BlackSox13

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/01/new-york-m...n-nationals-mlb https://mobile.twitter.com/Mets/status/690266374636081152 Sox fans, you are not alone.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 04:12 PM) Doubt they're getting Cespedes but I don't think they're necessarily sticking with Avi either. Exactly. Not like Cespedes is the only player capable of upgrading Avi, lol. Especially with so many outfielders available. If the Sox are indeed out on Cespedes then they simply move on in search for the upgrade, that's all. I'm sure the FO has alternative ideas to Cespedes.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:54 PM) Although I like the pick ... Gordon Beckham, Lance Broadway, Brian Anderson, Walker .... I'm too tired to think of the rest .... they all called. The Sox don't have a great past in the draft. Very likely the 28th pick wouldn't turn out to be anything. Spencer Adams was the #44 pick over all.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 03:46 PM) Oh man, Werth not only is market untradeable he's literally untradeable. Honestly, doesn't that mean if they sign Cespedes they are putting him in CF? I think the speculation is the Nats would slide Harper into CF, Werth-less to RF and Cespedes in LF. If I had to guess, the Nat's will trade Taylor.

Ha-ha, now this is funny! Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman If the nats do wrap up cespedes, they'll need to consider trade of OF. Keep in mind werth has full no-trade (and is 10-5).

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal If #Nationals structure Cespedes deal like Scherzer’s, as @jonheyman suggests, Cespedes could benefit from DC tax laws. Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal No DC income tax for non-residents. Player living in tax-free state can avoid state tax on signing bonus+money deferred to post-retirement.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 02:49 PM) I'm firmly in the Jackson camp, but can't we at least let one of our position players develop at MLB level? What if Saladino surpasses expectations and can move to 3b after Frazier? I prefer Jackson as well and would like to see what Saladino can do at SS. I'm not against the idea of Desmond at all but signing Desmond doesn't help the Sox OF situation so I'm kinda stuck in the middle. I know this won't be a popular idea but in an effort to keep the comp pick I'm not against rolling the dice by signing Jackson for CF, move Eaton to LF, Melky to RF, bench LaRoche and sign Alvarez to a one year contract to DH and hope he can build enough value to be worthy of a comp pick in the '17 draft. Jackson upgrades the defense and brings a bit of speed to the lineup while Alvarez provides some middle of the lineup LH power. Not the best solution but both players are affordable and do not cost a pick.

Defcon 2 alert! Ptatc: " NASCAR "!

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 02:44 PM) This contract is a bad contract the minute he signs it. You can either spend money there or on scouting and draft/international players with value. The fact Avasail Garcia is terrible at baseball is what is killing the White Sox. This as well as a neglect of prospect resources is where the White Sox have failed miserably over the recent years. A replacement level RF is what they need. Well said Harry! Could not agree more. At this point it's not difficult to upgrade over Avi. That's how bad Avi has been.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 02:44 PM) To defend the castle, the Sox will play a baseball game, thereby driving the fans away.

337 pages of chasing the Cespedes dragon. Come on Hahn, give Sox fans their fix or they will light the torches, hit up Google maps on their cell phones and storm Castle US Cellular! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 01:36 PM) Good news for the White Sox, their fans don't know where 35th and Shields is. Good one DA!

Torches are lit and it appears its only a matter of time before the castle at 35th and Shields is stormed. Film at 11 !

QUOTE (blackmooncreeping @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:38 PM) The Sox can walk and chew gum at the same time. This club is in deeper than we thought if they have to put difference making moves on hold in anticipation of Abreu's future arbitration. Think about it though. Say the Sox sign Cespedes to a new contract that pays him 22M annually. What's Abreu worth if he opts out and goes to arbitration? What's he worth in a contract extension? Also remember the current players under contract like Q, Sale, Melky, Robertson and Eaton have escalating contracts so they will continue to get paid more with each year. Then there's arbitration players that get raises. I believe it was Balta that has already pointed out that approximately half of the 28M coming off the books after '16 will be erased by contract and arbitration raises for '17. I'm just saying there is much more to take into consideration when it comes to signing a player and especially with the money were talking about with Cespedes. Look at how the inability to move LaRoche has handcuffed the Sox this winter and were only talking about trying to move13M. What about those years us Sox fans wished we could find a team to take the contracts of Danks and Dunn off our hands to give the team more money to work with? Now that I think more about it, I hope the Sox really are unwilling to go more than three years and if they are I applaud them.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but maybe the Sox are only willing to commit so much money to Cespedes because Abreu can opt-out after '16 and go to arbitration. I think it's a safe assumption the Sox would look to extend Abreu if/when he opts out and and will surely need money to make that happen. Keeping Abreu long term is much more important than signing Cespedes long term.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14615525...ngton-nationals Nothing much said outside of that the Nationals have made an offer. Unfortunately it says nothing about years or money.

QUOTE (Saufley @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 09:07 PM) I give in! Time to move on and sign a few other players to strengthen this roster for 2016. This soap opera has gone on long enough! Fathom and I were talking last night about how making a few moves (Desmond/Jackson) could be more beneficial that one Cespedes. I wouldn't mind signing both Jackson and Fowler. Sit LaRoche on the bench, move Melky to DH and trade Avi for whatever. I'm with you though, growing tired of the Cespedes groundhog day myself. Feels like an endless loop. Time to finish putting the 2016 White Sox together.

I don't think Fowler will be that cheap. The market has gone up and I think Fowler could shoot for something like Melky's 3/42M . Not trying to piss on the Fowler idea as I think there have been good points and discussions already as to why he would be a more reasonable alternative to Cespedes. Personally I'm on the fence but if the Sox signed Fowler I wouldn't be pissed since there are aspects in his game I really like and he won't cost 22M or so per year and shouldn't have to sign him to a long term contract.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:58 PM) That would be me s***. Didn't you call that on here last night?

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:56 PM) Who has said they would go 4? Honestly I forget. I've posted so many links to the Cespedes saga I can't remember it all but I have seen a few times that the Sox were reportedly willing to go a fourth year. ChiSoxFanMike: you alright bud? I'm starting to wonder if you will melt down if Cespedes doesn't sign. You're too young to be on heart medications.

Why is it that Bbbby boy keeps touting the same thing even after other sources have said the Sox were willing to go 4 years? Is Bobby being spoon-fed some nonsense?

QUOTE (captain54 @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:36 PM) I said I was interested in the topic of discussion. With the trades the Sox have made, the rumors surrounding the Sox about Cespedes and the topic of discussion you choose is some words Cooper supposedly had with some fans on Facebook? Interesting...

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:32 PM) Recue: but where would he play? I'm just talking a little smack. I don't really believe ARod is coming to play for the Sox. Pretty sure ARod and JR go back a few years so if they had lunch there's probably nothing to it.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:25 PM) I wonder why JR had lunch with ARod today. Uh oh, cue the ARod for LaRoche rumor... IIRC, aren't JR and ARod friends?

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 07:16 PM) You saying PEDs? If so, to me, that's a weird thing to bring up as a course of action. Guess I'm naive. Penis Erectile Dis-function? Come on now, Melky can't help that. Don't blame da Wang!