tray

Assuming that is the expectation how does that impact how he is handled ? Let him start in the Minors and pitch until he blows it up or hold him back, using him as a reliever and delaying the inevitable ?

My guess is that the Sox would not have picked Crochet if they thought he would be a bullpen pitcher. If Crochet injures his arm and needs TJ surgery after limited action, there will be a lot of what-ifs about why they drafted him in the first round.

Valid points made on both sides about whether the Sox should pursue Bauer on a one year deal. After reading the 2019 SI piece (linked below) about him, I tend to side with those who do not want to take the chance of having that @hole destroy team chemistry. https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/02/19/trevor-bauer-cleveland-indians-training-tools-twitter-controversy-cy-young Bauer may not get what he wants (a large one-year Contract) given the reticence of owners to spend during a pandemic. At the right price i suppose you sign him and hope he gets off Twitter, shuts up with his ReTrumplican politics (including climate change denial) , and makes an effort to be a good teammate. I don't know...maybe just pass on that dude.

After reading the posts about Crochet here, it is apparent that many fans believe his chances for injury in 2021 are great. If the speculation about Crochet's susceptibility to injury becomes an unfortunate reality, we are talking about 2023 before he come back. Watching him pitch does make one feel that his arm is a ticking time bomb, although Chris Sale lasted several years despite similar speculation.

Renteria was under pressure or at minimum, felt pressure to start Hahn's boys, Mazara and Encarnacion. Remember, Hahn could have made the decision to bring up Vaughn and Collins, but didn't . That pretty much set the tone for the last 10 games of the regular season and the play-offs. Fly the white flag, Ricky gets stuck holding it and Hahn walks away as the hero.

I never stated what you claim I did, including that the Sox would want to trade Vaughn or anyone else. My point was that the Sox might and maybe should want to acquire Howard if that could get done ...for the reasons I stated and I merely wondered what the Cubs might ask. Again, I don't want to go back and forth on this with aggressive posters but I do not like it when people try to put words in my mouth and spin or mischaracterize what I have written.

I simply asked what it might take to get Ed Howard and opined what the Cubs might demand. Despite that a few of you personally excoriated me like I am some kind of stupid mofo. Are you people alright? What triggered you? Are you really that self absorbed, looking to one up an anonymous poster, or are you just that angry. Trust me, your responses rolled off me like water off a duck and I will not nor do I ever respond in kind with hostile personal responses. If you choose to escalate this, go ahead but I am out on this thread after I say one more thing to explain why I inquired about Ed Howard. Remember the White Sox passing on Howard.... "White Sox are well positioned to make a big splash in tonight’s draft. They have to at least be strongly tempted to use the 11th pick overall on the best position player prospect from Chicago in years, Mount Carmel High shortstop Ed Howard. Howard has been on their radar since he led the Jackie Robinson West team to a title in the Little League World Series. He has spent time in the Amateur City Elite program run by the White Sox, which helps inner city players hone both the baseball skills and academics necessary to attend college. Recently Howard has been mentored by Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who he told the Athletic’s James Fegan is his favorite player. " So, yes, I still want a kid from the South Side, a Sox fan who came up in the White Sox Amatuer program. As far as what it might take, that is merely conjecture. I think the Cubs might want Vaughn plus another high level prospect. In my opinion, Rick Hahn and the Sox made a mistake in not selecting Howard. I think they may have made another mistake in taking Vaughn, a one dimensional player who I do not believe can play defense at the major league level at any position , including first base. And he cannot run the bases. Well, time will tell on those picks. Meanwhile, the Cubs might have a need for a DH with the departure of Kyle Schwarber, but Howard is probably viewed as a more valuable asset than Vaughn at this point, by a lot. That is why they might want additional compensation in a potential trade. I think they would probably want a pitcher and they might start asking for a top pitching prospect like Kopech or Burdi or Stiever. I am just a life long loyal White Sox fan putting a scenario out to try to encourage friendly conversation during the off-season. IMHO strictly as a fan, I would like to see the Sox open a conversation with the Cubs about Howard and see where it might go, because I think Howard fits better on the South side. Well, nice talk here, as usual. Anyway, magnanimously wishing all White Sox fans and their families good health, peace and prosperity , as well as a World Series Championship in 2021.

I wonder what it might take to get the Cubs to trade Ed Howard? Something like Kopech plus Vaughn ?

Look, if the Sox want Colas, there is a legal path to sign him on Jan 15 that would not violate mlb rules or the law, as I set forth above. I doubt Oscar is going to wait to sign until Jan 2022 because he really wants to play for the White Sox more than another team. and in the meantime, he sees that Cespedes is getting 2 Million.. Not going to happen. OK, if that is what you think..wait and see what happens in January. Maybe that wink and a nod /sit tight/ see you next year strategy will work. I doubt it.

There is no way any competent agent/attorney representing Colas would agree to a handshake deal predicated on future compensation. That is pure folly. Furthermore, such a scheme would be exposed as a thinly veiled attempt to conspire to violate the applicable rules. Also, despite whatever the Sox may want, Colas may want a deal done this this year, not next.

I don't think they would risk severe penalties from major league baseball for that. As far as the agreement with Cespedes, it might not be a signed contract and if it is , it still might be an executory contract that can be voided by either side (since the technical date that they are authorized to sign is January 15, 2021). In any case, the Sox did not have all of the facts when they made the "agreement' with Cespedes, so they would be justified in calling it a mutual mistake and then recalculating their signing priorities. If it is a matter of choosing Colas or Cespedes, the Sox should get the player they want. I have heard of the Sox being interested in Colas before they expressed interest in Cespedes. Cespedes is never going to have the power that Colas has. Colas could be a monster at the plate and fit perfectly in the Sox outfield with Robert and Eloy. That is what a lot of us thought the plan was all along.

Those are all fansided/BR articles saying their teams should pursue him. Which does not suggest that they won't. "Colas' market will come into focus post-workout, likely well into seven figure area, 8-10 clubs keeping close tabs, including White Sox and Astros." @JesseSanchezMLB and @BenBadlerhave been on both stories. Colas wants to play and does not want to spend another year in limbo after what he went through in Japan. " After a tumultuous year away from baseball, powerful outfielder Oscar Colas said he is now ready to sign with a big league club thanks in part to the lessons he learned from his time in Japan. " https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/12/19/baseball/japanese-baseball/oscar-colas-mlb/

LA Angels Boston Red Sox NY Mets Yankees Not sure how much pool money they have, but there is interest from other teams.

Sox may have screwed the pooch by signing Cespedes and not leaving room for Colas, who may very well be a superior prospect. Was this Rick Hahn's decision?

Colas looks like he would fit perfectly in RF. I like that smooth LH swing with that big bat he is using, I would renege on the Cespedes deal if that is what it takes to get Colas. And yes, I am mindful of how the decision to trade up for Trubisky worked out.

Just from watching highlight videos (all I have to go on) , I think Colas may have even more of an upside to his career than Cespedes. I Like Colas left hand swing and his ability to adjust and hit the ball the opposite way. Where Cespedes strength looks like it mainly comes from the weight room, Colas seems to have natural core strength albeit covered by a lot of baby fat. If Colas slims down and loses the gut, I think he could be major league material right away.

Only to a degree. Otherwise anyone could hit major league pitching.

From Harold's Fangraph link: " As you'd expect given his lineage, Cespedes has prodigious physical gifts, including elite arm strength. I do not think he'll hit enough to play a big league role, though. His long, noisy swing causes him to be late on velocity and Cespedes hasn't played or seen live pitching regularly for nearly four years, and when he has played, he's struck out a bunch. The error bar around Cuban players is big because the context in which they're evaluated is often strange, but I'm pessimistic about the bat based on the info I have." -------------------------------------------- Bat-to-ball skills and eye/hand coordination cannot be taught. It makes one appreciate Eloy, Abreu, Moncada and Madrigal--hitters that just seem to have advanced eye-hand coordination, quick reflexes and the natural instincts to hit a major league fastball.

I would have rather passed on Lynn, then pass on Hendriks, and then over-pay a bit for Bauer. Dunning for Lynn looks like a half @ss Rick Hahn plug-the-holes move. This off-season, cast the net for the big fish Trevor Bauer and reel him in. This is go time.

I'd rather have LaRussa manage with hangovers and arthritis pain than be lost in the Ventura Malaise where no one including the supposedly prescient Rick Hahn would fire him. Ventura looked like he was on quaaludes at times .

I hope the Sox prioritize and spend the money on Bauer.

Nonsense. I have not heard a conspiracy theory like that since i last checked the evening news.

You are parsing words to accuse me of hypocrisy. The decisions were jointly made according to Hahn. Whose initial idea they were is a different issue An apology from you ? I doubt it.

All major acquisitions and trades have been decided upon by KW, Hahn and Jerry in close consultation with one another....not RH by himself. Draft decisions were not his call. Luis Robert was not Hahn's find, it was Marco Paddy working primarily with KW. Hahn was encouraged by Reinsdorf to sign him as cheaply as possible. Goof job there. So Hahn gets credit where it is due, but the narrative that Hahn is this great GM whose only limitation is the Owner's demands on him, is absurd. Trading for Shields and tossing in Tatis Jr. was not Jerry's idea. JR did nit make the agreement with LaRoach to have his kid become part of the team. And the long Robin Ventura Malaise was on Hahn's watch. Never forget that.

Student loans are stifling the careers of young people which negatively impacts the economy. That is the crux of Senator Warren's argument concerning the impact of student loans. Maybe lower the interest rates on student loans to zero to allow young people to pay them off and put a cap on interest rates for credit cards....an interest rate that is not usurious, like 10% max. Lower the cap on borrowing if the credit card companies are worried about risk.. IMHO, wayy too much wealth is concentrated on the upper 5-10% in this country. I am not advocating Socialism but instead, some fundamental fairness. There are those who have no stocks , no health insurance, yet work like dogs to make ends meet. They are not our enemies, they are people we need to embrace rather than demonize and trample upon.