3 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Yes you have to figure it’s a  lock the Sox will agree to a contract 5 or 6 times the size of the biggest contract they have ever handed out. And agree to that contract with one Scott Boras, because who doesn’t want to play for a team coming off a 100 loss season, with 6 losing seasons in a row, that is virtually ignored in its own city.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? LOL

4 minutes ago, Bigsoxhurt35 said:

If Hahn lands one of these two fish so to speak, it will be one of the all-time great FA sell jobs to a player. 

The only chance they have is if JR goes nuts and outbids everyone else by a significant margin. It’s still I. The back of my mind that there is a one in a thousand chance it could happen. I really do feel for the people who are convinced it is going to happen. They are going to be pissed.

29 minutes ago, Bigsoxhurt35 said:

If Hahn lands one of these two fish so to speak, it will be one of the all-time great FA sell jobs to a player. 

Like getting Cano to leave NY for Seattle?

4 hours ago, Dick Allen said:

The only chance they have is if JR goes nuts and outbids everyone else by a significant margin. It’s still I. The back of my mind that there is a one in a thousand chance it could happen. I really do feel for the people who are convinced it is going to happen. They are going to be pissed.

Who are these people that are convinced we will land one of them? The most confident I’ve seen somebody is the guy who just said he is “fairly confident”, and that guy is in the minority. I think most optimistic people feel there’s about a 30/40% chance we sign one of them. 

Means absolutely nothing but the new White Sox hitting instructor just broke down Harper's swing on Twitter.

 

 

Edited November 30, 20187 yr by Sockin

1 hour ago, Sockin said:

Means absolutely nothing but the new White Sox hitting instructor just broke down Harper's swing on Twitter.

 

 

*puts down life savings on White Sox*

#sarcasm

1 hour ago, Sockin said:

Means absolutely nothing but the new White Sox hitting instructor just broke down Harper's swing on Twitter.

 

 

I wonder why he deleted the tweet

2 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

I wonder why he deleted the tweet

Sox must have told him to?

38 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

I wonder why he deleted the tweet

Because of message boards like this. 

 

 

Now that Avi is gone, the outfield is the place where the biggest hole should be filled. None of the youngsters are ready except Eloy. So, Eloy in one of the corners and, depending upon the defense of the anticipated acquisition, maybe Engel, or Leury in CF. For me, Harper checks the most boxes. He would fill the other corner OF slot, and provide the much needed LH bat. Without a big bat taking Avi's place, the outfield would be pretty weak, offensively, with only Eloy as a potentially big producer.  To have cleared Avi from the roster, only to replace him with Delmonico or Palka, makes little sense. Palka deserves more opportunities, but not in the outfield. He should be destined for either DH or first base.

I still think that Moncada should be given 2019 to adjust to his anticipated future position of third base, to open second for Madrigal, which seems to be the only really good spot for him, hopefully in 2020. Yolmer would be an acceptable "place holder" at the keystone spot, until Madrigal is ready.

Add to those factors, the better star power and "character" of Harper, and for me, it's not even close. I still don't want Machado to be the "face of the franchise," for reasons I've expressed before and which many of you share. 

On 11/28/2018 at 5:36 PM, Chicago White Sox said:

I would guess that +90% of free agents would not pass on an offer that’s 10% higher than the next best.  I think once you get to that point, the intangibles just don’t matter.  The players’ union also puts a ton of pressure on its stars to take max value and so does Boras.  I think you’re being a bit pessimistic here. Regardless, I fully expect the Sox to add one high-end starter by the end of the winter meetings.

Doesn’t take much to see that Yolmer won’t be a starter going forward.  Hahn’s comments about Yoan are pretty obvious.

4 minutes ago, fathom said:

Doesn’t take much to see that Yolmer won’t be a starter going forward.  Hahn’s comments about Yoan are pretty obvious.

Will be interesting to see how Yolmer fits if we add Machado though.  To me, he becomes too expensive of a backup if the infield is Manny, Tim, & Yoan unless they plan to use him in the OF some.

On 11/29/2018 at 7:32 PM, Dick Allen said:

Yes you have to figure it’s a  lock the Sox will agree to a contract 5 or 6 times the size of the biggest contract they have ever handed out. And agree to that contract with one Scott Boras, because who doesn’t want to play for a team coming off a 100 loss season, with 6 losing seasons in a row, that is virtually ignored in its own city.

Doubt they’ll continue to be ignored if they sign one of them

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Will be interesting to see how Yolmer fits if we add Machado though.  To me, he becomes too expensive of a backup if the infield is Manny, Tim, & Yoan unless they plan to use him in the OF some.

He'll only be in the $4-$5 million range this year and I'd be ok with that as a backup at least to start the year, but I would imagine that they would watch for more opportunities to move him.

Ken Rosenthal tweeted: "#Mariners have shown interest in shortstop J.P. Crawford as one piece from #Phillies in a possible deal for Jean Segura, sources tell The Athletic. Per @JSalisburyNBCS, PHI would still pursue Machado as a free agent (to play 3B) if they acquired Segura in a trade."

They can have Machado. We'll take Harper.

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

He'll only be in the $4-$5 million range this year and I'd be ok with that as a backup at least to start the year, but I would imagine that they would watch for more opportunities to move him.

He’s worth his salary in isolation, but if I plan on giving Machado, Anderson, & Moncada 150 starts each I’d rather just give the role to Rondon and use the money elsewhere.

50 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

He’s worth his salary in isolation, but if I plan on giving Machado, Anderson, & Moncada 150 starts each I’d rather just give the role to Rondon and use the money elsewhere.

I don't disagree but we should be able to get something of use for Yolmer, he's at least comparable to Eduardo Escobar and he's cheaper over the next 3 years. 

2 hours ago, Whitesox27 said:

Ken Rosenthal tweeted: "#Mariners have shown interest in shortstop J.P. Crawford as one piece from #Phillies in a possible deal for Jean Segura, sources tell The Athletic. Per @JSalisburyNBCS, PHI would still pursue Machado as a free agent (to play 3B) if they acquired Segura in a trade."

They can have Machado. We'll take Harper.

Amen

2 hours ago, Whitesox27 said:

Ken Rosenthal tweeted: "#Mariners have shown interest in shortstop J.P. Crawford as one piece from #Phillies in a possible deal for Jean Segura, sources tell The Athletic. Per @JSalisburyNBCS, PHI would still pursue Machado as a free agent (to play 3B) if they acquired Segura in a trade."

They can have Machado. We'll take Harper.

According to MLB trade rumors prediction, the Sox get none of the top 50 free agents.

26 minutes ago, ptatc said:

According to MLB trade rumors prediction, the Sox get none of the top 50 free agents.

They're most likely basing that prediction off the fact that the most expensive free agent contract the Sox have ever given anyone was $68 million, but there is no better time than right now to change that.

1 hour ago, Balta1701 said:

I don't disagree but we should be able to get something of use for Yolmer, he's at least comparable to Eduardo Escobar and he's cheaper over the next 3 years. 

EE had a standout season. Yolmer is a nobody who pours buckets of water on his own head. 

9 minutes ago, pcq said:

EE had a standout season. Yolmer is a nobody who pours buckets of water on his own head. 

EE put up his first season with >2 WAR this year as a 29 year old. 2 years ago he was a 0 WAR player, and most other seasons he's been 2 at most. Yolmer is 26 and has put up ~2 WAR seasons each of the last 2 years. The only thing Escobar has done that Yolmer hasn't is put up a 3 WAR season, and he didn't do that until he was 29, and he's only done that once, and now he's paid more. These are roughly comparable value players. If the White Sox used their bench effectively,  then Yolmer would be a very valuable piece. 

4 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

EE put up his first season with >2 WAR this year as a 29 year old. 2 years ago he was a 0 WAR player, and most other seasons he's been 2 at most. Yolmer is 26 and has put up ~2 WAR seasons each of the last 2 years. The only thing Escobar has done that Yolmer hasn't is put up a 3 WAR season, and he didn't do that until he was 29, and he's only done that once, and now he's paid more. These are roughly comparable value players. If the White Sox used their bench effectively,  then Yolmer would be a very valuable piece. 

I agree that Yolmer "would be a very valuable piece," if used properly. He had a decent year, hitting from the left side, but he was useless against LH pitching. He is fine defensively, especially at 2ND, but the Sox have Moncada and soon Madrigal. Yolmer's value is probably best as a utility infielder.