Simple.

 

1) They haven't rebuilt like this since the late 90's.

 

2) Albert Belle/Alex Rodriguez/Tanaka/Adam Dunn

 

3) The biggest financial treasure is there for the taking in franchise history if they have the looks of the 2014-15 Cubs heading into 2019 and can negotiate an advantageous media rights deal, which will obviously create another $50-75 and even $100 million dollars per year to play around with.

 

4) This is JR's likely last opportunity at an extended run as he's in his early 80's....and the logic of rebuilding but NOT FINISHING the rebuild if they're just a couple of players away, maybe even 3...is just completely nuts. That's what we have been dealing for the last 3-4 years, except we were trying to reload with one of the worst farm systems in baseball and a barren Latin American pipeline.

 

5) They have a special connection to Cuba that few if any teams have (of course, we don't know which direction that will go under Trump, in terms of continued "opening up" of the country), with the agents like Jaime Torres and buscones. Contreras, El Duque, Alexei, Viciedo, Rodon is Cuban-American, Abreu, now Moncada. They have a manager who has a much clearer way of communicating with those players than Ventura, since he's fluent in Spanish. We also just brought in 3 big-time Latin American talents in Moncada (Cuba), Basabe (Venezuela) and Lopez (DR). That's not an accident. And Paddy.

 

Coming in second does you no good in free agency. Half of that list doesn't matter. One quarter of it happened literally a generation ago.

 

I'd bet money that JR is dead by the time the White Sox win another division title.

They have to get elite for him.

 

Just mean your giolito/moncada. Expect great value, but the Q deal is where our scouts need to be great.

We've never seen anything that suggests this ownership will ever pay the price it will take for a marquee free agent.

 

I'm not saying we sign a Bryce Harper, I'm saying we will be willing to sign guys on that 2nd or 3rd rung of the ladder which, if things work out, will be plenty enough to push us over the top.

Coming in second does you no good in free agency. Half of that list doesn't matter. One quarter of it happened literally a generation ago.

 

I'd bet money that JR is dead by the time the White Sox win another division title.

 

Your latter statement was just as true, if not more, before they traded Sale and Eaton.

 

6 years $68 Million... that's the largest contract the Chicago White Sox have ever given out

 

They aren't signing the big time free agents, need to nail these trades and drafts..

Coming in second does you no good in free agency. Half of that list doesn't matter. One quarter of it happened literally a generation ago.

 

I'd bet money that JR is dead by the time the White Sox win another division title.

 

Would you have bet money three days ago that Thad Bosley, SoxFest and I would be close to relentlessly optimistic and you would be the "dark cloud"??

 

Sure, everything can completely blow up in their face, they COULD face a 30 year Royals/Pirates period wandering in the wilderness...but, to quote Dick Allen, why even be a fan of the team if it's not going to bring you any pleasure/joy/happiness/contentment?

Edited December 8, 20169 yr by caulfield12

Would you have bet money three days ago that Thad Bosley and I would be close to relentlessly optimistic and you would be the "dark cloud"??

 

Sure, everything can completely blow up in their face, they COULD face a 30 year Royals/Pirates period wandering in the wilderness...but, to quote Dick Allen, why even be a fan of the team if it's not going to bring you any pleasure/joy/happiness/contentment?

 

I can tell you one thing for sure. I will be watching less baseball this year than I have in any season probably since Robin Ventura left Chicago as a free agent. I have not been nearly this bitter with the White Sox since that specific day. I had thought about Soxfest after getting a nice bonus this quarter, and there is no way I am spending $500 to do that now.

Guys... they've NEVER rebuilt like this. In fact, of Q is traded I won't be able to remember any team doing something like this before.

Himes did. He traded everybody.

6 years $68 Million... that's the largest contract the Chicago White Sox have ever given out

 

They aren't signing the big time free agents, need to nail these trades and drafts..

 

With a team already loaded with contracts. When the payroll is $40 million in a year or two, there will be room to make a splash in free agency.

They have blown up a team before. Go look up White Flag.

 

I know about White Flag. I think this goes further.

Himes did. He traded everybody.

Himes?

Himes?

Larry Himes. Took over for Hawk. Sent Harold away. Traded all the starting pitchers.i think Fisk, Ozzie, and Ivan Calderon were the only guys he kept. He even traded Kenny Williams.

Larry Himes. Took over for Hawk. Sent Harold away. Traded all the starting pitchers.i think Fisk, Ozzie, and Ivan Calderon were the only guys he kept. He even traded Kenny Williams.

 

Yep, the sucktitude of the late '80s is legendary. But Himes put together an outstanding core and things really turned around in 1990, culminating in the '93 division champs and possibly a WS appearance in '94 if the strike hadn't occurred.

 

With a team already loaded with contracts. When the payroll is $40 million in a year or two, there will be room to make a splash in free agency.

 

Ill believe it when I see it

Ill believe it when I see it

 

Yeah, the Sox aren't going to be players in the FA market for at least another year, probably two, down the road.

 

Larry Himes. Took over for Hawk. Sent Harold away. Traded all the starting pitchers.i think Fisk, Ozzie, and Ivan Calderon were the only guys he kept. He even traded Kenny Williams.

Ah, right before my time of fandom. Around then I was in my baseball pull up diapers. Thanks for the insight.

He even traded Kenny Williams.

 

Bring him back! Make him do it again!

Yeah, the Sox aren't going to be players in the FA market for at least another year, probably two, down the road.

 

Two. So the 2018 class, then?

I think people underestimate the value of Frazier. I still think its possible to get 1-Top 100 Prospect and a lottery ticket for him or 2-Top 150 Prospects.

 

Is it just me or is there just not a whole lot of top free agents signing happening.

 

Encarcion, Chapman, Jansen, Turner all have not signed. Its strange to me.

 

I think the big markets want to stay under the luxury tax for at least this year and its really hurting the market. Their are some good deals to be had.

I think people underestimate the value of Frazier. I still think its possible to get 1-Top 100 Prospect and a lottery ticket for him or 2-Top 150 Prospects.

 

Is it just me or is there just not a whole lot of top free agents signing happening.

 

Encarcion, Chapman, Jansen, Turner all have not signed. Its strange to me.

 

I think the big markets want to stay under the luxury tax for at least this year and its really hurting the market. Their are some good deals to be had.

 

It's just a weird market for power hitters right now.

Ill believe it when I see it

We're kinda entering unchartered territory here, with basically no financial commitments, a young, cheap core and for the first time ever a kind of real soft cap, it makes sense that big dollars could be committed, where else are they going to spend the next two years?

It's just a weird market for power hitters right now.

 

 

What happend to Jose Bautistas market? I mean damn the guy will be lucky to get 3/50.

We're kinda entering unchartered territory here, with basically no financial commitments, a young, cheap core and for the first time ever a kind of real soft cap, it makes sense that big dollars could be committed, where else are they going to spend the next two years?

 

And who knows how important fielding a competitive team will be come new TV contract negotiations

We're going to sign Machado in 2018.

We're kinda entering unchartered territory here, with basically no financial commitments, a young, cheap core and for the first time ever a kind of real soft cap, it makes sense that big dollars could be committed, where else are they going to spend the next two years?

 

It is uncharted territory, but I still find it hard to believe they will ever sign the 7 year 20-25 per kind of guys under JR.. He just doesn't do it..