There isn't a plan B because there's nobody left worth meeting their price other than Cole. I honestly don't think that he's interested in coming here. If they want to shop at the bargain bin for remaining holes I have no issues at this point. 

There's just no reason to spend big money on the players left that aren't named Gerrit Cole. 

They tried, they learned their lesson, Wheeler didn't want their money. Not much else they can do really. 

Edited December 5, 20196 yr by Jack Parkman

2 hours ago, fathom said:

Very doubtful this team wins nearly every game they’re leading after 8 again next year

Well it is pretty normal to win the vast majority of games in which you're leading after 8, but that's not what I'm arguing and I'm not sure what you're getting at. For everything that suggests the 2019 Sox were lucky, there's another thing that suggests they were unlucky

2 hours ago, poppysox said:

The 80 win as constructed is conservative IMO.  The five people you mention add a lot of firepower to this team.

I could definitely see that argument. 

2 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

There isn't a plan B because there's nobody left worth meeting their price other than Cole. 

There's just no reason to spend big money on the players left that aren't named Gerrit Cole. 

Strasburg? Neither will happen but I’d be more than willing the throw the $$ at him.

https://mobile.twitter.com/stevestone/status/1202423489174462465

We have to address the issue via trade now...maybe 3 team trade cause the prospects we are willing to move aren't the prospects people want.

So maybe the Sox eat a bad contract from Team A, Team A sends more attractive prospects to Team B, Team B sends good pitcher under control for awhile to the Sox. 

I don't see how it works other than this unless you think Boras will accept 3 years for Ryu and I'm not seeing it. The FA market is thinning out so he can probably force a 4th year and we dont want to go there with an injury prone 32 year old. 

 

Go make the 3 team trade Rick.

What veteran starting pitchers are on non competitive teams with one or two years of control left and are making 25 million or less?

I would be shocked if Keuchel isn’t their main focus now. They were rumored to like him last offseason.

3 minutes ago, hi8is said:

What veteran starting pitchers are on non competitive teams with one or two years of control left and are making 25 million or less?

Uh...Danny Duffy 

Maybe we can get Chris Archer for cheap?

Match him up with a Keuchel signing and badabing!

Edited December 5, 20196 yr by Chisox378

23 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Many fans who are as disappointed as the organization will point to Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg as the next starting options. But the White Sox aren’t necessarily looking for a pitcher for the top of their rotation, or one in their projected financial stratosphere as much as finding a veteran to fit with Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Dylan Cease and the return of a healthy Michael Kopech.

 

I'm not angry about the wheeler thing, and I am glad they're going to continue their pursuits and shore up the roster. It was an OK piece by merkin but that paragraph above is a joke. The logic for the Sox not looking for the best is just awful.

Just call it what it is; their owner won't spend that kind of money on a pitcher, period. 

Yeah, I was about to call out that paragraph.  You’re just going to piss off the fanbase by saying that shit.

So basically cheaper pitching targets going forward, Sox love to shop at Aldi’s. Hey at least Abreu is back ? 

Edited December 5, 20196 yr by Soxfest

15 minutes ago, hi8is said:

What veteran starting pitchers are on non competitive teams with one or two years of control left and are making 25 million or less?

If Astros are serious about resigning Cole, Greinke should be available via trade.

12 minutes ago, bmags said:

Uh...Danny Duffy 

The same Danny Duffy who tweeted “bury me in Royals blue” which Matt Davidson promptly accommodated on opening day?

15 minutes ago, fathom said:

I would be shocked if Keuchel isn’t their main focus now. They were rumored to like him last offseason.

I'd take Keuchel. Reminds me of Buehrle. Takes it and throws it, gets tons of grounders

2 minutes ago, thxfrthmmrs said:

If Astros are serious about resigning Cole, Greinke should be available via trade.

to pull that off it'd mean we are waiting out Cole , which could drag on like last year's top FA did

22 minutes ago, hi8is said:

What veteran starting pitchers are on non competitive teams with one or two years of control left and are making 25 million or less?

Point was, options are bleak.

17 minutes ago, hi8is said:

What veteran starting pitchers are on non competitive teams with one or two years of control left and are making 25 million or less?

How about younger starting pitchers on shitty teams?

German Marquez COL, Joe Musgrove PIT, Marco Gonzalez SEA, Matthew Boyd DET, Sandy Alcantara MIA.

 

There's like 2 pitchers on there I would even want or consider.

5 minutes ago, BackDoorBreach said:

Sandy Alcantara MIA.

One for me ?

Can we just buy Charlie Morton?

How about this Mr. Hahn:

Cole.  7 Years 250M. Opt out after 2-4 years, whatever Boras wants.  Who cares if he opts out?  We get him as a mercenary for a few years to win with the young guys while we have no payroll   Just overpay him.  Who cares

 

Just buy some time for Hansen, Dalquist, Dunning, Stiever or Thompson to become something.  
 

All it costs is money.  Spend that money for a few years to let the stable of arms grow.  We’ll be a juggernaut for a decade

8 hours ago, wegner said:

Since I have seen very little about them tied to Ryu, it would be nice to tie him up quickly without much word like they did with Grandal.

If MadBum will be going for over 100M...No thanks.

Maybe Grandal is part of the Ryu friends and family plan.

I remember last year and the absolute blow out that occurred with everyone ( myself included ) flipping their lids when we lost out on Manny.

It was unforgivable, irrevocable, and there wasn’t another plan.

However, since we lost out on him just one short year ago... we now have Moncada rising and solidified at the same position as him. We have a potential stud all-star Dustin Peoria lite coming up and one of the best catching tandems in all of baseball.

1.) I think we can recover from missing out on Wheeler, even though I don’t know how it will happen yet.

2.) The vision this front office had for the rebuild has been going well, even with some unexpected turns on the road to contention.

Moncada + Madrigal + Grandal  > Manny + Moncada + Castro

We hope.

I will also say that in my personal opinion, this Wheeler miss could sting more than Manny on the basis of potential need filled and also because we actually had the highest offer.

???? > Wheeler

Let’s continue to hope.

6 hours ago, wegner said:

Hey, does anyone have the engineering chops to design a MadBum exploding bobble head?   I'd go to that giveaway.

Maybe put a little red light bulb inside the head if you want to make it unique but functional. Put a AA or AAA  battery in the base. No one would make one that explodes too many chances for lawsuits.

I wonder if plan B may be something like Keuchel, then add Treinen and Betances.