Con te Giolito

Right. This is baseball, little guys can be good.

Who voted for Nicky Delmonico? I agree with that pick. That could very well be a major league capable bat that just needs to find a home on the diamond. I like him more than Davidson

If he makes the team.

Did he also catch that Angels game where Rodon ate like 7 ER while only getting 2 outs? Carlos has had some hard luck games where his catcher hasn't done him any favors, but he's had some games where he has been a straight up batting tee. I dont blame the catcher when the ball is intercepted on its way from the mound to the catcher's mitt by the swinging bat of some hulking slugger and deposited 430 feet away into someone's nachos.

My take on Bregman: The Astros love him but will ultimately trade him one-for-one for Quintana. I dont think that rotation of theirs could drag the '27 Yankees to a .500 record, much less a lineup that has a lot of possible has-been's populating it and Marwin friggin' Gonzalez competing with a 30 year old Cuban fresh off the boat for first base AB's. But I dont think the White Sox should take that deal. It has nothing to do with what position Bregman plays or how he fits into a hypothetical lineup, or anything else. It has everything to do with Bregman the player and the completely insane expectations the Astros (and their fans) seem to have put on him. I dont think he's worth Quintana, I dont think him + a guy or two is worth Quintana. I dont think Bregman is worth that much more than Meadows or Torres and nothing from his debut has led me to believe otherwise. Look at his numbers, they're good but not great. Everyone points to the 0-32 start as an excuse but the 0-32 start scares the crap out of me. Bregman isn't a bad player but he's not the prize of prizes to be had and I think a lot of the dreaming Sox fans do to get him spawns for wanting what they cannot have. If the Astros are willing to include Bregman I still want another top 100 guy and then another scouts pick. If you wont take Torres or Meadows straight up for Quintana then dont do it for Bregman. I know Astros fans think he's a Hall of Famer, but that is ridiculous and they should feel terrible for thinking it.

Not getting Tucker would be a big disappointment.

Its 12 degrees outside by Midway, could use some HOT STOVE on this COLD DAY.

Hopeful to see Brian Clark come in and hold it down as a lefty reliever.

Fully expect more names to be brought in. There are two catchers spots up for competition (though I feel like Navarez probably has the inside track on one spot) so its going to draw in more than a few guys looking to cash MLB checks for another year. Soto caught a few games for Rodon in 2015 also, so maybe there's a comfort level there. I expect the front office to be very aware of who they have catching games for Rodon to open the season.

He has a lot of value to the White Sox, I'll tell you that much.

The Rays said no???

Twins and Dodgers keep staring each other down.

The issue with Albies is less his position and more his total lack of power. I know he just turned 20 and that down the road he can probably develop some more pop, but right now the Sox need to be focusing more on players with complete offensive games. It's a shame because I love players of Albies' profile, quick little guys with contact swings and great defense are the baseballiest ballplayers around. Maybe there's a way to make it all work with Albies displacing Anderson (do not like displacing Anderson) or Moncada (only worth exploring if they are certain Moncada will thrive in CF), but that seems like a longshot.

No way Atlanta gives that up.

I see no reason to move Anderson off SS for anything less than a guy with ML experience at the position. If you havent started the clock on a guy it's a better idea to use time in the minors to teach him a new p position than it is forcing poor Tim Anderson to keep making adjustments at the plate while also trying to play CF.

If the Sox and Moncada are confident about him playing a good center field (and I mean GOOD) there's a real argument to be made for Albies. But that is a big if with Moncada and even so I think I'd still rather have Torres and Meadows than Albies. So if Torres or Meadows are on the table the Braves are already playing catch up to the Yanks or Pirates deals. Not that Atlanta can't catch up, they have a mountain of top 100 tier talent, I just don't think they would want to. The hill to make up trade value ground on a headliner is steep even if the distance between two guys seems short. Are the Braves really interested in moving Acuna AND Allard on top of Albies? Probably not. I don't think they should be, personally. But that's what it's gonna take to overcome a motivated buyer in Pittsburgh or New York.

Albies + Acuna + any one of Altanta's 3 minor league lefties (Allard, Newcomb or Fried) would be more my speed. I'm not sure how much more RHP the Sox need right now, or at least how much they should actively pursue in trades.

Prospects are fun to collect and stockpile and fans can fantasize with prospects in ways they can't with big league vets. Everyone thinks their guy is the MVP guy, or even the Hall of Fame guy. I mean I've heard the word untouchable used to describe everything from 16 year olds without a pro AB to players who were already traded less than 6 months ago. The idea that Austin Meadows, a player I really like, is untouchable is ridiculous. You're telling me there's nothing that be given up to acquire him? It was dumb when the Astros refused to even entertain the notion of trading Alex Bregman, a player who had an OK debut and has yet to put together 2 good consecutive months of production, and it's only getting dumber with these players who don't have any experience above AA being declared off limits. It's very irritating.

Don't get lost in previous trades. By that logic Rookie Davis, Tony Renda, Eric Jagielo and Caleb Cotham are TWICE as valuable as Gleyber Torres and the group he came with.

Torres, Mateo and somebody the teams mutually agree on that is at best a Spencer Adams-tier prospect (the Yankees have a million of those guys). I think that's as far as Cashman really wants to bend. That's my guess. Agreed about the "Torres hammer", that once Cashman "caves" and includes Torres that he does not want to include Rutherford, Frazier, Kapeielian or anyone he really, really likes in that system. I thought Severino would be a name the two could agree on to add but that tweet that the Sox are exploring FA options if Quintana leaves throws some cold water on that idea.

Yankees are desperate to downplay their involvement that it wouldn't shock me if they are the most interested team. "We don't want Quintana noooo why would we? BTW what's Jason Hammel up to did I mention NO QUINTANA let me tell you about how much I want Jose Qui-I mean don't want. Nope nope nope" NOT BUYING IT, Cashman. Not buying it one bit.

I've long wanted Ozzie in the booth but that is a wish I will never see granted.

We are about to get a real crash course on how many of these prospect lists are just clickbait bombs for Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers etc. fans.

My guess is everyone is waiting on each other to budge and its radio silence until one of the sides caves. None of the buyers want a bidding war to develop so they are holding off hoping the others drop out or lose interest (like the Astros). Sox are obviously trying to keep as many teams on the line as possible. All it takes is one team deciding they are willing to meet the Sox halfway and he'll be dealt pretty rapidly.

Nah the Sale deal was a player light. They should've been able to add Devers or EdRo (at least) to the deal they got and probably would have if they were reasonable with Boston at the deadline and not asking for Mookie Betts. Sale's value peaked at the deadline last year and unless he starts doing Kershaw things he'll never fully regain it. Sox, to their credit, didn't waste any time waiting for his value to deteriorate more and dealt him this offseason for probably 80ish% of what they would've gotten at the deadline. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm not upset either. At least they didn't stubbornly stand firm another year and taken themselves out of the running for a Moncada-like headliner.