blackmooncreeping

Cespedes seems engaged more when the s*** is on the line, as reflected in his career average with RISP and his carrying the Mets to the division title down the stretch last season. If the Sox can put a legitimate contending team on the field the next couple of seasons (our so-called window of opportunity), I'd feel pretty good that Cespedes would stay engaged while playing for the Sox, or whomever he ends up signing with for that matter.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:49 AM) Hasnt this all been torn down? Yes, that's such an old take. A lot has been done around the Cell over the last 10-15 years. Due West are residential neighborhoods, not the hood.

Yes the situation is very fluid and can change in short order. But it seems like this is the sprint to the finish; the market has whittled it's way down to the "favorites" stage, those teams have been announced (NYM, CWS, WAS), and they've been slugging it out in negotiations for a few days now at least. Just doesn't seem to be a lot of room for much more talk, re-negotiating, etc. Wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing gets wrapped up later tonight, whoever it's going to be.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:34 AM) Funny because if this were the Sox with these signs, you would be declaring him a done deal. And you know this how... Negative. When the contract is signed, it's a deal. Or Rosenthal/Heyman tweets CESPEDES SIGNS WITH...

They just better hit the secondary market pronto if Cespedes doesn't come to Chicago. Can't start the season with Avi in right...please.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:31 AM) You're in denial my friend. That's a ridiculous response. There is no deal yet, somehow I'm in denial? It's a story when it breaks...

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:27 AM) Supposedly on MLB network Someone said Nightengale said the Nats offer was the best on the table. Maybe it's the only one on the table, maybe it's the best at the moment, etc...

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:25 AM) Rosenthal, Nightengale, & now Mirosi. Rosenthal didn't say anyone was a frontrunner. Morosi basically retweeted Rosenthal. Nightengale said what he said, but he has also been parroting the 3 year limit thing and no one believes that. Not saying the Nats won't end up with Cespedes, but I don't see them as being a clear favorite necessarily.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:19 AM) The Nats are the front runner according to reports this morning. PLease cite the source that said the Nats are the frontrunner...

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 10:04 AM) In terms of media reports, all signs point to the Nationals wrapping this up soon. We'll see. What media reports? I've heard conflicting reports since late last night...

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 09:42 AM) Avi is a very logical platoon with LaRoche. If they sign another OF, I nearly guarantee you that Avi will DH against LHP and get an occasional start in the OF. Unless he is somehow traded. This is most likely the case, I agree. If they can't move him, Avi will start the season as a White Sox.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 21, 2016 -> 12:04 AM) 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 disagreeing with you and understand where you're coming from with many of your points. But with no salary cap and a dry well in terms of recent or sustained playoff berths or even chances, and with a proven difference maker like Cespedes within grasp, I feel the time to strike is now, and set yourself up for at least 2 years of what should be contender baseball.

Hoping that the Sox have told the Cespedes camp 'hey, we really want to stay at 3 years and blah-blah dollars. We appreciate you exploring all possibilities, just respectfully give us a shot to counter if anyone beats our initial offer.' Maybe Hahn has that 4th year in his back pocket to take out and throw on the pile once the serious bidding gets rolling (sounds like we're there now). Maybe even a 5th year with the right option attached. If we were really stuck on the 3 year thing we'd be a distant 3rd to the Nats and Mets, and definitely not viewed as a "finalist."

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:33 PM) They were listed as a finalist for him this morning. This offer is nothing new. Rosenthal has deadlines to meet & what better way to do that than to write a piece that not many have touched on? Way too much assumption & panic goes into people's thought process when they see other teams interested or talked about. Finalist yes, but I don't think the offer was reported until this evening...?

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:33 PM) 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. 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.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:25 PM) If the sox are only willing to go 3 years, then I trust their judgment in this situation. When about 95 percent of the teams are reluctant to give a player a long term deal, there is probably a reason for it. I can see your point regarding he other 95 % of teams. However, Sox brass hasn't exactly earned a lot of trust or benefit of the doubt with the crap they've been running out there the past few years. Not to mention keeping Ventura as manager.

QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:08 PM) If that was the case, he would be signed. And might be in the process of doing so, sounds like it was offered late in the day

QUOTE (fathom @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 09:11 PM) Fowler wants 4 years from most reports Yeah, and I want a goose that s***s gold bricks. Good luck with that Dexter.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 09:06 PM) If we're giving up a draft pick for Fowler, we might as well double down and add Desmond or Kendrick. Why not maximize your ability to control the potential impact the same way we attempted last year losing the 2nd and 3rd rounders? Fowler/Desmond probably provides the most combined WAR, but the highest salaries to deal with. If you brought in Kendrick, you'd have to move Lawrie to RF/LF and/or change Melky's position as well. Of course, we're just as likely to end up with Jackson. NO way the Sox punt on 2 draft picks in the top 50. Or the rest of those moves, to be honest.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 12:09 PM) I figured as much. I'm just having some fun because its just boring waiting for Cespedes to make up his mind. The Sox have been eerily quiet the last few weeks. It's kind of weird because there was tons of smoke before the Lawrie and Frazier trades. I think free agent signings are more secretive, have a higher degree of falling apart due to early leaks, are more susceptible to a last second suitor swooping in for the prize, and thus show much less smoke towards the end. Trades don't seem to be at much risk due to chatter, for whatever reason.

QUOTE (shipps @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 12:00 PM) In terms of rabbit. You would think his sources would talk if they didnt think they were going to sign him. If they know they are close to signing him is when they might want to keep a tight lip about things with them being that close. QUOTE (SoCalSox @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 12:02 PM) raBBit's source(s) cutting him off means that they are in the thick of things. That can really only be taken as a good thing at this point. QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 12:02 PM) Yes, definitely seems close enough that word went down to tighten up to go to Rosenthal/Nightengale to break. I agree with all of the above. If Sox were out, we'd hear about it. Silence, in this case, might just be golden.

QUOTE (ozzfest @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:48 AM) http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...ing-up-momentum Already posted earlier this morning...

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:46 AM) He's saying the picture the guy uses is fake. I get that part, just not sure how it is done and what it ultimately really proves.

QUOTE (Sockin @ Jan 20, 2016 -> 11:38 AM) Reversed image searched his profile picture and found the real guy who's picture Bauer is using. Huh?

Rabbit's twitter account has a cryptic post on it right now...