Timmy U

Those are not competitive reasons, they’re financial ones. I do understand why they are doing it, but you can’t argue it improves this year’s win total.

Okay, I’ll play: if they are hell-bent on competing this year, how come Kopech, Robert, and Madrigal are all starting in the minors? And we know that before Soxfest. If they compete, it’s a bonus. To them, it’s the final year of the rebuild.

I know it is sacrilege to say it, but Bo Jackson.

Hopefully, he’s replacing the Covey/Detwiler/Santiago innings and not Nova. The post-Rodon-injury 5th starter was such a black hole that anyone is an improvement and Gio figures to be a significant improvement. Be interesting to see if they get anyone else or roll with Covey/Detwiler until Kopech is miraculously “ready” on June 1.

I actually think this is a decent depth signing. He has potential and cost essentially nothing.

Well, I think we know who is going to be taking Kopech’s spot for the first two months of the season.

I also don't want to watch 2 years of Collin McHugh or Julio Tehran, etc. We simply disagree on the strategy. Holding Kopech down to claw back the year is tantamount to admitting that you're not fully competing in 2020. I don't prefer that.

Ugh. Is two months of Dylan Covey worth the extra year of control for Kopech? While I detest the practice with position players, I get it. With pitchers, you're going to use some of the bullets in Kopech's arm in Charlotte on the chance that he'll be healthy and effective in 2026? That's not a sure thing by any means.

Here’s my thought: you have to spend money one way or the other. Either spend it on the front side on somebody way better than Julio Teheran or spend it on the back end by giving it to Kopech. Remember, clawing back his service time has him down until June. I can’t imagine watching any 2 of the guys you mention for two months when I know I have Kopech. At a certain point, you do have to pretend you are being competitive for the sake of the other players.

To me, what’s likely now is a full year of Kopech. If you are trying to claw back a year of service time, it is way easier to justify that in a “competitive” year when you have a Wheeler than when you have Dylan Covey or whatever. With Rodon coming back, if Kopech reaches his innings limit, you can just shut him down. Hard to imagine that, breaking camp, the Sox will have 5 better starters than Michael Kopech.

Man, I get one year of Kluber not that valuable and Cleveland has depth, but this is nothing.

(Singing) "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong."

Eh, Sox gonna Sox. They liked Mazara for years and think they can fix him. Hahn/Kenny got their man. I don’t share their faith. If the Yankees got him, they would stick him between Voit and Urshela and he’d hit 50 homers. With us, it’s another guy with some power who will never walk. I swear, if it were illegal to throw sliders in the dirt, the Sox would win 110 games.

Snell would cost way more than Madrigal. Former Cy Young winner on team friendly deal. Maybe if he keeps ripper their trades on Twitch, they'll take a lowball offer.

I meant that Chicago's subway system is larger than Toronto's. I actually knew Toronto was larger than Chicago. They are very proud to be I think the third largest city in North America.

In which city? I like Toronto's subway, but it is definitely limited. Chicago's is way larger. I think Chicago is cleaner, and Lakefront is much better, but I like both cities. I live in NYC, so I don't have a dog in this fight either.

I was in Toronto and everyone there was saying that they’re favorite place to vacation was Chicago, fwiw.

Why would Ozuna be flying to Chicago to sign with the White Sox on Monday when their entire front office is in San Diego?

For me Castellanos >>>>>> Ozuna, but neither are ideal. I would be okay with Calhoun on a 1 year deal, mostly cuz he hits left handed and wouldn’t kill our young pitchers with poor defense. But I agree, there’s a definite Jon Jay II risk there.

I am not in on Bumgarner if I am the Sox. Potential disaster of Shieldsian proportions in our park. Frankly, I would rather trade for Sale or even Price. Or get Nova types and count on Kopech and a return of Rodon, then take the money and spend it on a right fielder.

Oh lord, I do not want Cole Hamels or Dallas Keuchel, let alone both. The fact that Garfien is interviewing on the Sox podcast terrifies me.

I believe that Bundy is the ideal of what they're looking for -- a guy to start for two months while they claw back a year of Kopech's service time with some weak excuse, then move to the bullpen when Kopech magically checks the final box.

The dangerous part is living in the DR and he’s going to do that anyway because he’s so close to his family (hi mom). Might as well work on his defense.

I bet McCann gets traded. Hahn talked Yermin’s catching up, like he could be their third catcher. If McCann is a DH, he’s wasted.

I take a backseat to no one in my hatred of the trade. Hated it at the time because I had read a positive profile of Tatis, but c’mon, do we really need another thread complaining about this? What’s done, sadly, is done.