I know this is early, but whatever.

So I'll go first: I know the A's are in it, and I know our pen already looks dominant, but I wonder what it would take to get JB Wendelken back.  I personally think he is disgusting.  The A's are always in the business of trading a RP.

When the Blue Jays are under .500 at the break.. Ryu.

Max Scherzer ?

John Means. 

Yeah the FIP isn't the prettiest but he'd be a reliable option in the back of the rotation. I'm curious to see if his strikeouts tick up again this year and what Baltimore would want because may not have enough to get a deal done.

Kittle.

I know, another  senior moment.

I've mentioned this before but...what about Chris Sale?   He's owed a lot of money by Boston...we should have a stock pile of money (please don't take us into the "JR is cheap" as he's had many top 5 payrolls when the team is good).   He's been out for two years...he's only 32...could he be our Verlander?  We get him at the trade deadline for three middling prospects (Stiever,  Dahlquist, Jose Rodriguez) and give Boston payroll relief.   When the playoffs come then we have Gio, Lynn, Sale and Keuchel or Cease?  We don't worry about resigning Lynn and for 2022 we get a  starting core of Gio, Sale, Cease, Keuchel and Kopech with Crochett building up to it.      

2 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

I've mentioned this before but...what about Chris Sale?   He's owed a lot of money by Boston...we should have a stock pile of money (please don't take us into the "JR is cheap" as he's had many top 5 payrolls when the team is good).   He's been out for two years...he's only 32...could he be our Verlander?  We get him at the trade deadline for three middling prospects (Stiever,  Dahlquist, Jose Rodriguez) and give Boston payroll relief.   When the playoffs come then we have Gio, Lynn, Sale and Keuchel or Cease?  We don't worry about resigning Lynn and for 2022 we get a  starting core of Gio, Sale, Cease, Keuchel and Kopech with Crochett building up to it.      

??

Carl Everett?

20 minutes ago, Goober said:

Carl Everett?

Charles Johnson

3 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

I've mentioned this before but...what about Chris Sale?   He's owed a lot of money by Boston...we should have a stock pile of money (please don't take us into the "JR is cheap" as he's had many top 5 payrolls when the team is good).   He's been out for two years...he's only 32...could he be our Verlander?  We get him at the trade deadline for three middling prospects (Stiever,  Dahlquist, Jose Rodriguez) and give Boston payroll relief.   When the playoffs come then we have Gio, Lynn, Sale and Keuchel or Cease?  We don't worry about resigning Lynn and for 2022 we get a  starting core of Gio, Sale, Cease, Keuchel and Kopech with Crochett building up to it.      

I don't think so. Sale has a full no trade clause. 

34 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

I don't think so. Sale has a full no trade clause. 

Well yes...Sale would have to be on board.  But why wouldn't he be?  Seems like the Red Sox are in rebuilding mode.   Sale got his WS ring and his payday from the Red Sox...but he had 7 years with the White Sox...he must have some good memories.  And if he sees that he could come here and get two more rings???  Seems to make sense for Red Sox, White Sox and Sale...get it done.    

Joey Gallo and Kevin Gausman 

Joe Musgrove.  

52 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

Well yes...Sale would have to be on board.  But why wouldn't he be?  Seems like the Red Sox are in rebuilding mode.   Sale got his WS ring and his payday from the Red Sox...but he had 7 years with the White Sox...he must have some good memories.  And if he sees that he could come here and get two more rings???  Seems to make sense for Red Sox, White Sox and Sale...get it done.    

He doesn’t like the uniforms. 

1 hour ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

Well yes...Sale would have to be on board.  But why wouldn't he be?  Seems like the Red Sox are in rebuilding mode.   Sale got his WS ring and his payday from the Red Sox...but he had 7 years with the White Sox...he must have some good memories.  And if he sees that he could come here and get two more rings???  Seems to make sense for Red Sox, White Sox and Sale...get it done.    

Eh Sale is right where he wants to be. If I recall, he and his wife love Boston. He he even said Boston was one of the (the only maybe?) city his wife traveled to every year when they played on the road. Like you said, he has his ring so why would he care who pays him if he is right where he wants to be?

Edited March 18, 20215 yr by manbearpuig

16 minutes ago, manbearpuig said:

Eh Sale is right where he wants to be. If I recall, he and his wife love Boston. He he even said Boston was one of the (the only maybe?) city his wife traveled to every year when they played on the road. Like you said, he has his ring so why would he care who pays him if he is right where he wants to be?

Sportrac says the Red Sox Salary for this year is $180 mil...and $140 committed for next year...and they were a last place team.   If you are looking at where to send the vultures...you go after high payroll, disappointing teams.   If Sale could be talked into it...wouldn't you want him?   2018 he was 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 6.9 WAR...and then his arm fell off.  If after two years of sitting out he can come back for a late career surge I can't imagine a more exciting, realistic, option.  

6 hours ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

I've mentioned this before but...what about Chris Sale?   He's owed a lot of money by Boston...we should have a stock pile of money (please don't take us into the "JR is cheap" as he's had many top 5 payrolls when the team is good).   He's been out for two years...he's only 32...could he be our Verlander?  We get him at the trade deadline for three middling prospects (Stiever,  Dahlquist, Jose Rodriguez) and give Boston payroll relief.   When the playoffs come then we have Gio, Lynn, Sale and Keuchel or Cease?  We don't worry about resigning Lynn and for 2022 we get a  starting core of Gio, Sale, Cease, Keuchel and Kopech with Crochett building up to it.      

How much are you asking the Red Sox to eat to offload that deal?

For a team like the White Sox, they're going to give away too much talent to save the money...or end up with another John Danks situation that cripples their financial flexibility.

If you make moves such as this (for a pitcher), it should only be covering the 2021-22 seasons.

Want no part of a longer-term miscalculated move that forces an early tear down (meaning Giolito and Anderson both walk), core mostly remains but as an 80-85ish win team "mired in mediocrity" and short on starting pitching.

 

 

Most importantly, what is his current relationship/feeling for the White Sox, Hahn, JR and especially Kenny Williams?

Is he happy or upset Cooper's gone...?   Probably okay with that part.

If Eaton came back, pretty much anything is possible...even Drake LaRoche getting drafted by the White Sox as their inspirational "Rudy-like" figure.

Edited March 18, 20215 yr by caulfield12

20 minutes ago, michelangelosmonkey said:

Sportrac says the Red Sox Salary for this year is $180 mil...and $140 committed for next year...and they were a last place team.   If you are looking at where to send the vultures...you go after high payroll, disappointing teams.   If Sale could be talked into it...wouldn't you want him?   2018 he was 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 6.9 WAR...and then his arm fell off.  If after two years of sitting out he can come back for a late career surge I can't imagine a more exciting, realistic, option.  

Where are you seeing that he sat out for 2 seasons? He started 25 games in 2019.

Edited March 18, 20215 yr by manbearpuig

With Sale, you're on the hook for $115 million, for, at best, 3 1/2 seasons.

Roughly $33 million/year.

He's not going to be back until at least July, according to all reports.  And that's at the earliest.

 

Bigger question, will he be able to throw his sharp breaking slider with confidence in that elbow, or will be it be that bigger, lopping, slurvier version.

That MIGHT work, but not if his fastball velocity's down in the low 90's.

 

If the White Sox refuse to run $140-160 million payrolls out there...then it's a non-starter.  Right now, there are no guarantees either way, just words.   The only thing with Rick Hahn we can actually believe in are actions, not empty promises and PR-speak gobbledygook.

A few possible additions at the trade deadline (all are FA after 2021):

CF, LF, DH Sterling Marte (Prorated $12.5M). Miami likely out of it by July. Solid defender in CF or LF, would be a good acquisition if something happened to either Robert or Eloy, or if Vaughn has issues adjusting in his rookie year. Shift Eloy to DH. Good speed, glove and OBP at the top.

Util Infield Yolmer Sanchez (Prorated - 1/3 bag of peanuts).. Yeah I said it. Could prove valuable if Mendick not working out, good flexible backup.

SP James Paxton - (Prorated $8.5M). Seattle is a lock to be traders at the deadline, could fill in if someone is down  and or Rodon or Cease aren’t holding up. Don’t see Kopech or Crochet shifting out of the bullpen to fill a need until next year based on the plan.

RP Mychal Givens (Prorated $4.5M). Solid bullpen arm, pitched well on Baltimore, stats took a hit in short season/Coors last year.

If the Sox ate the prorated shares of the salary, they wouldn’t need to send much over in return as these clubs (Seattle, Miami, Colorado, Baltimore) will be happy to dump salary by that point. Likely the hardest part of the deal, getting Reinsdorf to pay ?. Per Steve Stone last. August on The Score, acquiring Dyson at not much over the minimum was a “major commitment by the team”.

Edited March 18, 20215 yr by South Side Hit Men

8 hours ago, manbearpuig said:

Where are you seeing that he sat out for 2 seasons? He started 25 games in 2019.

Not quite...he left early August 2019 and is due back July 2021.   

8 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

With Sale, you're on the hook for $115 million, for, at best, 3 1/2 seasons.

Roughly $33 million/year.

He's not going to be back until at least July, according to all reports.  And that's at the earliest.

 

Bigger question, will he be able to throw his sharp breaking slider with confidence in that elbow, or will be it be that bigger, lopping, slurvier version.

That MIGHT work, but not if his fastball velocity's down in the low 90's.

 

If the White Sox refuse to run $140-160 million payrolls out there...then it's a non-starter.  Right now, there are no guarantees either way, just words.   The only thing with Rick Hahn we can actually believe in are actions, not empty promises and PR-speak gobbledygook.

The risk is he's just a shell of the guy he used to be.  Adam Wainwright was TOR type pitcher, went out in his late twenties and then returned for a couple more elite seasons.   Trade deadline is July 31st and CS is due back early July.  If he throws four starts and looks really good...you can make the money work.  Boston has lots of bad contracts and saving half of Sale's deal in a period when they are non-contenders should be interesting to them.  

Our biggest departure is on the "budget".  Sox were top 5 payrolls in the 00's, 90's and 80's when the team was really good.   Top five payroll now is $170 million and I'm not sure what you see that makes you think they won't follow the same pattern...cheap ass when we are bad but paying up when we are good...JR is a businessman and that all makes sense.

 

How about Charlie Blackmon at the deadline. Colorodo on the hook for 23 mil per 2021 & 2022 plus 10 mil buyout in 2023. Sox send Eaton , Rodon or Lopez and we receive 7 mil per year from Colorado...thoughts? LH hitter, big upgrade from Eaton. More power better defender. 

Obviously the progression of Cease and Kopech really decided whether a starter is going to be the target next offseason. We're basically set up across the diamond for years to come past RF. So I will go with Michael Conforto who is free agent next offseason. Just the idea of having to hit Vaughn/Grandal/Robert 8th is crazy.

SS TA

3B Moncada

1B Abreu

LF Eloy

RF Conforto

DH Vaughn

C Grandal

CF Robert

2B Madrigal

1 minute ago, raBBit said:

Obviously the progression of Cease and Kopech really decided whether a starter is going to be the target next offseason. We're basically set up across the diamond for years to come past RF. So I will go with Michael Conforto who is free agent next offseason. Just the idea of having to hit Vaughn/Grandal/Robert 8th is crazy.

SS TA

3B Moncada

1B Abreu

LF Eloy

RF Conforto

DH Vaughn

C Grandal

CF Robert

2B Madrigal

Have we talked to them about Conforto before?  Any idea on a return?  I imagine a half year for him would still reqquire one of our top HS SP.