Con te Giolito

Only 1 year left wouldn't be the end of the world if they just included him with Bader heading the Sox.

I think the Cardinals will eventually offer Bader for Frazier when the time comes, though that moment won't come until EE signs. Melky is a more of a deadline player for a team making the playoff push that is light on LHH or has suffered some OF injuries. He's a guy where his impending free agency might actually help his value as teams who find a spot opened for him by injury will likely have an incumbent LF to open 2018 that they don't want to unseat. I would not be surprised if he's dealt, hit FA and then comes back to the Sox on a 2 year deal. He seems to get on pretty well here.

Barring a surprise Abreu trade, I think I'm gonna miss Q more than anyone else dealt this offseason. I thought the Sale trade was pretty bad, but at least I had come around to letting go of Sale. Same goes for Eaton, and the return in that trade really washed away any tears about his departure. But there is a workmanlike quality to Quintana that will not be easy to replicate with the kind of production Q has provided. He's gotta go, it's what is best long term, but in my heart of hearts I'd rather keep him.

Yankees could put together a good package for Quintana without Frazier or Torres, but I doubt they are willing to go as far as the Pirates are. The Astros are in la la land (not the movie) and the Rangers would have to give up Mazara, Gallo and Profar to even get things started and I think the Pirates are already offering better deals than that. That's just my read on this situation.

One of the best pitchers in the AL. This is his year to break out. Also I think he's traded by this time next year, for better or worse.

Have the Rockies ever been actually linked to Quintana?

Well if they are going to deal Meadows they are going to keep Cutch.

Hot Stove definitely heating up.

Well lets say the Pirates are including Meadows and not including Glasnow. If they get Quintana that would give them a Cole-Quintana-Taillon-Glasnow frontline for the next 3 years plus a whole bunch of pretty strong pitching prospect on the verge of becoming top prospects themselves. With age coming for Lester and Arrieta intent on pursuing free agency it would give the Pirates a pretty big boost nabbing Quintana. Pirates have a lot of talent, not quite Yankees level but in that tier. The way they draft they can withstand a hit to the farm to gain a pitcher like Quintana.

I'm not sure we see Giolito in 2017, but I am confident that when we see him on the Sox it'll be a thing to behold.

Agreed. Yanks didn't want to let it be known they were interested and spark a bidding war. This Pirates news timed with the Morosi tweet hints that the Pirates upped their offer fearing Yankees involvement. Now Cashman either has to up his price or pull back, two things GM's dont want to do.

You're telling me if Huntington offers Glasnow and Bell + that you say no because you require Meadows?

I just cant see that happening. For me the Sox should be doing a backflip if they get any 2 of those 4 for Quintana. Throwing in Jones just obfuscates what a "fair deal" is and doesn't fit with the plan to sell these guys individually rather than package them up. If there is one real untouchable for the Pirates it may be Keller. 20 years old, A+ and he had 131 K in 124 IP (very good) but with only 18 walks. 18 walks in 124 IP is already outstanding for a guy his age, but then put that up against the 131 K's and it superhuman. How many 20 year olds actually have command (not just control) of his arsenal at that age? If I'm Pittsburgh I dont sell him until I'm convinced he's done getting better, and you cant be convinced of that for a 20 year old in A+ ball no matter how insane the season he just had was.

Quintana is probably as good as gone. It looked a little dicey there for about a week where there was a massive lull since the Gammons tweet about the Astros package, but now the Sox are probably more pitting teams against each other in negotiations rather than pitting them against the threat of just pulling Q off the market. Get the Pirates, Astros, Yankees and whoever else may be calling (its a new team every day now) to each put up their best offers and then roll with whichever they like the most. The odds of Q being the Sox going forward are nearing zero, IMO. I like Q a lot so this is a bittersweet realization.

Yea after seeing the Astros thoughts on what a fair trade for Q or Sale is I have no problems watching them lose the division to some inferior AL West team because they dont have any starters who can pitch over 150 innings with an ERA under 4.

Lucroy didn't have his breakout until age 26 if you're looking for a direct positional comparison. Plenty of players dont fully bloom until their late 20's. Most famous example right now is Josh Donaldson, but there are many guys like him. As of right now I like the Yankees most, the Pirates as a close second and the Astros 3rd as far as actual rumored partners go. If you want to throw the Rockies into the pile they're about tied with the Astros.

These Pirates fans I keep reading who say "Meadows and Glasnow to start..." or something similar have me too excited.

With a good CF and only 17% K rate.

The Astros will not be able to match Glasnow, Bell & Newman unless they add Springer or Bregman.

Bell would be huge. Talk about a guy to pair with Moncada, two switch hitters back-to-back (they both are a bit better LHH, but they will switch hit) in the middle of the Sox lineup like that would be nightmarish to contend with. That's a serious foundation to build a lineup around. I am of the perhaps unpopular opinion that the Pirates would rather move Meadows than Bell.

"Working hard" is pretty imminent language. This could really accelerate with the Pirates at any time, which is BAD BAD BAD for my productivity.

Meadows, Hayes and an arm that the scouts like. Let's do this right now.

Meadows, Bell and Glasnow are all ridiculously exciting talents. Who was asking about Kris Bryant type hitters? There's two of them in the Pirates system. The fact that the Pirtaes have three of these types of prospects as opposed to the Yankees one (Torres) and the Astros none (though I think Tucker is on the path) is encouraging. They can afford to lose one of those guys to get Quintana and the Sox would fall over for any three of them. Meadows is my favorite, but Bell and Glasnow are both worthy centerpieces. Could you imagine the future of Sox pitching if they acquired Glasnow? A 2019 rotation of Rodon, Giolito, Glasnow, Lopez and Kopech could be aces wild. That's possibly 4 of the top 5 pitching prospects currently in the game.

Honestly, the closest thing there is to a guy like that in baseball right now was acquired by the White Sox a couple weeks ago.

I think I'd rather have Mateo for the defensive utility and speed elevating his floor considerably. I really like Judge, but if he cant hit the defense and baserunning wont propel him the way it will Mateo. OTOH Mateo probably starts next year in A+, so he's quite a bit further off than Judge who will be ready to go opening day. Its really a close call between the two. I actually think a Mateo, Judge, Kaprielian package is better than either of those Rutherford headlined deals.