitching led back to a familiar face. Left-hander Matthew Boyd, Detroit’s Opening Day starter in 2020 and 2021, is in agreement on a one-year contract to return to the club, sources told MLB.com. The deal is worth $10 million plus another $1 million in incentives, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

It was pregame activity yes.

The Mariners bolstered their bullpen on Wednesday by signing veteran right-hander Trevor Gott to a one-year Major League contract. The deal is worth $1.2 million, according to a source.

He wasn't bad with the Sox though: December 4, 1979 - The Sox claimed first baseman Greg Walker from the Phillies in the Major League draft. Walker would make the big club for good in 1983 and have three seasons with at least 24 home runs and two years with at least 90 RBI’s. He’d then eventually become the Sox hitting coach after retiring. I happened to be in Chicago on the day he had his seizure, remember listening to Chet Coppock's radio show where he had doctors on explaining what they thought happened to him.

No team in baseball is losing money...period.

Dodgers sign Shelby Miller, terms not announced.

The Sox have had excellent center fielders going back to the days of "Happy" Felsch.

“José Abreu deservedly belongs among the roster of White Sox franchise all-time greats,” Reinsdorf said. “His determination and commitment to the game each and every day made him the consummate professional, always leading by example. It was my fervent hope that José would never wear another uniform, as I told him many times throughout the years. Unfortunately, hope is not always translated into reality. While we ended up in different places in the business side of the game, José and I always shared the same love of baseball. “I am grateful to José for his friendship, and the impact he made for the White Sox franchise both on the field and in the community. I want to thank him for always representing the values of the White Sox organization and the great city of Chicago — strength, hard work, pride and tenacity. His legacy is written in the White Sox record books forever.”

How Boston continues to hold on to his job is beyond me. Maybe he is JR's latest clubhouse "spy?"

If you are looking at the entire 100+ year history of the franchise it is starting pitching, shortstop and center field in whatever order you choose.

From my story on the State of the Sox: “Hahn went to JR and told him it would be a bad idea to hire Tony not because he didn’t think he was a good manager but because physically how can you ask a 76-year-old man to go through that grind? But JR signs his paycheck so what are you going to do? Rick did what he was told and tried to make the best of it.”

Except he's made it clear going back to the days when Ventura was the manager that he doesn't like to DH.