BlackSox13

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:52 PM) At the pace things are going, a snail mail letter may just get to him in time!! No kidding. Even a letter sent by carrier pigeon!

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:34 PM) Then tell JR he ought to consider bringing in Mr. Cespedes to help fulfill this desire of his to win again. If I had his cell number I would have already called.

QUOTE (soxfan85 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:23 PM) "See what Avasil Garcia can do?" But...But...I thought we were looking to compete and put ourselves in the best position possible to compete for a Championship? In all honesty...if they don't and couldn't add that final piece this year, it is and was time to just tear it down. The White Sox give me blue balls. I think with a younger owner, the Sox would have torn it down last winter but as long as JR is running the show it won't happen. He's going to be 80 soon and wants to see another "winner".

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:13 PM) Today at CSN-Chicago the afternoon SportsNet Central show they had a story on the latest regarding Cesdepes. Dan Hayes reported that he is now "probably out of the Sox price range." When asked if the Sox could bring anybody else in he said "not unless the price dropped significantly." He said the Sox could possibly bring in a left handed hitting outfielder who could help more defensively but that's as far as he'd go. He said the Sox would like to see "what Avasil Garcia could do." Take it for whatever that's worth but it doesn't look promising at this point. Mark Not that I take Hayes word for everything he says but it does fall in line with what others have been saying about the Sox backing off and looking into other possibilities. Odd that the Sox are looking into a LH outfielder to help out defensively when they have Shuck who plays a good RF and the soon to be new sensation in Fields (). Also odd that if they want to see what Avi can do then why the outfielder search? That doesn't make much sense unless they are looking to move LaRoche to the bench, Melky to DH and insert the LH OF into LF? Move Avi to LF and put the LH OF in RF? Sorry, I'm really just asking these questions out loud. I do appreciate you passing along what Hayes said but his comments raise more questions than they answer.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:10 PM) I think people forget it's 2016 now Yep. That 30M doesn't come off the books until after the '16 season is over which doesn't do much to help the Sox right now.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 11:07 PM) Why would they be way over? They are clearing $30 mil The Sox are already at their '16 budget. Now add Cespedes 20M+ and that's pretty much way over.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 09:43 PM) Also would explain why Fowler doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to do anything Yep. Although I noticed earlier today when I googled his name he has been rock climbing recently.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 09:22 PM) Which is why I have a feeling they trade Soler and a prospect for Odorizzi and then sign Fowler. That would make a ton of sense. I laughed yesterday when I read something about how the cubs said they might be done for the off season. I don't buy it and believe they are still looking for a younger cost-controlled SP. I think it's possible the reason AZ paid such an insane price for Miller was because at the time, the cubs were rumored to be offering Soler as the headliner in a package for Miller.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 09:07 PM) At this point, I would gladly "settle" for someone like Fowler & a guy like Lincecum to compete & spring training. I'm just going to keep my expectations low at this point, so that way if they do something small or nothing at all, I'm not over-the-moon pissed off. I've been doing the same myself. Expect less but still have a bit of hope for more. This is why I've been looking at alternatives like Brett Gardner and Nick Markakis, sad isn't it?

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:56 PM) Something so many disregard is Hahn saying they would have to get creative for upgrades, yet they expect 100 million dollar commitment to be an easy thing to sign off. Honestly even Desmond and Jackson is probably too expensive. Yep. 100M+ for one player is a huge commitment for a team like the Sox and especially after lasts years signings of Melky who under-performed and LaRoche who completely bombed. Factor that into Cespedes projections and the questions raised about his motivation, hustle etc and its easy to see why the Sox may have shyed away. I can't find it at the moment but very early in the off season it was said that Hahn had the '15 budget to work with which is probably why he needed to get creative and shop LaRoche. I think it's possible that JR could bump the budget enough (130M) to accommodate one of Jackson/Desmond/Fowler but I don't expect the Sox to sign Cespedes and push the payroll to over 140M.

I definitely agree with Heyward being too big for CF but there are a few things the cubs FO might be thinking. 1) Heyward can opt-out after three years and the cubs are thinking Heyward can hold up until them. 2) It might be easier for the big man to cover the short alleys in LC/RC than the long line in RF? 3) At this point, Heyward is probably their best bet in CF since the cubs lost Jackson and Fowler to FA. Anyway, back to the top ten. I would put Heyward further down the list only because he hasn't played much CF and Eaton should be at the bottom of the top ten.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:45 PM) Give me Desmond and Austin Jackson. However doubt has started to creep into my mind that Avi might get the RF spot and the team is at its budget. The budget would explain why Hahn has said numerous times that he would need to get creative and why the Sox were reportedly shopping LaRoche. Without being able to move salary, maybe Hahn's hands are tied and is forced to look at cheaper marginal upgrades such as Fowler and Jackson who should cost about half or less of what Cespedes seeks.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:19 PM) I think some are under the impression the Sox are in on Cespedes more than they are at this point... raBBit has said a few times that the Sox have taken a big step back on him & are focused on other options. Supposedly they are in talks with Fowler right now & I don't think that's just pressure for Cespedes, I think they've all but moved on. Agree with everything you say here. I was about to post literally the same comment with reference to what raBBit said last week but you beat me to it. I think the recent inquiries about the Rockies outfielders and recent rumors about the Sox interest in Folwer could be signs the Sox have moved on from Cespedes which shouldn't be surprising given Cespedes' demands. It's been reported that there are some teams that either suspect Cespedes will regress as a few projections have predicted or question Cespedes' motivation, hustle etc. Maybe the Sox are one of those teams... Maybe the Sox gave up chasing the Cespedes dragon.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 07:18 PM) Tucker isn't really perceived as a full-time player for the Astros... That said, because of his age and the cost-control factor, they can market him as potentially one, especially since he's LH. Just don't see any way to get Gomez without giving up Adams at a minimum...Fulmer is too much of an ask, but it would be something like Adams + Hawkins, and that's a big cost for one season in the sense they'll be back in the same FA market next year chasing after Rasmus/Bautista (maybe) or trying to resign Gomez in his decline years when he's likely to be highly overpaid (supply/demand issues). That said, he's a big improvement over Garcia, but Hahn has said all along he doesn't prefer one-year fixes...of course, we went down than well once with Samardzija last year already. Honestly, I'm not so sure Gomez would cost more to acquire than Tucker because of the reasons you mention. Tucker is young, LHB, power potential, decent fielder and years of control should hold some good value in a potential trade. Tough call between the two as far as value, imo. If I had a preference, it would be Tucker hands down but the potential cost scares me.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/01/astr...ch-scandal.html "Signing Cespedes would either shift Rasmus to a DH time-share with Gattis, or perhaps one of Houston’s current outfielders would be traded. Of the trio, Rasmus can’t be dealt without his permission until June 15 since he accepted the Astros’ one-year qualifying offer." If the Astros were to sign Cespedes, its conceivable that Rasmus could be traded if Houston was willing to trade him and Rasmus was willing to accept the trade. Rasmus is an outfielder with a middle of the order left handed bat that hits for some power. I doubt the Sox have or would be willing to part with what Houston might ask for but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

Good grief how many outfielders does Houston need, lol? Rasmus, Gomez, Springer, Tucker, Marisnick and Aplin is what Houston currently has and now potentially add Cespedes to the mix? Not sure what to think but signing Cespedes and using a few young outfielders in a trade for a pitcher would make some sense. As someone already mentioned, Cleveland would make sense as a Houston trade partner. The Cespedes rumors just keep getting more and more interesting as time goes on.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 03:32 PM) One thing to note is King was at the Baseball Scouts dinner event last night. Makes you wonder if someone tipped him off after a few drinks. I did not know that and it definitely makes ya wonder. Although, coming from a long time Dodger fan, it makes me wonder if he's just messing with Mets fans. Still, interesting.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 02:53 PM) Larry King chimes in https://mobile.twitter.com/kingsthings/stat...817830842638338 I don't buy it. Now if Seinfeld comes out and says the Mets are signing Cespedes, that's a different story!

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 02:27 PM) There's been numerous reports Toronto is trying to lock up Bautista and encarnacion. I can believe Encarnacion but I don't buy them trying to lock up a 35 year old Bautista. It would be smarter to sign a 30 year old Cespedes instead of extend a 35 year old Bautista. I realize it's not what Sox fans want to hear but I really do see Toronto as a threat to sign Cespedes to a long term contract.

Really starting to wonder about Toronto. Bautista will be 36 in October and a FA after the '16 season. I'm thinking Toronto could sign Cespedes this year to eventually replace Bautista after '16 when Bautista becomes a FA. A move like that would allow Toronto to bring Pompei along at a slower pace and allow him another season of adjusting to the majors. Another option for Toronto would be to sign Cespedes and trade Dickey. Not sure if there is any truth to the rumor but supposedly there were a few NL teams interested in Dickey in December. Toronto is not afraid of long term contracts, has some payroll space and is competing with Boston, Baltimore and the Yanks in the ALE. I think Toronto is a team that could offer Cespedes what he's looking for.

QUOTE (Tony @ Jan 16, 2016 -> 02:57 PM) Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN Chris Davis contract structure: $17m annual salary 2016-2022. Annual payments $3.5m 2023-32, then $1.4m 2033-37. No interest on deferrals. QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:59 AM) excellent explanation, now i kinda of feel stupid. so in essence is is 42 mil spread out over 8 yrs, since the first 7 are deferred. Tony's post pretty much sums it up. The deferred 42M is spread out from 2023-2037. Those yearly payments are chump change.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:55 AM) you make a great point, but let me asked this, how will we, as fans, know if the sox does not sign him, how are we to know if it is about the money or his rep??? As fans, how are we to know anything? Not like we work in the from office and have negotiations with players/agents or other teams GM's. One thing we do know is that before the season ended, Cespedes said he was looking for a contract in the 6/150 range and is why I am not counting on him signing with the Sox. If his price comes down then he becomes a more realistic possibility for the Sox but on the flip side he becomes more realistic for a other teams as well. I'd like to see the Sox sign Cespedes but I would only be willing to go so far and imo, Cespedes and his 6/150 demands can kiss my ass because there's no fricken way I would give him that kind of money/ contract. But that's just me and my opinion.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:30 AM) No more energy left for that... It will be more resignation to the fate of being a White Sox fan. In all seriousness, though, if they don't make anything more than cosmetic changes over the next month...this whole media fixation will have perhaps done more harm than good. Rick Hahn..."It was just an elaborate ruse to light a fire under Avi. Our scouts always believed in him." Not just media fixation but fan fixation as well. Cespedes name was mentioned around here before the seasons end and once the Chicago media jumped on board it was full steam ahead with more and more fans buying into it. It's not like the Sox FO came out and said they were targeting Cespedes specifically and that he's the Sox #1 target. Chicago media and Sox fans made Cespedes their #1 target but they aren't the ones that negotiate contracts and sign the paychecks. Cespedes is a fantasy concocted by the fans and media but will inevitably be the fault of the Sox FO if the fantasy does not come to fruition. Yes, I would like to see Cespedes in a Sox uni but never once have I assumed it would actually happen. QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 17, 2016 -> 08:31 AM) y You won't be able to prove or disprove anything as you won't know what other offers were out there other than the one he signs. Everyone on the board will explode with what their guesses are but it won't prove anything. There will be posters blaming KW if they don't get him and praising RH for tough negotiations if they do. Thre will 2000 posts of how wasted this off season was or how they will now be ready for the world series. It's either black or white, doomed or championship. It will be really entertaing either way. Yes, this right here! ^^^ Just grab a bag of popcorn, favorite drink and enjoy the show.

This is interesting.... http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2016/1/17/1078...ets-chris-davis "That one-year non-offer from the constantly cash-poor Mets may not just be a way for the team to control payroll. John Harper of the New York Daily News says Mets don't want Cespedes around long term because he can be a "headache." The reasons aren't new or surprising, with lack of hustle and lateness both on the list. Not a lot of headaches come with the benefits that Yoenis Cespedes does (at least I haven't had one), but the Mets aren't the only team that feels this way. Also from Harper's NYDN article, Orioles manager Buck Showalter was apparently vehemently against bringing Cespedes on board. Showalter wanted Baltimore to sign Justin Upton, but that obviously didn't fly with GM Dan Duquette." Harper's article: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball...ticle-1.2499299 I'm curious if these are the "red flags" some people have spoken of? I trust the Sox to make the right decision since they know more about the players than us fans. If the Sox see Cespedes as a fit and sign him then great, I trust the FO. If the Sox choose not to give in to Cespedes long term/big money contract demands, I'll completely understand because I'm not a fan of going that route either. If the Sox are outbid by another team, well that's just FA Baseball. No matter what, life goes on and there are other options available to upgrade the OF. s***s out of my control so there's no reason to get pissy about it.

Good grief I can only imagine how badly this thread will blow up if Cespedes signs with another team. We'll be right back to the " JR is cheap" , "who's running the Sox, KW or Hahn?" , " Sox are stupid for not going beyond 3 years" , " team is doomed for eternal suckdom" type of comments. On the other hand, it will be a funny thread to read, so there's that.