Bullpens are such a crapshoot.  Going into 2020, Bummer was the only guy I had faith in.   We came out of that season with not having an issue if Colome, Bummer, Marshall, Heuer, Crochet, Foster and even Fry at times getting the ball for a crucial out/inning in any game. 

While a guy like Hendricks would definitely put a lot of confidence for me on that pen come 2021, this "sky is falling" feeling many folks have if we miss on Hendricks is a bit being paranoid. 

Again, would love to have Hendricks.   But it's not the end of the world.   

What's with the Kirby Yates love?  He's 34 years old coming off a horrible season and elbow surgery which is not a coincidence because he throws a splitter and he was overused during the previous 3 seasons.  There's a good chance that dude is toast.

15 minutes ago, chetkincaid said:

Brad Hand would be such a bargain bin White Sox signing. 

How is the #2 closer in the market, someone who commands $10M AAV, a bargain bin signing?

8 minutes ago, thxfrthmmrs said:

How is the #2 closer in the market, someone who commands $10M AAV, a bargain bin signing?

I guess u prefer colome or maybe bring bartolo to close

12 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

What's with the Kirby Yates love?  He's 34 years old coming off a horrible season and elbow surgery which is not a coincidence because he throws a splitter and he was overused during the previous 3 seasons.  There's a good chance that dude is toast.

No one is clamoring that he be our top target.  Maybe 5th, if things don't workout with the top?

15 minutes ago, HOFHurt35 said:

Bullpens are such a crapshoot.  Going into 2020, Bummer was the only guy I had faith in.   We came out of that season with not having an issue if Colome, Bummer, Marshall, Heuer, Crochet, Foster and even Fry at times getting the ball for a crucial out/inning in any game. 

While a guy like Hendricks would definitely put a lot of confidence for me on that pen come 2021, this "sky is falling" feeling many folks have if we miss on Hendricks is a bit being paranoid. 

Again, would love to have Hendricks.   But it's not the end of the world.   

Archie Bradley?

7 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

What's with the Kirby Yates love?  He's 34 years old coming off a horrible season and elbow surgery which is not a coincidence because he throws a splitter and he was overused during the previous 3 seasons.  There's a good chance that dude is toast.

Come on dude. 4 IP. He could be toast but that's the case with the middle reliever market. His contract this year shouldn't be near what we had to pay for a toast Kelvin Herrerra, and can be paired with a next tier closer. He wouldn't need to be overused on sox staff, and if he strikes out 41% of batters like he did in 2019 that's a big benefit. He's a hedge on a matt foster decline.

Mcgee/YAtes are my MRP and Rosenthal my backup to Hendriks. 

22 minutes ago, Greek-konerko said:

I guess u prefer colome or maybe bring bartolo to close

Where did you get that from?

21 minutes ago, bmags said:

Come on dude. 4 IP. He could be toast but that's the case with the middle reliever market. His contract this year shouldn't be near what we had to pay for a toast Kelvin Herrerra, and can be paired with a next tier closer. He wouldn't need to be overused on sox staff, and if he strikes out 41% of batters like he did in 2019 that's a big benefit. He's a hedge on a matt foster decline.

Mcgee/YAtes are my MRP and Rosenthal my backup to Hendriks. 

That is the case with the middle reliever market so why target older guys who are coming off an injury (Yates, Herrera) or are clearly on the decline (Cishek)?  They have to target the guy who they think is ready to go on a 2-3 year run of above average pitching and not the guy coming off that run (Hendriks?).  To me that guy is Archie Bradley.  He's young, big ,strong, he has stuff, pedigree and closing experience.  He has a very good chance to be a difference maker.  

Having that closer role solidified is what made the 2020 bullpen so great. Everyone had their defined role and expectations. Not saying it needs to be Hendriks (though he is my preference), but they need someone to fill that hole. Sox shouldn't try to cheap out on this and attempt to stay in-house with this position.

13 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Having that closer role solidified is what made the 2020 bullpen so great. Everyone had their defined role and expectations. Not saying it needs to be Hendriks (though he is my preference), but they need someone to fill that hole. Sox shouldn't try to cheap out on this and attempt to stay in-house with this position.

Jesse Rogers had mentioned that they are moving on from Colome. I don’t think they are going to stay in house. It’s just a matter of when and who they sign now.

Edited December 29, 20205 yr by maloney.adam

6 minutes ago, CWSpalehoseCWS said:

Having that closer role solidified is what made the 2020 bullpen so great. Everyone had their defined role and expectations. Not saying it needs to be Hendriks (though he is my preference), but they need someone to fill that hole. Sox shouldn't try to cheap out on this and attempt to stay in-house with this position.

Was the closing role solidified going into 2020, that's the real question?  

A significant portion of the Sox fanbase wanted nothing to do with Colome going into 2020.

1 hour ago, bmags said:

I am not so convinced that if you could get Yates + Rosenthal you aren't a better team than getting Hendriks, even as someone that's a big fan of Hendriks.

 

Depends on how they’re planning to use Crochet in all honesty.  If he’s coming out of the pen this year, not sure we have the space for two more guaranteed contracts in the bullpen.  You’d be looking at Bummer, Crochet, & Fry from the left side and Heuer, Marshall, Foster, & Lopez from the right side.  That leaves guys like Cordero, Burdi, Johnson, & Lambert as depth guys down in Charlotte.  Perhaps you could push down Foster to AAA if everyone is healthy, but I’d rather just get the best reliever possible and hope that the young arms in Charlotte can fill in as needed.

1 hour ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

What's with the Kirby Yates love?  He's 34 years old coming off a horrible season and elbow surgery which is not a coincidence because he throws a splitter and he was overused during the previous 3 seasons.  There's a good chance that dude is toast.

I believe this is the "settling for the whatever is left" mindset

I wouldn't say Yates was bad in 2020, since he pitched just a few innings, and I've read on this board that the specific elbow surgery he is returning from has a very high rate of full recovery relative to TJS and other arm surgeries. I prefer Hendriks, but I don't think Yates is as risky as some presume

Hendriks is going to be an overpay. That is why I am still torn over their plan this offseason. 

Sign Bauer for 35+ and go with a platoon RF/DH (6-8 mil) with Engel and buy a Set up guy for a cheaper rate (4-5 mil) and move Bummer to Closer or

Trade for Lynn (9mil), Lose Dunning and still need another SP (8-10 mil),  Sign Eaton (7mil), Hendriks (13 mil) and still need a DH option. 

Obviously Bauer was going to be the more expensive option...but is it that much more? Oh well. 

34 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

That is the case with the middle reliever market so why target older guys who are coming off an injury (Yates, Herrera) or are clearly on the decline (Cishek)?  They have to target the guy who they think is ready to go on a 2-3 year run of above average pitching and not the guy coming off that run (Hendriks?).  To me that guy is Archie Bradley.  He's young, big ,strong, he has stuff, pedigree and closing experience.  He has a very good chance to be a difference maker.  

I just don’t don’t see what you see with Bradley. I don’t see why his curveball disappeared. I don’t think his fastball stands out. Pitchers are weird but so don’t see the piece that says it clicks. Fastball/change up isn’t my fav reliever profile.

1 hour ago, HOFHurt35 said:

Bullpens are such a crapshoot.  Going into 2020, Bummer was the only guy I had faith in.   We came out of that season with not having an issue if Colome, Bummer, Marshall, Heuer, Crochet, Foster and even Fry at times getting the ball for a crucial out/inning in any game. 

While a guy like Hendricks would definitely put a lot of confidence for me on that pen come 2021, this "sky is falling" feeling many folks have if we miss on Hendricks is a bit being paranoid. 

Again, would love to have Hendricks.   But it's not the end of the world.   

This. If we could get Hendricks on a 3/$39M deal, I'm all in. But if it's a 4/$50M+ deal, I'm out. There is a reason why you don't see teams give aging RPs 4 year deals. Too much risk at the backend of the deal, heck he might even fall apart by year 3. I get people want to see Sox spend, but I rather them spend smart than spend recklessly.

 

Just give us this nice thing already... please. It’s shiny. We like shiny.

 

Seems like a perfect target for Dodgers...especially with recent Padres activity.

I don’t like the sound of his agent waiting out for the Mets and possibly some other team to jump in or bow out. It’s like they know that a team is going to step in and blow the offer they already have (presumably the Sox) out of the water and than they are going to sign with the other team or they will try to come back and ask for a final offer, etc. If they would’ve liked our offer already and the team they would’ve signed already. 

Edited December 30, 20205 yr by maloney.adam

4 minutes ago, maloney.adam said:

I don’t like the sound of his agent waiting out for the Mets and possibly some other team to jump in or bow out. It’s like they know that a team is going to step in and blow the offer they already have (presumably the Sox) out of the water and than they are going to sign with the other team or they will try to come back and ask for a final offer, etc. If they would’ve liked our offer already and the team they would’ve signed already. 

This is why I F'ing hate MLB Free Agency. In the NBA and NFL every major FA is signed within a 2 week period. None of these 3 month windows. It's comical how cheap MLB ownership is as a whole. 

20 minutes ago, EloyJenkins said:

This is why I F'ing hate MLB Free Agency. In the NBA and NFL every major FA is signed within a 2 week period. None of these 3 month windows. It's comical how cheap MLB ownership is as a whole. 

I agree. MLB really needs to do something about it but they won’t. Lol

Edited December 30, 20205 yr by maloney.adam