Nardiwashere

That doesn't explain what you said... Tell us how drafting 10th and not 5th in that draft is a "scouting failure."

Ok... thanks. That makes much more sense.

Here's another question... What happens if you are following a schedule of SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, Opener in the middle of the season and your #4 SP gets rocked and he needs to be taken out of the game super early. Your bullpen picks up the slack. A bunch of bullpen guys pitch in your opener game. SP1 does ok, but he's facing the Yankees and they make him throw a lot of pitches and he leaves in the 5th and the rest is pitched by the pen. SP2 is fine and pitches 6 innings but that game goes 12 innings. etc. etc. etc. Isn't it easier to just find guys who are able to keep a team in the game?

Maybe my understanding of the opener is wrong. To me, that just sounds like an organizational decision to be quicker with the hook for their shitty pitchers. I thought the idea was you pull them before they get into trouble and each guy has a limit like the way they pitch all star games. What's the typical length of an outing for the opener? Does anyone know what the longest outing was for a guy who "opened" a game for Tampa or whoever else did this last year?

How often during a normal traditional season does a bullpen get overworked and tired and go through a rough patch? It happens a couple times a year at least... and that's without forcing an entire 9 inning game on them 1 or 2 times a week. Seems like an unnecessary stress on the pen. Maybe I'm a caveman, but give me a James Shields type to eat inning in the back of my rotation any day over openers.

I still haven't understood why using an opener during the 162 game regular season is a good idea. I kind of understand if you are in the playoffs and and the importance of each game is magnified and you think it gives you a better chance to win. Otherwise, doesn't it just unnecessarily tax your bullpen?

I don't know how you can say Rodon looks like a back end guy. No way they are tanking in 2-3 years. If so, the rebuild is a complete failure. Tank has to end this year.

I don't know.... I don't hope a father, husband, grandfather etc. dies so my favorite baseball team may eventually win more games.

Too far.

Is this on a free webcast or just mlbtv subscribers?

Machado is great and I disagree with everyone who acts like he isn't worth the deal he got... but I keep seeing these stats and I think they are a little misleading. On the radio, Bernstein was even listing guys with less WAR than Machado at age 26 and they were all-timers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but using WAR in this context is essentially like referencing a counting stat, no? So a guy who debuts super early like Machado and is good immediately will have a historically high WAR. A guy like Chipper Jones really didn't start playing in MLB until he was 23. So he'll have 3 years of WAR compared to 7 on these lists.

Padres made an offer... cool. This feels like it will end soon. Anyone who is saying they are on the verge of switching team allegiances and saying we should have bid against ourselves need to chill. Did you think no one was going to make an offer for machado besides Sox? Let it play out and quit being drama queens.

I was under the impression that the clock started and will run all this year. So do you mean the 50 days in AAA would essentially "reverse" the time he spent up in 2018 and he'll have about one full year of service time when he comes up?

Ok... I was thinking it meant he sat out a year before he signed his free agent contract with Boston or something...

I may be going crazy, but I'm 99% sure that didn't happen.

We know almost nothing about the negotiations and most of what has been reported is good news for Sox. The time to rip the front office isn’t now. Let’s see what happens. Another thing... if Machado is so eager to sign somewhere and it’s the Sox fault no deal has been made, why isn’t Machado a Phillie or Padre or Yankee etc.?

I don't understand what you are arguing is bullshit. It isn't some remote possibility that they will sign Machado and trade for Pederson. They are one of the teams in on Machado and have been linked to Pederson. Those two deals plus a deal for a pitcher is reasonable. An offseason like that would mean huge upgrade at 3B, upgrades at all OF positions, upgraded bullpen, and upgraded rotation. Add in some reasonable improvement from the young players, it wouldn't be a 62 win team. The division is bad. If they are above .500, they will have a chance. That isn't wishful thinking, its reality. I haven't heard anyone say the team is ready to win as is.

I disagree. If they add Machado, Pederson, and a decent SP, they have a shot in this division. It isn't any good.

I've never heard someone cite steamer and thought to myself, "Yeah, that makes sense"

Who do you include on this list?

I think they will acquire a guy via trade after signing Machado along with the Pederson trade.

I don't hate it for Reds.... Also, aren't younger infielders their biggest depth?

What would have been a comparable package for the Sox?

Add Machado, Pederson, another decent SP.... I don't think it is unreasonable to think that team can win 86 in a bad AL Central and flirt with a playoff berth.

This whole thing has gone from being exciting to boring to aggravating to fun. This process has been so White Sox. Nothing is ever not messy with them and I kind of love it.