I think they need to shift focus and move to the OF market. The pitching market has them screwed right now. Lets get Covey some starts. 

55 minutes ago, Thad Bosley said:

Why oh why oh why can't this team, with all of its money and financial flexibility (which Hahn boasts about, btw) be in on Strasburg. 

Cole I sort of get because of the strong signals that he wants to play in SoCal, but why not Strasburg?  That's the guy you want in this rotation for this upcoming competitive window far more than MadBum or any of these other second tier guys.  

This is the moment to make a statement and show the seriousness of moving out of the rebuild into full-on competitive mode.  I would love to see the Sox make that kind of statement with a Strasburg signing, similar to how the statement would have looked had we signed Machado.  But to not even seemingly be in that discussion to pursue him, I don't know, it's just a little disappointing.  

 

It would be beyond disappointing—it would be a concession that even in the best of circumstances we are a second rate franchise.  

That said, I’m not ready to give up on the Sox being in on Strasburg.

33 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

I would hope they would have learned from last year not to be stunned by anything and to always have some contingency plans, but who knows.

 

Rabbit said like a week or so ago they were working on alot of possible trade things, I would assume some of them involved pitchers of Wheeler fell thru. 

If BOS is willing to eat half of the 150 they owe Sale, I'd definitely take him back if he passed our medical exam for the elbow. I heard he gets along fine with Rick it's just KW he doesn't like. 

Honestly this is the scenario I keep pondering in my head... What would it take though.  He isn't a straight salary dump by any means. Dunnings ++?

WSox will never bring back Sale

2 minutes ago, fathom said:

WSox will never bring back Sale

agreed... But we are just looking at all options... and there don't appear to be that many that are good SP that wouldn't require one of our top 4 prospects... I think we have to take on a rough contract (Sale, Darvish, Price, etc).

Edited December 5, 20196 yr by cjgalloway

1 minute ago, cjgalloway said:

agreed... But we are just looking at all options... and there don't appear to be that many that are good SP that wouldn't require one of our top 4 prospects... I think we have to take on a rough contract (Sale, Darvish, Price, etc).

Gross, rather just take chances on guys like Jordan Lyles

If Bum is as expensive as there are reports of, he can pound all the sand in the world. But, he'd still be at least a 3-4 win improvement to the rotation and that's not nothing. Even still, target Ryu. 

Edited December 5, 20196 yr by mqr

3 minutes ago, fathom said:

Gross, rather just take chances on guys like Jordan Lyles

Couldn't disagree with this more.. But that's okay.

14 minutes ago, fathom said:

Gross, rather just take chances on guys like Jordan Lyles

darvish is 4 years 81 remaining. We don't know returns, but I'd be open to it. I think he'd benefit from Grandal, WS not withstanding.

4 minutes ago, bmags said:

darvish is 4 years 81 remaining. We don't know returns, but I'd be open to it. I think he'd benefit from Grandal, WS not withstanding.

If he pitches like last year that is a good contract. 

In the second half of last year Darvish was probably a top 5 pitcher.. I'd love him. But right, what would he cost?

42 minutes ago, bmags said:

I think people are scared of Keuchel's margin for error and also his era appeared lucky due to his peripherals.

I do think people underrated him getting ready on a partial season which historically has seemed to have hurt others not named clemens.

I'm curious what you mean by margin of error, and which peripherals hint that he's lucky. Sure, he doesn't strike out many guys, but he never really has depended on that. I think MadBum gets destroyed at the Rate, I think Wheeler and Ryu both have significant injury histories, and while people fawn about how that means there's "less miles on his arm" (at least for Wheeler- Ryu doesn't get that generosity), it means they've never pitched 200 IP. We have several pitchers next year who will probably put up solid numbers but not pitch 200, I'm not really interested in either of them coming here and having an injury plagued campaign with 140 IP. We need a horse, and that horse is Keuchel.

The Cubs need to shed salary for Baez and Bryant extensions, right?

So why would Darvish cost alot in other assets? I mean besides the political aspect where Theo can't look like he's getting fleeced by Hahn again.

 

3 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

The Cubs need to shed salary for Baez and Bryant extensions, right?

So why would Darvish cost alot in other assets? I mean besides the political aspect where Theo can't look like he's getting fleeced by Hahn again.

 

That's kind of interesting.  I'd take Darvish if he wasn't crazy expensive.  Idk what the Cubs actual plan is this year and their network is launching.

They can’t afford to get rid of Darvish the way he pitched the second half last year.

Chatwood would be it...and they won’t be able to keep Bryant, Rizzo and Baez.   Bryant likely bolts.

As it stands, selling high on Contreras to fill multiple needs is probably the best way to go.

2 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

They can’t afford to get rid of Darvish the way he pitched the second half last year.

Chatwood would be it...and they won’t be able to keep Bryant, Rizzo and Baez.   Bryant likely bolts.

As it stands, selling high on Contreras to fill multiple needs is probably the best way to go.

Gimme hendricks 

5 minutes ago, BackDoorBreach said:

That's kind of interesting.  I'd take Darvish if he wasn't crazy expensive.  Idk what the Cubs actual plan is this year and their network is launching.

Darvish is an interesting name at the right price.

34 minutes ago, cjgalloway said:

In the second half of last year Darvish was probably a top 5 pitcher.. I'd love him. But right, what would he cost?

Yeah that stuff is just too hard to guess. The thing is the cubs don't have a replacement for Darvish, and so they'd have to really be confident in some of the remaining pitchers in FA at that 8-10 mill range for it to even be a benefit.

But he's a guy whose salary makes him available but I don't think it qualifies as a dump.

4 minutes ago, poppysox said:

Darvish is an interesting name at the right price.

Darvish does have a full no trade clause, which should be noted

25 minutes ago, The Sir said:

I'm curious what you mean by margin of error, and which peripherals hint that he's lucky. Sure, he doesn't strike out many guys, but he never really has depended on that. I think MadBum gets destroyed at the Rate, I think Wheeler and Ryu both have significant injury histories, and while people fawn about how that means there's "less miles on his arm" (at least for Wheeler- Ryu doesn't get that generosity), it means they've never pitched 200 IP. We have several pitchers next year who will probably put up solid numbers but not pitch 200, I'm not really interested in either of them coming here and having an injury plagued campaign with 140 IP. We need a horse, and that horse is Keuchel.

Regardless how effective he is with low velocity, there is a level of velocity that if he sits too far down it will be difficult to be a top pitcher in. 

7 minutes ago, bmags said:

Yeah that stuff is just too hard to guess. The thing is the cubs don't have a replacement for Darvish, and so they'd have to really be confident in some of the remaining pitchers in FA at that 8-10 mill range for it to even be a benefit.

But he's a guy whose salary makes him available but I don't think it qualifies as a dump.

Yeah I'd agree.

 

7 minutes ago, steveno89 said:

Darvish does have a full no trade clause, which should be noted

Did not know this.

See Hernandez, Felix.

1 minute ago, caulfield12 said:

See Hernandez, Felix.

Kyle Hendricks 

Darvish had the easiest schedule in the league after July.  Color me unimpressed. 

1 minute ago, Nokona said:

Darvish had the easiest schedule in the league after July.  Color me unimpressed. 

Good thing the white sox are in the worst division in the league.