BaconOnAStick

Sources: #WhiteSox balking at giving permission executive VP Ken Williams to speak to #BlueJays about becoming president/CEO…

I've come full circle here on Cespedes and would really be happy if the Sox acquired him. My reasons: 1 He fits in the lineup 1 Eaton L 2 Semien R 3 Abreu R 4 LaRoche L 5 Cespedes R 6 Gillaspie L 7 Avi R 8 Alexei R 9 Flowers R Is not bad at all, and yea the 3 consecutive righties at the bottom of the order is a slight problem but nothing than cannot be remedied by pinch hitting (hi Carlos Sanchez). That's a good lineup, if Avi and Gillaspie play up to their potential it's a great lineup. 2. The price I think the Red Sox expected way more interest in Cespedes this offseason and they are getting virtually none, at least none offering the price in exchange for Cespedes they imagined when they acquired him for Lester. Cespedes was not in the Red Sox plan at all but they thought he would be an asset that would net them a greater-than-Lester return this offseason. That has not matierialized. Now the Red Sox are stuck with a guy they really do not want with the looming threat of getting just a draft pick in 2016 in exchange for Jon Lester. The price here could be as low as Tyler Danish/Micah Johnson + Courtney Hawkins (perhaps in a 3 way deal that nets Boston their coveted starting pitcher). That's pretty damn cheap for a guy who we know can at least play a big league OF. 3 He can improve He may be 29 but he also hasn't been in MLB for long. Most players are not Jose Abreu, it takes them time to figure the thing out. The Sox would be buying low on a guy with great athleticism and a very nice power bat, if the OBP even climbs above .340 Cespedes is probably a 3-4 WAR corner OF. I know it's cliche, but playing with Abreu and Alexei could really help him. He gets along with them (unlike Puig). 4. No commitment If it doesn't work, well, he's gone at the end of the year. A comparable FA signing bust would create an albatross the org just has to wait out. But! If it works the Sox gain the inside track on locking him up long term at the end of next season, effectively solving the corner OF hole. It's not a win/win, but at least it's not the kind of commitment that really holds the org back.

One of the top 5. Not Anderson or Rodon, though.

Maybe Danish? If Micah is Top 100 then it doesn't mean much to be top 100.

It's Sale, Q and Abreu for Mookie Betts and Will Middlebrooks. Deals done.

I honestly think it's one of Gillaspie (move to LF) or Semien headlining the package in return for Shark.

He looks like he is humping.

Please take a picture.

Beane is going to rebuild the A's in one offseason while simultaneously going all in on 2014. Samardizja is an asset he can sell now for the right price or flip at the deadline to a desperate buyer. Lester helped in in 2014 a lot more than Cespedes and since he was punting 2015 anyways he didn't care about the extra year Cespedes had of team control. Now he's stocking up the talent with Lowrie, 4 years younger than Donaldson, and a collection of prospects he can sell this time next year to assist rebuilding the big league club overnight. Not to mention the A's still have a ton of pitching.

Mexico City is an impossible place to play baseball. Air is way too thin, it'd be like Denver x10.

Once the embargo is lifted I would not be entirely shocked if Santo Domingo and Havana get teams.

Ender Inciarte is a fantastic, relatively cheap, option for the Sox in as a corner OF.

Sox just don't have the bullets unless they want to send Q over there. They better not trade Q for Cespedes.

This spending spree worked so well the last time Boston did it.

You'd have to think the guy is one full MiLB season (or less) from the majors to fork over $100m. If this is gonna be a year at A+, year at AA then a half season at Charlotte then forget it.

How did the Sox win in 05? Seriously.

Abreu can opt into arb right when this deal ends. So yea, there's your long term White Sox plan.

Sox get Jay Bruce Reds get Jordan Zimmermann, Dayan Viciedo Nats get 2 of these three: Danish, Montas, Adams Nats get the salary relief they so desperately crave to sign Scherzer. Reds get their good SP. Sox get their LF.

Not great either. If Avi flops it's worse than last year.

He can definitely be as bad as those guys. That's not impossible. I don't mind this signing at all. The Sox let it get so bad that spending money had to be done.

Wow that was a waste of time.

I was certain the Cubs would snag him.

Grandal for John Danks. Sox eat some salary. Padres get a guy they can flip at the deadline after he lights everyone up at Petco. Sox get another option at C. Anything more than a totally disposable piece and I'm against the idea of Castro or Grandal. Flowers has good power for a C and he handled the staff pretty well last year. I have zero problem with him coming into the season as the starter. If the Sox want to bring in a LH or SH C to compete with him for the spot and split more time in a platoon kind of role that's fine too. Using our bullets (what few the Sox realistically have) on a catcher is silly, however.

This Louis Silverio guy... what's up with him? That's a nice performance for a guy selected almost 1000th in the draft.

I don't think there are many guys in baseball who have the lines of communication Kenny has with other teams. Hahn may be the guy who says he wants Adam Eaton or gets the big picture on Jose Abreu from scouts, bubut Kenny is ultimately facilitating those deals. That's at least the way I see it.