Just now, ptatc said:

Thats what all in means. Use everything now. They could have traded many prospects to acquire Snell who is under a reasonable contract. But they didn't because the dont want to sacrifice the future.

So what do you think their 2021 payroll should be?  Darvish, Hendriks, & Giolito extension totals ~ $60m  You buying out the park for the season? 

9 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Collins is not the answer.  McCann started 45% of the games last season because he had to.  They need the 2nd catcher to be strong defensively and that's not Collins.  

McCann only started that many because of his performance.  Grandal will start 120 and Collins will start 40 closer to a normal backup catcher situation.

Just now, Rounding_Third said:

So what do you think their 2021 payroll should be?  Darvish, Hendriks, & Giolito extension totals ~ $60m  You buying out the park for the season? 

I don't think they should do that. They would only do that that if they were all in, which they are not, which is my point.

6 minutes ago, ptatc said:

I don't think they should do that. They would only do that that if they were all in, which they are not, which is my point.

I hate to disappoint you but they will NEVER spend that kind of money.  Not sure what Sox world you live in but their all in window has started.

Edited January 2, 20215 yr by Rounding_Third

11 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

 

This is bad juju. Do you want to turn Hendriks into Billy Koch? 

What a terrible comparison. They are players who wore the same uniform as closers 15-20 years apart I guess.

Of all the needs Sox have, backup catcher should be at the bottom of the list.

Hahn made some strange comments either in the end of year presser or when La Russa was announced. Basically saying they were content with Collins/Zavala/Mercedes. It was a strong presser and that was the one thing I couldn’t make sense of. 
 

That said, I do think the Sox are more likely to get a veteran backstop than he implied that day. 

Just now, thxfrthmmrs said:

Of all the needs Sox have, backup catcher should be at the bottom of the list.

Maybe so, but the Sox GM basically said it wasn’t a need. If Grandal went down for some reason the catching situation would go from one of the best in baseball to the worst. 

2 minutes ago, raBBit said:

That said, I do think the Sox are more likely to get a veteran backstop than he implied that day. 

If he doesn't he's going to have a very unhappy pitching staff on his hands.  

Just now, raBBit said:

Maybe so, but the Sox GM basically said it wasn’t a need. If Grandal went down for some reason the catching situation would go from one of the best in baseball to the worst. 

Most teams in the league do not have luxury carrying two quality catchers. 2020 Sox was an exception. Yankees with their massive payroll ran Romine and Higa out there the last few years.

1 minute ago, raBBit said:

Maybe so, but the Sox GM basically said it wasn’t a need. If Grandal went down for some reason the catching situation would go from one of the best in baseball to the worst. 

Exactly!  And it can be averted so affordably;  money well spent.  I can't see turning over our staff for a length of time to a guy who is still trying to figure things out for himself.

Just now, thxfrthmmrs said:

Most teams in the league do not have luxury carrying two quality catchers. 2020 Sox was an exception. Yankees with their massive payroll ran Romine and Higa out there the last few years.

Teams that have cost controlled, above league average players under control at C, 1B (x2), 2B, SS, 3B, LF & CF should have the capacity to have luxuries most teams wouldn't. That situation makes it so setting the market on the top reliever and acquiring a quality back up should not be outside of the realm of the possibility.  To be clear, I am not saying the Sox should bring another starter to back up Grandal. I am saying they should have someone better than Collins/Zavala/Mercedes. There is a lot of room between the two.

1 minute ago, raBBit said:

Teams that have cost controlled, above league average players under control at C, 1B (x2), 2B, SS, 3B, LF & CF should have the capacity to have luxuries most teams wouldn't. That situation makes it so setting the market on the top reliever and acquiring a quality back up should not be outside of the realm of the possibility.  To be clear, I am not saying the Sox should bring another starter to back up Grandal. I am saying they should have someone better than Collins/Zavala/Mercedes. There is a lot of room between the two.

I would add that catcher is also the most vulnerable position as well. So you do not need  a high quality back-up but you do need a quality one.  

4 minutes ago, raBBit said:

Teams that have cost controlled, above league average players under control at C, 1B (x2), 2B, SS, 3B, LF & CF should have the capacity to have luxuries most teams wouldn't. That situation makes it so setting the market on the top reliever and acquiring a quality back up should not be outside of the realm of the possibility.  To be clear, I am not saying the Sox should bring another starter to back up Grandal. I am saying they should have someone better than Collins/Zavala/Mercedes. There is a lot of room between the two.

I am in the camp that Collins deserves a shot. But even if they they look for an external option, it shouldn’t be someone they spend more than $2M on, that’s why I said it should be at the bottom of the list.

2 minutes ago, raBBit said:

Teams that have cost controlled, above league average players under control at C, 1B (x2), 2B, SS, 3B, LF & CF should have the capacity to have luxuries most teams wouldn't. That situation makes it so setting the market on the top reliever and acquiring a quality back up should not be outside of the realm of the possibility.  To be clear, I am not saying the Sox should bring another starter to back up Grandal. I am saying they should have someone better than Collins/Zavala/Mercedes. There is a lot of room between the two.

Agreed!  I guess I'm assuming that those names mentioned, all current starters, would be ready and willing at their age to become backups on a championship caliber team.  $2-3m seems to be a reasonable guesstimate based on limited market value research.

11 hours ago, SoxAce said:

I'm the opposite.

Yep, the Garrett Richards love on this board is still something I don’t get.

Sorry for turning this Hendriks thread into a catcher discussion. It was not my intention.  There's another older thread for this.  Have they signed Hendriks yet? lol

34 minutes ago, Rounding_Third said:

So what do you think their 2021 payroll should be?  Darvish, Hendriks, & Giolito extension totals ~ $60m  You buying out the park for the season? 

We’re giving Giolito $28M in the first year of an extension?

1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

We’re giving Giolito $28M in the first year of an extension?

oops, sorry, forgot to add Lynn trade to that.

15 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

I would add that catcher is also the most vulnerable position as well. So you do not need  a high quality back-up but you do need a quality one.  

Agree completely 

59 minutes ago, Rounding_Third said:

I doubt if the few at the top of the available list would do that.  I can't see Suzuki, Avila, Flowers, etc taking that offer.  The good ones will all be signed to play in MLB by time the season starts.   

The list is a lot longer than this

1 minute ago, bmags said:

The list is a lot longer than this

ofc, just as long as the word "quality" can still be used the further down the list you go.  Really just need one the staff has complete confidence in and has all/most of the talents that define that. 

@raBBit - Maybe I’m reading this wrong, but you seem to be implying that the Sox might make another big trade?  If so, what position would they be targeting?  The only thing I can think of is a SP like Musgrove.  Every other hole could be filled with cheap, semi-interesting options.

 

12 minutes ago, Rounding_Third said:

ofc, just as long as the word "quality" can still be used the further down the list you go.  Really just need one the staff has complete confidence in and has all/most of the talents that define that. 

Someone like Austin Romine, who has a bad year last year but is the perfect bet for young pitchers and has shown a competent bat before, is a good match for a deal like that.

9 minutes ago, bmags said:

Someone like Austin Romine, who has a bad year last year but is the perfect bet for young pitchers and has shown a competent bat before, is a good match for a deal like that.

Funny, was just looking at his stats.  Yeah, not bad.  Defensively, and a bit more expensive, the coup de grace would be Avila.  That dude can still bring it!  Knows AL & central real well, too. .... as does Romine.  

Edited January 2, 20215 yr by Rounding_Third